Escape Georgia’s tourist trails to discover a landscape most visitors never see—a vast semi-desert wilderness of eroded badlands, dramatic canyons, and windswept plateaus where eagles soar and rare wildlife roams. This is Vashlovani, Georgia’s most remote and least-visited national park, a UNESCO World Heritage candidate that feels like stepping onto another planet.

While most Georgia tours focus on green mountains and lush wine valleys, this journey takes you to Georgia’s wild eastern frontier—the Kiziki region where dramatic geology creates otherworldly landscapes, where a spectacular medieval fortress stands sentinel on an impossibly steep rock pinnacle, and where nature photographers discover Georgia’s best-kept secret.

Then, having explored wilderness few travelers reach, you’ll transition to civilization’s gentler pleasures: the sacred Bodbe Monastery and romantic Sighnaghi, creating a perfect balance between raw nature and refined culture.

Perfect for: Nature photographers, birdwatchers, wildlife enthusiasts, geology lovers, adventurers seeking off-beaten-path experiences, and travelers who want to see a Georgia beyond the standard itinerary.

Tour Highlights

✓ Vashlovani Protected Areas – Georgia’s only semi-desert badlands ecosystem
✓ Eagle Canyon – Dramatic gorge with soaring raptors and panoramic vistas
✓ Khornabuji Fortress – Spectacular 5th-century citadel on a sheer rock pinnacle
✓ Rare Wildlife Habitat – Home to Caucasian leopard, bezoar goat, and diverse birdlife
✓ Kiziki Region – Remote eastern frontier with unique landscapes
✓ Bodbe Monastery – Sacred pilgrimage site with St. Nino’s tomb
✓ Sighnaghi – Town of Love – Romantic hilltop town with Caucasus views
✓ Optional Wine Tasting – At a boutique Kakhetian winery

Vashlovani: Georgia’s Badlands

A Different Georgia

When most people imagine Georgia, they picture green mountains, lush valleys, and vine-covered hillsides. Vashlovani shatters that expectation.

Located in Georgia’s far southeastern corner bordering Azerbaijan, Vashlovani Protected Areas encompass a unique semi-desert ecosystem utterly unlike anywhere else in the country. Here, rainfall is scarce, temperatures are extreme, and the landscape is shaped by millions of years of erosion into dramatic badlands, canyons, and plateaus.

The Geology:

Vashlovani’s distinctive landscape formed from soft sedimentary rocks—mudstones, sandstones, and clays—deposited when this region lay beneath ancient seas. Over millions of years, rare but intense rainfall carved these soft rocks into intricate patterns: knife-edge ridges, steep-walled canyons, eroded pillars, and labyrinthine gullies.

The result is a badlands landscape reminiscent of the American Southwest or Middle Eastern deserts—but this is the Caucasus, making it all the more unexpected and dramatic.

The Ecosystem:

Despite harsh conditions, Vashlovani supports remarkable biodiversity:

Mammals:

• Caucasian Leopard – Critically endangered (fewer than 10 in Georgia), occasionally detected by camera traps
• Bezoar Goat – Wild goats navigating impossible cliffs
• Wild Boar – Thriving in canyon bottoms
• Jackal – Often heard at dusk
• Caucasian Lynx – Rare and elusive

Birds (The Real Stars): Vashlovani is a birdwatcher’s paradise with over 150 species:

• Egyptian Vulture – Large raptors soaring on thermals
• Griffon Vulture – Massive wingspan, nesting on cliffs
• Golden Eagle – The canyon’s namesake
• Steppe Eagle – Migrating through in spring and autumn
• Long-legged Buzzard – Frequently seen
• Various falcons, kestrels, and hawks
• See-see Partridge – Desert ground birds
• European Roller – Brilliantly colored migrants

Reptiles: The semi-desert supports numerous snake and lizard species adapted to heat and aridity.

Flora: Spring (April-May) transforms the badlands with wildflowers—poppies, irises, tulips, and dozens of species creating temporary carpets of color before summer heat returns.

UNESCO World Heritage Candidate:

Vashlovani is on Georgia’s tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status due to its unique ecosystem, rare species, and geological significance. It represents the westernmost extent of Central Asian semi-desert habitats in the Caucasus.

Why Most Attractions Are Distant

Important Context:

Vashlovani National Park’s core wilderness areas—the deepest canyons, primary wildlife zones, and most dramatic landscapes—lie deep in the protected area, accessible only by serious 4×4 vehicles on rough tracks, requiring permits, accompanied rangers, and full-day wilderness expeditions.

