A pre-planned Self-drive tour of 18-21 days from Azerbaijan to Georgia to Armenia in a 4×4 rental car to the best sights in the South Caucasus.
We organize your itinerary and route, the 4×4 rental car, your hotel accommodations and local guides. Our stuff is supporting your trip from Baku, Tbilisi, Yerevan and Gyumri.
You will go across the Caucasus Region from East to South and West from the Caspian Sea to Lake Sevan and then to the Black Sea.
We organize this trip for you individually on your desired date.
The recommended travel time May – October.
Scroll down this page to the Contact form and we send you our individual travel offer.
Overview
This adventurous self-drive tour through the countries of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia will show you the wide range of landscapes and people of the South Caucasus.
You travel with a rental car from east to west and to the south of the Caucasus from the Caspian to the Black Sea.
The journey begins in Baku, Azerbaijan and proceeds north along the Caspian Sea coast to the small hilltop villages of the Greater Caucasus and then continues along the ancient caravan route at the foothills of the Caucasus to Lahic and Sheki.
You cross the border at Balakan-Lagodekhi and change your rental car here. Now the famous agricultural region of Kakheti in Georgia awaits you.
You then drive through the mountains on the legendary Georgian Military Road to Kazbek to Stepantsminda.
From there it goes to the old Georgian capital Mtskheta and on to today’s capital Tbilisi (Tbilisi).
From Tbilisi we head south to mythical Armenia to the national park of Dilidjan. They also keep the same car in Armenia. You will admire Lake Sevan and visit the Tatev Monastery via the newly installed cable car.
Through the Ararat plain it goes via Khor Virap to the Armenian capital Yerevan, which will surely inspire you.
In Gyumri, the second largest city in the country, you will experience a culinary evening with an Armenian family.
From here it goes over the Georgian border to the famous cave town of Vardzia and further over the Lesser Caucasus to the Black Sea to Batumi.
The trip lasts 21 days, but can be extended or shortened individually.
The airline Turkish Airlines offers itself to Baku/from Batumi. On request, our German partner will send you the right flight offer for your trip.
We have designed this trip, tested it many times, improved it and optimized it over the years.
You stay in 4* hotels, 3* hotels and good inns.
Your rental car is an SUV.
Highlights
- Baku, the pearl of the Caspian Sea
- The Stone Age rock carvings in Gobustan
- The mountain villages at Khinaliq in the Greater Caucasus of Azerbaijan
- On the Ancient Silk Road in Lahic and Sheki
- Kakheti and the Greater Caucasus on the Kazbek
- Mtskheta and Tbilisi
- Dilidjan National Park, Lake Sevan, Selim Pass and Tatev Monastery
- The Ararat Plain at the Khor Virap Monastery
- Yerevan and Gyumri with a culinary evening in an Armenian family
- Cave town Vardzia and Akhaltsikhe
- Across the Lesser Caucasus to Batumi on the Black Sea
Itinerary
At 10.00 a.m. you will meet your friendly Azerbaijani guide to explore the metropolis on the Caspian Sea. Panoramic view of the city from Martyrs’ Avenue and explore the old town. Visit to the Palace of Shirvanshah and
Walk along the promenade on the Caspian Sea. Lunch and drive with your guide to the famous sights of the Absheron Peninsula with the fire temple Atashqakh. Big welcome dinner in the evening in Baku.
Breakfast, snack, dinner (B,S,D)
10.00 a.m. Collection of the rental car at the hotel
Your first destination will be Gobustan 60km south of Baku. You can also test the rental car on this route and get used to it. In Gobustan, visit the state historical open-air museum of prehistoric rock carvings. In 2007 the sites were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The drawings from the Stone Age represent e.g. people, animals and hunting scenes and can be viewed in up to 20 caves.
In the afternoon we drive north along the Caspian Sea via the Baku bypass to the edge of the Greater Caucasus to the beautiful Lake Chanlibel near Quba.
