Travel style: Private Group Adventures

Activity: Trekking, Horse Riding, Ethnographic Experience

Activity level: Moderate❕

Group size: Small group; Max 12, average 8

Ages requirement: 14+

Accommodation: Guesthouse (4 nights); tent (2 nights)

Meal included: All meal included (6 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 6 dinners)

Start/End: Tbilisi

Khevsureti and Tusheti

These are remote mountain areas where the small groups of villagers keep their traditions and way of life for many centuries. Each region can be reached with one single road only, and these roads open only during summertime. In winter, these regions become completely cut off from civilization and people prudently leave their homes and go down to neighboring areas, closer to cities with transport accessibility. In most parts of Khevsureti and Tusheti there is no power supply and cell phone coverage. This truly wildness allows you to merge with nature, feel the history of these places, and perfect serenity. The route allows you to hike light, without a heavy backpack, because all stuff will be carried on horseback.

Highlights

⭐ Enjoy an unique hiking adventure in the Greater Caucasus mountain range

⭐ Explore the rural life of both the most remote regions of Georgia

⭐ Visit Shatili – Medieval Fortress Village

⭐ Spend two nights away from any settlements, where only wildlife and nothing else

⭐ Cross the Atsunta pass at an altitude of 3,431 m

⭐ Take a half-day horseback ride

⭐ Taste a variety of dishes prepared by locals from organic home grown food.

What's inluded

⚙️ Experienced English speaking guide

⚙️ Full board (breakfast/lunch/dinner)

⚙️ Accommodation (6 nights)

⚙️ All transfers

⚙️ Horses for your luggage

⚙️ Camping mess kit

⚙️ 2-person tent and sleeping pad

⚙️ Personal waterproof duffel bag

What's not inluded

❌ Beer & wine in a guesthouse

❌ Travel insurance

Day 1. Transfer Tbilisi – Shatili
Our minivan will be ready to pick up everyone at our office at 9AM. The journey takes 5 hours. Total distance – 150 km. On the way, we will stop in picturesque places, including Bear Cross pass (2,676 m), where we will have a picnic. In Shatili, after we get our rooms in the guest house, we will have enough time to walk around the medieval city, carefully explore it and take some great photos. In the evening, a traditional dinner awaits us the guest house.


Day 2. Drive to Ardoti and hike to Camp#1
After breakfast we jump in a jeeps and drive to Ardoti, the place where the road ends. On the way we will make a stop in Anatori and the medieval abandoned city of Mutso. There we need to display our passports to border guards of Georgia. Formalities will take about 20 minutes. After the short picnic we will start our trekking route. Hiking will take about 4 hours. Arriving at the Camp, we set up tents, and rest while waiting for dinner.


Day 3. Camp#1 – Atsunta pass – Camp#2
Difficult day. The trail passes through one of the highest pass in the country – Atsunta pass (3,431 m), which divides two regions - Khevsureti and Tusheti. It's a long day, but we'll take our time, enjoy the hike and the views around us. By about 2PM we will be on the pass, where we'll have a little snack and rest (if it's not too cold). Then we'll walk down to Camp#2. The descent is quite steep and lengthy – it takes at least 1.5 hours.


Day 4. Hike from Camp#2 to Girevi
The trail slowly descends along the Pirikiti Alazani River. The route is smooth, but quite long – about 20 km. Along the way we meet several shepherd's houses and another abandoned stone town – Chontio. On this day we will reach civilization – the village of Girevi, where people live and where there are several guest houses. We will be welcomed by a local family and fed with traditional dishes of the region. A hot shower will be a very pleasant experience after three days of trekking.


Day 5. Hike from Girevi to Dartlo
An easy and beautiful day - about six hours of hike and about 16 km of distance. After the first half of the route along a wide and flat unpaved road, we will start a short climb uphill to get spectacular views for our lunchtime and the rest of the day. In the early evening we will be in the village of Dartlo - the pearl of Tusheti, according to the opinion of many people. It is a beautiful and unique place waiting to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our guest house where we will spend the night is the most beautiful stone building in the village, built according to local medieval traditions. We will dine in the dining hall which has a stunning semi-open design and stands on the bank of a rapid river.


Day 6. Dartlo – Omalo and horseback riding
Drive to Omalo, the largest village of Tusheti, where we will check into our guest house and go horseback riding. On horseback we will visit the village of Shenako and the village of Diklo, where we have lunch with a local family. Then we return to Omalo, to our guest house, where a hot shower and dinner will be waiting for us. With several stops, we will spend a total of at least four hours on horseback (the horses are very quiet).


Day 7. Transfer Omalo – Tbilisi
After breakfast, we say goodbye to Tusheti and head back to Tbilisi. Today we will take one of the most beautiful roads in Georgia. 60 km unpaved road through the highest automobile pass in Europe - Abano pass (2,826 m). After a four-hour drive, in the town of Kvemo Alvani we will change our jeeps to a comfortable bus and drive on to Tbilisi. On the way, near the city of Telavi, we will stop for lunch at a restaurant. We will arrive in Tbilisi around 5PM.

Your guide in this tour is Stanislav Piirainen. He is available for your questions. Feel free to text him.