Seventy-two kilometres of unsealed track climb from Pshaveli to Omalo, over the Abano Pass at 2,826 metres. It is the highest drivable pass in the Caucasus, it has no barrier on the drop side for most of its length, and it is open about four months a year. When it closes in October the families who winter in Tusheti are on their own until June.
That closure is why Tusheti still looks the way it does. The stone defence towers at Keselo and Dartlo were built against raiders coming over the ridge from the north, and they are still standing because nobody has ever had a reason — or the road — to build over them. You can walk into a village here and find towers, hay barns and a summer population of eleven.
A jeep is the way to see the range of it in three days. Riders and walkers go deeper into one valley; the 4×4 gets you across three. Chagma, where Omalo sits. Pirikiti, running north-east towards the Russian border, with Dartlo and Parsma and Girevi strung along it. Gometsari, greener and gentler, with Dochu on the slope above it. Dozens of villages, several fortresses, and the ethnographic museum in Lower Omalo that ties the whole thing together.
The walking totals about eight kilometres over three days, spread across villages, all of it optional. What the tour asks of you instead is tolerance for two long days in a vehicle on a road that demands respect — and a willingness to be out of phone signal for most of three days, which most people discover they enjoy.
What you’ll see
Tour highlights
- The Abano Pass at 2,826 m. The highest drivable pass in the Caucasus, crossed in both directions with a driver who does this road for a living. Seventy-two kilometres that take several hours and are worth every one of them.
- Three of Tusheti’s four valleys. Chagma, Pirikiti and Gometsari in three days — the range a vehicle buys you over a horse or a pair of boots.
- Dartlo. The best-preserved tower village in the region, still lived in through the summer, and the single image most people carry away from Tusheti.
- The Keselo towers above Upper Omalo. Thirteenth-century refuges built to be defended one man at a time, on the rock directly above where you sleep.
- Diklo and the Pichekhi fortress. A ridge village facing Dagestan, and the walls that watched that border. The mountains on the far side are Russia.
- Alaverdi Cathedral on the way. Eleventh century, around fifty metres to the dome, and the monks still make wine in qvevri in the cellars underneath.
- Kvavlo, Chesho, Parsma, Girevi. The far end of Pirikiti — some inhabited, some empty, the road itself an event.
- Two nights of guesthouse cooking in Upper Omalo. Mountain cheese, bread from the oven, and mutton khinkali that Georgians travel here for.
Step by step
Tour itinerary
Day 1 · Tbilisi – Alaverdi – Abano Pass – Omalo – Dochu
Driving 230 km · about 8 hours · walking 2 km · 280 m to 2,826 m · lunch and dinner · night in Upper Omalo
A 7:00 start out of Tbilisi and north-east into Kakheti. The first stop is Alaverdi: an eleventh-century cathedral about fifty metres to the top of the dome, which made it the tallest building in Georgia for the better part of a thousand years. It is a working monastery, and the monks make wine in qvevri buried in the same cellars their predecessors used.
Lunch in the lowlands, and then the tarmac ends. The seventy-two kilometres over the Abano Pass take most of the afternoon: switchbacks cut into the mountainside, streams running across the track, and a drop on one side that has no barrier and needs none if you are driving it properly. Our drivers have done this road for years. Passengers who are nervous should sit on the inside.
Upper Omalo by about three o’clock. After checking in and a rest, we drive out to Dochu in the Gometsari gorge — the “pearl of Gometsari”, and the local name is earned: old towers, traditional houses, and the whole valley laid out below. A short walk through the village, then back to Omalo for dinner at the guesthouse.
Day 2 · The Pirikiti valley — Dartlo, Kvavlo, Chesho, Parsma, Girevi
Driving 70 km · about 4 hours driving and 3 exploring · walking 4 km · 1,700–2,100 m · full board · night in Upper Omalo
The whole day in the Pirikiti valley, which runs north-east towards the Russian border and holds the finest tower architecture in Tusheti. Dartlo first: stone towers kept in repair, narrow lanes between them, and a handful of families back for the summer. It is the most photographed place in the region and it earns that without trying.
