Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Georgia: Svaneti and Kazbegi on Foot
9 days from Tbilisi: Gelati and Kutaisi, two nights in Mestia for the Chalaadi glacier and the Koruldi lakes, Ushguli and the Shkhara glacier, then two nights walking in Kazbegi.
9 days · Round trip from Tbilisi · up to 12 guests
Mestia's Svan towers below the snow of the Greater Caucasus in spring; by June the lower slopes are green Photo: Anne Sande, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mestia_April_2025.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Tbilisi
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 6.5 h on day 7
- Activity level
Active
Four walking days of 2.5 to 7 hours on mountain paths, with up to about 800 m of climb and a highest point of about 2,950 m on the Gergeti glacier trail. Chalaadi is a short forest walk, Koruldi climbs about 550 m from the end of a 4x4 track, Shkhara is about 16 km on a mostly gentle valley trail with stream crossings. Every walking day has an easier option, from a shorter turn-around to a 4x4 ride, and you can sit any walk out. Three days are mostly in the van. The highest night is Ushguli at about 2,100 m.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 4 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 605 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Chalaadi glacier through birch forest on your first afternoon in Svaneti
- The Koruldi lakes at about 2,750 m, facing the twin horns of Ushba
- Ushguli's stone towers in the morning, before the day-trip 4x4s arrive
- A packed lunch facing Shkhara, Georgia's highest mountain, at the end of its glacier valley
- A home-cooked Svan dinner of kubdari and tashmijabi at an Ushguli guesthouse
- Gergeti Trinity at 7:30 am, then the trail to the glacier viewpoint below Kazbek, or the gentler Juta valley
- Gelati Monastery's 12th-century mosaic, and Jvari above Mtskheta on the way home
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 6.5 h, on day 7.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 605 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 6.5 h, on day 7.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Tbilisi
Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) to your hotel in Tbilisi
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Tbilisi
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Tbilisi International Airport (TBS), about 20 km east of the centre.
Evening
Many flights from North America connect through Istanbul, the Gulf or a European hub and land in the small hours, so if yours arrives overnight, ask us to add the night before and start rested. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall at any hour for the drive of about 30 minutes to a central hotel within walking distance of the Old Town. The day is yours: walk down to the Mtkvari river, cross the glass Bridge of Peace into Rike Park, or sleep. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on each walking day, the drive times, the kit list and how the easy and active options work. We check boots and rain gear together, then walk to a welcome dinner nearby: khachapuri cheese bread, khinkali dumplings and aubergine rolls with walnut paste.
Included
- Pick-up at Tbilisi International Airport (TBS), at any hour
- Welcome briefing and kit check with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Optional experiences
- An extra hotel night in Tbilisi before the trip, booked through us with the airport pick-up, priced at booking
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Activity: Land by about 4 pm to reach the briefing; later arrivals are met and briefed at breakfast.
West to Kutaisi and Gelati
Tbilisi to Gelati Monastery, then Kutaisi
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kutaisi
- Drive about 4 h
We leave Tbilisi at 9 am and drive west on the main east to west highway, through the Rikoti pass that divides the dry east of Georgia from the green, wetter west, about 255 km and three and three-quarter hours at the wheel with a coffee stop on the way.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Imereti, the province around Kutaisi, known for its own cheese bread and for dishes heavy with walnuts and fresh herbs. In the early afternoon we drive up to Gelati Monastery, founded in 1106 by King David IV, the Builder, and listed by UNESCO for its academy and its 12th-century mosaic of the Virgin in the main church. Your guide keeps the visit to about an hour. Then we check in to a central hotel in Kutaisi.
Evening
The evening is free: walk to the Green Bazaar before it closes, or up to Bagrati Cathedral for the view over the Rioni river at dusk.
Included
- Gelati Monastery with your guide
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Kutaisi
Activity: About 1 hour on foot at Gelati, on paved paths and a few steps.
Into Svaneti and the Chalaadi glacier
Kutaisi to the Enguri dam and Mestia, then the Chalaadi glacier
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Mestia
- Drive about 5 h
This is a long day at the wheel, about 250 km and four and three-quarter hours in all, because there is no shorter road into Upper Svaneti; the small plane to Mestia is too weather-dependent to plan a group around. We leave at 8 am and break the drive twice. First at the Enguri dam, a concrete arch about 270 m high, where the road leaves the lowlands and climbs into the Enguri gorge.
