Snow-capped Mount Kazbek above Stepantsminda, with Gergeti Trinity Church on the ridge

Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church

Up the Georgian Military Road past Ananuri fortress and over the Jvari Pass, then a short hike to the 14th-century church under Mount Kazbek (5,054 m).

At a glance

Duration
11 hours1 day, leaves Tbilisi 08:00, back around 19:00
Difficulty
ModerateThe walk up to Gergeti is 1.5 hours on a steep dirt path, about 400 m of climbing. A local 4x4 can take you up instead.
Meeting point
Freedom Square, by the St George column, 08:00Free pickup from hotels in central Tbilisi from 07:40. Tell us your address when you book.
Best season
  • January: Possible, with trade-offs, pass may close
  • February: Possible, with trade-offs, pass may close
  • March: Possible, with trade-offs
  • April: Possible, with trade-offs
  • May: Good time to go
  • June: Good time to go
  • July: Good time to go
  • August: Good time to go
  • September: Good time to go
  • October: Good time to go
  • November: Possible, with trade-offs
  • December: Possible, with trade-offs, pass may close
May to October. It runs in winter too, but the Jvari Pass can close for a day or more after heavy snow.

In the order you'll see them on the day. Open a photo to see it larger.

  1. Ananuri's walls and domed church above a green reservoir
    1Ananuri fortress above the Zhinvali reservoirBernard Gagnon · CC BY 4.0
  2. A curved mosaic monument on a grassy cliff edge
    2The Friendship Monument at the Gudauri viewpointPeter · CC BY-SA 2.0
  3. A dirt path climbing a green hill to a stone church
    3The path up to Gergeti Trinity ChurchVyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0
  4. A stone church on a ridge with snowy Mount Kazbek behind
    4Gergeti Trinity Church under Mount KazbekBraveheart · CC BY-SA 4.0
  5. A town spread across a wide green valley between mountains
    5Stepantsminda from the hillsideVyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0

Photos, via Wikimedia Commons: Top MaxBenidze (CC BY-SA 4.0) · 1 Bernard Gagnon (CC BY 4.0) · 2 Peter (CC BY-SA 2.0) · 3 Vyacheslav Argenberg (CC BY 4.0) · 4 Braveheart (CC BY-SA 4.0) · 5 Vyacheslav Argenberg (CC BY 4.0)

The day, hour by hour

  1. 08:00

    Leave Tbilisi

    North on the Georgian Military Road. The driver takes the first hour gently while the city wakes up.

  2. 09:15

    Ananuri fortress and Zhinvali reservoir

    Forty minutes at the 17th-century fortress on the water. Climb the tower if you like narrow stairs.

  3. 10:30

    Pasanauri bakery stop

    Coffee and khachapuri (cheese bread) from a roadside bakery. It's the last good bread before the pass.

  4. 11:30

    Jvari Pass and the Gudauri viewpoint

    The road tops out at 2,379 m. We stop at the viewpoint over the Aragvi valley if the cloud allows.

  5. 12:45

    Walk up to Gergeti Trinity Church

    From Stepantsminda, 1.5 hours up through the woods to the church at 2,170 m, with Kazbek behind it. About an hour at the top.

  6. 15:30

    Late lunch in Stepantsminda

    Khinkali (dumplings) and mountain cheese at a family place in the village.

  7. 19:00

    Back in Tbilisi

    Drop-off at your hotel, or anywhere central.

What's included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in central Tbilisi
  • Minivan with air conditioning and a driver who knows the pass
  • English-speaking guide
  • Bottled water

Not included

  • Lunch, about ₾30 to ₾40
  • Local 4x4 up to the church, about ₾15 per person
  • Tips

Before you book

  • The Jvari Pass sometimes closes after heavy snow, usually between November and April. If it closes on your date, we move you to another day or switch to Kakheti and refund the difference.
  • Kazbek is often in cloud by early afternoon. Mornings give the best chance of seeing the summit, but we can't promise it.
  • It's about six hours of driving in total. Bring something warm: it's often 10°C colder at the church than in Tbilisi.
  • Churches ask women to cover their heads and wear a skirt, and men to wear long trousers. Wraps are free at the door.

Who usually runs it

  • Giorgi

    Mountain guide, Kazbegi and Svaneti

    Certified mountain guide. Knows when to push on for the view and when to turn back.

  • A rainbow over rows of young vines in KakhetiVladimir Pankratov · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Kakhetiკახეთი

    Kakheti qvevri wine day

    Two family marani (wine cellars), the hilltop town of Sighnaghi, and Bodbe Monastery. Taste amber and red wines made in UNESCO-listed qvevri, with a supra-style lunch.

    Duration
    1 day
    Difficulty
    Easy
    Best season
    Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
    Format
    Small group

    from ₾130 per person

  • Cave rooms and a bell tower carved into the cliff at VardziaBernard Gagnon · CC BY 4.0

    Samtskhe-Javakhetiსამცხე-ჯავახეთი

    Vardzia cave city and Borjomi

    The 12th-century cave monastery carved into the Erusheti mountain under Queen Tamar, Rabati Castle in Akhaltsikhe, and the mineral springs park in Borjomi.

    Duration
    1 day
    Difficulty
    Moderate
    Best season
    Apr–Oct
    Format
    Private

    from ₾160 per person

  • Brick domes of the Abanotubani sulphur baths in Old TbilisiMarcin Konsek · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Tbilisiთბილისი

    Old Tbilisi and the sulphur baths

    Narikala fortress, the balconies of Sololaki, bakeries for shoti bread, and the brick domes of Abanotubani, the bath district that gave Tbilisi its name.

    Duration
    3 hours
    Difficulty
    Easy
    Best season
    Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
    Format
    Small group

    from ₾60 per person

Send us your dates. We'll plan the rest.

Tell us how many people, which regions interest you, and how active you want to be. We reply within a few hours, every day from 08:00 to 22:00 Tbilisi time. Nothing is charged until you confirm.

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