Three neighbouring countries, three capitals that could not feel more different, and one route you can cover in ten days. The Caucasus has become one of the most appealing summer options for Gulf travellers: Baku looking out over the Caspian, Tbilisi cradled between mountains, and Yerevan sitting quietly in the shadow of Mount Ararat. The distances between them are short, the climate is far gentler than a Gulf summer, and the scenery changes every few hours on the road.
Why combine all three
Because each one gives you something the others do not. Baku is modern and polished, all glass towers and a long waterfront promenade. Tbilisi is warm and gloriously disorderly, with carved wooden balconies and lanes that climb the hillside. Yerevan is built in pink stone, slower in rhythm, ringed by monasteries that are centuries old. Moving between them does not swallow a whole day of your trip, whether you fly or travel overland.
For most travellers the natural order is Baku first and Yerevan last. It eases you from the most modern city to the quietest one, and it puts the mountain scenery in the middle of the trip, once you have settled into the pace.
Stop one: Baku and Gabala
The three Flame Towers dominate the Baku skyline, and below them sits the walled Old City with its stone lanes and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs. The Caspian promenade is best walked in the evening once the heat drops. If you have two spare days, head north into the mountains at Gabala for forests, waterfalls, and air that is several degrees cooler.
There is more on the city and the surrounding region in our Azerbaijan travel guide.
Stop two: Tbilisi and around
Baku to Tbilisi is a short hop, but you arrive somewhere completely different. There is the Old Town with its carved balconies, the sulphur bathhouses of the Abanotubani quarter, and the cable car up to Narikala Fortress for the full view of the city at sunset. Tbilisi is also the launch point for the best day trips in the region: the Georgian Military Road north to Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church, or Batumi on the Black Sea if your schedule allows.
We covered that drive and its coverage gaps in detail in our Georgia road trip guide.
Stop three: Yerevan and Lake Sevan
Yerevan is built from pink tuff stone, which means the city shifts colour as the light moves through the day. Republic Square is its heart, and the Cascade steps carry you up to a wide view over the rooftops with Ararat behind them on a clear morning. From the capital you can reach the rock-carved monastery at Geghard, the temple at Garni, and the deep blue of Lake Sevan at close to two thousand metres.
Staying connected across all three borders
This is where most people on this route come unstuck, because every border crossing means a new local network and another hunt for a SIM card. With Simply eSIM you can reduce that to one step, or two at most.
The first leg, Baku to Tbilisi: the Middle East Bundle covers Azerbaijan and Georgia together as part of 17 countries, so you cross from Baku into Tbilisi without changing anything at the border. Both countries offer speeds up to 5G where available.
The third stop, Armenia: Armenia has its own dedicated plans, and it is also included in the Global Bundle covering 108 countries. Coverage there is 4G and spans Yerevan and the main cities. If your trip takes in all three countries, compare adding a separate Armenia plan against using the Global Bundle for the whole route from inside the app before you fly.
Country pages for each stop: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia.
Practical notes before you go
- Install your plan on stable Wi-Fi before you leave the airport, then activate it on arrival.
- Download offline maps, particularly for the Georgian Military Road and the area around Lake Sevan, where the signal thins out on the mountain stretches.
- Your main number keeps working for calls and messages while data runs on the travel plan.
- Check that your handset supports eSIM before you buy, on the device compatibility page.
- Confirm entry requirements for each country from official sources before booking flights.
Full setup steps are in the installation guide. Download the Simply app and pick your plan before takeoff, so you land in Baku already connected.
Written by
Simply Team