Afternoon
Then a sit-down lunch on the gorge road. We reach Mestia, at about 1,500 m, after about four and a half hours on the road, drop the bags and take a 15-minute hop up the valley to the bridge below the Chalaadi glacier. The walk follows the river through birch and pine forest to the grey ice of the glacier tongue, about two and a half hours there and back.
Evening
Dinner is in Mestia, our base for two nights, in a hotel or guesthouse with private bathrooms.
Included
- Enguri dam viewpoint
- Chalaadi glacier walk with your guide and a local mountain guide
- Svaneti Museum in Mestia before its 6 pm close, only if day 4 falls on a Monday, when the museum is closed
Easier option: Skip the glacier walk and stroll Mestia's lanes and towers instead.
Free time: Evening free after dinner
Activity: Drive: about 4.5 hours Kutaisi to Mestia, then about 15 minutes to the trailhead. Chalaadi: about 6 km there and back from the bridge (trailhead confirmed by ops), 2.5 hours, about 200 m of climb on a rocky forest path with a suspension bridge.
Koruldi lakes above Mestia
Mestia to the Koruldi lakes and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Mestia
- Drive about 1 h
We start at 8 am, while the clouds are high, and ride 4x4 vehicles up the steep track above Mestia to the cross at about 2,200 m.
Morning
From there it is about two hours on foot, up through alpine meadow, to the Koruldi lakes at about 2,750 m, small tarns that on a clear morning hold the reflection of Ushba, the twin-horned 4,710 m peak that guards Svaneti.
Afternoon
Packed lunch is at the lakes, with Tetnuldi to the east, then we walk back down to the 4x4s. The afternoon is free in Mestia: the Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography (closed Mondays; we move the visit to day 3 if needed) keeps gospels and icons from the valley's churches, and several Svan towers can be climbed by ladder. For anyone who wants a full day, the active option is the Transcaucasian Trail stage from Mestia to Zhabeshi through Mulakhi, with the van meeting you at the end.
Evening
Dinner is in Mestia.
Included
- 4x4 to the cross above Mestia and back
- Koruldi lakes walk with your guide and a local mountain guide
- Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography in Mestia (Tuesday to Sunday; on a Monday it moves to late afternoon on day 3)
Easier option: Ride the 4x4 to the cross, walk the first hour up to the ridge viewpoint and back, or walk the flat river path in the valley.
More active option: Walk the Mestia to Zhabeshi stage of the Transcaucasian Trail, about 14 km and 5 to 6 hours, with a local mountain guide; the van meets you in Zhabeshi.
Free time: Afternoon free in Mestia
Activity: Koruldi: about 8 km and 4 hours from the cross, about 550 m of climb to 2,750 m. Zhabeshi option: 5 to 6 hours with long climbs and descents.
Ushguli and the Shkhara glacier
Mestia to Ushguli, then the Shkhara glacier walk
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Ushguli
- Drive about 1.5 h
We leave Mestia at 8 am with the bags for the 47 km road east to Ushguli, about an hour and a half through the villages of the upper Enguri valley. Ushguli, at about 2,100 m, is four hamlets of stone towers at the head of the valley, part of Upper Svaneti, inscribed by UNESCO in 1996. We arrive before the day-trip 4x4s from Mestia, drop the bags at a guesthouse and set off up the Enguri river towards Shkhara, at about 5,200 m Georgia's highest mountain.
Afternoon
The trail is mostly gentle, through meadows of wildflowers, for about 8 km to the tongue of the Shkhara glacier; we eat a packed lunch facing the mountain and walk back, five to six hours in all. Late afternoon, your guide walks you up to Lamaria church above Chazhashi.
Evening
Dinner is home-cooked at the guesthouse: kubdari, the Svan meat-filled bread, and tashmijabi, mashed potato with cheese.
Included
- Shkhara glacier walk with your guide and a local mountain guide
- Ushguli's hamlets and Lamaria church with your guide
- Home-cooked Svan dinner at the guesthouse
Optional experiences
- Horse for part of the Shkhara valley, where available, paid locally
Easier option: Walk the first 3 to 4 km up the valley to the first full view of Shkhara and turn back, about 2.5 hours, or spend the day in Ushguli's hamlets and the small museum in Chazhashi.
