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Two Faces of the Caucasus

Georgia

1190 

We set out to Georgia to traverse both lowland Kakheti and high mountain parts of the Caucasus on horseback. We will spend a week in a saddle visiting the Pankisi Gorge and its mountainous surrounding, ride the lowlands at the foothills of the Caucasus and cross the famous Abano Pass to reach wild, high mountain region of Tusheti. This ride is also an expedition through Georgia’s ethnic heritage: we will be hosted by both the Kists – Georgian Chechens, as well as the Tushetians – the highlanders of Tusheti. We will start in the Pankisi Gorge and venture out to the higher part of the mountains to look at the Caucasus from the borderland between Pankisi and Tusheti. Then we’ll return to the lowlands and head into the mountains again. Following the famous road to Tusheti we’ll cross the spectacular Abano Pass and reach Omalo, where we will ride out once again to marvel at the Greater Caucasus from a different perspective.

  • Days overall
    10 days
    Days in saddle
    7
  • Group size
    10
    Available
  • Standard
    highlanders' hospitality: under roofs and camping
    Luggage
    no limit kg
    Food
    local cuisine, vegetarian available although limited
  • Skills
    walk, trot, canter, good physical condition

We embark on an unusual journey to view the Caucasus from different perspectives. We will pass through several regions of Georgian Kakheti, both mountainous and lowland – at the foot of the Caucasus. We will start the trip in the Pankisi Gorge, an area at the foot of the Caucasus inhabited by the Kists – Georgian Chechens. The Kists moved here in the early 19th century and, along with their Georgian citizenships, adopted local names and settled for good in their new homeland. They are Muslims who practice Sufism, with additional animistic beliefs typical of the region. At present, their overall population is estimated at about 15,000 people, of whom about 8,000 live in Pankisi.

After warm-up rides around the villages of Jokolo and Duisi we will ride to the outskirts of Pankisi. We will reach Qochadala, a valley surrounded by mountains and belonging to the Kists of Jokolo. Until a few years ago a simple base was located at that spot. Shepherds grazed their animals and from there they led thir flocks to pastures located high in the mountains. Today the shepherding spot is abandoned and became our base for exploring the area. We will stay in Qochadala for two nights, camping in tents, setting off for a day of riding in the area to make a loop around and look at the Caucasus from this side.

The next day we will return to Jokolo, where – after two days of camping – we will enjoy the charms of civilization, with hot shower on top of the list. In the late afternoon we’ll saddle up and ride out of Pankisi. After an evening ride we will arrive in the village of Alvani, the lowland home of the highlanders of Tusheti, where we’ll stay overnight.

During the next two days we will ride the famous road to Tusheti, through the spectacular Abano Pass located at 2,826 meters above sea, to reach the village of Omalo. The first day is quite long, as we have to reach the top of the pass and cross it to the national park rangers’ post, where we set up camp. It’s a big chunk of the road – a bit over 50 kilometers to ride. The second day’s ride is shorter and in the afternoon we will reach Upper Omalo, our main base in Tusheti. There we will be welcomed by Tusheti highlanders, our great, long-time friends.

The last day of the tour is a ride in Tusheti. Depending on the condition of the group after the previous days 🙂 we will choose a longer or shorter trail that day. We have plenty of options, each offering an extraordinary day in the saddle and spectacular views of the High Caucasus.

The composition of the group’s guides and hosts during this tour is quite unusual. From beginning to end, the group is cared for and guided on horseback by the Kists of Pankisi, and from the moment we leave the Pankisi Gorge until the end of our horseback adventure you will be additionally assisted by highlanders from Tusheti. During the tour we will be hosted by both the Kists and the Tushetians in ther guesthouses and homes. We camp for three nights, two in Pankisi and one on or just past the Abano Pass.

This tour is quite a ride, requiring good riding skills and decent physical condition. The weather will vary, ranging from very hot temperatures in the lowlands to chilly ones in high mountain parts. Thunderstorms and heavy rain might also occur in the mountains, in severe cases requiring riders to dismount and lead their horses in challenging mountain conditions, heavy rain, strong wind and cold.

What is included in this tour?Items that are included in the cost of tour price.
  • 2 nights at a hotel in Tbilisi
  • 4 nights at guesthouses in Jokolo, Alvani and Omalo
  • 3 nights tenting: 2 in Pankisi and 1 on Abano Pass
  • Breakfasts in Tbilisi
  • All meals in Pankisi and Tusheti (breakfast, lunch “to go” during the stopover, dinner)
  • All food supplies for camping nights from which the group prepares meals together
  • Transfers to and from Tbilisi airport (on first and last days of the tour)
  • Transport from Tbilisi to Pankisi and from Tusheti to Tbilisi
  • Horsemen and guides during the entire ride in Tusheti
  • English-speaking pilot/guide during the entire tour
  • Horse with full tack and equipment
  • Pack horses
  • Luggage/assisting car from Alvani to Omalo
  • Tourist insurance covering high-risk sports
What is not included in this tour?Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.
  • Flight tickets to and from Georgia
  • In Tbilisi: two dinners – on the first and last nights
  • Minor personal expenses (souvenirs, additional snacks, admission tickets, etc.)
  • Optional: single room supplement (where available)
  1. Day 1 Welcome to Georgia

    Riders arrive in Georgia. Landing in Tbilisi is the best choice, but you can also fly to Kutaisi and then take a bus to Tbilisi. Once there it’s worth taking a walk in the center. A welcome dinner at a restaurant is planned in the evening. We will stay in a family-run hotel for the night.

