The Mountains of Georgia: In the Heart of Kazbegi NEW
Nine days through the heart of the Caucasus - from the Gergeti glacier to the coloured lakes above Roshka, by way of valleys, summits and two high mountain passes. The programme brings together four different valleys of Khevi and Khevsureti - Gergeti, Truso, Juta and Roshka - linked by the ancient myth of Amirani, chained on Kazbek itself. It suits hikers in good physical condition looking for varied terrain and a few genuinely demanding days in the mountains.
⚠️ Important for participants: days 5-7 are three consecutive hard days (around 50 km and 3,700 m of ascent in total). Cumulative fatigue is a real factor, and we recommend preparing well beforehand. Anyone who finds themselves worn out has the option of sitting out a particular walk and waiting for the group.
⚠️ Caucasus weather. Because of the geography of the region the weather here is exceptionally unstable and can change within hours. That means some walks may be shortened or the programme rearranged as we go - a decision the guide takes on the spot according to conditions. Flexibility is part of the character of this trip.
Tour Highlights
- The Gergeti glacier - climbing past the Holy Trinity church to 3,000 m, with a view of the base camp for the ascent of Kazbek
- Altihut (3,014 m) - the first hut built to European standards in the Caucasus, with a panorama towards the peak
- The Truso valley - mineral springs, rust-red travertine terraces, abandoned medieval villages and the "boiling" lake of Abano
- Mukhtadze peak (3,276 m) - one of the most panoramic summits in the programme, reached by a barely visible path
- The Chaukhi massif - the "Georgian Dolomites", rock towers above the Juta valley
- The three Abudelauri lakes - white, blue and green, each a different colour, below the Chaukhi pass
- Two high mountain passes - Chaukhi (3,338 m) and Sadzele (3,068 m), crossing between Khevi and Khevsureti
- The Georgian Military Road - the Ananuri fortress, the Zhinvali reservoir and the panorama from Gudauri
- Tbilisi - the Old Town, the Narikala fortress and the sulphur baths on the final day
Price Includes / Excludes
Price Includes
- Complete organization and coordination of the program
- Insurance assistance abroad with limit - 10,000 euro. The insurance is concluded with the insurance company Euroins
- Licensed guide
- Accommodation in guest house (6 nights in guesthouses, 1 night in a hotel.)
- Transportation during the program (All transfers in Georgia)
Price Excludes
- Food
- Personal expenses
- Plane tickets (Sofia – Munich – Tbilisi and return, with checked baggage) — 350–400 € two way
Tour Itinerary
We fly from Sofia at 19:25 on a direct Lufthansa flight, landing in Munich at 20:25. The connecting flight to Tbilisi leaves the same evening at 22:00. The night is spent in the air.
We land in Tbilisi at 03:55 local time. From the airport we head north along the Georgian Military Road. Our first stop is the Zhinvali reservoir, with its turquoise water and, above it, the Ananuri fortress - a 16th-17th century complex on the river Aragvi, once the residence of the Aragvi eristavis (dukes), with two fortresses, three churches and a defensive wall. We stop for coffee and a bite to eat in Pasanauri, and in Gudauri we pull in at a viewpoint - the first real sense of the scale of the mountains awaiting us over the coming days. We continue over the pass and arrive in Stepantsminda. After checking in and resting, there is an optional afternoon walk up to the Holy Trinity church above Stepantsminda - or alternatively to a shorter, quieter viewpoint: the icon of St Elijah, a small chapel with a view, reached by an easier walk from the centre of the village. In the evening, dinner at a local restaurant and a run-through of the plan for the days ahead.
Accommodation in a guest house in Stepantsminda, in twin and triple rooms.
