Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia: Across the Caucasus

Group Tour

Overview

This if we say so ourselves, is an outstanding itinerary, capturing the best of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, one of our favourite regions for cultural adventure.

Taking you from the shores of the Caspian Sea and the splendid history of Baku, through the pretty wine fields of Kakheti and up to the spectacular High Caucasus mountains, you will be following in the footsteps of Silk Road traders, Crusader Knights and Ottoman Princes. This region, lying at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, ...

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HIGHLIGHTS

At a glance

MEALS

14 x Breakfasts
13 x Lunches
13 x Dinners

TRANSPORT

Typically coasters in Azerbaijan & Armenia, and minibuses in Georgia but it may vary depending on final group size.

GROUP SIZE

Maximum: 12

EXPERT TEAM

The full services of a Wild Frontiers Tour Leader with local guides where appropriate

ACCOMMODATION

3 nights x Premium
10 nights x Superior
1 night x Simple

ENTRANCE FEES

All entrance fees for sights mentioned in the itinerary

FITNESS RATING

Low / Moderate

WILD MILES

This tour will earn you 4948 Wild Miles

ACCOMMODATION

As an overall ethos, wherever possible we aim to use characterful accommodation that enhances the overall travel experience, not just offers a bed for the night. This can obviously vary dramatically from country to country and from trip to trip. On this particular trip we will be in hotels and guesthouse, all with en-suite facilities.  Please note that the accommodation mentioned in the itinerary is intended as a guide only and is always subject to availability.

FITNESS RATING

LOW: You should be comfortable walking around towns and cultural sites. May include some optional walks (typically 1-2hrs).

LOW/MODERATE: May be of a long duration and/or involve numerous border-crossings. May include easy/moderate day walks (up to 2-3hrs/day). You should be relatively fit and lead a generally active lifestyle.

MODERATE: May include several easy/moderate day walks (up to 2-5hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You should be relatively fit and lead a generally active lifestyle. Previous experience of similar trips helpful.

MODERATE/HIGH: May involve several days of moderate hiking (up to 3-6 hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You must be a fit and active traveller with appropriate trekking experience.

HIGH: May involve several days of moderate/strenuous trekking (up to 4-7 hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You must be a very fit and active traveller with appropriate trekking experience.

Wild Miles Club

When you book a trip with Wild Frontiers you are awarded points, which are based on the return distance from London to the arrival city of your trip. Points are awarded for all our holidays, including both our escorted group tours and tailor-made trips. When you accrue points, you will qualify for the following discounts on all future bookings:

Blue More than 10,000 points 2.5% discount
Bronze More than 30,000 points 5% discount
Silver More than 45,000 points 7.5% discount
Gold More than 60,000 points 10% discount

Positive Impact of this Trip

Tree
Ten trees are planted per passenger on this trip
Community
Supports Wild Frontiers Foundation community projects
Wind Turbine
A contribution to renewable energy projects

Map & Itinerary

Individual departures may vary so please refer to the information in the tour specific links in the Dates and Prices section below

Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia: Across the Caucasus
EXPAND ALL ITINERARY DAYS
COLLAPSE ALL ITINERARY DAYS

Day 1 Tour starts in Baku

Day 1 Tour starts in Baku

Rooms will be available in Baku from this afternoon. Those arriving on the group flights will arrive in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

City Park Hotel or similar

Day 2 Baku: Qobustan rock art & Baku tour

Day 2 Baku: Qobustan rock art & Baku tour

After breakfast, we will head to the UNESCO site of Qobustan, home to over 6000 Stone Age cave drawings, where we will explore the caves and petroglyphs. Then, after lunch at a local restaurant we’ll take a wander around Baku city centre, and discover the quirky architecture. This really is a city of two halves with the ancient walls and heritage buildings juxtaposed with the modern and flamboyant hub in the city. We take in such buildings as the 3 pointed skyscrapers, and  the contemporary landmark of the Zaha Hadid–designed Heydar Aliyev Center, where we pay a visit. We will also make a stop at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum that displays the largest collection of Azerbaijani carpets in the world, with both modern and historical weaving techniques on show.

