Getting to Baku for the football

This is the longest and most expensive away day in the 2026/27 Champions League, and it needs planning rather than a cheap seat and a shrug. Sabah FK reached the league phase for the first time in August 2026 and host Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Slavia Prague in Baku (Report.az). Those games are at the 31,090-seat Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium in the city, not at Sabah's usual ground out in Masazır, which does not meet UEFA's requirements (Wikipedia), (SportBible). Before you book anything, get the e-visa.

Fast facts

The visa, which you must sort first

British citizens need a visa before travelling. The e-visa, known as the ASAN Visa, is applied for online at evisa.gov.az and gives a single entry of up to 30 days within a 90-day validity window. You print it and present it with your passport at the border, and officials will check the passport is valid for three months beyond the visa's expiry (FCDO).

There are two speeds. The standard application costs 25 USD and takes up to three working days; the urgent one costs 60 USD and is processed within three hours regardless of holidays or weekends (Wikipedia). The FCDO says to apply at least three days ahead, and Newcastle told their supporters to allow a week for processing and approval, which is the sensible margin if your flight is non-refundable (FCDO), (Newcastle United).

Apply on the government portal itself. There are several commercial sites with similar names that charge a mark-up on the same 25 USD application. If you are staying longer than 15 days you also have to register with the State Migration Service, and there are fines at the airport if you have not (FCDO).

Getting there from the UK

Baku is only reachable direct from London. Azerbaijan Airlines flies from both Heathrow and Gatwick year-round, and the direct hop takes about five and a half hours (FlightConnections), (Trip.com). From everywhere else in the UK you either connect through London or change on the continent, most commonly at Istanbul (FlightConnections), (momondo).

Be honest with yourself about the time. From Manchester the fastest itinerary is around nine and three-quarter hours, and most one-stop and two-stop options run from ten hours to well over a day depending on the layover (momondo). Costs below are what the aggregators were showing when this guide was written and they move a lot once a fixture is confirmed.

Baku is on UTC+4 and does not put its clocks forward, so it is three hours ahead of the UK while we are on British Summer Time and four hours ahead from late October (Wikipedia). A 21:00 local kick-off is an 18:00 start at home in September and a 17:00 start in November, which matters if you are booking a same-night return.

Getting into Baku: the airport

Heydar Aliyev International sits around 25 km north-east of the city (Football Tripper). The cheapest way in is the H1 Aero Express bus, which runs around the clock from both terminals to 28 May metro station in the centre in about 30 minutes. The fare is 1.30 AZN, paid with a BakıKART smart card that costs 2 AZN from the machines outside arrivals. Those machines take cash only, so change some money before you leave the terminal, and note that one card can be tapped several times for a group (Escape With Annual Leave), (Azerbaijan Traveller).

For a taxi, use an app. Bolt or Yango to the centre runs about 15 to 25 AZN and takes 25 to 40 minutes, while a pre-booked private transfer starts around 50 AZN (Azerbaijan Traveller). Newcastle told their supporters to download Bolt or the local Uber AZ app on arrival, which is the right advice: app-based cars show the price before you get in and there is no haggling in a language you do not speak (Newcastle United).

From the centre to the ground, and getting around

The Tofiq Bahramov sits about 2.5 km north of Baku's Central Railway Station, roughly a 35 to 40 minute walk. The metro is easier: Ganjlik station on the red line has a direct exit to the ground and is a two-minute walk (Football Ground Guide).

The metro is a flat 0.60 AZN per journey however far you go, and runs from 06:00 until around midnight (mapa-metro). You cannot pay cash at the barrier. You need a BakıKART even for a single trip, bought and topped up from machines in the stations, and the same card works on the city buses (Travel in Baku). Buy one at the airport and you are set for the whole trip.

Taxis start at about 3.50 AZN with roughly 1 AZN a kilometre, so a cross-town run is cheap by UK standards (Numbeo). Ganjlik station has no lifts, which is worth knowing if anyone in your group has mobility needs (Newcastle United).

