Georgia & the Caucasus Mountains Hiking Adventure

Day 1

You can arrive at any time of the day today into Tbilisi's international airport and can easily take a taxi or Bolt (like Uber) to our hotel. If you wish, we can book you a private driver at an extra cost who will meet you with your name on a sign for the short shuttle into Tbilisi. Once there, you can check into our modern hotel in a quiet section of old town Tbilisi. As some flights get in late, we have nothing on the official agenda. However, for those in the city, we will meet for dinner in our hotel's restaurant for an excellent first taste of the delicious Georgian cuisine.

Day 2

We meet at 1:00 PM in our downtown Tbilisi hotel. We'll start with introductions and an overview of the tour and this is when you will meet Salome, our incredible local guide. We'll take off for a three-hour guided walking tour of "Old Tbilisi", a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its ancient architecture and interesting mix of cultures. We'll stop at the Metekhi church, Sulfur Baths district, Narikala Fortress, Old Caravanserai (where caravan traders used to stay - Tbilisi was a stop on the Silk Road), the Sioni cathedral, and the Anchiskhati basilica. We'll finish the walking tour at Ghvino Underground, a famous meeting spot that specializes in "natural" Georgian wines, for a tasting. This evening we'll have dinner at a popular local restaurant where you'll have the chance to enjoy a Georgian meal picked out by our local guide as well as delicious Georgian wines or craft beer.

Day 3

We'll enjoy breakfast again at the hotel and then check out and depart Tbilisi. We'll have a drive of about 1.5 hours to the Uplistsikhe Cave Town, an entire town of cave dwellings. With origins dating to the 1st century BCE (that is old!), the area is now on the UNESCO world heritage list. We then stop for a hike on a relatively untraveled path to a small waterfall, where we'll eat our trail lunches provided by the hotel. Afterwards, we'll visit the Ateni Sioni Church, a beautiful stone 7th-century Georgian Orthodox church, and walk from there to our guesthouse. We'll enjoy dinner on the property, as well as meeting the owner Nico who will be proud to present us with his wines made on property.

Day 4

After breakfast we will check out and depart Ateni for the town of Stepantsminda. We'll first stop en route at the Ananuri architectural complex, a fairy tale-like castle complex on the Aragvi River. We'll then head to the Truso Valley for a three to four-hour hike including a trail lunch. The Truso Valley has a number of abandoned fortresses and villages that complement its scenic beauty. We'll visit the Truso Travertines National Monument, a stunning flow of bright white limestone that contrasts with the green hills. Our home for the evening will be in the town of Stepantsminda, a small mountain town, at the Rooms Hotel Kazbegi. Dinner will be at a local cafe en route and then we can enjoy the amazing views of the huge mountain just across the valley from our hotel windows.

Day 5

Today you do not need to check out, as we'll be spending a full day in the Stepantsminda area. Stepantsminda is also known as Kazbegi and is the main town for hiking on or climbing up Mount Kazbek. Standing at 5,054 meters or 16,581 feet, Mount Kazbek is the third highest peak in the country (and 2,000 feet higher than any mountain in the Continental United States.) We'll start with a 90-minute hike to the Gergeti Trinity Church, a 14th century building perched on a hill with amazing views of the surrounding area. The return route takes us past the Gergeti Tower, an abandoned stone fort. Those eager for more hiking can continue up Mount Kazbek on the route mountaineers take to the summit. We'll add another short hike, this time to the Gveleti Waterfalls, a pair of falls that are made more impressive by the rugged surroundings and the wildflower smells in the area. We'll then drive to the tiny mountain village of Tsdo in Dariali Gorge. There, we'll participate in a cooking class with a local villager who will teach us to make Khinkali (meat dumplings) in her home. We'll then sit down with the head of the family for a traditional Georgian feast, including multiple toasts of the gentleman's cognac for those who wish it, and an incredible opportunity to ask questions (translated by our local guide) of a real Georgian. Lunch finishes quite late and so dinner is on your own tonight.

Day 6

After breakfast, we'll check out and depart. Our route will take us to the spectacular Sno Valley, where we'll begin a hike from the village of Juta. One of the highest villages in Europe, Juta is off the beaten path and for years the ethnic Khevsur people who lived there have kept their own customs and dialect. Our three to four-hour hike will take us onto the slopes of Mount Chaukhi, one of the largest massifs (a sort of mountain chain) in the Caucasus with multiple peaks in the 11,000 to 13,000-foot range, each named for a Georgian poet or artist. We'll have lunch in a mountainide cafe before continuing by vehicle to the Kakheti region: Georgia's wine country! En route we'll stop at the Kvetera Church and/or Alaverdi Cathedral (from the 11th century) if time permits. Arriving to Telavi, a small city of 20,000 inhabitants, we will check into our hotel and then switch things up by eating Italian in the hotel's continental European restaurant.

Day 7

We are again on the road today and so will check out after breakfast. We'll then drive 90 minutes to the Lagodekh Nature Preserve, a high-altitude national park full of wide open spaces, craggy mountains, snow-fed lakes, and waterfalls. We'll hike on the Rocho (Black Grouse) Waterfall trail, a beautiful path through the forest and along the river that comes out from the falls. You have the option of 4 KM, 7 KM, or 10 KM round trip. After the hike we'll drive to the town of Sighnaghi, in the center of the wine country, and check into our hotel. This afternoon and evening we will spend at Lost Ridge Inn, Brewery, and Ranch for a cooking class, craft beer tasting, and dinner.

Day 8

Today we will drive to Vashlovani National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The park is tucked into a curve in the Alazani River, which forms the border with Azerbaijan. This will be very different hiking from our previous treks as we will be in a semi-desert ecosystem, similar to the Badlands of our South Dakota. We'll hike through wide open spaces and past eroded sandstone formations in the foothills of the much larger northern Caucasus Mountains. Few tourists make it out to this area of the country, giving it an isolated feel. There are multiple hiking options in the park and we'll eat our packed lunches on the trail. After returning to Sighnaghi, we'll have some time on our own and then will visit Pheasant's Tears Winery for a tasting and dinner accompanied by the traditional Georgian polyphonic or "overtone" singing, an exotic style where the singer changes the shape of the vocal tract to produce a unique sound

Day 9

Since we did not have time yesterday, this morning after breakfast we'll take a walking tour of Sighnaghi, including walking on the battlements of the walls that surround the city. We then head on our final shuttle, back towards Tbilisi. En route we will stop at Tedo’s Marani, a home-based winery. Tedo will show us his qvevri where the winemaking takes place and his cellar where he stores his bottles. We'll sit down to a traditional supra, or banquet dinner, complete with toasting. This might be your favorite meal of the trip. After a long lunch, we'll finish the drive to Tbilisi where you'll have a few free hours before we meet for our final farewell dinner.

Day 10

Today is departure day. You can depart for the airport at any time needed to catch your flight.