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Alat port

A guide to Alat port near Baku, including transport, ferry tickets, boarding procedures, waiting times and passenger facilities.

Published

Alat port is about 70 km south of central Baku. Ferries cross the Caspian Sea from here to Kuryk (Kazakhstan) and Turkmenbashi (Turkmenistan). ASCO operates the passenger service to Kuryk, while ferries to Turkmenbashi may be operated by either ASCO or the Merchant Marine Fleet of Turkmenistan.1 2

Getting there from Baku

Taxi

A taxi is the simplest option, particularly with a bicycle or heavy luggage. Travelers have described paying 20 manat with Yango in November 2024, 37 manat with Bolt in March 2025, and 34 manat with Bolt in September 2025 for a one-way journey from Baku. Two cyclists traveling with two bicycles paid 50 manat for a larger taxi in January 2025.3 4 5 6

Finding a ride back is harder. Bolt isn't available in Alat. In September 2025, a traveler who missed their intended sailing paid about USD 40 for a taxi back to Baku.4 5

Public transport

The bus journey from central Baku to the Port of Baku in Alat typically takes 2–3 hours. Leave extra time if you have a ferry to catch, as the route involves a transfer, bus 195 may require a wait and the final section is completed on foot.7 4 8 9

  1. Take bus 125 from central Baku toward Lökbatan and get off around the Bina Mall/Lokbatan transfer area. You can board near Fountain Park, although other stops and transfer points also work. Pay with a BakıKart or a contactless bank card.7 4 8 9

  2. Change to bus 195 toward Alat (Ələt). There are several stops around the transfer area, so check that the vehicle is heading toward Alat before boarding. The vehicle and fare can vary. A traveler paid 1.10 manat in cash in June 2025 after waiting almost an hour for bus 195. In March 2025, a traveler paid 2 manat for an unmarked minibus after an attendant confirmed that it was going toward Alat.8 9 4

  1. Tell the driver “liman” (port) and get off at Kotal qәsəbəsi 2. Use the pedestrian crossing to cross the highway, then walk through the village toward the port. The walk takes approximately 20–30 minutes.4 8 9

Tickets and entering the port

The passenger ticket offices are near the main vehicle entrance to the port, in small offices or containers. The exact check-in procedure depends on which company operates your ferry.

For the ASCO service to Kuryk, online booking is available in both directions, but the reservation is not the final boarding ticket. Before an Alat–Kuryk departure, present the booking code at the Alat ticket office and exchange it for a physical ticket showing the assigned vessel name. Remember the vessel name—it is important for identifying and boarding the correct ferry.3 4 10 11 12 13

There is no ASCO online booking for Alat–Turkmenbashi. Contact ASCO before going to the port, confirm that its sailing will accept passengers, and buy the ticket from the ASCO ticket office. Turkmen-operated ferries use a separate ticketing and check-in process. Tickets are route- and operator-specific, so first confirm which company operates your sailing. See Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company and Turkmenistan Marine Merchant Fleet for details.14 1 13

After receiving the physical ticket, travelers have generally reported this sequence:

  1. Show your passport and ticket at security and put baggage through a scanner.
  2. Wait in the passenger room until boarding begins. Some travelers reported a clear announcement of the destination or vessel, while others received little or no announcement, so stay alert and ask if passengers or a port vehicle suddenly begin moving.
  3. Board a port minibus, car, or other escorted transfer.
  4. Complete customs and Azerbaijani border/immigration exit formalities.
  5. Follow the escort to the vessel and board.10 8 12

Waiting time

There is no dependable waiting time at Alat. Recent travelers were called after less than an hour; others waited overnight, for 24 hours, or for several days. One group eventually left after conditions delayed its vessel again. Weather, repairs, berth availability, cargo handling, and whether a particular sailing accepts passengers can all affect the wait.3 8 11 12 15

Phone calls and staff estimates helped some travelers decide when to travel to the port. Others could not reach anyone or were given departure estimates that changed after arrival. Even a named ship at the berth does not guarantee prompt boarding or departure.5 11 12 15 Treat every estimate as provisional and leave a generous buffer in your plans.

Waiting-room facilities

The waiting room is a large, basic space with rows of seats, toilets, electrical sockets, and a few camp beds or sleeping benches. Do not rely on the water dispenser: it had no cups in October 2024 and was empty in September 2025.10 5

Conditions have varied sharply. Two cyclists in January 2025 found about six reasonably comfortable beds, heating, and air conditioning, and slept fairly well. A November 2025 visitor also found the room comfortable. 6 9 By contrast, a traveler who spent 24 hours there in August 2026 described a cold room that smelled strongly of urine, with full bins, food and rubbish on the floor, filthy toilets, and doors slamming through the night.15

An ATM is beside the security area, and a bank with currency exchange is near the ticket office.10 6 8 The café, shop, and showers are elsewhere within the port rather than in the waiting room. In January 2025, two cyclists found a café serving basic food for 7 manat in cash between 09:00 and 18:00, an expensive mini-market, and showers costing 3 manat.8

Visitors in July 2025 and May 2026 were allowed to leave the secured waiting area after asking the guards, while an October 2024 visitor had no opportunity to reach the shop before boarding.14 11 10 Do not depend on any of these facilities being open, stocked or accessible.3 16

Sources

  1. https://asco.az/en/pages/66; ASCO passenger fares, ticket-office contacts, ticket collection and refund information; accessed 4 September 2026 ↩ ↩2

  2. https://www.tmrl.gov.tm/en/news/article/136; State Service of Maritime and River Transportation of Turkmenistan, information on MMF's Bagtyyar and Berkarar Ro-Pax ferries and the Turkmenbashi–Baku (Alat) route; accessed 4 September 2026 ↩

  3. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=61394#p61394; report by Massimilippi, 21 November 2024 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  4. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=62598#p62598; report by Alhul, 24 March 2025, describing a March 2025 crossing ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  5. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=66161#p66161; report by silkevejen, 28 September 2025, describing a 14–16 September 2025 crossing ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  6. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=62219#p62219; report by Silvan, 27 February 2025, describing a 30 January 2025 crossing ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  7. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=53473#p53473; report by Theotime, 2 August 2024, describing a 29–31 July 2024 journey ↩ ↩2

  8. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=64825#p64825; report by Oshquist, 9 July 2025, describing a June 2025 crossing ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  9. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=66739#p66739; report by stempflinger2017, 26 December 2025, describing a November 2025 crossing ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  10. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=61109#p61109; report by Stanbridge2, 15 October 2024 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  11. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=68112#p68112; report by Yann, 16 May 2026, describing a crossing earlier that month ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  12. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=66183#p66183; report by bristolian_cat, 30 September 2025, describing a 28–29 September 2025 crossing ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  13. https://cabinet.asco.az/passenger-ticket; ASCO passenger booking interface, currently limited to Alat–Kuryk–Alat; accessed 4 September 2026 ↩ ↩2

  14. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=65109#p65109; report by Jonas666, 22 July 2025 ↩ ↩2

  15. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=69732#p69732; report by tr8lina, 30 August 2026 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  16. https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=62810#p62810; report by borekj, 6 April 2025, describing a late March–early April 2025 journey ↩

On this page

Getting there from BakuTaxiPublic transportTickets and entering the portWaiting timeWaiting-room facilitiesSources