More active option: Continue past the glacier tongue on the moraine with the local mountain guide, conditions allowing.
Free time: Evening free in Ushguli
Activity: Shkhara: about 16 km there and back, 5 to 6 hours, about 400 m of gradual climb, two stream crossings on stones or small bridges.
Down from the mountains to Kutaisi
Ushguli to Mestia, Zugdidi and Kutaisi
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kutaisi
- Drive about 6 h
Today is the longest transfer, about 280 km and six hours at the wheel (an hour and a half back to Mestia, then four and a half to Kutaisi), because Ushguli sits at the far end of a single mountain road and Kutaisi is the nearest town with good hotels on the way back east. We set off at 8 am and break the drive three times.
Afternoon
First a coffee in Mestia, then lunch in Zugdidi, then an hour in the Zugdidi Botanical Garden beside the Dadiani palace, a shaded park of old trees that is a good place to stretch your legs after the gorge road. Our driver keeps to the rule we set for all mountain roads: no overtaking on blind bends. We reach Kutaisi at about 5 pm and check back in to the hotel from day 2.
Evening
The evening is free; your guide can point you to a restaurant for Imeretian food or a walk by the Colchis fountain.
Included
- Zugdidi Botanical Garden by the Dadiani palace
Free time: Evening free in Kutaisi
Activity: A rest day for the legs; about 1 hour on foot in the garden.
Over the Jvari pass to Kazbegi
Kutaisi to Ananuri, then the Georgian Military Highway to Stepantsminda
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Stepantsminda
- Drive about 6.5 h
A second long transfer, about 360 km and six and a quarter hours at the wheel before stops, the price of reaching the Kazbegi mountains from Svaneti in one trip; there is no road across the main ridge between them. We leave at 7:30 am with a coffee stop on the way, drive back east through the Rikoti pass and turn north at Mtskheta, before Tbilisi, onto the Georgian Military Highway.
Afternoon
Lunch is near Ananuri, the 17th-century fortress and church above the Zhinvali reservoir, where we stop for an hour. Then the road climbs past Gudauri to the Jvari pass at 2,379 m and the Soviet-era Friendship Monument, a mosaic balcony over the Devil's valley, before dropping to Stepantsminda, at about 1,750 m, at about 4:30 to 5 pm. We stay two nights in a hotel with a view of Kazbek where we can get one.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Ananuri fortress
- The Georgian Military Highway over the Jvari pass and the Friendship Monument
Free time: Evening free in Stepantsminda
Activity: Short walks at Ananuri and the Friendship Monument; about 1 hour on foot in all.
Gergeti glacier trail or the Juta valley
Stepantsminda to Gergeti Trinity and the glacier viewpoint, or to Juta
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Stepantsminda
- Drive about 1.5 h
Evening
Two walks run today, each with a guide, and you choose the evening before. The Gergeti glacier trail starts at 7:30 am, before the day-trip vans from Tbilisi arrive, with a 4x4 ride up to Gergeti Trinity Church at about 2,170 m, the 14th-century church set against Kazbek, 5,047 m. From the church the path climbs open grassland to the Sabertse pass at about 2,950 m and on to a viewpoint over the Gergeti glacier, six to seven hours with a packed lunch. The Juta walk is gentler: a 45-minute drive each way to the village of Juta, at about 2,150 m, then a valley path towards the rock towers of the Chaukhi massif, about three to four hours, with a packed lunch by the river. Juta walkers can ride up to Gergeti Trinity at 7:30 am with everyone else and leave for Juta at 9:30, or go by 4x4 in the late afternoon. Everyone meets for a farewell dinner in Stepantsminda.
Included
- 4x4 to Gergeti Trinity Church and back
- Gergeti glacier trail with a local mountain guide, or the Juta valley walk with your guide
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: The Juta valley walk, about 8 km and 3 to 4 hours with about 300 m of climb, or the church visit alone by 4x4.
More active option: The Gergeti glacier trail, about 14 km and 6 to 7 hours from the church with about 800 m of climb.
