Pickup from Tbilisi at 6:00 AM.

Driving distance: 190 km, appx. 5 hours.

Drive from Tbilisi to Tusheti region. After passing village Pshaveli, we will start long and thrilling off-road ride, crossing the main Caucasus range at 2926 m Abano pass, until finally arriving at village Omalo – largest settlement in Tusheti region. After some rest and dinner at the guesthouse, we will have final brief on upcoming trekking trip via Atsunta pass.

Overnight at Guesthouse in Omalo.

Dartlo

Trekking: 12.7 km, 4 hours. Elevation: ↑ 560 m/ ↓ 640 m.

After breakfast we begin our adventure and start trekking north toward village Dartlo. At the begging of the trail, we’ll have a quick stop at Keselo - small 13th c. fortress located just above the village of upper Omalo. Locals used the fortress to protect themselves from the invading Mongols and later raids by Daghestani tribes.

In about 2 hours, we are going to reach Ghele viewpoint, situated on top of the main ridge divining Tusheti National Park. In the past, it was the place where the elders of local communities would meet to discuss important issues. From here the road starts descending down to the valley of Pirikita Alazani river until reaching village Dartlo. Situated about 1800 meters above sea level – Dartlo is perhaps one of the most picturesque villages in Tusheti, protected by UNESCO.

Overnight at Guesthouse in Dartlo.

Trekking: 16.4 km, 6 hours. Elevation: ↑1259 m / ↓999 m

We’ll start our day with a steep hike to tiny village Kvavlo, located on top of the hill just above Dartlo. After a short brake at Kvavlo to enjoy the views, we’ll continue to nearby village Dano and get on a path traversing a ridge above Pirikiti Alazani valley. We’ll eventually get down to the main dirt road just before village Chesho. The last section of this trek turns into a narrow path along the cliff that takes you to village Girevi – our end point for today.

Overnight at Guesthouse in Girevi. 

Trekking: 14.1 km, Elevation: ↑803 m / ↓417 m

After clearing the border police, we’ll start trekking along Atsunta-Alazani Gorge, passing abandoned village Chontio – the last inhabited village we’ll see on our way. Continue towards to the Kvakhidi campsite at (2400m). The path goes up through the beautiful alpine meadows along the river, with panoramic views and picturesque landscape.

Overnight in Tents at Kvakhidi Campsite

Trekking: 15.0 km, ↑1207 m / ↓961 m

This is the most demanding part of the trek. The trail goes up by Kvakhidisitskali river, that we’ll have to cross twice, the first time on a small footbridge, the second time we’ll have to ford it. After the second crossing, we will continue to the valley to the right and start the ascent to Atsunta Pass (3431m). From the top we have amazing views of the surrounding summits and canyons of Khevsureti province. Descend to the campsite at 2400m.

Overnight in Tents.

Trekking: 19.5 km, ↑343 m / ↓1583 m

Start early morning, descend by the narrow path into the valley of Khonistskali river and then continue walking towards Mutso fortress. The fortress is a remarkable fortified settlement which for centuries was the strongest outpost in northern Georgia, controlling the incoming roads and protecting the state border from the raids of northern tribes. Since most people would be too tired to care to explore it on the same day, we leave it as “optional” visit with a chance to get back to it next day (if reserve day is not needed, see below).

Here we will be picked up and driven to Shatili for overnight.

Overnight in Shatili at the Guesthouse.

Shatili

We intentionally include 1 reserve day into this itinerary, in case of unfavorable weather conditions on previous days, which may make crossing of the Atsunta pass impossible or too risky.

If you arrived to Shatili on schedule, it's possible to take a one of the day hikes in the nearby area (Mutso, Anatori) or just have a free day to relax and walk around the mountain village.

After breakfast we’ll drive back to Tbilisi. The road crosses Datvis Jvari Pass (2676m) and follows Aragvi gorge until the Zhinvali reserve joining Georgian Military Highway.

Drop off in Tbilisi