If you plan to travel between Georgia and Armenia, the overnight train ride connecting Tbilisi to Yerevan is an amazing option. Skip the flight and opt for this slower and more scenic option. Keep reading for more details.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services I have tried and/or find useful and reliable.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t enjoy flying for short distances. Whenever it’s possible, I prefer other transportation options, like buses or, even better, trains. So, when I planned my trip to Georgia and Armenia, the overnight train from Tbilisi to Yerevan immediately seemed like a great idea.
The ride is long – between 10 and 11 hours, depending on how long the border crossing takes. It’s also supposed to be a scenic journey, but depending on the season you travel, you can’t enjoy much of the landscape. The train mainly operates overnight, so your only chance to enjoy some of the landscape is to travel in the summer.
I did some research on this long train ride before my trip and ultimately decided it was the best option to travel from Georgia to Armenia. If you’ve read any of my blog posts, you already know I usually travel on a budget, so taking the overnight train means having transportation and accommodation all in one!
However, I wanted to treat myself, so I decided to book a first-class cabin. Since I was traveling by night, I might as well be comfortable. I’ll tell you more about the different ticket options below, so keep reading.
But before moving on, and since we’re speaking of scenic train rides, I want to mention another beautiful train ride in Norway. If you enjoy long journeys with stunning scenery, check out my blog post on the Bergen to Oslo train ride.
Now let’s talk about the Tbilisi to Yerevan train journey.
Traveling on the Tbilisi-Yerevan overnight train
The train from Tbilisi to Yerevan (and return) is operated by South Caucasus Railway, Armenia’s railway company. The train operates year-round, but the schedule changes depending on the season. It typically operates daily in the summer (June to September) and every other day the rest of the year. However, the schedule changes often, so you must check the latest updates.
Because of the constant changes to the schedule, you can’t always plan this trip too much in advance. When I booked my trip to Georgia, I already knew I wanted to catch the train to Yerevan, but the schedule for October, when my trip was happening, was not yet available.
You can find more information, including the most up-to-date schedule, on the South Caucasus Railway website. They have now released the train schedule until June 2026. Trains will travel from Tbilisi on even dates and from Yerevan on odd dates.
While you’ll likely want to travel from Tbilisi to Yerevan, the train makes a few other stops along the way. In Georgia, it stops in Marabda and Sadakhlo, while in Armenia, it stops in Ayrum, Vanadzor, Gyumri, and Armavir.
Yerevan-Tbilisi Daytime Train
There are not many changes for this route between October and the first half of June, but there is typically a different schedule in the summer. From mid-June to the end of September, the train departs Yerevan around 2 pm, arrives in Tbilisi just after midnight, and continues to Batumi, with a scheduled arrival at around 8 am.
This means you could enjoy much of the landscape when traveling this route in the summer. A similar schedule applies for the opposite direction, with departure from Batumi just before 3 pm. However, the departure from Tbilisi is still late in the evening, so you won’t be able to see much for most of your trip. But you do get a few extra hours after sunrise since the arrival in Yerevan is around 8 am.
Buying the train tickets
You have two options for buying your train tickets from Tbilisi to Yerevan: online or at the Tbilisi Central Railway Station. I opted for the second option, but let’s start with the online option first.
To buy a ticket online, you need to register on the railway website. You can do so at this link. The process seems a bit tricky, and the website is not very user-friendly, so this would not be my first choice.
The only valid reason to buy your tickets online is if you’re traveling in the summer and won’t stay in Tbilisi for long. In the peak summer months, tickets may sell out, so you should buy them several days in advance. For the rest of the year, you should have no trouble buying them one or two days before.
I honestly didn’t want to deal with the registration process, and I knew I would spend a full week in Tbilisi, so I just went to the train station four days before departure and bought my ticket.
Note that you may need cash at the ticket office in Tbilisi. I recommend checking the prices online before heading to the train station and ensuring you have enough cash. On the same railway website, you can check the PDF with the latest prices.
People working at the ticket office may speak some English. However, to make things easier, I recommend writing on a piece of paper the date you plan to travel and your preferred class.
You should also bring your passport, as the details are needed for the ticket purchase. I had a picture of my passport on my phone, and it was fine, but I’ve read that you may need the physical passport, so it’s better to bring it.
Available tickets
You can usually choose between three classes:
- Third class: open carriage with lower and upper beds
- Second class: cabins with four beds (lower and upper bunks)
- First class: cabins with two beds
Sometimes, you may also find a fourth option available: carriage with numbered reserved seats. These are seats only, and they are only available for some portions of the trip in certain seasons. I recommend inquiring at the ticket office.
All tickets include bed linens, and depending on the class, you may get additional items, water, and snacks. Trains usually also have outlets, and the cabins have individual lights. I only traveled in first class, so I will tell you all about my experience on board.