Then deeper — Dano, Kvavlo, Chesho, Parsma, and Girevi at the valley’s end. Some of these villages have people in them and some do not, and the difference is not always obvious from the road. The driving itself is part of it: fords, loose surfaces, and slopes that look impossible until you are on them.
Four kilometres of walking spread across the stops, which is enough time to get inside a tower, look properly at an abandoned house, and stand still for a while. If we meet shepherds at their summer camp, which we usually do, expect to be handed tea and cheese and to lose half an hour pleasantly.
Back in Upper Omalo by late afternoon for another guesthouse dinner.
Day 3 · Keselo – Lower Omalo – Shenako – Diklo – Pichekhi – Tbilisi
Driving 250 km · about 8 hours total · walking 2 km · 2,826 m down to 280 m · breakfast and lunch
The morning starts with the walk up to the Keselo towers on the rock above Upper Omalo. They were built in the thirteenth century as somewhere to survive a raid, and from the top the whole Omalo valley is in front of you. Down in Lower Omalo, the ethnographic museum is small and very good — clothing, tools, weapons, the ordinary equipment of mountain life — and it makes sense of everything you have looked at for two days.
From there into the Chagma valley’s border villages. Shenako first, with its nineteenth-century church and surviving frescoes, then Diklo on its ridge, and the walk out to the Pichekhi fortress. The mountains you are looking at from those walls are Dagestan. Standing there, the towers stop being picturesque and start making sense.
Then the long way down: the pass again, which is a different drive in this direction, out through the Kakheti lowlands with a stop for lunch, and into Tbilisi in the late afternoon or early evening.
Starting from
€580
per person
Locally operated since 2011
We reply within 24 hours
What your price covers
What’s included
Included
- Private 4×4 with an experienced mountain driver, from Tbilisi and back, including all fuel and vehicle costs
- English or Russian-speaking guide throughout
- Two nights’ accommodation in a guesthouse in Upper Omalo
- Meals as listed — lunch and dinner on Day 1, full board on Day 2, breakfast and lunch on Day 3
- All entrance fees, including the ethnographic museum in Lower Omalo
- First aid kit and mountain logistics arranged in advance
Not included
- Travel and medical insurance — check that it covers high-altitude mountain roads and helicopter evacuation, because Tusheti cannot be reached by road ambulance
- Flights and any accommodation in Tbilisi before or after the tour
- Alcoholic drinks
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Tips for the driver, guide and guesthouse family
- Anything not listed under “Includes”
Photographs
Gallery
Where you’ll go
Map & route
Practical details
Good to know before you go
The road, honestly
The seventy-two kilometres from Pshaveli to Omalo are unsealed, narrow in places, and unprotected above long drops. It has a reputation and the reputation is fair. It is also driven every day through the summer by people who have done it for years, in vehicles maintained for it, and that is who takes you. If heights genuinely frighten you, say so when you book — you can sit on the inside, and it is a few hours out of three days. If they terrify you, this is not your tour and we would rather tell you now.
When it runs
Roughly mid-June to mid-October, and the exact dates are decided by snow rather than a calendar. Outside that window the pass is closed and there is no other road into Tusheti. July and August are the most reliable; September is the most beautiful and slightly more of a gamble.
How hard is it?
Physically, barely. About eight kilometres of walking spread across three days, on village paths and easy slopes, and almost all of it optional. What tires people is the vehicle: eight hours on Day 1 and eight on Day 3, on roads that do not let you doze. Bring something to read for the lowland stretches and nothing for the mountain ones.
Which Tusheti tour should you take?
| Jeep · 3 days | Hiking · 4 days | Horseback · 4 days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you move | 4×4, short walks | On foot | On horseback |
| Ground covered | Three valleys | One or two | One or two |
| Fitness needed | Very little | Walking fitness | Stamina in the saddle |
| Best for | Seeing the range of it | Being in it on your own legs | Doing it the way locals did |
If you have three days and want to understand the region, take the jeep. If you have four and want to earn it, take one of the others.
Phone signal
Patchy in Omalo, absent in the Pirikiti and Gometsari gorges. Magti gives you the best chance. Tell whoever worries about you that you will be unreachable for three days; it saves a conversation afterwards.
