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Aerial view of mountain winding road in Tusheti, Georgia. Abano pass. One of the most dangerous road on the world. High quality photo
Before you get lost in fortress walls, pink stone streets, and Caspian breezes, you need to know one thing: every Caucasus journey begins with a cheap flight to Istanbul. Pegasus Airlines connects you through Türkiye, making it easy to grab an Istanbul flight ticket, check the baggage allowance page for your backpack, and enjoy a snack from the Pegasus Cafe before moving on. The Caucasus isn’t just another stop—it’s three countries, three cultures, and three very different moods, all within a week’s reach.
Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi in Georgia.
Stop 1: Tbilisi Old Town & Sulfur Baths
Your journey begins with a cheap flight to Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital of crooked lanes and timeless baths. The Old Town welcomes you with leaning balconies and cobbled alleys that slope toward the Mtkvari River. You’ll find yourself pausing at the Anchiskhati Basilica, then climbing up to the Narikala Fortress, where city life sprawls below like a painting in red and green.
The sulfur baths of Abanotubani are more than a tourist novelty—they’ve soothed traders, travelers, and even poets for centuries. Step into the tiled domes, sink into hot mineral water, and feel the city slow to its own rhythm. At dinner, order khachapuri or dumplings in a wine cellar and discover why Georgians are proud to say they invented wine itself.
Day two brings contrasts: stroll Rustaveli Avenue for theatre and art, or ride the funicular to Mtatsminda Park, where families picnic under fir trees with the whole city at your feet. By night, tucked-away bars pulse with folk melodies and electronic beats, a reminder that Tbilisi is both ancient and young.
Off the Beaten Path: Cross the Dry Bridge flea market, where you’ll sift through Soviet memorabilia, hand-painted icons, and antiques that whisper stories.
The Crescent Development Project in Baku, Azerbaijan, features a unique circular building at sunset, with a ferry docked in the foreground
Stop 2: Baku’s Modern Architecture Marvels
A cheap flight to Baku drops you into a city that feels equal parts history and science fiction. The Flame Towers blaze against the night sky, and the Heydar Aliyev Center swoops in gleaming white curves that look alive. Yet the UNESCO-listed Icherisheher (Old City) holds caravanserais and cobblestones where silk once traded for spices. Climb the Maiden Tower and watch the Caspian Sea stretch endlessly east.
On the Bulvar promenade, families eat ice cream, couples stroll, and you sip tea with pakhlava as the sun dips low. Another day takes you farther: to the Ateshgah Fire Temple, a crossroads of Hindu, Zoroastrian, and Islamic worship, and to Yanar Dag, where a hillside of eternal flames dances day and night.
Baku is “The Land of Fire,” and nowhere makes that clearer than these ancient shrines, still alive with natural flame. Between walks, taste saffron-scented plov or thin, herb-filled qutab at a street stall—you’ll never see rice or pancakes the same way again.
Off the Beaten Path: Venture to Gobustan, where mud volcanoes bubble like cauldrons and petroglyphs older than history cover the rocks.
Skyline of Yerevan, capital of Armenia, at the sunrise with Mt Ararat in the backgroud.
Stop 3: Yerevan’s Pink Stone Streets
Finally, a cheap flight to Yerevan lands you in a city that glows with warm tufa stone, earning it the name “the pink city.” Begin at Republic Square, where fountains dance under Soviet façades. Walk up the Cascade Complex, its stairways bursting with modern sculptures, until suddenly Mount Ararat appears on the horizon, commanding the skyline.
History here is unavoidable. The Tsitsernakaberd Museum offers a solemn but essential space of remembrance, where the eternal flame burns against silence. But Yerevan balances its sorrow with vibrancy—avenues buzz with outdoor cafés, wine bars, and jazz clubs spilling into the night.
At the markets, especially Vernissage, you’ll run your hands across handmade rugs, silver jewelry, and painted icons. In restaurants, lavash bread comes hot, dolma fragrant with herbs, and Armenian brandy is smoother than you expect. Yerevan doesn’t just welcome you; it feeds you, teaches you, and makes you linger.
Off the Beaten Path: Drive an hour to Garni Temple, the only surviving Greco-Roman colonnaded temple in the former Soviet Union, perched dramatically above a canyon.
Scenic Train & Bus Routes
Some of your most vivid memories will come not from planes, but from the slow sway of a train or bus. The overnight Tbilisi–Yerevan train clicks through valleys and farmland, a rolling lullaby. Minibuses between Baku and Tbilisi cut across dry steppe and Caspian shores, budget-friendly but also a front-row seat to local life.
(To see more on blending rail with flight, see: Türkiye by Train and Plane: Slow Meets Fast Travel.)
Khinkali with meat filling in a plate. Georgian dumplings in a composition with sauce and vegetables
What to Eat in Each City
In Tbilisi, khinkali dumplings drip broth onto your hands if you don’t eat them right; in Baku, saffron-rich plov makes the whole street smell like a feast; in Yerevan, khorovats barbecue perfumes the air as you pass side streets. Every country swears its wine is the oldest, every grandma swears her dolma is best. You just enjoy them all.
(To see more on food journeys, see: From Adana Kebabs to Midye Dolma : A Street Food Journey Through Türkiye.)
Tbilisi Downtown, Georgia, taken in April 2019
Best Budget Stays
Guesthouses are where you’ll feel most at home: vine-draped balconies in Tbilisi, chic hostels near Baku’s seaside, and family-run pensions in Yerevan where breakfast comes with stories. Use how to find cheap flights and book an upgrade package for flexible tickets, but keep your beds simple—it’s the people that make the stay.
Young bushes of grapes in the Kakheti wine region, Alazani Valley. Georgia.vineyards in the Alazani Valley
Wine Tours in Georgia & Armenia
A trip here without wine is incomplete. Georgia’s Kakheti promises qvevri wines fermented underground, golden and earthy. Armenia’s Areni Valley is proud of reds that have been pressed in the same caves for millennia. In both, you’ll sit under grapevines, toasting to strangers who quickly feel like friends.
(To see more on vineyards, see: Best Wine Routes in Europe You Didn’t Know.)
Souvenir market in the Old City in Baku, Azerbaijan. Inner City is the historical core of Baku and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Shopping Tips Across Borders
Every border brings a new treasure. Tbilisi’s Dry Bridge brims with Soviet cameras and trinkets. Baku sells silk scarves and hammered copper bowls. Yerevan tempts with rugs and paintings. Check the baggage allowance page before splurging, but leave space in your bag—you’ll regret it if you don’t.
Car and bus traffic lights on Baku street at night.
Three Capitals, One Journey
By the end, you’ll have walked fortress walls in Tbilisi, strolled seaside boulevards in Baku, and stood beneath Mount Ararat in Yerevan. Three capitals, each with its own rhythm, strung together by the ease of Pegasus flights and the thrill of the Caucasus. With one ticket, a few bus rides, and an appetite for discovery, you’ll find yourself in three worlds—and every one will feel unforgettable.