Since this year (2025), a new option is available to purchase first-class train tickets online. GetYourGuide now offers this option, though as you can imagine, it costs much more. In fact, the price for a first-class seat is more than double what you would pay at the train station. On the plus side, you can cancel up to 24 hours before departure. You can check availability below:
Getting to Tbilisi Central Railway Station
The Tbilisi train station is a little far from Old Town Tbilisi, but it’s easy to reach by public transportation. The easiest and cheapest way to reach the station is by metro Line 1, which stops at Station Square, just outside the train station. Line 2 also stops at Station Square and connects it to the university area and Vazha Pshavela Avenue.
One thing that surprised me about the train station in Tbilisi is that it doesn’t really look like a train station. I was a bit taken aback, as it felt like entering an old-style shopping mall. But don’t worry, you’re likely in the right place. For both the ticket office and the train station, you need to go up to level three. The station also has several shops and food stalls.
Boarding the train usually starts a bit earlier, so make sure to arrive at the train station 30-40 minutes before departure. Train staff will be positioned at each carriage door to check your tickets and direct you to your cabin. In my case, the ticket controller escorted me to my cabin. I don’t know if that’s a first-class thing.
The journey: what to expect onboard
As I mentioned, I traveled this route in October 2024 with a first-class ticket. I paid around 60€ for my ticket at the time, and I was lucky enough to have the cabin all to myself. However, if you’re traveling solo, you may share the first-class cabin with one other traveler.
The first-class carriage and cabins were clean and comfortable. I entered my cabin to find clean, packed bed sheets, single-use slippers, wet wipes, a box of tissues, soap, a toothbrush with a tiny toothpaste tube, a comb, two water bottles, a pack of biscuits, a tea bag, and an instant coffee packet.
Each carriage has two bathrooms, which also have showers. I don’t know if I was lucky, but I must say the toilets stayed clean enough for the duration of the trip. They usually have paper towels and hand dryers.
One important thing to know is that there is no dining car, so bring whatever food you may need and sufficient water for the trip. There is a hot water dispenser, though I didn’t use it.
The last thing worth mentioning is the noise situation. I could clearly hear the travelers from the neighboring cabins chat, so if that usually bothers you, you may want to bring earplugs. Other than that, the train was unexpectedly silent. The low hum and slight swaying actually helped me doze off when we finally passed border controls. But then again, I could sleep anywhere!
Finally, I don’t know if everybody got the same treatment, but the ticket controller who showed me to my cabin was incredibly nice. For the first part of the ride and the following morning, he came by to check on me multiple times and always called me by name!
The Georgian-Armenian border crossing
As you can expect, the border crossing between Georgia and Armenia can be a bit time-consuming. However, despite the inevitable waiting times, everything went pretty smoothly on my trip.
We arrived at the border around two hours after departing Tbilisi. The Georgian border controls lasted around one hour, and we had to disembark the train for passport control. However, I heard that sometimes border control agents get on the train to check passports.
After the controls on the Georgian side were done, the train moved again for about 20 minutes before we stopped for the Armenian side checks. This one was a bit faster, and we didn’t get off the train. Instead. Armenian border control agents collected the passports to stamp them, then returned them to us, and we left.
By the time all the border checks were done, it was around half past midnight. This meant we had almost six hours to sleep.
Do you need a visa for Armenia?
As an EU citizen, I didn’t require a visa for Armenia. Aside from EU nationals, many other travelers can visit Armenia visa-free for up to 180 days, including US nationals, most European citizens (even from non-EU states), UK nationals, and Australians.
Some travelers do, however, require a visa for Armenia. Depending on their citizenship, travelers may need to request a visa at the embassy before the trip, apply for an eVisa, or obtain a visa on arrival. I always check Passport Index to know whether I need a visa for my trips. Just choose your passport and browse for your destination to find out whether you need a visa.
Arrival in Yerevan
After just over 10 hours, you’ll finally arrive at Yerevan Railway Station. When I traveled, the train arrived right on time. At 6.55, I got off the train and was welcomed by a nearly empty train station, except for the taxi drivers who offered their services.
I made a mistake here. I’d forgotten to activate my Armenian eSIM while still in Georgia, so when I got off the train, I had no way of finding directions to get to the city center. The train station also happens to be quite far from the city center, that much I knew.
After politely declining one persistent taxi driver’s offer to get me to the city center for the third time, I walked back toward the ticket office and finally managed to connect to the wifi. I then installed my eSIM, and I was good to go. But learn from my mistake! Either arrange transportation for when you arrive, or have your eSIM activated. I use either Airalo or Saily for eSIMs, depending on which one offers better plans in my destination.
From Yerevan Railway Station to the city center
Now, as I said, the train station is a bit far from the city center, and I had no Armenian cash for the metro, so I decided to walk to the closest ATM and figure things out from there. I ended up walking much longer until I found a nice café, one of the few already open, and sat there for a while. Be sure to check it out, it’s called Il Gusto del Caffe, and the owner, Rafi, is so nice! Say hi from me!