This tour visits the accessible highlights near the park edges:

• Eagle Canyon – Dramatic and accessible
• Panoramic viewpoints – Showcasing the badlands
• Khornabuji Fortress – Historic site near park boundaries

For deeper wilderness access (multi-day camping expeditions into the park interior), contact us about specialized wildlife/photography tours with park rangers.

This day tour balances Vashlovani’s unique landscapes with practical accessibility and combines nature with culture (Bodbe, Sighnaghi), offering a taste of Georgia’s wild east without requiring multi-day camping.

Your Wilderness & Culture Journey

08:00 AM – Departure from Tbilisi: Eastward to the Frontier

Your adventure begins early—Vashlovani is remote, requiring a long drive east through Kakheti to Georgia’s edge.

The journey itself is part of the experience, watching landscapes transform: from Tbilisi’s urban environment to the Kakheti wine region’s lush valleys, then gradually to drier, more open country as you approach the Azerbaijani border and the Iori River valley.

This is Georgia’s least-populated region—vast horizons, scattered villages, a sense of frontier remoteness. Your guide will provide context about the Kiziki region (the historical name for this area), its strategic importance in guarding Georgia’s eastern approaches, and how geography shaped history here.

Drive time to Dedoplistskaro: Approximately 3 hours

10:00 AM – Dedoplistskaro: Gateway to Vashlovani

Arrive at Dedoplistskaro, the small town that serves as a gateway to Vashlovani National Park. The park’s visitor center is located here, though we typically don’t stop unless you want specific information or permits for future visits.

Dedoplistskaro itself reflects the frontier character—a modest town serving a sparsely populated agricultural region, with visible Azerbaijani cultural influence (significant Azeri population) and an end-of-the-road atmosphere.

The landscape has already changed dramatically from lush Kakheti—drier, more open, with visible badlands formations on horizon.

10:30 AM – Eagle Canyon: Into the Badlands

Drive from town toward Eagle Canyon, and the landscape becomes increasingly dramatic. Soft sedimentary rocks erode into fantastic shapes—ridges, gullies, pillars. Colors shift from greens to tans, yellows, grays, and ochres. You’re entering the badlands.

Eagle Canyon ( Არწივის კანიონი):

A dramatic gorge carved by erosion through soft rocks, Eagle Canyon offers the most accessible and spectacular viewpoint into Vashlovani’s wilderness character.

What You’ll Experience:

The Canyon View:
Walk to the canyon rim and a vast erosional landscape spreads before you—steep-walled gullies cutting through layered sediments, knife-edge ridges extending to horizons, the Alazani Valley visible in the distance, and beyond (on clear days) the Greater Caucasus mountains forming a distant barrier.

The scale is immense. The geology is raw and exposed. The colors shift with light—early morning gilding the rocks gold, midday bleaching them pale, afternoon creating dramatic shadows in every gully.

The Eagles:

This is genuinely prime raptor habitat. The canyon’s name is earned—golden eagles, steppe eagles, vultures, buzzards, and various other raptors use the thermals rising from the sun-heated canyon walls to soar effortlessly for hours.

Bring binoculars. Watch the sky. You’ll likely see multiple raptor species circling at various heights, occasionally diving toward prey or simply riding the air currents in what looks like pure joy.

For birdwatchers, this is exceptional. The diversity of raptors, the ease of observation (they’re often at or above eye level when you’re on the canyon rim), and the dramatic setting make this one of Georgia’s premier birding locations.

Seasonal Variations:

Spring (April-May):
THE BEST SEASON. Wildflowers carpet the badlands in improbable colors—red poppies, yellow and purple irises, wild tulips, dozens of species transforming the semi-desert into a temporary garden. Migrating birds pass through. Temperatures are perfect (18-25°C). This is when Vashlovani is most magical.

Summer (June-August):
Very hot (30-40°C). The landscape is baked and golden. Fewer flowers but dramatic heat-shimmer effects. Early morning visits essential. Resident birds and reptiles are active. The harshness emphasizes the landscape’s desert character.

Autumn (September-October):
Migrating raptors pass through (peak migration). Temperatures moderate (20-28°C). The landscape is dry but comfortable for hiking. Good photography light.

Winter (November-March):
Cold (5-15°C), sometimes with frost or rare snow. The badlands take on stark, monochrome beauty. Fewer birds but resident species remain. Exceptionally clear air for long-distance views.

Photography:

Eagle Canyon is a photographer’s dream:

• Dramatic geological formations
• Eagles and vultures soaring against canyon backdrops
• Wildflowers in spring against eroded landscapes
• Layered sedimentary rocks in shifting light
• Vast horizons and big skies
• Unique Georgia landscape rarely photographed

Bring a telephoto lens for birds, a wide-angle lens for landscapes, and plenty of memory cards.

