Three years in the Caucasus. Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan covered. Zero press trips. This is the guide I wish existed.
I was a photographer in Sheffield. Came to the Caucasus for six weeks to shoot the mountain landscapes. Ended up renting a flat in Tbilisi’s old town. Three years later, the flat is still mine.
Three years of natural wine, mountain marshrutkas, and every border crossing the South Caucasus has to offer.
I know which guesthouses in Kazbegi actually have hot water in January. I know the exact marshrutka that gets you to Mestia in six hours instead of eight. I know which wine bars in Tbilisi’s Fabrika are worth the line and which ones are just serving the same Rkatsiteli you can buy at any supermarket for three lari.
The Caucasus travel guides I found were all the same: “Visit Gergeti Trinity Church. Try khachapuri. Take the cable car in Tbilisi.” Fine. But what about the guesthouses in Svaneti that aren’t on any platform? The Armenian monasteries three hours from Yerevan that no tour bus goes to? The correct way to cross from Georgia into Azerbaijan at Red Bridge?
Nobody was writing the honest regional version. So I did.
Caucasus Unlock covers Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan — three countries that most travellers rush through separately when they work better together. I write like I’m briefing a friend who’s got a month and wants to do it properly.
Real prices in GEL for Georgia, AMD for Armenia, AZN for Azerbaijan — always with USD equivalents. Real marshrutka schedules. Real border crossing times that account for the fact that “30 minutes” at Red Bridge can mean two hours on a bad day.
I’ve gotten things wrong — guesthouses close, border rules change, wine bars in Tbilisi open and shut faster than anywhere I’ve been. If you spot something outdated, email me.
“The hardest border was Georgia-Azerbaijan at the Red Bridge. Four hours, two document checks, one very thorough search of my camera bag. The Sheki old town on the other side was worth every minute of it.”
Travel writing has a lot of empty calories. Here’s what I do instead.
Questions, corrections, or want to argue about whether Georgian or Armenian food is better? I’m always up for it.
✉ ben@caucasusunlock.comSome links on this site earn a small commission if you book through them — at no extra cost to you. I only link to things I’ve personally used or would genuinely recommend. The income keeps this site ad-free and paywall-free. The trade-off: I only recommend things I’d tell a friend about over a glass of amber wine at a Tbilisi natural wine bar.