Full Day Baku Oil Boom & Polish Heritage Tour

The tour starts at 09:45 by picking you up from any address or arranged meeting point within Baku.
After meeting at the designated location, we drive to the site of the World’s First Drilled Oil Well, located approximately 15 minutes away. In 1846, Azerbaijan became the birthplace of industrial-scale oil drilling. The first mechanical oil well was drilled in Bibi-Heybat using cable-tool drilling techniques. This well reached a depth of about 21 meters and produced its first oil, laying the foundation for the global oil industry. Remarkably, this achievement predates the famous Drake Well in Pennsylvania, USA (drilled in 1859), by over a decade. While the Drake Well is credited with sparking America’s first oil boom, the Bibi-Heybat well holds the distinction of being the world’s first mechanically drilled oil well.
Guests will spend approximately 30 minutes here, guided by their private expert.

Next, we head to White City to visit the House Museum of the Nobel Brothers – Villa Petrolea.
It is a 20-minute drive from the oil well site to Villa Petrolea. Baku White City is a remarkable urban redevelopment initiative that has transformed a once-industrial zone into a modern, sustainable, and vibrant urban district, covering around 1,650 hectares.
Villa Petrolea, the former residence of the Nobel brothers, was built in 1884 by Ludvig and Emanuel Nobel as part of a settlement for Branobel Oil Company employees. After nationalization in 1920, the villa served various purposes, including as a hospital and later a children’s home. In 2004, the Baku Nobel Heritage Fund was established to preserve the Nobel legacy. After meticulous restoration, the villa reopened on April 25, 2008.
Today, it houses the Nobel Brothers’ Museum, an International Conference Centre, and the Baku Nobel Oil Club. The museum exhibits artifacts related to the Nobels’ contributions to Azerbaijan’s oil industry and their philanthropic impact.
Guests will spend approximately 30 minutes here, with insightful commentary by their private guide.

The third stop is the Istiglaliyyat Street area.
A 15-minute drive from Villa Petrolea brings us to this historically significant location. The vehicle will drop guests off here for a guided walking tour, during which they will pass landmarks such as the Western Caspian University, Baku City Executive Power Building, Palace of Happiness, Institute of Manuscripts, and Presidium of the Academy of Sciences (Ismailiyya Building).
Guests will spend approximately 60 minutes exploring this area on foot with their private guide.

The tour continues to the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan (Memorial House Museum of Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev).
The group will walk about 10 minutes to the museum, with the guide providing explanations about the architectural and historical highlights of Baku along the way.
Located in the former mansion of renowned oil magnate and philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, this is Azerbaijan’s largest and most comprehensive museum. Exhibits span the prehistoric era through the medieval period, Islamic art, and modern history, and include traditional Azerbaijani culture such as musical instruments, clothing, and crafts.
Guests will spend approximately 60 minutes at the museum, guided by their expert.

The final stop of the tour is the Holy Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Baku.
A 10-minute drive brings us to the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary, the only active Roman Catholic church in Azerbaijan.
The Catholic presence in Baku dates back to 1882. A larger church was constructed in 1909 and completed in 1912 in Neo-Gothic style. After the re-establishment of the Catholic community in 1997 and a visit by Pope John Paul II in 2002, a new church was built on a dedicated plot. Designed by Italian architect Paolo Ruggiero, the current structure, completed in 2006, reflects both Neo-Gothic influences and modern design.
Guests will spend approximately 15 minutes here with a guided explanation.

We complete the tour at the church and return to the city center. Driving time back to the city center is approximately 5 minutes.