Surakhany Museum Tanker and the Bibi-Eybat Ship Graveyard

₼180

From

₼120

Duration: 4-5 hours Group Size: 1-17 5.0/5 (35 reviews) 2,178 views

Surakhany Museum Tanker and the Bibi-Eybat Ship Graveyard

Baku is a city where oil history is closely connected with the sea. Behind its modern waterfront, historic buildings, and popular attractions lies a world of industrial heritage, historic ships, and maritime culture. The Surakhany Museum Tanker and Ship Graveyard Tour offers a chance to see the capital of Azerbaijan from a different perspective and learn more about Caspian industrial shipping.

This route is an interesting addition to popular Baku tours and is ideal for travellers who want to explore not only the city's architecture but also its maritime history. During this 3.5-hour tour, you will visit a former oil tanker that has been turned into a museum and the old Bibi-Eybat pier, where retired ships remain near the docks.

Among the many excursions in Baku, this tour stands out because it combines maritime history, industrial landscapes, and the chance to discover a world that is usually left out of standard tourist routes.

Tour Itinerary

The first stop is the Surakhany Museum Tanker in Baku, a unique museum on Baku Boulevard dedicated to the history of maritime transport and Azerbaijan's oil industry.

The tanker was built in 1957 and operated for many years, carrying oil products across the Caspian Sea. Its routes connected Baku with other ports in the region, including Astrakhan, Makhachkala, Turkmenbashi (Krasnovodsk), and Anzali. The former working vessel has now become a museum where visitors can learn about the ship's history and discover how the crew lived on board.

The tour begins on the deck. The museum guide will explain the tanker's design, its operation, and the role of sea transport in the development of the oil industry. You will learn how voyages took place, what tasks sailors performed, and what challenges they faced at sea.

Next, you will explore the inside of the ship. The tour includes the crew's living quarters, the dining room, and the galley. The narrow corridors and preserved interiors help visitors imagine how sailors worked, relaxed, and spent long days away from the shore.

Special attention is given to the engine room. Here, you will see machinery, instruments, and technical systems that kept the tanker running. The guide will explain how the equipment worked and how the crew maintained the vessel's movement and safety.

The final stop inside the museum is the captain's bridge. Navigation instruments, sea charts, and control equipment help visitors understand how sailors planned routes and navigated the sea. There is also a VR area where a virtual experience introduces visitors to the process of operating a ship.

Around 1.5 hours are allocated for the museum visit.

After visiting the tanker, the tour continues to the Bibi-Eybat area. The drive to the old docks takes approximately 10–15 minutes. This is where retired vessels have found their final resting place. Many of them once played an important role in the economic and industrial life of the Caspian Sea.

The Bibi-Eybat Ship Graveyard is an unusual industrial landscape. Among the old vessels, you may see former cargo ships, tugboats, service vessels, and a drilling ship. Darkened hulls, rusty metal structures, and faded paint create a striking atmosphere in a place where time is slowly changing the appearance of maritime equipment.

During the stop, your guide will explain the purpose of the vessels, how they were used, and why maritime transport was important for Azerbaijan's industrial development. Unlike a museum exhibition, the history here can be seen in the ships themselves. They remain by the water and gradually deteriorate under the influence of the environment.

Please note that Bibi-Eybat is an active port and oil production area, not a public park or an open-air museum. Access to the old docks must be arranged in advance because of safety requirements. The visit is therefore organised with a guide and takes place from the shore. Climbing aboard the ships is not allowed.

These unusual places make Baku sightseeing tours more varied and offer a chance to discover the city's industrial past beyond the usual tourist attractions.

After the main programme, you can add lunch at a fish restaurant in Bibi-Eybat Bay. The menu usually includes grilled fish, traditional Azerbaijani starters, and aromatic tea.

The seaside restaurant is a pleasant place to relax after the visit. Lunch takes place close to the shore, allowing you to continue enjoying the maritime atmosphere of Baku in a peaceful setting and experience local hospitality.

Lunch usually takes 1–1.5 hours. The cost is not included in the main tour price.

Tour Category: Exclusive Tours

Group Size: 1-17 people

Duration: 4-5 hours

Pickup Location: Your hotel/residence

Transport: Sedan, Mercedes-Benz Vito, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Price includes

Entrance ticket to the Surakhany Museum Tanker.
Assistance from an official museum guide.
Services of a personal tour guide.
Transfer in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle.

Paid separately

Personal expenses.
Lunch

Good to know

The tanker has steep stairs, narrow corridors, and ladders leading below deck. Therefore, the visit may be difficult for people with limited mobility. If you have questions about accessibility, we recommend discussing them with the organisers in advance.

Access to the ship graveyard requires prior permission to enter the port area. Climbing aboard the old vessels is not included in the programme. If you plan to take photographs, please follow the current restrictions and check the rules for photography in advance, including the use of drones.

Select Date

Adults 12+ yrs

Children 3-11 yrs

Infants 0-2 yrs

Adults $0

Children $0

Infants (Free) $0

Total Amount $0

Secure booking with SSL encryption

General questions

The main programme lasts approximately 3.5 hours. With a lunch break, the total duration may be around 4.5 hours or slightly longer.

Yes. Visitors can explore the deck, crew accommodation, dining room, galley, engine room, and captain's bridge. The visit takes place with a museum guide and lasts around 1.5 hours.

Access to the old docks is restricted because the area is still used for port and oil industry activities. Some vessels may be visible from a distance from accessible parts of the coast, but a close-up view is not guaranteed.

Yes. The old rusty ships and industrial surroundings create interesting opportunities for photography. The sea views can look especially atmospheric in the evening light.

The main languages of the tour are English and Russian.

Pick-up is usually arranged at the guests' accommodation, such as a hotel or apartment. From there, you will travel to the museum tanker by car.

The price of a private tour starts at around 120 Azerbaijani manats per person. The final cost depends on the number of participants and the booking conditions. We recommend checking the current price before booking.