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Geotour
Gergeti Trinity Church on its ridge above Stepantsminda with Mt Kazbek behind
Ananuri fortress and its churches above the turquoise Zhinvali reservoir
Gudauri ski resort with cable cars and snowy Caucasus mountains
Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) with Gergeti Trinity Church and Mount Kazbek
Gveleti Waterfall in a rocky gorge near Kazbegi
Tour photo
Featured Tour

Kazbegi & Gergeti Trinity — Private Day Trip from Tbilisi

Ananuri Fortress · Gudauri Ski Resort · Kazbegi · Trinity Church Gergeti · Gveleti Waterfall

  • 1 day
  • Private, 1–8 travellers
  • Easy
  • Starts in Tbilisi
  • Daily

Overview

A private day trip from Tbilisi up the Georgian Military Highway to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) and the 14th-century Gergeti Trinity Church at 2,170 m, with Mt Kazbek (5,054 m) behind it. On the way you stop at Ananuri fortress above the Zhinvali reservoir and at the Friendship Monument viewpoint near Gudauri, then cross the Jvari Pass (2,379 m). It is about 152 km and 3–3.5 hours each way, so plan on an 11–12 hour day with your own driver-guide. From May to October our car drives the paved road up to the church and, time allowing, we add the Gveleti waterfall in the Dariali gorge. When there is snow, a local 4x4 takes you up. In winter the Jvari Pass can close for hours or days after heavy snow: we check the road the evening before and suggest another day trip if it is shut.

Itinerary

5 stops: Ananuri Fortress, Gudauri Ski Resort, Kazbegi, Trinity Church Gergeti, Gveleti Waterfall

Military Highway to Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity

An 11–12 hour private day on the Georgian Military Highway, with about 3–3.5 hours of driving each way and unhurried time at the top.

  1. Pickup at your Tbilisi hotel

  2. Zhinvali reservoir viewpoint

  3. Ananuri fortress (about 70 km from Tbilisi)

    • Ananuri Fortress45 minutes at the 17th-century Ananuri fortress, with two churches inside its walls above the Zhinvali reservoir, about 70 km from Tbilisi.

      45 minutes at the 17th-century Ananuri fortress, with two churches inside its walls above the Zhinvali reservoir, about 70 km from Tbilisi.

      Ananuri is a 17th-century fortress of the Dukes of Aragvi above the turquoise Zhinvali reservoir, about 70 km (1–1.25 h) north of Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Highway. Inside its walls stand two churches, one with richly carved façades from 1689, and a square watchtower you can climb for a view down the reservoir. It is the usual first stop on the way to Kazbegi or Pasanauri, and 30–45 minutes is enough to see it.

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  4. Friendship Monument viewpoint past Gudauri (20 min), then the Jvari Pass

    • Gudauri Ski ResortA 20-minute photo stop at the 1983 Friendship Monument, a mosaic balcony over the Devil's Valley just past the Gudauri ski resort, before the road crosses the Jvari Pass (2,379 m).

      A 20-minute photo stop at the 1983 Friendship Monument, a mosaic balcony over the Devil's Valley just past the Gudauri ski resort, before the road crosses the Jvari Pass (2,379 m).

      Gudauri is Georgia's largest ski resort, 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.

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    • KazbegiLunch in Stepantsminda, the town still widely called Kazbegi, under Mt Kazbek (5,054 m). About an hour; lunch is not included.

      Lunch in Stepantsminda, the town still widely called Kazbegi, under Mt Kazbek (5,054 m). About an hour; lunch is not included.

      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. It is the base for walks to Gergeti, the Gveleti waterfall and the Dariali gorge, and by 4x4 for the Truso and Juta valleys. Come as a long day trip, or stay a night or two to walk in the morning light.

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  6. Arrive in Stepantsminda

  7. Gergeti Trinity Church by car (walking up instead takes 1–1.5 h and lengthens the day)

    • Trinity Church GergetiAbout an hour at Gergeti Trinity Church (14th century, 2,170 m), reached by the paved road from May to October and by local 4x4 in snow. No photos inside and no drones.

      About an hour at Gergeti Trinity Church (14th century, 2,170 m), reached by the paved road from May to October and by local 4x4 in snow. No photos inside and no drones.

      Gergeti Trinity Church (Tsminda Sameba) stands alone on a grassy ridge at 2,170 m above Stepantsminda, about 152 km north of Tbilisi, with the glaciated cone of Mount Kazbek (5,054 m) behind it. The 14th-century church and its bell tower are a working Orthodox site and the classic view of the Georgian Caucasus. You reach it by car on the paved road from town or on foot in about 1–1.5 hours up through meadows, 430 m of climbing. Most people stay 45–60 minutes for the church, the views and the photos.

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  8. Lunch in Stepantsminda (not included)

  9. May–Oct, time allowing: 15:00–16:15 Gveleti waterfall, or a shorter Dariali gorge photo stop

    • Gveleti WaterfallMay–October, time allowing: the Gveleti waterfall in the Dariali gorge, about 7 km north of Stepantsminda, then 30–40 minutes each way on a rocky path.

      May–October, time allowing: the Gveleti waterfall in the Dariali gorge, about 7 km north of Stepantsminda, then 30–40 minutes each way on a rocky path.

      The Gveleti waterfalls are in a side valley of the Dariali gorge, about 7 km north of Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) off the Georgian Military Highway, inside Kazbegi National Park. From the road a dirt track and footpath lead up the Gveleti stream past a smaller cascade to the main fall, which drops into a narrow rocky bowl. The walk is about 4 km return with some 190 m of climbing, 30–40 minutes each way. It is an easy addition to a Kazbegi day from May to October.

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  10. Drive back to Tbilisi

  11. Back at your hotel (weekend evening traffic or truck queues from the Upper Lars border can add 1–3 h)

Make this tour your own:Build your own tour

What's Included

  • Private car or minivan with fuel and parking (sedan for 1–3 travellers, minivan for 4–8)
  • English-speaking driver-guide for the whole day
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Tbilisi
  • Ride up to Gergeti Trinity Church (our car May–October, a local 4x4 when there is snow)
  • Bottled water

  • Lunch (about 30–50 GEL per person)
  • Drinks
  • Tips (optional)
  • Travel insurance (mandatory for visitors to Georgia from 1 January 2026)

Map

Good to know

Best Time to Visit
Daily, year-round (Jvari Pass closures possible in winter, roughly Nov–Apr)
Physical Requirements
Suitable for most fitness levels. Involves some walking on mostly flat terrain with minimal elevation changes.
Cancellation Policy
Nothing to pay now. Your quote includes the cancellation terms before you pay anything.
Pace
a long day with about 6–7 hours of driving in total, broken by stops roughly every hour.
What to bring
a warm layer (Gergeti is often about 10 °C cooler than Tbilisi), sturdy shoes, sunglasses and cash for lunch.
Walking
very little unless you choose it. Gveleti is 30–40 minutes each way on a rocky path; hiking up to Gergeti from town takes 1–1.5 hours.
Dress code
shoulders and knees covered at Ananuri and Gergeti; women cover their hair (wraps are usually available at the door).
Heads-up
in winter the Jvari Pass can close at short notice after snow. We check the road the evening before and suggest another trip if needed.
Categories:
Day trip from Tbilisi
Mountains

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