Two Faces of the Caucasus

Immediately after breakfast car will arrive to take the group to the Pankisi Gorge. The drive takes about 3 hours. Upon reaching the village of Jokolo we will check into a local guest house and have lunch. Next we’ll meet our horses, saddle up and ride out for 3-4 hours. We will ride to Duisi, along the way encountering both a 16th century tower and memorabilia from just after World War II. In the early evening we will return to Jokolo, unsaddle the horses and have a dinner together at our hosts’ home.

After breakfast we hop in our saddles and leave Jokolo. We head to Khadori Gorge, where an almost 80-meter waterfall crashes down spectacularly. There we will have a short break and then continue on our way. We will delve into the forest, cross mountain streams and leave civilization behind. Along the way we will stop for a lunch break, and in the late afternoon we will reach Qochadala, a picturesque valley surrounded by mountains, belonging to the Kists of Jokolo village. The entire journey this day will take 6 to 7 hours. In the valley we will tend to our horses, set up camp for this and the next night, and then prepare dinner together around a campfire. We spend the night in tents.

After breakfast we will saddle our horses and head uphill on horseback to look around and enjoy the panorama of the Caucasus Mountains. We will ride along old shepherd’s paths towards Small Lamazuri, a 2,500 meters-high mountain. The trail climbs and winds to circle the mountain-obscured valley. Along the way we’ll stop to rest our horses and have lunch, before heading back to our base camp. Depending on the route taken and weather conditions there may be parts of the trail where we will dismount and lead our horses. In the late afternoon we will return to the valley where we will prepare dinner together and sit by the campfire. We will spend the night in tents.

After breakfast we will pack up the camp, saddle the horses and head back to Jokolo. It will take 3 to 4 hours to reach our guest house. Once there, after two days of camping, everyone will be eager to take a shower. After lunch we will have some time to relax in the garden before saddling our horses again. We have an evening ride ahead of us, leading from Jokolo, through the surrounding fields, a small forest and several villages. Towards evening, after a charming ride that will take us about 3-4 hours in the saddle, we will arrive at Kvemo Alvani. There we’ll take the horses to a pasture, have dinner and stay for the night at a local guest house.

After breakfast we will prepare our luggage for transport by car, saddle the horses and leave Alvani. We have a long day in the saddle ahead of us, some 50 kilometers to ride, largely up. First we will head towards the village of Pshaveli, then cross the river and enter the famous road to Tusheti. From this point on the trail will slowly start to ascend until it turns into a mountainous, winding dirt road, surrounded by rocks, forest and cut by a river. Halfway up the trail we will stop for lunch. After resting a bit we will set off on an increasingly ascending road, passing 4×4 vehicles and trucks going up or down along the way. On the way it can get considerably cooler, and a few kilometers before the pass we have a good chance to drive into…. a cloud. The views from the road will become more and more spectacular and stunning, until we reach the top of the pass, located at an altitude of 2826 meters, with a view stretching on both sides – towards the lowlands and towards the majestic Caucasus. Welcome to Tusheti! We camp on the top of the pass or ride down about 5 kilometers, to the other side of the pass, to the Tusheti National Park rangers’ post is located. We will spend the night in tents, all our luggage and necessary items will be delivered by car.

In the morning, after an unhurried breakfast, we saddle the horses and set off for Omalo, the heart of Tusheti! We have about 30 kilometers ahead of us, this time – mostly – gently downhill. The entire route is stunning, with beautiful views to the mountains, nature and the unusual road itself, winding its way up to our today’s destination. In the early afternoon the first buildings of Lower Omalo will emerge from between the mountains. An hour later we will reach Upper Omalo where, in the shadow of a stone fortress, sits the guest house of our warm-hearted friends. Welcome to our base of operations in Tusheti! There we will release our horses to open pastures and settle in a comfy guesthouse for the next two nights. In the evening a dinner served by our long-term friends awaits us.

After breakfast we will hop into the saddles for the last time. We will set off to see the Caucasus from a different perspective, marvel at the beauty of the Tushetian nature and the majestic mountains. We can choose from several places that are within our reach. Our guides will choose one depending on the weather forecast and…. the condition of the group after the previous 6 days in the saddle. 🙂 Regardless of the choice of route, it will be beautiful and spectacular, as Tusheti is a nature’s gem. In the late afternoon we will return to our base, pat our wonderful horses one last time and thank them for the journey together. In the evening we will hold the last feast on the trail.

After breakfast we’ll say goodbye to Tusheti and take seats in our 4×4 cars. We take the same road we came by in the saddles, but this time in car seats. Our drivers will take us all the way back to the lowlands and then to Tbilisi. The road is bumpy in a car, but offers a different perspective. Upon reaching the family hotel in Tbilisi we can rest a bit and refresh before we head out to our last dinner together in the city center.

On this day we say goodbye to Georgia. Riders departing from Tbilisi will be taken to the airport, and those departing from Kutaisi will board a bus and head to the airport.