Combining a treatment course with time in the capital: in which order, how many days, and what to settle in advance.
A good share of guests coming to Naftalan would like to see Baku on the same trip. That is entirely possible — the order and the days simply need planning.
Which order is easier
There are two options, and their logic differs.
Baku first, then Naftalan. Setting out on a four-hour drive straight after a long flight does not suit everyone. One or two nights in Baku breaks the journey and lets you see the capital unhurried. Then the course begins, and on the way home there is only the airport to reach.
Naftalan first, then Baku. Finishing the course and returning to the capital works well if your flight home is early in the morning — a night in Baku and a calm departure. And there is this: after the course you usually have more energy for walking.
How many days to allow
Two full days in Baku are enough for the main sights: the old city, the Maiden Tower, the boulevard, the Flame Towers and the Heydar Aliyev Centre. With a third day you can take in the Absheron peninsula — Gobustan and Ateshgah. The length of the course is set by the doctor; add the two figures together and you have the trip.
Travel options
There are 320 km between Baku and Naftalan. A transfer takes close to four hours by road and is the simplest option, especially with luggage. The Baku–Ganja fast train is about 3.5 hours; the nearest railway point to Naftalan is Goran station, and a transfer covers the last leg. If you drive yourself, parking at the hotel is free.
What to settle in advance
- The time of your flight home — leave at least a day and a half between the last day of the course and departure.
- The direction of the transfer: airport → Baku → Naftalan, or straight from the airport to Naftalan.
- Luggage: if you are stopping in Baku, agree in advance about sending part of it ahead to the hotel.
- The start date of the course: the doctor sees you on the day you arrive and the procedures begin the next day.
One note
Do not plan two days in Baku in the middle of the course. The procedures run to a continuous schedule, and taking two days out of the middle breaks its logic. Put the sightseeing at the start or the end; for rest days within the course, a day trip to Ganja, Goygol or Mingachevir makes far more sense.
