The Absheron Peninsula immediately around Baku is the natural focus for day trips. The fire-and-water combination of Yanar Dag, the Ateshgah Fire Temple, and the working oil field at Bibi-Heybat makes a single excellent half-day.
A longer trip south takes in the prehistoric rock engravings at Gobustan and the mud volcanoes nearby. To the north, the towns of Quba and the historic Mountain Jewish village of Krasnaya Sloboda make a longer day trip or an overnight; the Caspian beach resort of Mardakan is a closer escape in summer.