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Alpine slopes above Stepantsminda in spring
Gudauri ski resort with cable cars and snowy Caucasus mountains
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Caucasus Endemics Birding in Kazbegi — 4-Day Private Tour

Gudauri Ski Resort · Kazbegi

  • 4 days
  • Private, 1–8 travellers
  • Moderate
  • 15 May–30 Jun

Overview

A four-day private spring birding tour to Kazbegi with a specialist local bird guide, based in Stepantsminda under Mt Kazbek. The targets are the Greater Caucasus specialities: Caucasian black grouse displaying at dawn, Caucasian snowcock on the high slopes, and Güldenstädt's redstart, great rosefinch, wallcreeper and lammergeier around the Jvari Pass and Kobi. You stay three nights in Stepantsminda, so no time is lost driving back to Tbilisi between sessions. Two mornings start before dawn, and a 4x4 takes you up tracks that can still hold snow in May; afternoons leave time to rest. Some slopes are steep and uneven, so it suits birders who are steady on rough ground. The season runs from 15 May to 30 June, when the birds are displaying and the high tracks are reachable. The bird guide, 4x4, hotel and breakfasts are included. Minimum two travellers.

Itinerary

2 stops: Gudauri Ski Resort, Kazbegi

1

Day 1Tbilisi to Stepantsminda

About 152 km and 3–3.5 hours of driving, with birding stops on the way.

  1. Pickup in Tbilisi in our 4x4

  2. Birding stops at the Zhinvali reservoir and Ananuri

  3. Check in at Stepantsminda

  4. Evening walk near town with the bird guide

  5. Overnight: Stepantsminda (hotel, breakfast)

2

Day 2Black grouse at dawn, snowcock slopes

Pre-dawn start; rest in the afternoon.

  1. 4x4 to the lek site to watch the black grouse display

  2. Breakfast back in town

  3. Slopes for Caucasian snowcock and wallcreeper

  4. Afternoon rest

  5. Evening birding near town

  6. Overnight: Stepantsminda (hotel, breakfast)

3

Day 3Jvari Pass, Kobi and Dariali

Short drives on the Military Highway.

    • Gudauri Ski ResortDay 3: an early morning on the slopes around the Jvari Pass (2,379 m) and Kobi for Güldenstädt's redstart, great rosefinch and lammergeier, with short walks from the 4x4.

      Day 3: an early morning on the slopes around the Jvari Pass (2,379 m) and Kobi for Güldenstädt's redstart, great rosefinch and lammergeier, with short walks from the 4x4.

      Gudauri ski resort, the largest in Georgia, is on the Georgian Military Highway about 120 km north of Tbilisi, just below the Jvari Pass. The resort village sits at about 2,200 m, and its lifts, including gondolas, run from about 1,990 m to 3,279 m, serving wide open pistes above the tree line and large freeride slopes. The ski season usually runs from late December to mid-April. In summer the same slopes are used for hiking and tandem paragliding, and Gudauri is a common stop on the way to Kazbegi.

      View destination details
    • KazbegiThree nights in Stepantsminda (about 1,740 m). Dawn outings go to the black grouse lek and the snowcock slopes above town, and day 3 ends in the Dariali gorge.

      Three nights in Stepantsminda (about 1,740 m). Dawn outings go to the black grouse lek and the snowcock slopes above town, and day 3 ends in the Dariali gorge.

      Stepantsminda, still widely called Kazbegi, is the mountain town at about 1,740 m on the Georgian Military Highway, 152 km north of Tbilisi (3–3.5 h) and 15 km from the Russian border. Above it the 14th-century Gergeti Trinity Church stands at 2,170 m with Mount Kazbek (5,054 m) behind. Things to do in Kazbegi include walks to Gergeti, the Gveleti waterfall and the Dariali gorge, and trips by 4x4 to the Truso and Juta valleys. Come as a long day trip, or stay a night or two to walk in the morning light.

      View destination details

  2. Jvari Pass and Kobi: Güldenstädt's redstart, great rosefinch, lammergeier

  3. Picnic lunch (not included)

  4. Dariali gorge for wallcreeper and cliff species

  5. Overnight: Stepantsminda (hotel, breakfast)

4

Day 4Final morning and back to Tbilisi

About 3–3.5 hours back to Tbilisi.

  1. Last dawn session for missed species

  2. Breakfast and check-out

  3. Drive back to Tbilisi

  4. Drop-off at your Tbilisi hotel

Make this tour your own:Build your own tour

What's Included

  • Private 4x4 with fuel and parking
  • English-speaking driver-guide throughout (Russian-speaking on request)
  • Specialist bird guide every day
  • 3 nights in a standard hotel in Stepantsminda, twin/double rooms, breakfast included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Tbilisi
  • Bottled water

  • Lunch and dinner (about 25–40 GEL per person for lunch)
  • Drinks
  • Binoculars and telescopes (bring your own)
  • Tips (optional)
  • Travel insurance (mandatory for visitors to Georgia from 1 January 2026)

Map

Good to know

Best Time to Visit
15 May–30 Jun (spring display season)
Physical Requirements
Moderate fitness level required. Includes longer walks, some uphill sections, and possibly uneven terrain.
Cancellation Policy
Nothing to pay now. Your quote includes the cancellation terms before you pay anything.
Pace
two pre-dawn starts (04:30 and 05:00) and an early 06:00 start; afternoons are free to rest.
Walking
short but steep walks from the 4x4 on rough, sometimes wet or snowy slopes; boots with good grip are needed.
What to bring
warm layers, hat and gloves for dawn (it can be close to freezing in May), waterproofs, binoculars and a scope if you have one.
Lek etiquette
we watch the black grouse from a distance and keep quiet, so the birds keep displaying.
Heads-up
in May some tracks may still be blocked by snow; the bird guide picks the sites that are safe to reach.
Categories:
Short trip (2–5 days)
Nature & wildlife
Mountains

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