Food, and one rule about it
Lamb, beef, cheese, bread, vegetables, and mutton khinkali that people drive here for. Pork is not eaten in Tusheti and is not brought into the region. This is a pre-Christian prohibition that has held for centuries and it is taken seriously — it is not a dietary preference. Vegetarian works with notice; vegan takes more planning and is possible. Tell us when you book so the guesthouse can shop before the road empties.
Where you sleep
A family guesthouse in Upper Omalo, both nights. Simple, clean rooms, shared bathrooms, hot water most of the time, and electricity that usually works. Bring a power bank. The food and the hospitality are the reason people remember the guesthouse rather than the plumbing.
What to bring
- Layers. Omalo sits around 2,000 m and the temperature swing between midday and dusk is large. A windproof outer layer is the one item nobody regrets.
- A rain shell. Mountain weather turns fast in both directions.
- Comfortable walking shoes with grip. Not hiking boots necessarily, but not smooth-soled trainers either.
- A power bank and spare camera batteries. Guesthouse electricity is real but not guaranteed, and there is nothing to charge from on the road.
- Cash in lari. No ATM in Tusheti, no card machines. Bring what you expect to spend on drinks, cheese and tips, and a bit more.
- Sun protection. At 2,000 m with no shade, stronger than you expect even on a cool day.
- Your own medication. The nearest pharmacy is over the pass.
Group size and children
Four to five passengers is the comfortable load for one vehicle; larger groups travel in two. Children are welcome and generally love it — a rough road and a village full of towers is a good day out at any age — though the two long driving days are the part to think about with small ones. Children travel at a reduced rate; ask us for the current figure and age range when you enquire.
From our travellers
Reviews
Before you book
Frequently asked questions
How dangerous is the road to Tusheti?
The Abano Pass road is unsealed, narrow in places and unprotected above long drops, and its reputation is earned. It is also driven daily through the season by drivers who have done it for years in vehicles maintained for it. Serious incidents involving experienced local drivers are rare. If mountain roads frighten you, this is not the right tour and we would rather say so now.
When is the road to Tusheti open?
Roughly mid-June to mid-October, decided by snow rather than by the calendar. Outside that window the pass is closed and there is no other road into the region.
What is the difference between the jeep tour and the hiking or horse riding tours?
Range against depth. The jeep covers three valleys and dozens of villages in three days and asks almost nothing of you physically. Hiking and horseback go further into one or two valleys and ask considerably more. If you want to understand Tusheti, take the jeep; if you want to be in it, take one of the others.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Yes, and children usually enjoy it more than anyone. There is no minimum age. The thing to weigh is the two eight-hour driving days at either end, which are long for small children.
How many people fit in one jeep?
Four to five passengers comfortably, which is also the best group size for this road. Larger groups travel in two vehicles.
Is there mobile phone coverage in Tusheti?
Very limited. You may get a signal in Omalo, where Magti works best, but there is none in the Pirikiti and Gometsari gorges. Expect to be offline for most of the tour.
Why is pork not eaten in Tusheti?
It is a pre-Christian prohibition that has survived in Tusheti for centuries, predating the region’s conversion. Pigs are considered unclean and pork is not brought into the region. Visitors are asked to respect it, and doing so costs nothing.
What is Dartlo?
A village in the Pirikiti valley with the best-preserved tower architecture in Tusheti, still inhabited by a few families through the summer. It is the place most people picture when they picture Tusheti, and it looks the way it does because the road that would have destroyed it was never built.
What are the Pichekhi Castles?
A fortress complex near Diklo that guarded Tusheti’s eastern border facing Dagestan. The mountains visible from its walls are in Russia, which explains the architecture better than any museum label could.
What happens if the pass closes while we are in Tusheti?
Rare in July and August, possible in June or late September. If the weather threatens the pass we leave early rather than gamble. Being stranded has not happened to our groups, and if it did we would make alternative arrangements at our cost.
Ready when you are
Tell us your dates and how many of you are travelling. We’ll come back within 24 hours with availability, a confirmed price, and your guide’s name.
