You can book this trip on any desired date and with any duration.
A pre-planned self-drive tour of Georgia and Armenia of 14 days.
You go with your friends or family in a 4×4 rental car and discover the highlights of Georgia and Armenia, like mountains, forests, waterfalls, picturesque villages, historical landmarks and the big captivating cities Tbilisi, Yerevan and Batumi.
We plan and organize your trip route including guides, rental cars and selected hotels and typical inns of both countries to the most beautiful destinations in Georgia and Armenia, such as Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Signaghi, Telavi, Lagodekhi, Kvareli, Stepantsminda, Vardzia, Borjomi, Yerevan, Dilijan, Jermuk, Tatev, Ararat, Khor Virap, Geghard, Garni, Etchmiadzin, Gyumri, Vanadzor.
The ideal travel time for the two countries is 14 days, but can be shortened or lengthened if desired. You do not need a visa for Georgia and Armenia. (most countries)
We gladly our proposed travel itinerary by E-mail as PDF.
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Self-drive tour Georgia and Armenia
Discover the two exciting Caucasus countries of Georgia and Armenia in 14 days on an adventurous self-drive tour.
You go in a 4×4 with your friends or family along our pre-planned itinerary to the most stunning sights and places in Georgia and Armenia.
We book the best hotels and guesthouses for you according to your preferences.
You will get to know the similarities, but also the many differences between the two neighboring countries. We love to hear which country has become your favorite.
This trip can be organized according your desired dates. Recommended travel time is May – October.
Highlights
- The Georgian capital Tbilisi
- The Wine Region Kakheti
- The Greater Caucasus at Stepantsminda and Juta
- The ancient Georgian capital Mtskheta
- The Armenian National Park Dilijan
- Lake Sevan
- South Armenia with the famous rope way and monastery Tatev
- Noravank and Khor Virap with the view on Mount Ararat
- The Armenian capital Yerevan
- Brandy tasting at Ararat Factory
- City of Gyumri and a culinary afternoon at our Armenian host family
Itinerary
The capital of Georgia, Tbilisi
10.00 a.m. City tour with our friendly English-speaking guide. You will see, among other things, the Old Town, Sioni Church, Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia. Lunch and talk about your itinerary in a nice Cafe in the afternoon.
9.00 am Handover of the rental car
You drive to the cave monastery David Gareji in the Georgian steppe. Visit to the monastery. Optional: Refreshment at Cafe Oasis Club in Udabno. In the afternoon continue to Signaghi in the wine region. Just before the town, it is worth visiting the Bodbe women’s monastery with a breathtaking view over the wide Alazani valley and the mountains of the Greater Caucasus. Walk through the fortified city of Signaghi and continue towards Telavi where you will stay overnight.
Distance: 200 km / travel time: 3.5 hours
Short drive to the Tsinandali estate. Visit to the beautiful palace with the extensive landscape park of Prince Alexandre Chavchavadze.
Then sightseeing of Telavi and the picturesque peasant bazaar in the center of the city. Optional: wine tasting and snack at Mosmieri winery in Kisiskhevi village.
Distance: 40 km / travel time: 1 hour
Drive via Tianeti to the Jinvali Reservoir and further along the old Georgian Military Road to the Greater Caucasus. Stop at Jvari Pass (Cross Pass) at 2395m. Continue to Stepantsminda. Drive or Hike to the famous Trinity Church at 2,170 meters. Overnight at Stepantsminda, Hotel.
Distance: 180 km / travel time: 4 hours
Drive through the beautiful Sno Valley to the mountain village of Juta. Here you can hike of 1-4 hours on the Chaukhi massif with some easy river crossings to Lake Chaukhi. Or you can rent a local horse and ride around. In the afternoon you can book a Culinary masterclass of making local dumplings “Khinkali”.
Overnight in Stepantsminda.
Distance: 2×20 km (Stepantsminda – Juta – Stepantsminda) / travel time: 40 minutes each. https://goo.gl/maps/nw7xGVrqRuESGEJw5
In the morning you can still drive to the Truso Valley and visit the abandoned picturesque fortress of Zakagori. Afterwards, drive to the ancient Georgian capital of Mtskheta, a significant UNESCO World Heritage Site. You have plenty of time to see Mtskheta, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Jvari Monastery, try local restaurants or buy local souvenirs. Overnight in Mtskheta, hotel.
Distance: 130 km / travel time: 2.5 hours
Today you will leave Georgia and start the second part of your journey. You can look forward to another wonderful country in the Caucasus. The first stop will be the resort town of Dilijan – the “Little Switzerland” of Armenia. Visit to the historic old town. Haghartsin Monastery is also one of the main sights. It consists of three churches and a refectory built between the 10th and 14th centuries. Restaurant tip: At lunchtime you can plan a snack in the “Flying Ostrich by Dolmama” tavern.