Free time: Late afternoon free before the farewell dinner
Activity: Driving: about 15 minutes each way by 4x4 to the church, and 45 minutes each way to Juta. Gergeti trail: steady climb to about 2,950 m on grass and scree. Juta: a gentle valley path at 2,150 to 2,450 m.
Back to Tbilisi
Stepantsminda to Jvari Monastery, then Tbilisi and Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we leave Stepantsminda at 9 am and drive back down the Military Highway, about three and a quarter hours with stops. The one visit today is Jvari Monastery, the 6th-century church on the hill above Mtskheta, looking down on the meeting of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers and part of the UNESCO-listed historical monuments of Mtskheta. We reach Tbilisi at about 1 pm and drop you at a central hotel or at the airport.
Evening
Afternoon flights from about 4 pm are easy, and so are the night flights to Europe and the Gulf, because we set your airport transfer by your flight at any hour. Only a morning flight on day 9 is not possible. If your flight leaves after about 7 pm, or you stay on, your guide walks you through Old Tbilisi from 2 pm, about an hour and a half among the balconied houses, the sulphur baths and the river. To stay longer, add a hotel night through us.
Included
- Jvari Monastery above Mtskheta
- A walk through Old Tbilisi with your guide at 2 pm, for anyone with a flight after about 7 pm or staying on
- Drop-off in central Tbilisi or at Tbilisi International Airport (TBS), at any hour
Optional experiences
- An extra hotel night in Tbilisi after the trip, booked through us with the airport transfer, priced at booking
Free time: Free from early afternoon until your transfer, after the optional Old Town walk
Activity: Flights from about 4 pm onwards, including night flights, work; a morning flight on day 9 does not. The hotel can store your bags.
- Tbilisi1 night
- Kutaisi1 night
- Mestia2 nights
- Ushguli1 night
- Kutaisi1 night
- Stepantsminda2 nights
- Tbilisiend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June brings wildflowers in the Shkhara and Juta valleys and late snow on the high trails, which can shorten the Koruldi and Gergeti walks. July and August are warm in the valleys, with afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains, which is why we start walks at 8 am. September is clear and cool, with cold nights in Ushguli and Stepantsminda.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Fit walkers who want the Caucasus on foot without carrying a pack or sleeping in huts
- Travellers who want both Svaneti and Kazbegi in one trip
- Mixed groups and couples where one walks more than the other, thanks to an easy and an active option each walking day
- Solo travellers who want company on the trail without a coach-sized group
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want a hut-to-hut point-to-point trek across Svaneti on foot every day
- Anyone who dislikes long days in a vehicle: three days run 4.75 to 6.25 hours at the wheel
- Those who need hotel comfort every night; Ushguli is a simple family guesthouse
- Travellers mainly after Tbilisi, Kakheti wine and culture; our Tbilisi, Kakheti and Kazbegi trip suits them better
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Tbilisi1 night
- Kutaisi1 night
- Mestia2 nights
- Ushguli1 night
- Kutaisi1 night
- Stepantsminda2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 1 in Tbilisi, 2 in Kutaisi (1 on the way out, 1 on the way back), 2 in Mestia, 1 in Ushguli, 2 in Stepantsminda (Kazbegi)
- Central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Stepantsminda; a small hotel or guesthouse in Mestia and a family guesthouse in Ushguli, private bathrooms where they exist
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- We name each hotel and guesthouse when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Tbilisi International Airport (TBS), at any hour
- Our own air-conditioned minivan and driver for the whole trip, with no overtaking on blind bends on mountain roads
- Your main bag carried in the van on every walking day
- 4x4 to the cross above Mestia for the Koruldi lakes, and to Gergeti Trinity Church in Kazbegi
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
- Local mountain guides on the Chalaadi, Koruldi, Shkhara, Gergeti and Juta walks, and a second guide on days with two walking options
Activities
- Kutaisi: Gelati Monastery
- Svaneti: the Enguri dam viewpoint, the Chalaadi glacier walk, the Koruldi lakes walk and the Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography in Mestia
- Ushguli: the Shkhara glacier walk, the hamlets and Lamaria church
- Zugdidi: the botanical garden by the Dadiani palace
- Ananuri fortress, the Georgian Military Highway over the Jvari pass and the Friendship Monument
- Kazbegi: Gergeti Trinity Church, and the Gergeti glacier trail or the Juta valley walk
- Jvari Monastery above Mtskheta, and an Old Tbilisi walk on the last afternoon
Meals
- Breakfast daily (8)
- 7 lunches, 3 of them packed lunches on the trail
- 5 dinners: welcome dinner in Tbilisi, two in Mestia, a home-cooked Svan dinner in Ushguli and a farewell dinner in Stepantsminda
Not included
- International flights to and from Tbilisi
- Travel insurance, including the health and accident cover Georgia requires for the whole stay (we advise a policy that also covers hiking to 3,000 m)
- A visa, if your passport needs one
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Horse hire in the Shkhara valley and other optional activities
- Extra hotel nights in Tbilisi before or after the trip (we can book them, priced at booking)
- Walking boots, poles and other personal gear
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 605 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the Svaneti and Kazbegi trek price include?
