Caucasus Discovery: Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan (Self-Launched)
11 days · Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan
Exotour Georgia charges £2,580
No-markup version: ~£560 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 11-day independent version of Exotour Georgia's Caucasus Discovery Tour, running the smarter overland direction (Baku → Georgia → Yerevan) so you cross every border by land and skip the domestic flight. Expect UNESCO monasteries, Soviet relics, Kakheti wine cellars, the Greater Caucasus mountains at Kazbegi, Sheki's caravanserai, and Gobustan's petroglyphs and mud volcanoes — all on buses, shared taxis and marshrutkas, sleeping in guesthouses and budget hotels instead of 4-star properties. Costs are rough backpacker/mid-budget estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Baku — Old City & waterfront
Baku
Fly into Baku (GYD). Take the Aero Express bus (~£1.50) or a Bolt/Yango (~£8–10) into the centre. Check into a budget hotel or hostel in the Old City/Icherisheher area. Spend the afternoon wandering the walled Old City (UNESCO): Maiden Tower, Palace of the Shirvanshahs, and the caravanserais. In the evening walk the Bulvar seafront promenade and see the Flame Towers lit up. This mirrors the operator's Baku sightseeing but without the guide.
🚌Aero Express bus GYD airport–city ~£1.50, or Bolt ~£8–10
🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Baku Old City (£18–25 dorm/private budget)
- →Icherisheher Old City walk (free)
- →Maiden Tower & Shirvanshahs Palace
- →Baku Bulvar seafront at dusk
- →Flame Towers viewpoint
Gobustan petroglyphs, mud volcanoes & Ateshgah
Baku / Gobustan
Full day south of Baku. Book a shared Gobustan + Absheron day tour via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£30–38 incl. entrance) or negotiate a shared taxi/driver from the Old City (~£45–55 per car split between travellers). See 10,000-year-old petroglyphs and the Petroglyphs Museum, then the bubbling mud volcanoes (take a 4x4 add-on or walk). Return via Ateshgah Fire Temple and Yanardag, the eternally burning gas hillside. Back in Baku for dinner — plov or dushbara in a local kebab house.
🚌Shared day tour or shared taxi ~£15–20 per person
🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Baku
- →Gobustan National Park & Petroglyphs Museum
- →Lökbatan mud volcanoes
- →Ateshgah Fire Temple
- →Yanardag burning mountain
Bus to Sheki via Shamakhi
Sheki
Morning long-distance bus or marshrutka from Baku's International Bus Terminal to Sheki (~6–7 hrs, ~£6–8). If you leave early you can break the journey at Shamakhi to see the Juma Mosque and the Yeddi Gumbez mausoleums (the operator's Day 9 stops). Arrive Sheki, check into a family guesthouse in the old quarter, and eat piti (Sheki's signature slow-cooked lamb stew) for dinner.
🚌Baku–Sheki bus ~£7
🛏Family guesthouse, Sheki (£12–18 incl. breakfast)
- →Shamakhi Juma Mosque (optional stop)
- →Yeddi Gumbez mausoleums
- →Sheki old town evening wander
Sheki Khans' Palace, Kish church & bazaar
Sheki
Self-guided day in Sheki. Start at the Sheki Khans' Palace with its shebeke stained-glass windows (small entry fee), then the medieval fortress walls and the mosque-madrassah complex. Walk to the upper town for the panorama, browse the local bazaar for halva and dried fruit, and visit a handicrafts workshop. In the afternoon take a shared taxi (~£4–6) to Kish village for the 1st-century Albanian church in the Caucasus. This is the operator's full Day 8 programme done independently.
🚌Shared taxi to Kish ~£5 return
🛏Family guesthouse, Sheki
- →Sheki Khans' Palace
- →Sheki Fortress & mosque-madrassah
- →Kish Albanian Church
- →Sheki bazaar & halva tasting
- →Handicrafts workshop
Border crossing to Georgia — Signagi & Telavi
Kakheti (Signagi/Telavi)
Marshrutka or shared taxi from Sheki to the Lagodekhi/Balakan border (~2 hrs, ~£5–7), walk across, then pick up a marshrutka on the Georgian side toward Signagi or Telavi (~£3–5). Note: the Georgia→Azerbaijan direction can be restricted, so travelling Azerbaijan→Georgia as here is the reliable overland option. Base yourself in Signagi — a hilltop wine town with cobbled streets and views over the Alazani Valley. Visit Bodbe Convent (a short walk/£2 taxi) and taste Saperavi in a family cellar (~£6–10).
🚌Marshrutkas/shared taxis across the border ~£10–12
🛏Guesthouse in Signagi/Telavi (£15–20 incl. breakfast)
- →Lagodekhi land border crossing
- →Signagi old town & Alazani Valley views
- →Bodbe Convent
- →Family winery tasting
Gremi, Alaverdi, Tsinandali & on to Tbilisi
Kakheti to Tbilisi
Hire a shared driver for the day (~£35–45 split) to cover the Kakheti highlights: Gremi fortress and its small local history museum, Alaverdi Cathedral, and Tsinandali Estate with its art gallery and Tsinandali wine tasting. Explore Telavi old town and food market en route. Late afternoon marshrutka from Telavi to Tbilisi (~2 hrs, ~£4). Base yourself in the Sololaki or Abanotubani district for the next few nights.