Where visiting fans stay

Almost everything a visiting fan wants is in the same few central districts, and all of them are on the metro line that runs up to Ganjlik. Nasimi is the practical pick: it takes in the main railway station and the 28 May metro interchange, which is both where the airport bus terminates and where you catch the red line to the ground (MissTourist), (Escape With Annual Leave).

The Old City, Icherisheher, is the pretty option inside the medieval walls, close to the Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, though it is the most touristed part of town. Nizami Street is the pedestrianised shopping and eating strip about ten minutes' walk from the Old City walls, and Sabayil is the waterfront district under the Flame Towers (MissTourist).

Baku is not a cheap hotel city by regional standards but it is well below London. Budget rooms in the Old City start around 50 USD a night and mid-range ones around 80 USD (MissTourist). Book early: four Champions League nights will empty the central stock.

Where to drink

Azerbaijan is majority Muslim and constitutionally secular, and drinking is a normal, unremarkable part of life in Baku. Bars are open, beer is sold in supermarkets, and nobody will look at you twice for having a pint. A half-litre of local draught runs about 2.75 AZN and an imported bottle about 4.50 AZN, so this is one of the cheaper parts of the trip (Numbeo). Outside the capital the mood is more conservative, and the FCDO notes that shorts can attract attention beyond Baku (FCDO).

• Hops Pub, 24B Tarlan Aliyarbeyov Street, is the football pub. Draught and bottled beer, a pool table, shirts and scarves on the walls, open 16:00 to 04:00, and reviewers specifically call it out as a place for football fans (Tripadvisor), (Football Ground Guide).
• Beer Station Pub, 153 Lev Tolstoy, is a two-floor bar doing cold beer and homemade snacks, open 14:00 to 03:00 (Tripadvisor), (Football Ground Guide).
• Finnegan's Irish Pub, 8 Abdulkarim Ali-Zadeh Street, is the familiar option and staff will put a match on if you ask. It is also the one to approach with your wits about you: it scores only 3.3 out of 5 and a number of reviewers report scams and uncomfortable approaches from other patrons (Tripadvisor).

Nasimi, the district taking in the main station and the 28 May interchange, is the bar and nightclub quarter and the easiest place to wander between a few without a plan (MissTourist). Drink-driving carries zero tolerance in Azerbaijan: testing positive for any alcohol at all can mean a severe fine and a prison sentence, so do not get behind a wheel (FCDO).

Where to eat

The food is one of the genuine pleasures of this trip, and it is cheap. Plov, the layered rice dish, is the national plate, dolma comes wrapped in vine leaves, and grilled kebabs are everywhere. A meal in an inexpensive restaurant runs about 15 AZN, and three courses for two in a mid-range place about 70 AZN without drinks (Numbeo). In the traditional downtown places mains typically land between 8 and 17 AZN, so a proper sit-down dinner costs less than a round in most Champions League cities (Azerbaijan Traveller).

• Qaynana, on Kichik Gala street in the Old Town, does home-style Azerbaijani cooking and tandir bread, mains 8 to 12 AZN, open 08:00 to 23:00 (Azerbaijan Traveller).
• Firuze, 14 Tarlan Aliyarbeyov street, is the plov and kebab standard, mains 9 to 15 AZN and kebabs around 8 AZN, open until 01:00. It is on the same street as Hops Pub, so it pairs neatly with a drink after (Azerbaijan Traveller).
• Fisincan Cafe, 63 Nizami Street, does traditional cooking and local beer with mains at 7 to 11 AZN, which makes it the cheap central option (Azerbaijan Traveller).
• Han, 22 Asef Zeynally street in the Old City, is a converted caravanserai doing Azerbaijani, Turkish and steaks if you want the room to be part of the evening (Travel in Baku).
• Gabala Old City, Kichik Gala 88, is a non-smoking, non-alcoholic family restaurant, worth knowing if not everyone in the group is drinking (Travel in Baku).
• There is a McDonald's two minutes north-west of the stadium if you need something quick before kick-off (Football Tripper).