If you don’t want to end up walking for half an hour, you can either catch the metro or use a ride-sharing app. For the metro, you need cash, preferably small change. That can be tricky if you’re just arriving in Armenia at 7 am. You can exchange some money in Tbilisi before boarding the train to be prepared.
Alternatively, make sure you have either Yandex Go or GG already downloaded and with an account set up. I never managed to verify my phone number on Yandex Go, so I only used GG. It works pretty much like Uber or Bolt.
Anyway, the downside of arriving at your destination so early is that you can’t check into your accommodation. Once you sort out your transportation, I recommend arranging to at least leave your bags for the morning while you start exploring. You can ask your accommodation or use an app like Radical Storage.
Practical Tips for the Tbilisi-Yerevan Train
That’s about it for the Tbilisi-Yerevan train ride. I hope you found this guide helpful and that you’ll get to experience this cool journey. Before you go, let me recap some practical tips to ensure a smooth journey.
- Buying tickets: Register online or purchase at the ticket office in Tbilisi Central Railway Station. Buy them a few days before your trip, earlier in the summer. Bring your passport if you buy the tickets at the train station.
- Ticket prices: The prices for November 2025 range from 13.425 AMD (€30/US$35) for an upper bunk in third class to 28.845 AMD (€65/US$75) for a first-class seat. Upper bunks are slightly cheaper than lower ones in third and second class.
- Departure time: Arrive at the train station 30-45 minutes before departure to find the platform and take your seat.
- Border controls: Expect the border checks to last a couple of hours and be prepared to get off the train if asked to.
- Charging devices: Trains have plugs, but sometimes they may not all work. Charge all your devices before departure and bring a power bank. I use this INIU one and it’s great!
- Bring food and drinks: Remember that there’s no dining car, so bring all the food you think you may need during your trip and some water.
- The views: If you travel in the off season, most of the trip will be in the dark. Just before arriving in Yerevan, you’ll be able to see Mount Ararat on the left side, luckily just around sunrise. Consider catching the afternoon train in the summer from Yerevan to Tbilisi if you want to enjoy the views.
- Arriving in Yerevan: Remember to plan for your arrival in Armenia by having your eSIM installed or having your transportation already arranged.
- Warm clothes: It can get a bit chilly on the train, so I recommend wearing warm, comfy clothes. Layers are ideal, especially when traveling in the colder seasons.
Things to do in Tbilisi and Yerevan
Now that we’ve covered the train ride between Tbilisi and Yerevan, it’s time to start planning your stay in the two cities. I already have an article with 30 things to do in Tbilisi, while a Yerevan article is coming soon. Consider signing up to my newsletter to get notified when new blog posts are live. I only send it twice a month, no spam!
I also have a few more articles from Georgia:
- Top things to do in Kutaisi
- Day trips from Kutaisi
- A guide to Tbilisi’s sulfur baths
- Day trip from Tbilisi to Kakheti wine region
Where to stay in Tbilisi and Yerevan
Lastly, if you need help with accommodation in Tbilisi and Yerevan, I have some recommendations for you. I booked all my stays through Booking.com, which is my go-to platform for affordable stays.
Below are my recommendations for Tbilisi:
BUDGET
Cheap beds in hostels
MID-RANGE
Comfy private rooms
And here are my recommendations for Yerevan:
MID-RANGE
Comfy private rooms
Travel Resources
I mentioned a few resources throughout the article, but here is a complete list of my go-to travel planning resources:
| Website/App | Category | Description | Book Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking.com | Accommodation | My favorite website for great accommodations for different budgets. | Find a Place |
| Kiwi.com | Flights | My new favorite platform for finding affordable flights. | Find Flights |
| Omio | Transportation | You can book everything from buses and trains to ferry rides. | Transportation |
| SafetyWing | Insurance | One of the best travel medical insurances for frequent travelers. | Get Insured |
| GetYourGuide | Activities | My go-to platform for tours and experiences with lots of options. | Experiences |
| Viator | Activities | A great alternative for activities all over the world. | Experiences |
| GuruWalk | Free tours | A great platform for free walking tours (tipping is recommended). | Book a tour |
| DiscoverCars | Car rental | My go-to platform for car rental anywhere in the world. | Rent a Car |
| Airalo | eSIM | My favorite app for buying digital SIM cards when traveling abroad. | Get an eSIM |
| Saily | eSIM | A great alternative to Airalo, with cheaper plans in some destinations. | Get an eSIM |
| Xe | Currency | A currency converter showing real-time rates. Website or app. | Get Xe App |
| Maps.me | Navigation | My favorite navigation app for hiking trails and remote areas. | Get Maps |
| GG | Ride hailing | The best ride-hailing app for Yerevan, Armenia. | Book a ride |
Pin this post for later!