City Park Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 Baku - Lahij: Walled city, maidan tower and village of Lahij

Day 3 Baku - Lahij: Walled city, maidan tower and village of Lahij

We’ll have the full morning to enjoy Baku, the Caucasus’s most cosmopolitan city. We’ll focus predominantly on the old walled city and after entering via the Shamaxi gate, we’ll visit the imposing Maiden Tower and the impressive Shirvanshahs’ Palace (both UNESCO World Heritage sites). After lunch we will head west and finally into the foothills of the Caucasus to the picturesque mountain village of Lahij, famed for its coppersmiths and thriving craft trade.

Evim Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 Lahij - Sheki: Crafts and traditions of Lahij

Day 4 Lahij - Sheki: Crafts and traditions of Lahij

In the morning wander around this lovely village, shop in the market and meet some of the locals. Later, we’ll set off to Sheki, once a key trading post, sitting as it does on a major crossroads. This is our base for the next two nights and is one of the country’s highlights.

Sheki Saray Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 Sheki: Khan’s palace, local market & Kis Village

Day 5 Sheki: Khan’s palace, local market & Kis Village

With a full day in Sheki region, there’ll be time to visit the beautifully renovated Khan’s palace, the museum and local market and head out to the pretty village of Kis to see the round-towered Albanian Church. This afternoon there will be some free time so you can explore Sheki at your own pace.

Sheki Saray Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 Sheki - Telavi: Local family lunch, Nekreski Monastery & Gremi Church

Day 6 Sheki - Telavi: Local family lunch, Nekreski Monastery & Gremi Church

Today we will transfer to the Lagodekhi checkpoint and cross over into the Kakheti wine-growing region of Georgia. After joining a local family for lunch at their home, we'll drive to the Nekresi Monastery (4th century), once on the Silk Road, and visit the 16th-century Gremi Church complex, a photogenic citadel with splendid views over the surrounding wine country. In the evening we arrive in Telavi.

Kviria Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 Telavi - Gori: Wine cellars & tasting, State Museum

Day 7 Telavi - Gori: Wine cellars & tasting, State Museum

This morning, before we leave Telavi, we’ll visit the local market. We’ll then visit the 18th century fortified hilltop town of Sighnaghi. From here we will visit a unique wine cellar where wine is produced and stored, and taste some of the typical wines of the region. On our way to Gori we will make a stop at the Georgian State Museum to see it's stunning treasures.

Gori Inn or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 Gori - Kazbegi National Park: Stalin Museum, Uplistsikhe cave city, Ananuri

Day 8 Gori - Kazbegi National Park: Stalin Museum, Uplistsikhe cave city, Ananuri

Gori is infamous not only as one of the focal points of the Russian occupation in August 2008 but also as the birth place of a certain Josef Stalin. Here we will visit the fascinating Stalin Museum (which remains unchanged since its Cold War era opening), before heading on to the ancient remains of the Uplistsikhe cave city. After lunch we’ll start our very scenic drive up through the High Caucasus Mountains along the Georgian Military Highway, which is still a major route linking Georgia with Russia. En route to our night stop at Stepantsminda we’ll visit Ananuri, a 17th century architectural complex, overlooking the Zhinvali reservoir.

In Tourist or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 Kazbegi National Park – Tbilisi: Gergeti Church & Mtskheta

Day 9 Kazbegi National Park – Tbilisi: Gergeti Church & Mtskheta

This morning, there will be a chance to take a walk for about 2 hours up through beautiful valleys and forests to the Gergeti Trinity church (14th century) located on top of the mountain (2170m) and one of the country’s most iconic images. Weather permitting, we may also be able to catch a glimpse of one the highest glaciers in the Caucasus – Mt Kazbegi (5047m). We will then enjoy a delicious homemade lunch with a local family, before heading to Georgia’s ancient capital and its religious centre - Mtskheta (3000 years old). This afternoon we will visit two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Jvari church (6th century) and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century) where the Robe of Christ is said to be buried. Then we’ll continue on to Georgia’s stunning capital, Tbilisi, where we’ll have 2 nights.

KMM Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10 In Tbilisi: Old Tbilisi & café culture

Day 10 In Tbilisi: Old Tbilisi & café culture

In the morning we will have a city tour taking in Old Tbilisi. From the Metekhi Church overlooking the river Mtkvari (13th century) to the Narikala Fortress, one of the oldest fortifications in the city (4th century), we’ll also pay a visit to the Sulphur Baths, the synagogue, the Anchiskhati Church (6th century) and Sioni Cathedral (6/7th century) where the cross of St. Nino – the woman who brought Christianity to Georgia – is preserved. All these sights are in close proximity and it’s a pleasant walk. We then have the rest of the day to soak up the café culture of Tbilisi, relax and shop.

KMM Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11 Tbilisi – Dilijan (Armenia): Debed Canyon & Haghpat Monastery

Day 11 Tbilisi – Dilijan (Armenia): Debed Canyon & Haghpat Monastery

After an early breakfast we will drive to the border and cross into Armenia. We will then drive via the stunning Debed Canyon to the Haghpat monastery, built between the 10th and 13th century, before reaching the alpine town of Dilijan.

Tufenkian Old Dilijan Complex or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12 Dilijan – Goris: Lake Sevan, Sevanavank Monastery & Karahunj

Day 12 Dilijan – Goris: Lake Sevan, Sevanavank Monastery & Karahunj

Travelling further into this ancient land, we will take a spectacular drive via Lake Sevan, one of the world’s largest high altitude lakes (1900m) to the medevial Sevanavank Monastery. En route we will visit the Selim Caravanserai, dating from 1332 and reputed to be the best preserved of its type in the country. Finally we will stop off at the prehistoric site of Karahunj, described as the ‘Armenian Stonehenge’, before arriving in Goris.

Mirhav Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13 Goris – Yerevan: Tatev Monastery, Noravank Monastery

Day 13 Goris – Yerevan: Tatev Monastery, Noravank Monastery

This morning we will head to one of the highlights of Armenia – the 9th century Tatev monastery - which is reached by the longest cable car in the world, known as the Wings of Tatev. This is Armenia’s most sacred site, and the clifftop location of this still-operating church is breathtaking. On our way to Yerevan we will stop at Noravank Monastery, which was founded in the 13th Century.

Opera Suites Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14 Yerevan: City sightseeing & afternoon free time

Day 14 Yerevan: City sightseeing & afternoon free time

Today we will enjoy the morning sightseeing around the Armenian capital, Yerevan. We will head to the Matendaran Manuscript museum and also visit the Memorial to the 1915 Genocide, before heading to the Cascades, a giant stairway made of limestone, which houses a contemporary art gallery hosting local and international exhibits. After lunch we will have some free time to explore this pleasant city at our own pace, before heading out for our farewell dinner.

Opera Suite Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 15 Tour ends in Yerevan

Day 15 Tour ends in Yerevan

The tour ends after breakfast at the hotel (rooms available until midday today).

Breakfast

ACCOMMODATION USED ON THIS TOUR

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Accommodation displayed here should be taken as a guide only. *Please refer to the Detailed Itinerary of your individual departure for more information.

PRIVATE HOLIDAYS: DATES DON’T FIT?

All group tours can be taken on a private basis.

Additional Details

Responsible Travel

With local people, culture and eco-systems in mind, responsible travel and sustainable tourism are at the core of Wild Frontiers. We believe that a successful trip not only delivers a unique and unsurpassable journey for our travellers but also benefits the people and places we visit.

When designing our tours, we actively seek out experiences that have a positive impact on the communities and precious environments we visit - from supporting social enterprises; resting our heads in rural homestays; and eating at locally owned restaurants; to helping fund conservation projects that protect wildlife and their habitats. 

Visit the Responsible Travel area of our website to read more, including the work of the Wild Frontiers Foundation through which we fundraise to aid community empowerment and education projects.

Reducing Single Use Plastic

We recognise the environmental issues and challenges around single-use plastic in many countries we visit and are actively working with our partners on the ground to reduce plastic waste on our tours and within the hotels and restaurants we visit. You can help to reduce your personal plastic waste by taking a refillable, filtered water bottle with you on your trip. Filtered water bottles can be refilled from water sources including your hotel room and restaurant taps, drinking fountains and refill stations. Every time you refill your bottle without the use of single-use plastic, you will be helping to reduce waste and protect the environment. Filtered Water Bottles | Wild Frontiers (wildfrontierstravel.com)

Getting There

If you would like us to send you a quote for the suggested tour flights or on any alternative flight that may suit you better, please let us know, noting that for our US clients, we will most likely refer you to one of our preferred partners. For this trip our suggested flights from the UK (subject to change) are shown below.

If you wish to arrange your own flights you are completely free to do so and in this case we can arrange any transfers or supplementary accommodation that you may require. However please note that if you are planning on making your own flight arrangements, we recommend that you first check with us to see if the trip is guaranteed. We then suggest that you purchase flights that are flexible and ideally refundable as due to the nature of adventure travel, itineraries and destination accessibility can change at any time. For more information, please refer to our booking conditions.
 

Flight Code Departing Arriving
LO 282 London Heathrow (LHR) 10:15 Warsaw (WAW) 13:50
LO 719 Warsaw (WAW) 20:45 Baku Airport (GYD) 02:55
LO 730 Yerevan Airport (EVN) 05:20 Warsaw (WAW) 07:10
LO 279 Warsaw (WAW) 15:30 London Heathrow (LHR) 17:20

Visas

VISAS

Visas are necessary for many of the destinations we travel to and while we aim to provide you with the most up-to-date information, requirements frequently change and as such for the latest advice we advise that you check with the relevant embassies or contact a reputable visa agency. More details can be found here - https://www.wildfrontierstravel.com/visa

For this tour, UK passport holders currently require a visa for Azerbaijan but not for Georgia or Armenia.

Passports should ideally be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the end of your tour.

Non-UK passport holders or non-UK residents should contact the relevant embassies for individual requirements.

VACCINATIONS & ADDITIONAL TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
There are no mandatory vaccination requirements for travellers to Azerbaijan, Georgia or Armenia.

For all destinations, please make sure you are up-to-date with any standard vaccinations (e.g. MMR, Hepatitis A, Tetanus) as recommended by your local health care provider. 

For the most up-to-date information on all vaccination requirements and the most suitable anti-malarial tablets, we strongly suggest that you seek advice from your local travel centre or consult an official travel health website such as www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk or www.travelhealthpro.org.uk

Covid Testing: No mandatory testing is currently required for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers.

If necessary further details will be sent out to you upon booking, however ensuring that correct and valid visas & vaccinations are obtained remains the sole responsibility of the client.

Extensions

If you have more time available, why not arrive early to adjust to a new time zone or just to get a feel for the country before your tour starts? Alternatively, you might choose to allow a few extra days after the tour to relax or to undertake some further exploration.

The choice is completely yours and we can usually arrange anything from simply additional accommodation and transfers to full tailor-made itineraries*. Please contact the office for more details and to discuss your requirements.

*Please note bespoke, tailor-made itineraries need to be a minimum of 7 days and we can only offer them in countries where we have a tailor-made expert

Governmental Travel Advice

Many governments issue advice which highlights potential hazards their citizens might experience when travelling abroad. We strongly suggest you refer to your country’s particular advisory site before booking and contact us if you have any queries or concerns. Click to follow links to the advice of the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or the US State Department.

Non-UK citizens should consult the travel advice of their respective governments.