What to do

Baku rewards an extra day, and if you have flown five and a half hours you may as well take one. Everything below is walkable from the central districts (World Wild Schooling).

• Icherisheher, the UNESCO-listed walled Old City, is the obvious start: medieval cobbled streets, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and old caravanserais, several now restaurants (World Wild Schooling), (Travel in Baku).
• The Maiden Tower, the 12th-century tower inside the walls, is worth the climb for the view over the Old City and out to the Caspian (World Wild Schooling).
• The Flame Towers dominate the skyline and run a light show in the evening. Upland Park is where you go for the panoramic shot of them over the bay (World Wild Schooling).
• The Heydar Aliyev Center, Zaha Hadid's flowing white landmark, is the modern architectural set piece and an easy indoor half-day (World Wild Schooling).
• Baku Boulevard is a three-mile promenade along the Caspian with parks and cafes, the pleasant way to walk off a late night (World Wild Schooling).
• Taza Bazaar, a market of more than 70 years standing, is the one for produce, spices and local snacks if you want an hour away from the tourist route (World Wild Schooling).

Inside the stadium and away allocation

The Tofiq Bahramov opened in 1951, was renovated in 2011 and 2012, and holds 31,090 (Wikipedia). It is Azerbaijan's national ground and the venue Premier League clubs use for European ties, which is why Sabah are here rather than at their own 8,969-seat Bank Respublika Arena out in Masazır (Football Tripper), (Wikipedia). There is a running track round the pitch, so you are further from the action than in a modern bowl (Football Ground Guide).

When Newcastle came here in February 2026 they were given a maximum of 1,998 tickets in blocks 26 to 28 in the south-east corner, entering at Gate B, and they sold them at £18 for all ages (Football Ground Guide), (Newcastle United), (Report.az). Disabled supporters go in via Gate C, where wheelchair seating is partly exposed to the weather and there are no accessible toilets or Changing Places (Newcastle United).

Expect a full body search from stewards and possibly police. Bags bigger than A4, 30cm by 20cm by 10cm, are not allowed and there is no storage, so travel light. Umbrellas, pyrotechnics, knives and vuvuzelas are all banned. Flags and banners under 1.5m by 2m are permitted but your club will normally want to clear them in advance. Beer and snacks are sold inside; you cannot bring your own alcohol. Away fans are held back for about 30 minutes after the whistle and escorted out by police (Newcastle United).

Doors open one to two hours before kick-off, and it is worth being through security 30 to 45 minutes before the start (Audiala). Sabah's home tickets go through iTicket.az as QR codes tied to the account that bought them, non-refundable and capped at five per person, and screenshots are refused at the gate (iTicket.AZ). Buy through your own club's official away scheme rather than any resale site.

Money and safety

The currency is the Azerbaijani manat, around 2.31 to the pound on 28 August 2026 (CBAR). Cards and contactless work widely across Baku and Visa and Mastercard ATMs are easy to find (Newcastle United). Carry some cash anyway, because the BakıKART machines at the airport and in the metro take notes and coins only (Escape With Annual Leave). The FCDO advises using ATMs inside banks rather than on the street, because card skimming is a known problem (FCDO).

Crime in Baku is generally low, but bag-snatching and mugging risk rises after dark in the centre, so do not walk alone late and do not flash cash (FCDO). Newcastle warned their travelling support specifically about pickpocketing at the airport and transit hubs (Newcastle United). Carry your passport at all times, which is a legal requirement rather than a suggestion, and steer clear of demonstrations and large public gatherings (FCDO).

Two things to take seriously. Drug possession carries severe penalties including long prison sentences. And military installations must not be photographed (FCDO). Martyrs' Alley, the memorial above the city, is culturally sensitive and behaving loudly there will get you police attention (Newcastle United). The British Embassy is at 45 Khagani Street, Baku, on (+994) 12 437 78 78 (Newcastle United).

Common questions

Do I need a visa to go to Baku for the football?

Yes. British citizens need a visa arranged before travel. Apply for the e-visa at evisa.gov.az for a single entry of up to 30 days, print it, and carry it with your passport (FCDO). The standard application is 25 USD in up to three working days, and the urgent one is 60 USD in three hours (Wikipedia). Newcastle advised their fans to allow a week, which is the safe margin.