After breakfast we climb to the Holy Trinity church above Stepantsminda. From there we take the left-hand path, which passes Cafe 360 - a small cafe at around 3,000 m and a popular resting point on the route. From the cafe it is another 30 minutes or so to the Altihut (3,014 m). Altihut is a relatively new mountain refuge, built in 2018 - the first hut to European standards in the Caucasus, known for its comfort and its panoramic views towards Kazbek. Anyone who wishes continues another 40-50 minutes from the hut to the snout of the Gergeti glacier, from where the base camp for the ascent of the peak comes into view. Here we stand on the very threshold of the mountaineers' world - from this point upwards begins the route for the ascent of Kazbek. We stop at the edge of the glacier, without venturing onto it, and turn back. We descend by a parallel path that in fact runs along the crest of the ridge, with beautiful views down into the valley that the glacier once filled completely, before it retreated. We close the circuit back to Stepantsminda.
An easy recovery day. We set off from Stepantsminda towards the mouth of the Truso valley and walk past mineral springs, abandoned settlements and travertine formations, passing the remarkable Abano lake on the way to the village of Abano.
Abano lake is a small karst lake (only around 0.04 ha) on the left bank of the river Tergi, at 2,127 m. It is known for the intense turquoise-blue of its water, contrasting with the red-brown mineral and travertine deposits along its shores, and for the fact that it literally boils - it is fed by an underground stream rich in carbon dioxide, welling up through carbonate rock, and its surface is constantly stirred by erupting bubbles of gas.
Here we are right on the border with South Ossetia - just beyond the village of Abano is as far as it is possible to go in this direction. We stop in the village itself, at a local cafe, before heading back.
An early transfer to the high mountain village of Juta (2,150 m), the last inhabited settlement in the valley. One of the most panoramic days in the whole programme - we head into the valley, then follow a barely visible path up to Mukhtadze peak (3,276 m), from where extraordinary views open out. We return by the same route.
Accommodation in a guest house in Juta, in twin and triple rooms.
The highest point and the most memorable day of the whole programme. We climb alongside the Chaukhi massif (the "Georgian Dolomites") to the Chaukhi pass (3,338 m), from which a panorama opens towards Khevsureti and Tusheti. We descend to the three coloured Abudelauri lakes (white, blue and green) and carry on to the village of Roshka for the night.
Accommodation in a guest house in Roshka, in twin and triple rooms.
We return to Juta by a different route, over the Sadzele pass (3,068 m), to avoid climbing the steeper eastern side of Chaukhi a second time.
Transfer back to Tbilisi. In the afternoon we look round the Old Town - the Narikala fortress, a sulphur bath, and Sameba cathedral.
Accommodation in a hotel in the Old Town, in twin and triple rooms.
Transfer to the airport and flights back to Sofia via Munich.
Required Documents !
- Valid Bulgarian ID
- Valid international passport with minimum validity of 6 months
Important:
Three seasons trekking equipment
Shoes
Suitable shoes for the mountain, according to the weather forecast. High ankle or low shoes. You may wear sneakers to change into at the end of the program
Spare socks
Lighting
Headlamp - An absolute must-have accessory for every mountaineer. It may be necessary for the group to start a trek very early or finish the trek in the dark (force majeure). In these situations, each participant must have a headlamp. We recommend going with a proven brand like Petzl or BlackDiamond
Spare batteries
Backpack
About 40 liters backpack - Quite enough for one or two day hikes.
Backpack cover - in case of rain
Clothing top
Depending on the season and weather conditions
T-shirt or thin thermal base layer - from merino or synthetic. In no case cotton material
Fleece
A down jacket or other jacket with synthetic insulation - a thin down jacket is recommended. Evenings and mornings in the mountains, temperatures are low. No expensive down jacket needed
Wind and water proof jacket
Thin hat and gloves
Buff
Clothing bottom
Depending on the season and weather conditions
Comfortable long pants - in the perfect case with zippers for ventilation
Sun protection
Sunglasses
Summer hat
Sun cream with high protection
Buff with UPF protection
Rain protection
Raincoat
-or-
Waterproof top and bottom
Water and food
Water (1.5 liters)
Food for the trek
Money and documents
Money
ID or passport
Other
First aid kit
Trekking poles
Cancellation Policy:
Чл. 89. (Изм. – ДВ, бр. 37 от 2018 г., в сила от 01.07.2018 г.) (1) Пътуващият има право да прекрати договора за туристически пакет по всяко време преди започването на изпълнението на туристическия пакет. The tourist owes a penalty as follows: