Premium Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia

Trip Code: KMPC

Why we love it

Get to the heart of the Caucasus’s capitals with an experienced local leader – enjoy guided city tours and marvel at Baku’s diverse architecture, explore Tbilisi’s winding narrow streets, and uncover the history of ancient Yerevan., Enjoy two evenings at your historic Feature Stay hotel in the resort town of Borjomi. This Persian Palace was originally built as the summer home of the Consul of Iran in the late 1800's, and is brimming with history and stunning architectural details., Visit the Tserovani Refugee Settlement in Georgia during an Exclusive Experience, where you will visit a jewellery making workshop aimed at providing employment to displaced women within the camp, create a piece yourself and learn about the issues surrounding long-term displacement., Experience the region’s diverse cuisine, from a home cooked meal with a local family to a lunch of regional specialties in a refugee settlement in Georgia.Try organic qvevri wine made according to world’s oldest winemaking tradition., Discover ancient wonders during visits to the open-air archaeological museum of Qobustan in Azerbaijan, the magnificent cave town of Vardzia in Georgia and the Haghpat in Armenia., Caucasus features some of the most incredible and diverse scenery. Discover mighty snow-cowered mountains and lunar semidesert landscapes, drive through miles of pristine countryside and forests., By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, Mtskheta-Mtianeti Regional Hub. Donations help them improve their services and training hub to connect people, who’ve fled their homes due to war or political instability, with their new community in Georgia.

Is this trip right for me?

Although the climate in all three countries is relatively mild the temperatures in high-altitude mountain regions (over 2000m) can be much lower so even in summer a sweater is a good idea.Although the climate in all three countries is relatively mild the temperatures in high-altitude mountain regions (over 2000m) can be much lower so even in summer a sweater is a good idea.miss anything, the itinerary is densely packed, so you'll be busy squeezing in as many sights and activities as you can. Take the downtime when you can for relaxing or independent exploration. On some days, there is a lot of walking between sites and around towns and cities, so make sure you bring comfortable walking shoes with good support.

There are some long travel days on this adventure. This is a great opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers and enjoy the passing scenery. Some activities, including the trip to the high Caucasus around Kazbegi, are weather and road condition dependent. Your leader will keep you up to date on any necessary itinerary changes due to local conditions.

Important information

1. A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.

2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information. 

3. Due to current border crossing restrictions for different Caucasus nationalities, your Trip Leader may be from nearby countries. Your leader will have in-depth knowledge and extensive travel experience throughout the Caucasus. Local guides from Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia are represented throughout the itinerary to ensure you receive a diverse and uniquely local range of perspectives.

4. The Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Baku from September 13 – 15, 2024. During this period, streets may be closed and traffic may be heavy.

5. This trip can be enjoyed by just about anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. Some trips may have individual inclusions that may be of a higher physical rating compared to the overall rating of the trip. Please read the day-to-day itinerary carefully to find out more details on each day's activities, and whether they are suitable for you. Activities can be opted out of if you don't want to participate.

What to bring/pack

What you need to bring will vary according to the trip style you have chosen, the countries you are visiting and when you are travelling. We recommend you pack as lightly as possible, ensuring that you are able to carry and lift your own luggage and walk with it for short distances or up or down a flight of stairs. Help will be on hand in most locations, but there may be times you need to handle your own luggage, for example in airports and train stations.

A lockable suitcase with wheels is ideal for this trip. It is recommended that you keep your main luggage weight around 15kg and certainly no more than 20kg. A small or medium-sized backpack (45-50 litres) is another good option.

You'll also need a day pack/bag to carry water, camera, jacket, etc. when you’re exploring during the day.

Below is a link to our ultimate packing list, a guide to get you started:, https://www.intrepidtravel.com/packing-list

Physical rating

 
2

Joining your group

City Park Hotel Baku, 31B Tabriz Khalil Rza Oghlu, Baku, AZERBAIJAN, Phone: +994 555559495

City Park Hotel is conveniently located in the quiet area close to famous pedestrian Nizami Street. It's the ideal location to explore the best of Baku's cultural and historical sites, dining, theatre, entertainment, and nightlife. Breakfast is included.

Alternate Joining Point


Joining instructions

An arrival transfer is included in your trip. To book this please make sure to provide us with your flight information at least 14 days before travel.

If you have booked an arrival transfer, the driver will meet you in the Arrivals Hall. There are usually quite a few transfer drivers waiting, please look for our representative holding a sign with your name and the Intrepid Logo.

If your flight arrives before the scheduled arrival time, please wait in the Arrivals Hall. If you are delayed beyond one hour after your scheduled arrival time or can't locate the driver, please call our local office representative in Baku at +994 552 974 020

Your transfer from the airport to our starting point hotel takes approximately 1 hour depending on traffic

Alternatively, you can also take a taxi from the airport - the taxi should cost around 40 AZN.

Finishing your trip

Tufenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel, 48 Hanrapetutyan St, Yerevan, 0010, ARMENIA

Alternate Finish Point

For trips departing on the following dates
use this finish point.
05 May 2024 (KMPC240505)
12 May 2024 (KMPC240512)
Ani Plaza Hotel
19 Sayat-Nova Ave
Yerevan
ARMENIA
Phone: +374 10589500

Meals & dietary information

Breakfasts included: 14

Lunches included: 3

Dinners included: 5

While travelling with us you'll experience the vast array of wonderful food available in the world. Your group leader or local representative will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. To give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, generally not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. If you have dietary requirements and/or food allergies, please let your booking agent know prior to departure.

Climate & seasonal information

WEATHER
Spring and autumn are the best times to visit the Caucasus. Summers can be very hot and humid with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius. This is a great time to escape to the mountains to cool off. This is a beautiful, fertile region so bring an umbrella and expect rain at any time of year.

WARM CLOTHING
Temperatures can be low in the spring and autumn months, especially at altitude, so bring a set of warmer clothes including thermal underclothes and a fleece jacket.

HIGH ALTITUDE ROAD CLOSURES
There is a chance of potential changes to the itinerary due to heavy rain, flooding and snow at higher altitudes, which often affect roads and bridges, making travel difficult or impossible (particularly in remote areas).

In case of emergency

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

For general contact details please use the following page: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/ourtrips/contact/

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

Intrepid's Local Operator: +49 8024 4679 540

Accommodations

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.

Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.

Transportation

This trip includes some long travel days and some rough travelling in areas away from main tourist routes. Windy roads and rough surfaces make for some challenging travel experiences. On some long travel days we depart early in the morning to ensure we optimize our time at our next destination. If you experience travel sickness we recommend you consider medication to help ease the discomfort.