Key Information

CLIMATE

The weather conditions can be extremely varied (even within the course of a day!). The Greater Caucasus Range moderates local climate by serving as a barrier against cold air from the north and the relatively small territory covers different climatic zones, which are determined by distance from the Black Sea and by altitude. The climatic zones range from humid subtropical to snow and glaciers.

IS THIS TRIP FOR ME?

It may sound obvious but Wild Frontiers tours are not always for everyone and it is important to us that the tour you choose is the most suitable. All our tours have a fitness rating as a guideline but you should check the day-by-day itinerary carefully. In certain instances we may ask you to complete a travel questionnaire before confirming your booking in order to ensure your suitability. Should you have any concerns about your ability to partake in any aspect of the tour then please contact the office.

KEY ASPECTS TO CONSIDER

Anyone in a reasonable state of health, with an open mind and a sense of adventure should be perfectly able to cope with this tour, as many of the activities are optional. There will be some long journeys in the vehicles on the tour, so please be prepared for this. 

THE NATURE OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

We feel that it’s worth pointing out that while we will always strive to stick as close to the stated itinerary as possible, it may be necessary from time to time to make changes to our itineraries or services (due to weather, political and religious influences etc.) and this can happen with little or no notice. This unpredictability can be one of the most exciting aspects of adventure travel and for many of our clients often leads to unexpected highlights as the tour-leader necessarily adapts the tour to the changing conditions. However we are aware that this lack of assuredness may not suit everyone. As such, with the greatest respect, if you are someone who needs to know that everything will happen exactly as planned, we would kindly suggest that perhaps our tours are not for you. Adventure travel can be infectious and once you’ve caught the bug, it is likely to never leave you, but especially if this is your first such tour we would strongly urge you to give us a call if you have any concerns whatsoever about your suitability for this trip.

TRAVELLING SOLO AND SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS

As a company approximately 70% of our clients are solo travellers, so it’s very unlikely you’ll be alone!

Our prices are typically based on twin-share accommodation but single supplements are not compulsory for any Wild Frontiers tour. If you prefer not to pay a single supplement we’ll pair you with someone else of the same sex for you to share with throughout the trip.
On this trip, if you do opt to pay for a single supplement then please note that it will cover you for all nights of the tour. 

Please note that paying a single supplement entitles you to lone occupancy of a single room. In many cases these rooms will be of the same size as a double/twin room, but in some cases they may be smaller.
 

INSURANCE

Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours. You should be aware that due to some of the geographical areas visited and some of the activities included on certain of our trips some standard insurance policies may not always provide adequate cover. As such we strongly recommend that you purchase a policy that adequately covers your trip. Please see the Insurance section for more details.

General Information

TOUR PRICE

All our tours are priced on a land-only basis, giving you maximum flexibility when deciding how to get to and from your tour.

DEPOSIT

A 10% deposit is required to confirm your booking.

PROTECTION FOR YOUR MONEY

For further details please see our travelling with peace of mind page

WILD MILES

This tour will earn you 4948 Wild Miles

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

We believe in a completely transparent approach to pricing with no hidden extras. As such, please note that the following are not included in the cost of the tour.

Visas & Travel Insurance: Visas will always be tour/nationality dependent but travel insurance is mandatory
Tips: Always optional but some guidance will be given in the pre-departure information documents
International Flights: Please ask us for an obligation-free quote for flights which originate in the UK
Airport Transfers: We include complimentary transfers if arriving/departing on the suggested group flights
Beverages & any costs of a personal nature: This will include items such as laundry and souvenirs

WILD FRONTIERS COMMUNITY

If you’re still not sure if this trip is right or just want to see get some different perspectives, then why not have a look at the wide variety of resources we have on our website? Browse our community section to read our blogs, watch videos and find out about our events. 

WHY WILD FRONTIERS?

We are frequently asked what makes Wild Frontiers different from other tour operators. Visit our Why Wild Frontiers page to find out.