Distance: 210 km / travel time: 4.5 hours (with border crossing) Overnight in Dilijan, hotel
After breakfast you can go on a beautiful hike in the national park of Dilijan, e.g. from Lake Parz to the place Gosh or to the waterfalls in Dilijan. If you don’t want to hike, you can go for a walk in the village or have a picnic in nature. In the evening you can relax in your beautiful accommodation.
Distance: 20 km (entrance NP) / travel time: 0.5 hours. Overnight in Dilijan, hotel
Drive along Lake Sevan, the largest freshwater lake in Armenia and with its altitude of about 1,900 meters above sea level also one of the largest high mountain lakes in the world. Continue to the town of Jeghegis, which is scenically very attractive and surrounded by mountains.
Distance: 160 km / travel time: 2.5 hours
From Yeghegis you will drive south to Tatev town. Here you can take an exciting cable car ride to the local monastery. At 5,750 meters, the cable car is the longest aerial tramway in the world. The monastery complex was built in the 9th century on the site of an old sanctuary. It was a very large intellectual center of Armenia in the past and still today it is an important place for the population. Short drive to Goris where you stay overnight, hotel
Distance: 190 km / travel time: 4.5 hours
The next day of your trip, drive to Areni village. The place at 1054 meters above sea level is best known as a wine-growing region in the fertile Arpa valley. Here we can visit a local wine factory and taste the special Armenian wines. You can also visit the impressive cave excavation site at Areni. Here the world’s oldest, completely preserved leather shoe and the oldest wine production from the Copper Age were discovered. Continue to the famous Chor Virap monastery in the Ararat plain. You will spend the night in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Overnight in Yerevan, hotel
Distance: 240 km / travel time: 4.5 hours
At 10.00 a.m. you will meet your friendly Armenian guide (English speaking) and take a walk through the interesting city of Yerevan. You can see the famous Art bazaar “Vernissage”, have sightseeing or do some shopping. You will love the superb taste of the Armenians.
Next, head to the second largest city in the country. The place where the city rises has been inhabited since about the 5th century BC. Today’s city was founded in the area of a Russian fortress. Until 1924 it was called Alexandropol, then Leninakan. The city was severely affected by the earthquake of December 7, 1988. Today, some parts of the city have been nicely restored and the old town in particular, with its typical buildings made of red and black volcanic rock, is worth seeing. After a walk through the center and the city park, you can also visit a small art gallery:
http://www.aslamazyanmuseum.com/
Gyumri is a very welcoming city and the residents are always interested in a conversation and the guests of the country. In the evening you are invited to an Armenian host family for a big farewell evening. You will be picked up at the hotel at 5:00 p.m. by an English-speaking guide. Overnight in Gyumri, hotel
Distance: 130 km / travel time: 2 hours
From Armenia you will return to the Georgian capital.
Upon arrival, you can take a last stroll through Tbilisi or enjoy the afternoon in the famous sulfur baths.
Drop off the rental car in the evening. Overnight in Tbilisi, hotel
Distance: 230 km / travel time: 5 hours
Our Services
Included Services
- Travel planning, organization and implementation
- 2x airport transfers
- City tour of Tbilisi/Yerevan with a German-speaking guide
- Overnight stay in a double room, meals according to the program
- Farewell evening in Gyumri
- Rental car of medium-sized SUVs e.g. Nissan XTerra or similar
- Including insurance and all kilometers, additional drivers included free of charge
- Third party liability coverage $50,000 and collision damage waiver
- No deductible, even in the event of a total loss or theft
Not included Services
- flight tickets
- tips
FAQs
You cross the border crossing Sadakhlo (80 km south of Tbilisi) to Armenia.
You need your valid passports and the power of attorney from our rental car partner.
You take out basic Armenian liability insurance on the Armenian side.
For the border crossing you have to plan a total of about 1 hour.
The return journey to Georgia can also be made via Sadakhlo or via one of the other border crossings to Georgia, eg Bavra or Geguti.
Map Self-drive Tour Georgia and Armenia
What our customers say
Would like to make this 4.5 stars actually. With only a couple weeks notice Kaukasus-Reisen organized a 2-week self-drive trip for us in Georgia and Armenia. They got us a rental car, airport transfers, hotels, and a few activities. Everything worked well, although we had to follow-up at the last minute for the address of our cooking course as it wasn’t provided in the welcome package – they corrected that very quickly. The car was 4WD and we put it to work off-roading. While very scratched up and old, it worked just fine for our purposes. The hotels were top of the line for this region of the world, however, that means they are fairly basic. Again, this met our needs just fine. They also arranged an activity that required a gov’t permit – to see an old Soviet telescope. Getting that permit was above and beyond and we much appreciated their last minute effort to make that happen. Their price is reasonable and they were very responsive.
Nora&Anastasia
Good morning Mr. Buhr,
We have now arrived in Germany safe and sound and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the wonderful and fascinating journey. We had a great eventful time with excellent hotels, exciting contacts and diverse insights into the country of Georgia, which we were able to enjoy very much thanks to your perfect organization.
Thank you and good luck with your business!
