Travelling overland from Armenia to Georgia during Covid

Georgia 2022 part 1: Tbilisi

On the border of Europe and Asia are the Caucasus Mountains, spread out over Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia. After visiting six times I still wanted to go back, as there is so much to see in such a small region. Unfortunately travel was hard for a while due to the pandemic and a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. I returned in Spring 2022 when the region opened up again, visiting Armenia first (check out my story here). Here’s what it was like when I travelled onwards to Georgia’s capital Tbilisi.

Entering Georgia

The last time I took the bus from Yerevan Kilikia Bus Station to Tbilisi was eight years ago. Things had changed a lot by 2022. While I was previously joined by locals and European backpackers, this time all my fellow passengers were Russian speakers. Putin’s regime had just started a war with Ukraine and put in new restrictive laws in Russia, making many Russians leave for Georgia. A young Russian couple sitting next to me was among them. The guy started a friendly chat with me in English, telling me they left Russia and found an apartment in Tbilisi. They flew into Armenia before taking this bus as there are no direct flights between Russia and Georgia.

At the border we had to get off the bus with our luggage and queue up for document checks. After showing my (Dutch) passport and COVID-certificate I was immediately waved through. Judging from the discussions I overheard in Russian, not everyone was let in as easily, but all the passengers from my bus eventually made it to the other side.

Tbilisi

After a six hour journey we reached Tbilisi, where 1.2 million people live along the Kura river. The bus dropped everyone off in rainy Avlabari, a neighbourhood in Tbilisi with a lot of traffic and shops. On a hill nearby is Sameda, the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church. With my waterproofs on and a rain-cover over my backpack I walked across a bridge to reach Tbilisi’s Old Town.

The next morning I wandered around the old town. It was sunny again when I walked up through the alleys to Narikala Citadel for a view of the city. My favourite walk is along the old bathhouses to a waterfall in a gorge, not something you’d expect in the middle of a city. Outside of the old town is Rustaveli, the main avenue with museums and theatres. A lot had changed since my first visit in 2014, especially across the river at Fabrika. This used to be an abandoned factory, but is nowadays a cultural centre with bars and a hostel since 2017. A short walk further is David Aghmashenebeli, a street with many terraces. While eight years ago most signs were in Georgian and Russian, I now see English advertisements everywhere.

The biggest recent change is the war in Ukraine, which is very much a theme here. A sign on a souvenir-shop warned supporters of Putin and the war not to enter. An underpass has graffiti spelling ‘’No War’’ in yellow and blue. When I bought face masks they were wrapped in a bag with the Ukrainian flag on it. And at drinks later on I met more young Russians who started a new life here.

Traveling onwards

Tbilisi is a good base to explore the country, which I had done on previous trips as well (read more in my blogpost a guide to visiting Georgia). This time travelled onwards to the city of Kutaisi and the nearby Soviet Ghost Town Tskaltubo, as you can read in part 2: visiting the Soviet ghost town Tskaltubo in 2022 .

Georgia 2022 part 2

Practical info on travelling here

Bus travel from Armenia to Georgia in May 2022

There is at least a daily bus from Kilikia Central Bus Station in Yerevan to Tbilisi (read about departures at t-armenia.com). I reserved a seat a day in advance and paid 8.000 AMD. To get into Georgia I had to show my passport and COVID certificate (vaccination proof or PCR-test result). Many nationalities, including EU-citizens, don’t need a visa to enter Georgia. Check out the latest entry requirements if you want to travel to Georgia.

Covid measures in Georgia in May 2022

The border was the only point where I had to show a COVID certificate. Face masks were obligatory on trains. They did not seem to be obligatory elsewhere, though I saw some passengers on buses and in the metro wearing face masks anyway.

Getting around Tbilisi

The metro connects the old town, Avlabari bus station (for the bus to Yerevan), Didube station (for many domestic buses) and the railway station. I used Yandex-taxi to get around by taxi. Agree on the price beforehand when taking a taxi without an app.