Caucasus Mountains
Trekking in the Mountains of Poetry.

Trip Overview

• Rugged Road Travel, Hard to Medium Day Hikes, Horseback Riding
• 6 Nights in Hotels, 3 Nights in Huts, 2 Nights Camping
• Plus 3 Days Travel To and From Your Home

Since the peaceful Rose Revolution in 2003, the Republic of Georgia has returned to the world map as a safe and fascinating new country to explore. It is a wonderful nation steeped in traditions and hospitality and a place where mountains meet heaven!

The Northern Caucasus mountain range of Georgia is the centerpiece of this small but very scenic country – its physical presence is arguably grander than the Alps, especially for those attracted to landscapes, ethnic diversity and wildlife. The major peaks are more than 5,000 meters high and the chain stretches more than 1,200 kilometers between the Black and the Caspian Seas.

This is a hiker’s paradise, soon to be back on every international trekker’s itinerary! If you venture to Georgia now, you will be one of the first hikers to return to this long beloved region. Summit Xperience is excited about sharing this opportunity and will guarantee you an “experience of a lifetime”!

Our hiking trip through the East Caucasus Mountains is an active and easy to moderate hiking and horseback supported hiking trip which goes through a variety landscapes. It is a unique Caucasian mountain journey linking three different and very unique mountain areas and peoples together – Kazbeghi, Khevsureti and Tusheti. We traverse from west to east and stay mostly in guesthouses in the villages en route – the best way to meet the locals!

Starting in the beautiful capital of Tbilisi, we drive north toward the mountains following the historical Military Highway and end up at the dramatic scenery around the 16,000 foot high massif of Mt. Kazbeghi. According to Greek myth, Prometheus was chained to this mountain in punishment for stealing fire from the gods. From Kazbeghi we hike eastwards towards Khevsureti passing over some impressive high and alpine mountain landscapes. Khevsureti is rarely visited by outsiders and is famous for its beautiful capital of Shatili, a city carved out of history and renowned for its many stone fortress towers. Traveling beyond Khevsureti we reach the start of our journey into the third region of our trip – Tusheti. It is known for its hospitable traditions and gracious people and is a hidden Caucasian “Shangri-La” only accessible by road three months out of the year. Because of its rich flora and fauna, Tusheti has recently (and rightfully so) been declared a National Park of Georgia by the international conservation community.

This is not only a journey full of natural wonders but an extraordinary journey through a remote mountain region and its wonderful people! We look forward to sharing this place with you!

Caucasus Mountains Photos

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Caucasus Mountains Itinerary

Days 1 - 3. Flight to Tbilisi, Georgia - Kazbeghi. Early morning arrival in Tbilisi. If you have the time, we highly recommend arriving a bit before the trip so that you have time to adjust from your long flight, as well as to allow for any flight delays or baggage issues before we begin our journey.

Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, is beautifully located on both banks of the Mtkvari River. Founded more than 1,500 years ago, it is one of the most ancient cities of the Caucasus and on a clear day it is possible to see the mighty snowcapped peak of Mt. Kazbek jutting from the Greater Caucasus in the north. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel. In the late morning we invite you for a short tour of the city on foot to see the Metheki Church, the Sioni Cathedral, and the charming Rustaveli Avenue, a great place to stroll.

We will discover Tbilisi’s small tea houses, traditional bakeries turning out their pointed bread loaves, quaint carpet shops and pepper pot roofed churches. The word tbili means “warm” and refers to the hot springs in the city center, under the 4th Century Narikala Fortress.

We leave Tbilisi at noon to board air-conditioned Mashutka buses to the old religious center of Mtskheta, visiting the monasteries Jvari and Sveticxoveli. Following lunch at a nice local restaurant, we continue our drive, passing the beautiful Ananuri monastery overlooking Jinvali Lake. In the late afternoon we reach the mountainous Kazbeghi Region! After a break, we do an afternoon hike (2–3 hours) to Gergeti Sameba Monastery - a good place to take in the natural beauty of the province of Khevi. If the weather permits, we will savor the sunset view of majestic Mt. Khazbegi. We are now truly in the mountains! Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner... Hotel Stepantsminda.

Day 4. Juta and Chaukhi. It is a good day for a warm-up hike! After breakfast, we leave Kazbeghi and drive on small back roads through green mountains towering above the wild rivers.

After about one hour of driving, we reach the little mountain village of Juta: one of the highest settlements in Europe and the oldest village of Khevsureti. It was here that King Erekle of Khaketi gave the Khevsurs the surrounding lands in gratitude for their brave battle skills against invaders. From Juta we hoist our light backpacks and day hike into Chaukhi (3 hours). The Chaukhi massif rises steeply above the trail (3,800 meters) and is the home of many eagles and vultures. Also, its craggy stone walls are a great place for rock climbing. In the evening, we enjoy a supra to celebrate a wonderful day of walking. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner …Wilderness Camping.

Day 5. Chaukhi – Abudelauri lakes. Today we start our Caucasian traverse! We begin from Chaukhi and end at the Abudelauri lakes near Roshka Village, crossing the high Sadzele Pass (3,056 m. above sea level). It is our longest day of hiking (7-8 hours) but we take our time – and we are also accompanied by packhorses, who happily carry most of our gear. Roshka is known for its traditional weapon making skills and is the site of famous battles won by the Khevsurs over the invading Aragvi intruders. We arrive at Abudelauri lakes in the late afternoon and settle in, hungry and thirsty after a healthy day of adventure! Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner …Wilderness Camping.

