Travel update: 30 September 2026.
The land border from Georgia into Azerbaijan remains closed to ordinary tourist entry by road or on foot. If you are planning a journey through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, our recommendation remains the same: fly into Baku and travel west through Georgia, continuing to Armenia if it is part of your itinerary.
Restrictions extended into January 2027
Azerbaijan’s special quarantine regime has been extended until 06:00 on 2 January 2027. Prime Minister Ali Asadov signed the latest decision in September 2026. The stated reason for the extension is to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and its potential consequences. Restrictions introduced in spring 2020 have been extended repeatedly.
This deadline is not a confirmed reopening date. It is not known whether ordinary road entry will resume in 2027. Given the repeated extensions, we consider a reopening unlikely in the near term and are planning our tours on the basis that the current restrictions will continue until an official change is announced.
Road entry and overland departure are different
You cannot normally enter Azerbaijan from Georgia by car, tour vehicle or on foot. However, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that foreign visitors may leave Azerbaijan through land borders without special permission. This distinction makes the direction of travel important: arriving in Baku by air allows our guests to visit Azerbaijan first and then continue overland into Georgia.
A three-country journey continues through Georgia to Armenia; the direct Armenia–Azerbaijan border remains closed. We explain the route options in our earlier post, Which Way to Travel Through the Caucasus: Start in Baku or End There?
What about the Baku–Tbilisi train?
Passenger rail travel between Baku and Tbilisi resumed in May 2026, but this is a limited exception, rather than a general reopening of the land border. The official permission took effect on 25 May 2026 and applies to Azerbaijani citizens and foreign nationals who are entitled to enter Azerbaijan without a visa.
Eligibility for an e-visa is not the same as visa-free entry. If you need a visa for Azerbaijan, do not assume that buying a train ticket will allow you to cross the border. Check your eligibility with the railway operator and the Azerbaijani authorities before booking. The rail exception does not reopen ordinary road or pedestrian entry.
Can you start in Georgia or Armenia instead?
Yes. Flights between Tbilisi and Baku remain available, so we can arrange the journey in the opposite direction using a flight for the Azerbaijan section. If you start in Yerevan, you travel through Georgia before flying from Tbilisi to Baku.
If your international flight connections work equally well in either direction, we recommend starting in Baku. This allows you to continue from Azerbaijan into Georgia overland and avoids the additional regional flight required on our reverse itineraries.
Browse our multi-country Caucasus tours, check our current travel restrictions, or contact us with your preferred dates and departure airport.
Sources: September quarantine extension; Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs entry and exit rules; State Migration Service rail announcement.