Tbilisi to Baku By Road: How to Travel from Tbilisi to Baku?

My Tbilisi to Baku Road Trip is my personal experience of traveling from Georgia to Azerbaijan. I was in Tbilisi, Georgia and I wanted to go to Baku by road. I searched on the internet but did not find enough information to plan my trip. Therefore, I decided to randomly do the trip by car. I came out of my hotel in Tbilisi city center. I asked a taxi guy on the road if he can go to the border. He agreed on a price of $35 USD and we started the journey.

Tbilisi to Baku Road Trip by Car

The Taxi I hired was a normal taxi you can see on the roads in Tbilisi. The Driver couldn’t speak English and we used to talk by hand. There is a city called “Rustavi” which will come on the way from Tbilisi to the Georgian border at Krasniy Most. It is almost 1 and half hours journey from Tbilisi city to the Georgia-Azerbaijan border by car.

The Georgian Side of the Border (Krasniy Most)

The Georgian border is well managed and has many facilities such as restaurants, cafes, and money exchange. Travelers had to line up for the immigration and it took about 10 to 15 minutes at the border. Most of the people crossing the border were either Azerbaijani or Georgian. it was a very smooth experience.

The Azerbaijan Side of the Border (Shkhli)

On the Azerbaijan side of the border, there is nothing much except a shop that sells snacks and drinks, etc. There are also a dozen or so cars that can take you anywhere in Azerbaijan. I needed a taxi/car for Baku, and I found that within a few minutes. In fact, the taxi drivers approached me immediately after I entered Azerbaijan.

Taxi drivers in Azerbaijan absolutely can not speak a single word of English. The driver whom I negotiated the fare to Baku, phoned one of his nephews who talked to me in English, and then he translated to the driver. Finally, we agreed on 80 Azerbaijani manats for a shared taxi to Baku, that money is equal to almost $45 USD (April 2020).

The drivers will initially ask you to pay $100 USD to Baku, but will later reduce the price if you act like you know the fare already (I didn’t know though, as this border crossing was unplanned) but I acted as I knew.

The road from the Azerbaijan border to Baku city is paved and in great condition. You will love to see the countryside of Azerbaijan which is green and beautiful. You will also see many villages alongside the main road. I really enjoyed the journey from the Azerbaijan border to Baku. It took another 3 hours from that border to reach Baku.

Also Read: My Road Trip from Serbia to Macedonia

The Bottom Line & Conclusion

In total, it cost me $80 USD from Tbilisi to Baku. I paid $35 to the taxi guy who I hired from Tbilisi to the Georgian border and then paid another $45 to book a shared taxi from the Azerbaijan border to Baku. And for the same price, we can get a one hour flight from Baku to Tbilisi or Tbilisi to Baku. But I just wanted to do the road trip to see the countryside of Georgia and Azerbaijan.

And if you like to travel by train then that’s also available but it’s a night train I think. You should book that in advance to avoid the hassle. I have recorded a video of my journey from Tbilisi to Baku which you can watch below and if you liked my Tbilisi to Baku Road Trip Guide then do share it with your friends. Thanks!