  2. Day 2 Reconnaissance in Pankisi

    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.

  3. Day 3 Waterfall and shepherds' base

    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.

  4. Day 4 Shepherd's Loop

    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.

  5. Day 5 Evening in the lowlands

    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.

  6. Day 6 Abano Pass

    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.

  7. Day 7 Omalo

    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.

  8. Day 8 Panorama of Tusheti

    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.

  9. Day 9 Back to Tbilisi

    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.

  10. Day 10 Farewell to Georgia

    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.

The guide might modify the route according to weather conditions and group's riding skills
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In Tbilisi we spend two night in a hotel of European standard. In Pankisi our main base is a guesthouse in the village of Jokolo. There we have access to a regular bathroom, showers and electricity. In Jokolo and Alvani we don’t need sleeping bags or sleeping mats, we stay under a roofs, in beds, with clean bedding. During the two days at the former shepherd base and during the Abano Pass crossing, we spend the night in tents and sleeping bags, prepare meals together and take care of our horses. During these three days we have no access to a bathroom: two of them are spent in the almost deserted mountains, and one is spent at or just after crossing the pass. There, the source of water for cooking and washing ourselves will be mountain streams. In Tusheti we spend the night again under a roof, in beds, with access to bathrooms and electricity.

In Tbilisi we eat breakfasts at the hotel (on the second and penultimate day). The other two meals in Tbilisi, i.e. dinner on the first and penultimate day, is to be purchased on our own (two dinners together with a bill to share). In Jokolo, Alvani and Omalo all meals are provided – breakfast and dinner in gueshouses, lunches to-go are taken packed and eaten on breaks. During the three days of camping we prepare our meals on campfires and portable burners together, from supplies carried by our pack horses.

Meals in Pankisi and Tusheti are traditional dishes, typical of Georgian cuisine: mainly beef and mutton, vegetables and local cheese in different forms. Drinks include – in addition to crystal clear water – herbal teas, wine and chacha. In Tbilisi restaurants serving dishes from around the world are available, athough we choose those serving typical Georgian dishes.

Equipment

We use typical Caucasian saddles. They are quite different from the English and Western-style saddles and very comfortable for both horses and riders, especially for high mountain riding. Steel saddle bows are set on wooden benches. This construction is covered with a moderately soft “pillow” made of leather. The pillow is kept in its place by a strap, usually made of leather, which serves as a girth part at the same time. Tail docks are common.

Stirrup leathers in Georgia are relatively short – Georgians practice a distinctive seat: legs in the front, knees high. Stirrups are quite simple and wide, allowing trekking shoes to fit inside well. Bridles are also simple, made the usual way. We use bits.

Caucasian / Georgian moutain saddles often raise interest, as they are different than classical-English or Western-style ones. Fairly unknown in the West these saddles are very comfortable for long and steep rides. Pommels and cantles are quite high to stabilize riders in mountainous terrain and the pillow seat absorbs bumps very well. This non-standard construction is also quite practical when it comes to attaching larger quantities of luggage.

Riding helmets are available on the spot upon earlier request.

What should you take with you

The tour route takes us through both inhabited areas, where we spend nights in comfortable guesthouses, as well as lead to wild, secluded places where we spend nights tenting. During the stay in the old shepherding base we are not assisted by a car, so all the things we need for two days should be packed in a waterproof backpack / drybag that can be strapped to the saddle. In the second part of the tour, when crossing the Abano Pass to Tusheti for two days, all luggage will be transported by car.
You should take a sleeping bag with you, tents and sleeping mats are provided on site.
Before the tour, one month in advance, we will send out a detailed info email with list of things to pack, along with our recommendations and comments.

Basic list:

  • passport
  • cash, USD or EUR recommended
  • electronic devices, e.g. camera, powerbank
  • a canteen or other water containers (it might be an empty plastic bottle)
  • a handy, small backpack or waist/hip bag (for documents, phone, small personal items, etc.)
  • waterproof bag(s) for the camping/tenting days (sailing or kayak type ones are great)
  • flashlight; head flashlights are quite handy
  • sunscreen
  • personal riding clothes and gear
  • trekking shoes, waterproof ones advised
  • raincoat / waterproof jacket
  • flip-flops for showering
  • sleeping bag
Date Trip Status Price Spots  
23 July 2025 - 1 August 2025
Available, English-speaking guide/pilot
1190 
10
3 September 2025 - 12 September 2025
Available, English-speaking guide/pilot
1190 
10