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Geotour

Photos: Jelger Groeneveld (CC BY 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons

Vashlovani National Park

Kakheti · Nature

Getting there
About 130 km (about 2–2.5 h) from Tbilisi to the visitor centre in Dedoplistskaro on paved roads, then about 3 hours on dirt tracks to Mijniskure
Best time
April–May, October–November
Recommended stay
1–2 days

About Vashlovani National Park

Vashlovani is Georgia's semi-desert national park in the far south-east of Kakheti, on the Azerbaijan border, reached on slow dirt tracks from Dedoplistskaro. It has pale badland canyons, the Takhti-Tepa mud volcanoes, open pistachio and juniper woodland and the Alazani river at Mijniskure. With luck you see reintroduced goitered gazelles, vultures and eagles. There are no paved roads inside, so it is a 4x4 trip, best with a night in the park bungalows.

Tours Including Vashlovani National Park

See the tour

Must-See Attractions

  • Takhti-Tepa mud volcanoes

    Low grey cones that bubble cold mud, a separate natural monument in another part of the protected areas, which needs an extra day.

  • Pantishara canyon and Usakhelo viewpoint

    Eroded clay canyons and a high viewpoint over the badlands.

  • Mijniskure

    The green riverside oasis on the Alazani with bungalows and a campsite; the river is the border with Azerbaijan.

  • Eagle canyon

    A gorge near Dedoplistskaro where vultures and eagles nest on the cliffs.

Nearby

  • Dedoplistskaro

    The small town with the park visitor centre and the ruins of Khornabuji fortress, the gateway town, about 3 hours by 4x4 from Mijniskure.

  • Sighnaghi

    The walled wine town, about 40 km from Dedoplistskaro (45 min).

  • Shiraki plain

    The wide steppe on the way in, with the old airfield and summer sheep flocks.

Location41.2000° N, 46.3833° EView on map

Good to know

Getting there

About 130 km (about 2–2.5 h) from Tbilisi to the visitor centre in Dedoplistskaro on paved roads, then about 3 hours on dirt tracks to Mijniskure; 4x4 required.

Best time

April–May, October–November

Best time

Spring brings green steppe, flowers and nesting birds, and October–November is cooler and usually dry; summer often passes 35 °C, and after rain the tracks can be impassable.

Recommended stay

1–2 days

Fees

Entry about 5 GEL per person plus about 5 GEL per car, and about 5 GEL for Takhti-Tepa; pay in cash at the visitor centre.

Documents

Carry your passport; the Mijniskure area on the Alazani needs a free permit from the Border Police in Dedoplistskaro, which we arrange.

Access

Tracks become impassable after rain, and a 4x4 with an experienced local driver is essential.

What to bring

Sun hat, sunscreen, plenty of water and a warm layer for the night; there is little or no mobile signal.

Heads-up

Snakes are common in warm months; wear closed shoes and look where you step.

History & culture

History

A strict nature reserve was created here in 1935 to protect the arid pistachio woodland, and the wider Vashlovani Protected Areas, including the national park, were established in 2003. Camera traps recorded a Persian leopard in the park in the 2000s, and goitered gazelles, once lost from Georgia, have been brought back since the 2010s.

Accommodation

Simple park bungalows at Mijniskure and in Vashlovani, a campsite, and rooms at the visitor centre in Dedoplistskaro, all run by the Agency of Protected Areas. Bring or order food in advance; there are no shops or restaurants inside the park. Guesthouses in Dedoplistskaro and Sighnaghi are the alternative.