Eight nights in hotels and guesthouses, breakfast daily, seven lunches, five dinners, airport transfers at any hour, our own minivan and driver, the 4x4 rides to the Koruldi cross and Gergeti Trinity, a See Sight Tours guide throughout, local mountain guides on the walks, and every entry in the day plan, including Gelati and the Svaneti museum.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, never more. That is small enough to fit a Svan guesthouse kitchen table, split into an easy and an active walk on the same day with a guide on each, and change the plan if the weather closes in.
Who leads the trek?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all nine days, and local mountain guides join for the Chalaadi, Koruldi, Shkhara and Kazbegi walks. On days with two walking options, each group has its own guide. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be for this Georgia hiking trip?
You should be comfortable walking four to seven hours on mountain paths with up to about 800 m of climb, at altitudes up to about 2,950 m. Every walking day has an easier option, from a shorter turn-around to a 4x4 ride, so a fit walker who is not a trekker can still enjoy it.
Are the drives long?
Yes, three days are long, and we say so: Kutaisi to Mestia and the Chalaadi trailhead is about 4.75 hours, Ushguli to Kutaisi about 6 and Kutaisi to Kazbegi about 6.25 at the wheel. There is no road across the main ridge between Svaneti and Kazbegi. Each is broken by a sit-down lunch and stops, and our driver never overtakes on blind bends.
Where do we sleep in Svaneti?
Central hotels of at least 3-star-plus standard in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Stepantsminda. In Mestia we use a small hotel or guesthouse with private bathrooms; in Ushguli, a family guesthouse, private bathrooms where they exist, which we confirm with your booking. We name each place when we confirm your dates.
I am travelling solo. What does a room cost?
The single supplement is CAD 605, about 17 percent of the trip price, shown up front. It buys your own room in every hotel; in Ushguli single rooms are scarce, and if one cannot be had we tell you before you pay. Solo guests sit at the same table and get the same seats as everyone else.
When is the best time to hike in Svaneti and Kazbegi?
We run the trip from June to September. Snow lies on the Koruldi lakes, the Shkhara valley and the Gergeti trail into June, so early departures may swap a high walk for a lower one. July and August are warmest and busiest; September has clear, cool days and fewer walkers.
How does booking work?
You send a request to book with your preferred departure. We confirm availability, hotels and the final price within 24 hours. No payment is taken when you request; you pay only after we confirm and you accept the terms.
Can I do this trip on my own dates?
Yes. Choose the Private style for your own party with your own guide, driver and date, from CAD 6,425 per person. If you want to travel independently with only parts arranged, such as a mountain guide in Svaneti, ask us for an independent quote; that is an inquiry, not a set trip.
Do I need a visa for Georgia?
Canadian, US, UK and EU passport holders can visit Georgia without a visa for up to a year. Since 1 January 2026 Georgia requires health and accident insurance for the whole stay, with a minimum cover set by Georgia (reported as GEL 30,000); carry proof. We confirm the current rules for your passport when you book.
Is altitude a problem on this trek?
The trip sleeps no higher than about 2,100 m, in Ushguli, and the highest walking point is about 2,950 m on the Gergeti trail, a day walk that returns the same day. Most people feel little more than shortness of breath on climbs. Tell us about heart or lung conditions when you book.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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