🚌Shared driver ~£12 pp + Telavi–Tbilisi marshrutka ~£4
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel, Tbilisi old town (£15–22)
- →Gremi fortress & museum
- →Alaverdi Cathedral
- →Tsinandali Estate & wine tasting
- →Telavi old town & food market
Tbilisi city day & Mtskheta
Tbilisi & Mtskheta
Do the operator's Tbilisi walking circuit yourself: Sameba Trinity Cathedral, Metekhi Church, the Bridge of Peace, then the Rike Park cable car up to Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue (~£2). Wander Abanotubani's sulphur bath district, spot the Rezo Gabriadze clock tower and Anchiskhati Basilica. In the afternoon take marshrutka #11 or a Bolt (~£5) to Mtskheta (UNESCO) for Jvari Church and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, then walk the old town. Consider a budget sulphur bath soak (~£10) in the evening.
🚌Metro/cable car ~£2, Bolt to Mtskheta ~£5 each way
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel, Tbilisi
- →Narikala cable car & Mother of Georgia
- →Abanotubani sulphur baths district
- →Gabriadze clock tower
- →Mtskheta: Jvari & Svetitskhoveli
- →Optional sulphur bath
Georgian Military Road to Kazbegi
Kazbegi (Stepantsminda)
Shared minibus (marshrutka) from Tbilisi's Didube station to Kazbegi/Stepantsminda (~3 hrs, ~£7). Break the journey at the Zhinvali reservoir and Ananuri Castle, and stop at the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument at the Cross Pass viewpoint. In Kazbegi, hike up (or take a 4x4, ~£8 shared) to Gergeti Trinity Church beneath Mt Kazbek — the trip's scenic highlight. Sleep in a mountain guesthouse with dinner included.
🚌Marshrutka Tbilisi–Kazbegi ~£7, shared 4x4 to Gergeti ~£8
🛏Mountain guesthouse, Kazbegi (£15–20 half board)
- →Georgian Military Road drive
- →Zhinvali reservoir & Ananuri Castle
- →Friendship Monument / Cross Pass
- →Gergeti Trinity Church hike
Gori & Stalin Museum, then to Yerevan
Gori / Yerevan
Marshrutka back to Tbilisi (~£7), then detour to Gori by marshrutka (~£2) to see Stalin's birthplace and the Stalin Museum (the operator's Day 7 stop). Return to Tbilisi. Overnight train or night bus to Yerevan: the Tbilisi–Yerevan overnight train runs several times weekly (~£25–35 in a 4-berth couchette, 10–11 hrs) — book ahead on the Georgian Railways site; alternatively a daytime minibus runs ~5–6 hrs (~£18–22).
🚌Marshrutkas ~£10 + Tbilisi–Yerevan train ~£30
🛏Overnight train berth
- →Stalin Museum & birthplace, Gori
- →Uplistsikhe cave town (optional detour)
- →Overnight train to Yerevan
Yerevan city & Khor Virap with Ararat views
Yerevan
Arrive Yerevan, check into a budget hotel/guesthouse near Republic Square. Morning: walk Republic Square, Northern Avenue, the Opera House and the Cascade complex (free outdoor sculpture garden). Pay entry to the Matenadaran manuscript institute (~£3). In the afternoon join a shared Khor Virap + Echmiadzin + Zvartnots tour via GetYourGuide (~£25–30) or split a taxi (~£30 per car) — Khor Virap gives the classic close-up of Mt Ararat. Evening: vernissage market and a cheap borek/lahmajun dinner.
🚌City metro/walk + shared tour transport ~£10 pp
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse, Yerevan (£15–22)
- →Republic Square & Northern Avenue
- →Cascade complex & Opera House
- →Matenadaran manuscripts
- →Khor Virap monastery & Mt Ararat view
- →Echmiadzin Cathedral & Zvartnots ruins
Garni, Geghard, Lake Sevan & Dilijan (or depart)
Yerevan / departure
If your flight is late, take a shared full-day tour east (~£30) or a split-taxi loop covering Garni Pagan Temple, the UNESCO Geghard cave monastery, Sevanavank on Lake Sevan, the Old Dilijan district and Sharambeyan Street — the operator's Day 3 highlights. Return to Yerevan in the evening. Otherwise, transfer to Zvartnots Airport by marshrutka #201 (~£2) or Bolt (~£5) and fly home. Add a Haghpat monastery stop only if you have an extra day.
🚌Shared tour transport ~£10 pp, or airport marshrutka ~£2
🛏None (departure) or extra night ~£20
- →Garni Pagan Temple
- →Geghard cave monastery
- →Sevanavank & Lake Sevan
- →Dilijan Old Town / Sharambeyan Street
Self-launched vs. Exotour Georgia
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exotour Georgia | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£560 | £2,580 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,020 per person (78%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exotour Georgia-style trips? Check them out here.~£560
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Caucasus Discovery: Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £560 per person for 11 days in Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Exotour Georgia?+
Yes — Exotour Georgia charges around £2,580 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £560 — a saving of roughly £2,020 (78%) per person.
How long is the Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, hiking trip through Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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