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Distance: 270 km / travel time: 3.5 hours
Today you drive to the small mountain village of Khinaliq, at 2350 meters the highest village in the country. Enjoy the beautiful mountain panorama and plan a picnic along the way (you can buy fresh produce in Quba).
Distance: 100 km / travel time: 3 hours
Drive back along the Caspian Sea to Shamakhi. Optional: photo stops en route at Beshbarmag and Shurabad.
Continue to Shamakhi, where stands one of the country’s most important mosques, the Juma Mosque, built by the Arabs in the 8th century.
Distance: 250 km / travel time: 3.5 hours
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Drive west along the Greater Caucasus mountain range. You should definitely take a trip to the picturesque ancient village of Lahic and see the traditional crafts of the coppersmiths there. There are also spices, skins and many other locally produced products. Then it goes towards Sheki. On the way you should, for example, visit the Albanian Christian Church in Nidj or try fruit and vegetables or hot bread from one of the many roadside stalls.
Distance: 160 km / travel time: 2.5 hours
Sheki – is probably one of the oldest settlements in the Caucasus and is known for the impressive 18th-century khan’s palace and the caravanserai, which indicate an important trading center on the Silk Road of the time. In the afternoon you can drive to the nearby picturesque village of Kish with the Albanian Christian Church reconstructed under the direction of Thor Heyerdahl.
B
Distance: 20 km (Kish) / driving time: 0.5 hours
In the morning you can visit the lively bazaar of Sheki. Then make your way to the border (about 2 hours drive). Return your rental car here around 1 p.m. and cross the border on foot. Your rental car will be waiting for you on the Georgian side from 1:30 p.m.
(You keep the car until the end of your trip).
Continue to the fertile and beautiful region of Kakheti. You spend the night at a nice country style hotel with a pool. Dinner at the hotel and great tasting. Distance: 190 km / travel time: 4 hours
B,D
Drive via Tianeti to the Jinvali Reservoir and further along the old Georgian Military Road to the Greater Caucasus. Hike or drive in Stepantsminda to the famous Trinity Church at 2,170 meters with the fabulous views over the Caucasus range.
Distance: 180 km / travel time: 4 hours
Drive through the beautiful Sno Valley to the mountain village of Juta. Hike on the Chaukhi massif with some easy river crossings to Lake Chaukhi. You can also hire a horse here and have a tour on horseback.
Distance: 40 km (Dshuta et al.) / travel time: 1.5 hours
Today you head back on the historic Military road to the old Georgian capital of Mtskheta, a major UNESCO World Heritage Site. You have plenty of time to see the city and the nearby monastery of Jvari from the 6th century. Continue to Tbilisi, the modern capital of Georgia.
Distance: 150 km / travel time: 3.5 hours
10.00 a.m. City tour with an English-speaking guide. You will see, among other things, the Old Town, Sioni Church, Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia. Free time in the afternoon.
Optionally, we can discuss your further travel route in our office in the heart of the Old Town.
We would also be happy to reserve a private bath in the city’s sulfur baths for you or a nice restaurant.
B
Today you will leave Georgia and start the third 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.
We recommend the scenic route via Alawerdi through the Debet Gorge. On the way you can drive up to Haghpat or Sanahin and enjoy the great views.
Distance: 200 km / travel time: 4 hours
After breakfast you can go for a hike in Dilijan National Park e.g. from Lake Parz to Gosh village or to Dilijan waterfalls. If you don’t want to hike, a visit to the Haghartsin Monastery near Dilijan is worthwhile. It consists of three churches and a refectory built between the 10th and 14th centuries.
Distance: 20 km (entrance NP) / travel time: 0.5 hours
B,D
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 Yeghegis, which is scenically very attractive and surrounded by mountains.
Distance: 160 km / travel time: 2.5 hours
Today you go a little further south to Sissian, where you can plan a stop at the impressive Zorakarer stone circles – a Bronze Age burial ground with an ancient settlement. Continue to Tatev and have an exciting cable car ride to the 9th century monastery. At 5,750 meters, the cable car is the longest aerial tramway in the world. Overnight in Goris.
