Driving to India via Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Silk Road

hello fellow travelers For my golden years, I'd like to drive to India in my 508. I want to avoid Iran and Pakistan. Instead, I’m thinking of going through Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, then taking the ferry from Baku to Türkmenbaşy in Turkmenistan, followed by the Silk Road through Central Asia—Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

After that, China? I’ve seen that some travelers manage to drive through China with their own vehicle... Then Tibet, Nepal, and India... But things get tricky with the Himalayan crossing. I’ve checked on Google—it looks tough.

Any tips or info on these routes? Thanks

Hello! Interesting project. There’ll probably be quite a few administrative issues in the first part, especially crossing Tibet. For the Himalayas, Nepal, and India, I’ve traveled there quite a bit—not by truck, but on foot and by bus. In Pokhara, I saw Chinese trucks that had come through the high mountain passes on the border (5,000m), so it’s doable. Maybe there’s even a tunnel now—they’re building a lot these days!! Anyway, avoid the monsoon season (summer) for heading down to Nepal; the roads are really tough, and the same goes for the Indian side. Safe travels!

Hi there,

The least complicated route seems to be the northern one, passing through Russia, Mongolia, and China. There shouldn’t be any issues getting visas for Belarus and Russia despite the cooling relations between the EU and these two countries. The southern route poses several challenges. What about the Armenia/Azerbaijan crossing? It’s better to go from Georgia directly into Azerbaijan. Crossing the Caspian Sea is unpredictable—sometimes you have to wait 3 or 4 days.

Marie Paule

Hello,

It's better to go from Georgia directly to Azerbaijan.

The land border is closed in that direction.

Michel

Hi Michel, How long has this border been closed, and why? I remember the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan was closed due to the secession of Nagorno-Karabakh, but has it normalized since the end of hostilities? Cheers,

Marie Paule

Hi there, I think the easiest way (contrary to what you might think) is to go through Poland, Belarus, Russia, and Mongolia. Then, to cross China and Tibet, it’s possible under certain conditions (see below), but it probably won’t be cheap. After that, entering Nepal via the Friendship Highway (Lhasa/Kathmandu), which is regularly used by the Chinese, shouldn’t be a problem—just avoid winter and especially the monsoon season.

PS (for China): https://audetourdunsourire.com/index.php/2025/10/28/voyager-en-chine-avec-son-vehicule-et-son-chien-guide-complet-formalites-et-astuces/

Good evening,

The border has never reopened after Covid; it’s closed except to nationals of both countries and only in the Georgia -> Azerbaijan direction.

Michel

Hi there, China is doable by going through an agency that handles the administrative side for a pretty penny. We did it in 2019—6,500 € for a guide for a month, which we managed to split with other travelers to bring it down to 1,300 € per vehicle, and a guide was with us the whole time. Since then, it’s gotten a bit more flexible—agency, paperwork, and mandatory fees still apply, but apparently, you can now explore the country on your own once the formalities are done.