Georgia & Armenia Cycle Tour

Route Overview

On the map above you can see the overall route that I took. I go into this on much more detail with points of interesting and riding notes on the route review pages, starting with the section from Kutaisi to Akhaltsikhe


In summary, I flew into Kutaisi and headed south across the Lesser Caucasus, visiting the historic sites at Akhaltsikhe and Vardzia. From there I crossed into Armenia and continued to Gyumri, from where I took the train to Yerevan.

After spending a while in Yerevan and the surroundings, I rode up to Lake Sevan, before continuing onto Dilijan and the spectacular Debed Gorge. My route then headed west to Stepanavan, before crossing back into Georgia and making my way to Tbilisi via back-roads.

The final part of the tour was spent doing a fantastic circle in the Upper Cacuasus, visiting the mountain towns of Roshka and Shatili, as well as the former Roman provincial capital of Mtskheta. I ended the tour flying out from Tbilisi Airport.

Logistics

I flew into Kutaisi with Wizz Air from Vilnius, having just completed another cycling tour in Eastern Poland and Lithuania. I flew out from Tbilisi, where I had no problem finding a bike box from a shop in the Vake District.

My bike for this trip was a custom built Sardinha Nordest, with titanium frame and carbon fibre fork. It had a 1x12 Shimano SLX grouset (34 tooth chainring) and I put on 2.6" Maxxis Forekaster tyres which I ran tubeless. I was planning to do a lot of off-road riding, both here and on my preceding trip in the Baltic area so I wanted pretty wide tyres, especially since I have no suspension on the bike.


I didn't carry a tent, but had quite a lot of clothing with me, as I was planning to ride in the high mountains in the Caucasus, where it had the potential to be cold and wet, even in August!

Overall, I was happy with the set up and would go with something similar if I did this tour again. I think that unless you plan on doing long hike-a-bike sections over remote mountain passes there is no need for camping gear. Accommodation is cheap and plentiful in both countries.

Alternative Routes

My initial plan was to begin with the classic loop around the Upper Svaneti mountains, visiting towns like Mestia and Ushguli. I describe the route in my overview of cycle touring in Georgia. Unfortunately, the weather there was very wet and miserable for the week after I arrived. So I abandoned this plan and headed south instead to the warm and sunny Lesser Caucasus. Given the conditions, I was very pleased with the decision, but I still want to go back to Georgia to ride more around the Svaneti.

I also had tentative plans to take the night train from Yerevan to Zugdidi and do the Svaneti loop again at the end of the trip. But, having spent a while riding around the region, the more remote Upper Caucasus north of Tbilisi became more appealing. I could cycle there without any need for transport and for some reason they were more alluring to me. It also enable me to easily return to Tbilisi to finish the tour and fly home.


In Armenia I also considered different options. In particular I was tempted to ride from Yerevan to Lake Sevan via a challenging mountain route. From Yerevan, I would ride to Garni and then onto Geghard Monastery, before crossing the high mountains on trails and descending to Lake Sevan around the town of Gavar. This is a beautiful route but also very tough to do in a day. On decision day the temperatures were hovering between 35°C and 40°C, so instead I took the sensible option and followed the easier route along the Hrazdan valley to Bjni.

Finally, I wanted to ride around the Kakheti region, east of Tbilisi. In particular I was keen to go to Telavi and maybe to climb Abano Pass. I rejected this having cycled on some of the roads closer to Tbilisi which I didn't enjoy due to too much traffic and a lot of very aggressive driving.

To be honest, I think all of these would be very interesting and enjoyable options and I will probably do them all in the future! But equally, I was very content with the route I ended up riding.

Overall Thoughts

This was a great tour which showed me a lot of Georgia and Armenia, both from a general perspective and also as a cyclist.

I particularly found the rural areas to be very interesting - the small farming communities and villages and the way of life outside the larger cities. The natural scenery was probably even more spectacular than I expected, particularly around Roshka and Shatili.

From a cultural perspective, I did get slight monastery fatigue at times, but equally I recognise what an important role religion has played in the national identity of the two countries - particularly given their historic neighbours. More generally, I find it fascinating reading about the languages, the traditions and the folk heros that you are introduced to as you pass through the towns and the important sites of each region.


There is not too much negative to say about this trip, but as always there are a few minor things.

The driving was bad in Tbilisi and the surrounding area, so too were the dogs at times. It was also very hot, particularly in Armenia. Obviously I had to expect this visiting in August, but that is the best time to visit the higher passes of the Caucasus, so it's necessary to compromise your comfort somewhere!

The air quality was generally very good, particularly in rural areas. In Yerevan it was the worst, so bad on one day that it wasn't even possible to make out the towering silhouette of Mount Ararat.

Overall though my experience on this trip was great. I found that the people were not always the most smiley, but they were very welcoming and hospitable. The food was fantastic (particularly in Georgia), and it generally just felt very safe and relaxing everywhere I went.

Check out the links below for much more details about the rides that I did...




Part 1 - Kutaisi to Akhaltsikhe

Part 2 - Vardzia & Ninotsminda

Part 3 - Gyumri & Yerevan

Part 4 - Lake Sevan & Hahgpat

Part 5 - Stepanavan & Tbilisi

Part 6 - Mtskheta & Roshka

Part 7 - Shatili to Tbilisi


Cycle Touring in Georgia


Cycle Touring in Armenia


Cycle Touring Guides