Day 6. Abudelauri lakes - Shatili. Today is more leisurely – we take a two hour hike down to the village of Roshka, the religious center of Khevsureti. Here, in the square in front of the church, Khevsur warriors were blessed by the priest before battle. The flags of the troops were kept safely hidden inside the ancient stone walls. You will be overwhelmed by the exquisite natural beauty of the countryside as we wind our way through river valleys and virgin forests. Halfway along, we rest at a picturesque place to eat our lunch. We reach Shatili in the early evening and settle in with our local hosts. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner... Local guesthouse.

Day 7. Shatili - Mutso – Atsunta Pass. Early in the morning we will leave Shatili and make for the Atsunta pass. En route we can take an optional side hike to Mutso, one of the most beautiful villages in Khevsureti, and one of the oldest. It is built up the side of a steep mountain, with a wide view, fortified to protect the townspeople from Dagestanians. Walking up to Mutso takes one hour both ways, and we’ll pass the ancient alkdamas grave site where people would go away from the village when they had plague. Many victorious battles against invaders were fought at Mutso, the last village in Khevsureti before we enter into the region of Tusheti.

Along our way we will find a nice spot to stop and enjoy lunch to refuel for our afternoon hike of 4-5 hours up to the Atsunta pass, where we set up a high mountain camp just before the pass. Far away from civilization, we eat our dinner under the stars and share stories with our guides around the campfire. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner... Wilderness camping.

Day 8. Atsunta Pass – Kvakhidi, Tusheti territory. After the long hard hiking of the previous day we will have a hearty breakfast to get ready to hike into Tusheti, Georgia’s other beautiful mountain region. We will cross the Atsunta Pass and hike down to into the Kvakhidi Valley. Here are the headwaters of the Alazani river, the longest river in Tusheti. Schools of trout swim in the blue green waters of this mountain river. In the Kvakhidi area there is a small Georgian military base protecting the borders, and it is a place where very few tourists go. On the way to Kvakhidi we will have to get on the horses to cross the river. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner... Wilderness camping.

Day 9. Kvakhidi - Girevi. Late morning we will leave the Kvakhidi camp site and walk down to the village of Girevi.

Our hike will take us through Chontio, the first village in the Tusheti region. Nobody lives here anymore, because the living conditions are too harsh. Only horse keepers come here and they come only in the summer to stay for four months. On the way we will visit shepherds’ houses and we will have a chance to see how they make cheese. This remote area was once home to a group of orthodox monks, who lived and prayed here. They where kidnapped by Muslims and after several months the Georgian government brought them back. This day of our hiking is following the flat valley floor, an easy walk. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner... Wilderness Camping.

Day 10. Girevi - Dartlo. Our hiking journey today follows the banks of the rushing Pirikriti River. We pass the stone villages of Parsma and Chesho, and after a half day of hiking, we arrive at Dartlo. Dartlo is mentioned in the old chronicles as one of most ancient villages in Georgia. In the village there are some wonderful stone towers, built for protection from outside enemy attacks and used as homes to live in during peaceful times. A family that owned a tower was considered a rich family. The Georgian King David the Builder used to pay many visits to this village, where he passed his time reading books and resting with the locals. Up on the steep mountainside, perched above Dartlo like an eagle’s nest, is Kvavlo. If you have the energy we recommend that optional short but hard side hike. We overnight in Dartlo at a local guesthouse. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner... Local guesthouse.

Day 11. Dartlo - Shenako. On we go today via the village of Chigo. One of the most important holy places in Tusheti is here at Chigo. Each year, at the beginning of August, the locals celebrate the Lasharoba, a popular feast of animal sacrifice, religious festivities, and joy! From Chigo it will take three hours to reach Shenako where we will tuck in for the night at our comfortable guesthouse. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner … Local guesthouse.

Day 12. Shenako - Omalo. This is our last day of hiking, just a short walk to Omalo (2–3 hours). Here we visit the old regional museum of Tusheti, housed in stone towers in upper Omalo. We lunch near the towers, overlooking the wide Gometsari Valley, and enjoy the sweeping view. The landscape is dotted with dozens of villages that seem to climb up the mountainsides. In the evening we celebrate our trip with the local villagers – very likely somebody will pull out the accordion and sing traditional Tushetian melancholic ballads! Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner …Local guesthouse.

Day 13. Omalo - Tbilisi. Expert drivers steer our 4-wheel drive vehicles through the passes, down the dramatic road out of this Shangri-la. We’ll enjoy a late lunch in Telavi in the afternoon and, time and road conditions permitting, we will visit the Alaverdi, Telavi and Shuamta monasteries. The final leg, a three hour drive, returns us to our hotel in the capital, where we refresh and get ready for our evening farewell dinner at a traditional Georgian Restaurant. For those who still have energy left we invite you to soak in the local thermal waters in the old bath house in Tbilisi. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner... Hotel Koppala.

Day 14. Tbilisi – Return home. Transfer to the airport for homebound flights. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner... Return home.