Discover the Caucasus: Self-Launched Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan
11 days · Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan
Adventure Bound LTD charges £1,690
No-markup version: ~£1,015 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent 11-day route through the South Caucasus, following the same arc as the Adventure Bound group tour: Yerevan's monasteries and Soviet-era memorials, the cave city of Vardzia, the Caucasus Mountains around Kazbegi, Tbilisi's old town, and finally Baku's fire temples and oil-boom architecture. You'll self-book guesthouses and hostels, use marshrutka minibuses and shared taxis, and pick up local guides only where they add real value (Gobustan, Garni/Geghard). Roughly a third of the guided-tour price, at a slower, more flexible pace — best suited to travellers comfortable with long minibus days and occasional rough edges at borders. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-midrange estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Yerevan — Republic Square & Armenian dinner
Yerevan, Armenia
Land at Zvartnots Airport and take the official airport bus (No. 201, ~£1.30) or a Yandex taxi (~£6-8) into the centre. Check into a hostel or small guesthouse near Republic Square or Kentron. Spend the late afternoon walking the pink-tuff streets around Republic Square and Cascade, then have your first Armenian dinner — khorovats, lavash and a glass of Areni wine — at a local taverna rather than a tourist-strip restaurant (expect £8-12).
🚌Airport bus No. 201 ~£1.30, or Yandex taxi ~£7
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Kentron, Yerevan (~£14-18/night dorm or private room in a family guesthouse)
- →Walk Republic Square and the Cascade
- →Traditional Armenian dinner in Kentron
Yerevan city walk, Genocide Memorial & Etchmiadzin
Yerevan & Etchmiadzin, Armenia
Self-guided morning through the city: Republic Square, the Cascade and the Cafesjian sculpture garden, and the Genocide Memorial at Tsitsernakaberd (free entry, 20-minute walk from the centre, sobering and well presented). After lunch take marshrutka No. 203 or a shared taxi from Yerevan's Merkazi bus station toward Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), ~£1, to see Etchmiadzin Cathedral — the mother church of Armenian Christianity — and stop at the UNESCO-listed Zvartnots Temple ruins on the way back. Join a small-group or free walking tour in the morning if you want the history context (£0-8).
🚌Marshrutka to Etchmiadzin ~£1 each way; city metro ~£0.30/ride
🛏Same Yerevan guesthouse (~£16)
- →Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial (free)
- →Etchmiadzin Cathedral
- →Zvartnots Temple ruins
- →Optional tip-based free walking tour
Geghard, Garni & Lake Sevan day trip
Yerevan via Geghard & Lake Sevan
This is the one day worth hiring a driver-guide: a shared day tour to Garni, Geghard and Lake Sevan booked through GetYourGuide or a Yerevan agency costs £25-40 per person and saves you a lot of marshrutka faff. Alternatively, marshrutka No. 266 to Garni village (~£0.70) then walk or hitch 4 km to Geghard Monastery, a cave-carved UNESCO site. In the afternoon head to Lake Sevan and the Sevanavank monastery on its peninsula — best reached by shared taxi from Yerevan (~£15 split) or a marshrutka to Sevan town plus local taxi.
🚌Shared day tour or marshrutka + shared taxi ~£30
🛏Same Yerevan guesthouse (~£16)
- →Garni Temple (pagan temple, £2 entry)
- →Geghard Monastery (UNESCO)
- →Lake Sevan and Sevanavank Monastery
Khor Virap & on to Gyumri
Yerevan to Gyumri, Armenia
Early shared taxi or tour to Khor Virap monastery (~£12 return split) for the classic Mount Ararat view on a clear morning — go before 9am for the best light and fewer crowds. Return to Yerevan, then take the comfortable electric train or a marshrutka to Gyumri (train ~£1.50, 3 hours; marshrutka similar). Gyumri is Armenia's second city with crumbling black-tuff architecture and a lively café scene — walk Vartanants Square and the old Kumayri district in the evening.
🚌Shared taxi to Khor Virap ~£12; train or marshrutka Yerevan-Gyumri ~£2
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Gyumri (~£16)
- →Khor Virap Monastery and Mount Ararat viewpoint
- →Gyumri old town walk
Cross into Georgia & Vardzia Cave Monastery
Gyumri to Akhaltsikhe/Vardzia, Georgia
Long travel day, and the trickiest of the trip. Take a marshrutka from Gyumri to Bavra/Bagratashen border crossing, cross on foot (allow 1-2 hours, have your passport and any e-visa printout ready), then a marshrutka or shared taxi onward via Akhalkalaki to Akhaltsikhe (~£8-12 total). From Akhaltsikhe, a shared taxi to Vardzia cave monastery runs ~£10-15 return — the 12th-century cave city carved into the Erusheti cliffs is the day's reward. Sleep in Akhaltsikhe rather than Gori; it breaks the journey better.
