Azerbaijan Travel Tips for Indians: Money, SIM, Food and Etiquette

Azerbaijan is easy for Indian travellers in most practical respects, but a handful of details, currency, connectivity, food and basic local customs, are worth sorting out before you land rather than figuring out on arrival.

Currency and money

Azerbaijan uses the Manat (AZN). At the time of writing in September 2026, 1 AZN was worth roughly Rs 56, though this rate moves, so check a live converter closer to your travel date rather than relying on a fixed figure. Cards are widely accepted in Baku's hotels, restaurants and malls, but carrying some Manat cash is useful for taxis, smaller eateries and anywhere outside the capital, where card machines are less consistently available.

Getting a SIM card

Recommended local SIM providers include Azercell, Bakcell and Nar, with Azercell the largest and most widely used provider, especially useful if you are travelling beyond Baku. Nar is generally the most budget-friendly option of the three. You can walk into any operator's sales point with your passport (and visa) and get set up on arrival; eSIMs are also an option if your phone supports one and you would rather sort connectivity before you land.

Vegetarian and halal food

Azerbaijani cuisine leans heavily on lamb and chicken by tradition, but Baku has become notably vegetarian-friendly, largely due to the sheer volume of Indian tourism the city now receives. Halal food is widely available across Baku, spanning traditional Azerbaijani dishes like plov and dolma as well as Turkish, Arabic and international cuisine, and many restaurants display halal certification. If you are travelling with specific dietary needs like Jain or no onion-no garlic, most Indian restaurants will accommodate you if you mention it in advance, and carrying a translated note in Azerbaijani or Russian can help avoid confusion elsewhere.

If you do want to try local food, a handful of dishes are both easy to find and easy on an Indian palate. Plov, saffron rice cooked with meat and dried fruit, is the national dish and has over 40 regional versions. Dolma comes in several forms, stuffed grape leaves (yarpaq dolmasi), stuffed cabbage rolls (kelem dolmasi), or the vegetable-only "three sisters" version (uch baji) using tomato, eggplant and pepper, all served with yoghurt. Qutab, a thin griddle-cooked flatbread, has a fully vegetarian version called göyerti qutab, filled with fresh greens and cheese, that is widely available and genuinely good.

Where to eat Indian food in Baku

Baku has several dedicated Indian restaurants that cater specifically to the growing number of Indian visitors. Maharani is known for a wide range of pure vegetarian Indian dishes, Namaste serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options from curries to tandoori, and Curry House is a popular spot offering a mix of Indian and European dishes. Most of these sit within or close to central Baku, so you rarely need a long detour to find a familiar meal if you want a break from local food partway through your trip.

Connectivity and staying in touch

Wifi is widely available in Baku hotels, cafes and restaurants, so a local SIM or eSIM is mainly useful for navigation, ride-hailing apps and staying connected while out sightseeing rather than being strictly essential everywhere you go. If you are travelling beyond Baku to Gabala or Sheki, buying your SIM before you leave the capital is sensible, since operator sales points are more concentrated in the city.

Safety and general etiquette

Baku is consistently described as one of the safer capital cities, with a low crime rate, well-lit streets and a visible tourist police presence that stays active well into the night. Standard travel precautions still apply, particularly around belongings in crowded tourist areas, but Baku's overall safety profile is a genuine positive for first-time visitors travelling in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is a majority-Muslim country, and while Baku itself is broadly modern and relaxed in everyday dress, it is courteous to dress a little more conservatively when visiting mosques or religious sites, covering shoulders and knees. Tipping is appreciated but not rigidly expected the way it is in some other international destinations; rounding up a restaurant bill or leaving a small amount for a driver is a normal and welcomed gesture rather than an obligation.

Practical checklist before you fly

The one thing worth planning ahead

If you have any dietary restriction beyond simple vegetarian, calling ahead to a restaurant or carrying a translated dietary card is genuinely useful outside the main Indian restaurants, since English menus thin out once you leave central Baku.