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 grape-growing region in the fertile Arpa valley. You are welcome to taste the delicious Armenian dishes of the region and then visit the impressive cave excavation site at Areni. Here the world’s oldest, completely preserved leather shoe and the oldest craft 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. Distance: 240 km / travel time: 4.5 hours
At 10.00 a.m. you will meet your Armenian guide (English speaking) and take a walk through the interesting city of the fascinating Yerevan.
In the afternoon we recommend a trip to the outskirts of Yerevan to the famous Garni Temple. Below the temple in the gorge of Garni you can see huge basalt columns. Continue to Geghard Monastery. Return to Yerevan.
Distance: 70 km / travel time: 2 hours
Next, head to the second largest city in the country. The city was badly damaged in the earthquake of December 7, 1988. In the meantime, large 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 a culinary evening with an Armenian host family. You will be picked up at the hotel at 5.00 p.m.
Distance: 130 km / travel time: 2 hours
Today you return to Georgia from Armenia. You drive through rough and lovely landscapes through the deeply incised valley of the Kura south towards the Turkish border to the historically significant cave town of Vardzia. For the visit of the plant from the 10.-15. Century takes about 2 hours. A guide can explain many interesting details that you cannot find out on your own. Afterwards you can visit the beautifully situated restaurant and taste the local hearty food. Continue to Akhaltsikhe, where you will spend the night. Evening walk in Rabat Fortress. Distance: 160 km / travel time: 3.5 hours
B
If you wish, you can go directly back to Tbilisi from day 19 and fly from here. In this case, the travel price is EUR 2,150.00 per person for 2 people
A scenic day trip awaits you today over the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus from Akhaltsikhe to Batumi. Muslim Georgians live in the small villages at the Goderzi Pass (2025 m), whose homeland belonged to Turkey from the 16th to the 19th century. Behind the mountains with the subalpine high pastures you will gradually find a more and more subtropical landscape with citrus, tobacco and fruit growing until you reach Batumi, the port city on the Black Sea, at an altitude of 3 meters above sea level.
Drop off the rental car in the evening at your hotel.
Driving distance: 170 km Driving time: 6 hours
Today you can discover Batumi on your own. The Black Sea will fascinate you. In the evening it’s often easy to spot Dolphins not far from the beach.
The lively port city offers an old town, a bazaar, a fish market, a kilometer-long promenade on the Black Sea with pebble beaches, a cable car, but also a variety of cafes and restaurants.
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Our services
Included services
- Travel planning, organization
- Individual travel documents
- 2x airport transfer (Baku/Batumi)
- 3x city tour with guide (Baku/Tbilisi/Yerevan)
- Overnight stay in a double room or as required
- Meals according to the program
- 1x welcome evening in Baku
- 1x wine tasting in Kakheti
- 1x culinary evening in Gyumri
- Rental car medium-sized off-road vehicle e.g. 4x4 Nissan Qashqai or NissanXTerra or similar.
- Including insurance and all kilometers, other drivers included
- Customary liability insurance (50,000 USD) and comprehensive insurance 100% for Georgia and Armenia
- Customary liability insurance OSAGO (approx. 10,000 USD) and fully comprehensive insurance with excess 100 EUR for Azerbaijan
Not included
- Supplemental liability insurance Coverage 1 million USD, optional for Georgia and Armenia 65.00 EUR
- tips
FAQs
Customary liability insurance OSAGO (approx. 10,000 USD) and fully comprehensive insurance with a deductible of 100 EUR for Azerbaijan
Customary liability insurance (50,000 USD) and comprehensive insurance 100% for Georgia and Armenia
For Georgia and Armenia you can optionally take out additional liability insurance with coverage of 1,000,000 USD (1 million) for 65.00 EUR.
In the capitals, young people in particular speak good English. English is spoken everywhere in the hotels and inns.
In the countryside, many older people still speak Russian well.
But even with German you sometimes get ahead, since German was a widely spoken foreign language in schools in Soviet times.