🚌Marshrutkas and shared taxis via the Bavra border ~£22
🛏Guesthouse in Akhaltsikhe (~£14)
- →Vardzia Cave Monastery (£3 entry)
- →Akhaltiskhe Rabati fortress (optional, £2)
To Gori, Ananuri Fortress & up to Kazbegi
Akhaltsikhe to Kazbegi via Gori & Ananuri
Marshrutka or shared taxi to Tbilisi (~£6-8, 3.5 hours), then a quick detour to Gori for the Stalin Museum (£4 entry) — worthwhile as a piece of Soviet-era propaganda theatre, whether or not you like the subject. From Tbilisi's Didube station, catch a marshrutka up the Georgian Military Highway to Stepantsminda/Kazbegi (~£4, 3 hours), stopping (ask the driver, or use a shared taxi for flexibility) at the photogenic Ananuri Fortress on the Aragvi reservoir. In Kazbegi, settle into a family guesthouse and eat a home-cooked Georgian dinner — khinkali and lobio included, usually in the room rate.
🚌Marshrutkas/shared taxis via Tbilisi ~£16
🛏Family guesthouse in Stepantsminda/Kazbegi, half-board (~£20)
- →Stalin Museum, Gori
- →Ananuri Fortress
- →Georgian Military Highway scenery
Gergeti Trinity Church hike & Mtskheta
Kazbegi to Tbilisi
Hike up to Gergeti Trinity Church (1.5-2 hours up, 1 hour down, free) for the postcard view of Mount Kazbek behind the church — start early for clear cloud. Alternatively a 4x4 from the village is ~£12 return. In the afternoon take the marshrutka back toward Tbilisi and get off at Mtskheta, Georgia's ancient capital, for Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Jvari Monastery above the confluence of two rivers (both UNESCO, both free). A short marshrutka (£0.80) completes the run into Tbilisi.
🚌Marshrutka Kazbegi-Tbilisi ~£4, Mtskheta-Tbilisi ~£0.80
🛏Hostel or old-town guesthouse in Tbilisi (~£18)
- →Gergeti Trinity Church hike
- →Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Mtskheta
- →Jvari Monastery viewpoint
Tbilisi old town, sulphur baths & Narikala
Tbilisi, Georgia
A self-guided wandering day: Abanotubani sulphur bath district, the Bridge of Peace, the cable car up to Narikala Fortress (~£1), and the winding lanes of the old town with its carved wooden balconies. Book a private sulphur bath room in the afternoon (£10-18 for a small room) or join a tip-based free walking tour in the morning (£0 + tip). Dinner on Rustaveli Avenue or in a courtyard restaurant in Sololaki — Georgian wine by the carafe is cheap and excellent.
🚌Metro and cable car ~£3
🛏Same Tbilisi hostel (~£18)
- →Narikala Fortress cable car
- →Abanotubani sulphur baths
- →Bridge of Peace and old town walk
- →Optional free walking tour
Fly Tbilisi to Baku & explore Icherisheher
Tbilisi to Baku, Azerbaijan
Take the metro to Tbilisi airport and fly the short hop to Baku with Georgian Airways or Azerbaijan Airlines (booked well ahead, £55-95 one way). From Baku's Heydar Aliyev Airport, the Aero Express bus to 28 May station is £1.20 — far cheaper than a taxi (~£15). Check into a hostel in the old town, then walk the walled Icherisheher: Maiden Tower (£3), Shirvanshahs' Palace (£3), and the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum (£3, excellent building). Finish on the Bulvar seafront with the Flame Towers lit up and Highland Park's viewpoint over the bay.
🚌Flight £65-95; Aero Express bus ~£1.20
🛏Hostel in Icherisheher or near Fountain Square (~£18)
- →Icherisheher old city (Maiden Tower, Shirvanshahs' Palace)
- →Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum
- →Highland Park and Flame Towers at night
Gobustan, mud volcanoes & fire temples
Baku & Absheron Peninsula
Join a small-group day tour to Gobustan and the Absheron fire sites — GetYourGuide and local operators run these for £35-45 including entry fees, and it's genuinely the best value way to reach the mud volcanoes and petroglyphs (public transport doesn't go there). You'll see the bubbling mud craters, the 12,000-year-old rock carvings at Gobustan National Park (£4), the Ateshgah Fire Temple (£3) and Yanardag, a hillside that has been burning gas for decades (£2). Return via Yashil Bazar for dried fruit, saffron and Azerbaijani sweets.
🚌Small-group tour minibus included in activity price
🛏Same Baku hostel (~£18)
- →Gobustan petroglyphs and mud volcanoes
- →Ateshgah Fire Temple
- →Yanardag Fire Mountain
- →Yashil Bazar green market
Depart Baku
Baku, Azerbaijan
Last morning for a coffee and pastry at a Fountain Square café, a final wander through the old town caravanserai, or a stop at the Heydar Aliyev Center (exterior free, Zaha Hadid's swooping white curves) if you have time before your flight. Take the Aero Express bus back to the airport (~£1.20, 40 minutes) — allow three hours before an international departure.
🚌Aero Express airport bus ~£1.20
🛏—
- →Heydar Aliyev Center exterior
- →Final coffee in Fountain Square
Self-launched vs. Adventure Bound LTD
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Adventure Bound LTD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,015 | £1,690 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £675 per person (40%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Adventure Bound LTD-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,015
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 Discover the Caucasus: Self-Launched Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,015 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 Adventure Bound LTD?+
Yes — Adventure Bound LTD charges around £1,690 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,015 — a saving of roughly £675 (40%) 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?
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