Can I fly direct to Baku from the UK?

Only from London. Azerbaijan Airlines runs year-round services from Heathrow and Gatwick, taking around five and a half hours (FlightConnections), (Trip.com). From Manchester and everywhere else you connect, most often at Istanbul, with the fastest itineraries around nine and three-quarter hours (momondo).

How do I get from the airport to the city?

The H1 Aero Express bus runs 24 hours to 28 May metro in the centre in about 30 minutes for 1.30 AZN, paid with a BakıKART bought for 2 AZN cash from the machines outside arrivals (Escape With Annual Leave). A Bolt or Yango car is 15 to 25 AZN and 25 to 40 minutes (Azerbaijan Traveller).

How do I get to the stadium?

Red line metro to Ganjlik, which has a direct exit to the ground and is a two-minute walk (Football Ground Guide). It is a flat 0.60 AZN and you need a BakıKART to get through the barrier, even for one journey (mapa-metro), (Travel in Baku). If you would rather walk it is 2.5 km north of the Central Railway Station, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Why aren't Sabah playing at their own ground?

Their home is the Bank Respublika Arena in Masazır, roughly 20 miles from Baku, holding 8,969, and it does not meet UEFA's requirements for this competition (Wikipedia), (ESPN), (SportBible). They played the qualifying play-off against Hapoel Be'er Sheva at the Tofiq Bahramov in front of 30,000 instead (iTicket.AZ), (Goal). Sabah's own website still lists the Bank Respublika Arena as its European ground, so confirm the venue on your ticket before you book flights.

Where do away fans sit?

In the south-east corner, blocks 26 to 28, entering at Gate B (Football Ground Guide), (Newcastle United). A running track separates the stands from the pitch, so sightlines and noise are not what you get in a tight modern ground.

How big is the away allocation?

Newcastle received a maximum of 1,998 for their tie at this stadium in February 2026 (Football Ground Guide). Allocations vary by fixture and by agreement between the clubs, so go through your own club's official away scheme rather than a resale site.

How much is a beer in Baku?

About 2.75 AZN for a half-litre of local draught, or roughly 4.50 AZN for a bottle of imported (Numbeo). At about 2.31 manat to the pound that is a little over a pound a pint, which makes Baku one of the cheapest cities on the European circuit for a drink (CBAR).

Is alcohol a problem in a Muslim country?

No. Azerbaijan is majority Muslim and secular, and alcohol is legal, openly sold and widely drunk in Baku. Bars, pubs and wine bars are normal and nobody minds you using them. Be more considerate outside the capital, where dress and behaviour are more conservative (FCDO). Drink-driving has zero tolerance and a positive test can mean a fine and prison.

Can I drink inside the stadium?

Beer and snacks are sold inside the ground, but you cannot take your own alcohol in (Newcastle United). Expect a full search on the way through, and leave anything bigger than an A4 bag at the hotel because there is no storage at the stadium.

Is Baku safe for away fans?

Broadly yes. Crime is generally low, though bag-snatching and mugging risk rises after dark in the centre and card skimming is a known issue, so use ATMs inside banks (FCDO). Newcastle flagged pickpocketing at the airport and transit hubs (Newcastle United). Use Bolt or Uber AZ rather than flagging a car down, carry your passport, and keep away from demonstrations.

What time is kick-off in UK terms?

Baku is on UTC+4 and does not change its clocks (Wikipedia). That makes it three hours ahead of the UK during British Summer Time and four hours ahead once the clocks go back in late October, so a 21:00 local kick-off is 18:00 at home in September and 17:00 in November.

Is it worth the money?

Only you can answer that, but be clear-eyed. This is a long-haul flight from London or a connection from anywhere else, a paid visa, and a night or two in a hotel, for a game in a 1951 athletics stadium with a running track. Once you are there Baku is cheap, the food is good and the city is genuinely worth seeing. The cost is all in getting there.