So you’ve heard from enough friends about how you must visit Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia, that you’re finally ready to do it. Or your knowledge of Caucasus history has forced your hand, to experience the region for yourself. Whatever the reason is, you are planning to visit the Caucasus in 2025. Now the question is, who will you entrust to give you a memorable experience of this mysterious region?
Yes, we are offering small group tours of the Caucasus in 2025, but we know plenty of others are too. Here are 9 reasons why you should join a small group tour of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia with us in 2025:
1) It’s actually a small group! Have you ever traveled internationally and witnessed large, unruly groups of 20….30…..40+ tourists, all with headphones on but very few actually listening to the tour guide, as they scatter every which direction? We cap our group tours at 10 travelers maximum, to ensure your group stays small, and hence, your experience, stays enjoyable.
2) Individual Attention – With our groups capped at 10 travelers, it’s guaranteed that you will have ample opportunities for 1-on-1 conversation with your local guide in each country: at meals, at each cultural and historical site, and while traveling along the way. Your tour leaders are local tour professionals from each host country (Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia), i.e. not a foreign “expert” who has only visited before on short visits. We also strive to give each traveler a personalized experience in the pre-trip experience & communication with our small, family-based team. We make sure you don’t get lost in the crowd before or during your travel experience.
3) No big buses – Nothing screams TOURIST like an unending flow of people out of a BIG BUS. 🙂 The largest possible vehicle that you will travel in is a 15-seater van (Sprinter, etc.), and, if your group has a smaller number of travelers book, then the group may downsize to a minivan. We want to maximize comfort along the way for you and also be flexible towards the needs of your group.
4) Hand-picked dates = Good weather – At the end of the day, there is no time of year when good weather can be guaranteed each day. But, we did pick 4 sets of dates that maximize the chances for good weather and minimize the chances of encountering harsher elements of nature in the Caucasus:
a) Spring 2025 dates: April 26-May 11 & May 10-25 – Spring is a fantastic time to visit the Caucasus:
- Lush, green landscapes in the lowlands & highlands
- Warm and cool temperatures (some rain) but avoiding the hotter summer months of June-August (35-40+ Celsius many days)
- Opportunities to see snow at the highest altitude points of your travel (Guduari, Kazbegi)
- Avoids the huge summer crowds visiting the region during school holidays, especially in the April 26-May 11 trip
b) Fall 2025 dates: Sept. 27-Oct. 12 & Oct. 11-26 – Fall is also a favorite time of travelers to experience Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia:
- The landscapes are still green with Fall colors beginning to appear in the foliage, especially in the Oct. 11-26 timeframe
- Cooler temperatures begin to prevail this time of year after the hot summer months
- Unique cultural activities available in the Fall, for example, Grape Harvest in Kakheti
5) Personalized customer service – Sometimes your mood for travel can have a damper on it before you’ve even arrived because of poor customer service from the hosting group pre-travel. We have experienced this ourselves and will work hard to build anticipation for your trip instead of dread! One of the joys of travel for us is getting to know our travelers personally, by phone, email, text, or more. We know you have questions and we’ll do our best to ensure your experience is pleasant, from first contact to the final good-bye.
6) No last-minute cancellations – Have you ever booked a group tour to then receive an email 30 days before arrival, that it was canceled?! No thanks! Here are some measures we take to ensure you have clarity on your trip and plenty of time to plan in advance:
- Your small group tour WILL happen if TWO travelers are booked; this is the guaranteed minimum
- Final decisions on if a tour will go or not are made at 90 days (i.e. 3 months) pre-departure, to ensure ample time to purchase airfare, change plans, etc.
7) Meet interesting new people – One of the big advantages to a small group tour is traveling with other like-minded people from around the world. I distinctly remember from my childhood how my American grandmother stayed in touch with someone from Japan that she met on a small group tour in the UK, by handwritten letters! In our 8 years of living and operating tours in the wider Caucasus, we have hosted travelers from many corners of the world, including: the United States, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Israel, Canada, England, Mexico, Mongolia, and Bolivia. Who knows what life-long friendship you might make on a Caucasus small group tour in 2025?!
8) Save the hassle of recruiting other travelers – Private tours are great IF you have a pre-established group of family or friends who are ready & available to travel with you on the same dates that you have free. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for many travelers. Joining a small group tour takes away the hassle of forming your group and allows you to do what you came to do: explore the Caucasus.
9) Have others do all the thinking for you – Have you ever planned a 16-day trip covering 3 countries on your own?! As you can probably imagine, it’s a lot of work! Joining one of our 2025 Caucasus small group tours takes a lot of this time, work, and decision-making off your shoulders as we do all this for you. We handle: vetting & booking accommodations, transport, airport transfers, (most) meal planning, finding reliable local guides, providing experiences of local culture & people, etc. Have peace of mind knowing we are doing most of the planning for you!
Well, are you convinced yet? Or would having a phone call help? Click here if you’d like to secure a spot in one of our Caucasus small group tours for 2025, set up a phone call to talk about details or ask questions, or to receive a sample itinerary and pricing details. We can’t wait for you to experience the culture, history, landscapes, food, and people of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. We look forward to hearing from you.
~Andrew & the Caucasus Quest Team