Getting From Tbilisi to Yerevan on a Budget

Getting from Tbilisi to Yerevan on a budget is pretty easy. It costs more than internal transport within Georgia. However, it is still pretty affordable, and is not the nightmare journey that I read about online before taking this journey myself a week before writing this guide (and the reverse journey a day before writing it).

I won’t be writing a separate guide for the opposite journey, as getting from Yerevan to Tbilisi follows almost exactly the same process. The only difference was the bus stopping for an extra break before the Armenia border. But to be honest, the number of break stops depends on what the driver fancies.

Here I will break down the journey between the Georgian and Armenian capitals with costs, journey times, safety, and what to expect at the border.

How Can You Get From Tbilisi to Yerevan Overland?

There are three ways of doing this. You can drive yourself, which would require you to have a car in the first place. You can take the train, which is a much longer journey at 10+ hours in length that costs slightly more as well. Or you can take a marshrutka, which is the budget-friendly option I will write in detail about here.

A marshrutka is a type of minivan if you aren’t familiar with them. They are common in ex-Soviet countries and are generally pretty worn down and a little uncomfortable, but at least cheap.

Firstly, you should book your ticket online to make sure you have a guaranteed spot. You can buy a ticket here by searching for the Tbilisi to Yerevan route (the same applies for the reverse journey).

There are roughly 11 departures a day, however you should book one of the 4 that goes from Tbilisi Isani Mall. That’s because these are cheaper than the rest which generally depart from Avlabari Metro Station. They cost around US$20.04 for a one-way journey.

The departures from Tbilisi Isani Mall leave at 7am, 3pm, 6pm and 8pm. They depart from a small parking lot behind Carrefour which can be easy to miss. We walked right past it the first time, before eventually contacting the company via WhatsApp (different companies run at different times, but you should check the email received after booking for the number of your company) to find out exactly where they were based.

The marshrutka will be parked right here. It looks like a plain white van, which makes it blend in with other vehicles nearby.

Watch out for dangerous dogs around the parking lot. There are many strays and they can be aggressive. Carry a rock to threaten them with if you feel in danger. With dogs, just acting like you’re ready to throw a rock at them is generally enough to make them back off. Rabies is a real risk in Georgia, so do not take risks with them here.

On the way to Tbilisi our marshrutka left 10 minutes late, however on the way back it left 10 minutes early. I recommend being 15 minutes early to ensure you can get a good seat and don’t have to hurry.

We took the 7am journey, it reached the Sadakhlo border at 8:20am.

The border was very quick and easy, although this can depend heavily on how many people are trying to cross. Fortunately, early morning isn’t a particularly busy time here. Weekends can be busier.

My girlfriend has a Paraguayan passport. She was asked if she has a visa for Georgia (despite us leaving Georgia, not entering at that point). After a few minutes before they realised she doesn’t, she was allowed to head through towards the Armenia border where she was only questioned for a couple more minutes than I was before showing her valid evisa and being allowed in.

As a UK passport holder with visa-free entry to both Georgia and Armenia, I had no issues getting through the border.

We were back in the marshrutka by 8:35am waiting for other passengers to come through. At 8:40am we drove to the Armenia border at Bagratashen, barely a couple of minutes away.

We had to get out and bring all our bags with us here.

Again, this was a really easy process, although my girlfriend faced extra questioning for a couple more minutes due to her weaker passport.

We were through by 8:57am, put our bags through the scanner (we were not asked to do this when entering Georgia during the return trip from Yerevan to Tbilisi), walked past customs and a money exchange booth, and left almost instantly.

At 10:15am we stopped for a 15-minute break at a food court in Ijevan.

At 12:23pm we made it to the final stop, a roundabout at the end of Abovyan Street which is also the pickup point if you take a marshrutka back to Tbilisi from Yerevan.

The total journey time took 5 hours and 13 minutes including 37 minutes at the border from arriving at the Georgia exit point, to leaving from the Armenian entry point.

How Good is the Transport Here?

It’s okay. Since this is the budget option, you can’t expect luxury, but it isn’t awful. I wrote similar guides on travelling through the Guianas, and they were much more uncomfortable than this.

The marshrutkas seat approximately 17 people, and there isn’t much legroom. Therefore I recommend getting there early enough and sitting in the individual seats on the right-hand side if possible.

Your ticket may say that extra charges may apply for luggage. We were never asked to pay extra despite having two large bags each. We put one in the back of the vehicle, and kept the other alongside us.

There is no air con inside the vehicle, which means it can be pretty unpleasant whilst stationary in the summer. However, the windows are usually open which means this isn’t really a problem.

Roads in Georgia and Armenia aren’t quite British or German roads, however they aren’t dirt roads either so the journey shouldn’t be too bumpy.

How much does it cost to get from Tbilisi to Yerevan?

It costs US$20.04 to take the marshrutka between the two cities.

Both cities are walkable, therefore you may not have to pay anything to get to or from the meeting point in the first place.

If you do however, taxis are super cheap. Tbilisi has Bolt which cost us just £1.40 (US$2) for an 11-minute journey. The Tbilisi metro costs just £0.42 (under US$1) for a one-way ticket.

In Yerevan you require either Yandex or GG which are the local taxi apps used there. Although, chances are you won’t need them as it is very easy to walk around anywhere other than the most remote corners of the city.

The other cost would be for a visa, if applicable. Most people reading this will be from Western Europe or the USA/Canada in which case you do not need a visa. If you do however, it costs from US$7-38 for an Armenia visa and US$20 for a Georgia visa.

Therefore your minimum spend from Tbilisi to Yerevan will be US$20.04 (walking to and from the marshrutka, and no visa required). Your maximum spend would be approximately US$65 (marshrutka for US$20.04, visa for US$38 and an overestimate of US$7 for taxis in both cities). Very few people will pay that maximum amount.

What Documents do You Need to Enter Armenia?

Obviously your passport, and potentially an Armenian evisa which you should apply for online and print out ready to show immigration officials.

Although we weren’t asked for this whilst entering Armenia (or Georgia when we returned from Yerevan), it is always wise to have proof of onward travel, as some officials won’t let you in without this. Sometimes being asked for this or not depends purely on who processes your arrival on the day.

That’s it. Armenia is a pretty easy country to enter.

Is the Journey Safe?

Relatively. Marshrutkas don’t have seatbelts which can be a little concerning, and drivers in the Caucasus can be a little hot-headed with little regard for road safety.

However, this is the exception rather than the rule. There were one or two occasions where our driver would slam on the brakes leading to a bumpy stop, but overall it wasn’t a particularly challenging journey.

In terms of crime, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. I’ve travelled in the likes of Brazil where vehicles are stopped at gunpoint on more occasions that you would like to know, however the idea of that happening in Armenia or Georgia is completely outrageous and unrealistic. These are two very safe countries and crime is very rare.

Can I Exchange Money at the Border?

Yes, there is an exchange booth shortly after you have your bags scanned on the way into Armenia.

However, I don’t recommend stopping here unless you really need to. The rates aren’t as good as you will find in Yerevan. Also Yerevan has a lot of free ATMs which are very easy to use (ACBA Bank, Ameriabank, Amio Bank, Armeconombk, AraratBank, Ardshinbank, Artsakhbank, Unibank and VTB Bank all have free ones).

The main currencies you will be able to exchange are Georgian lari, Russian roubles, US dollars and euros.