Time at Eagle Canyon: 40-60 minutes

11:30 PM – Khornabuji Fortress: Medieval Sentinel on Impossible Rock

From Eagle Canyon, drive through more badlands and agricultural lands to one of Georgia’s most spectacularly situated fortresses: Khornabuji.

First Sight:

As you approach, Khornabuji appears almost impossibly dramatic—a medieval fortress crowning a sheer, isolated rock pinnacle rising abruptly from surrounding plains. The rock is a volcanic plug (an ancient lava conduit), resistant to erosion, while softer rocks around it wore away, leaving this spectacular monolith.

The fortress walls follow the rock’s irregular summit, creating a silhouette that’s been photographed countless times yet still surprises in person.

Historical Significance:

Dating & Construction:
Khornabuji dates to approximately the 5th century (some sources suggest 4th-6th centuries), making it one of Georgia’s oldest fortifications. The name translates roughly to “Horn Castle,” referring either to the rock’s shape or to signal horns used for communication.

Strategic Position:
The fortress controlled a crucial route through the Iori River valley, serving as an early warning outpost and defensive stronghold guarding eastern Kakheti from Persian, Arab, and later Turkic invasions from the south and east.

Its position is brilliantly chosen—visible for miles, naturally fortified by sheer cliffs on all sides, with commanding views allowing sentinels to spot approaching threats from enormous distances.

History of Conflict:
Over centuries, Khornabuji witnessed numerous sieges and battles. Its remote position and difficult access meant it often served as a last-resort refuge when invaders overran the surrounding countryside.

The fortress was active through the medieval period but gradually abandoned as warfare changed and artillery made such positions less defensible. By the 18th century, it was largely ruined.

What Remains:

• Defensive Walls – Sections of fortress walls follow the rock’s precipitous edges
• Gateway Ruins – The remains of the entrance fortifications
• Cisterns – Water storage carved into the rock (essential for withstanding sieges)
• Church Ruins – A small chapel served the garrison
• Dramatic Setting – The rock pinnacle itself is the main attraction

Visiting the Fortress:

Access:
Khornabuji is difficult to access. The rock is extremely steep, with only a narrow, partially ruined pathway climbing to the summit. The “trail” is really a scramble over loose rocks, exposed sections, and crumbling stone steps.

Important: This is not a casual climb. It requires:

• Good physical fitness
• Sure footing and no fear of heights
• Proper footwear (hiking boots essential)
• Caution and common sense
• Dry conditions (dangerous when wet)

Most visitors view Khornabuji from below, walking around the base and photographing the dramatic pinnacle and fortress silhouette. This provides excellent views and photo opportunities without the risky climb.

For Adventurous Visitors:
If you’re fit, properly equipped, and comfortable with exposure, the climb is possible (though not officially maintained or encouraged). The summit views are extraordinary—360-degree panoramas across the badlands, valleys, and distant mountains.

Your guide will assess conditions and your comfort level. Safety always takes priority—viewing from below is completely worthwhile.

The Setting:

What makes Khornabuji exceptional is the landscape setting:

• The dramatic rock pinnacle rising from flat plains
• Surrounding badlands and eroded formations
• Agricultural fields provide a color contrast
• Big skies and often dramatic clouds
• The sense of isolation and historical weight

Standing at the base, looking up at walls built 1,500+ years ago on this impossible rock, the determination and engineering skill of medieval Georgians becomes visceral.

Photography:

Khornabuji is one of Georgia’s most photogenic fortresses:

• Multiple angles as you circle the base
• Dramatic silhouettes against sky
• Foreground of wildflowers (spring) or golden fields (summer/autumn)
• Different times of day create different moods
• The scale—tiny humans, massive rock, fortress crowning it

Time at Khornabuji: 45-60 minutes

01:30 PM – Bodbe Monastery: Sacred Sanctuary

Arrive at Bodbe Monastery, one of Georgia’s holiest sites (covered in detail in our other Kakheti tours, but essential context provided here).

St. Nino of Cappadocia:

In the 4th century, St. Nino—a young woman from Cappadocia (modern Turkey)—traveled to Georgia on a divine mission to convert the kingdom to Christianity. Through faith, miracles, and determination, she converted King Mirian III and Queen Nana in 337 AD, making Georgia one of the world’s first Christian nations.

After her missionary work, St. Nino retired to Bodbe, where she lived in prayer and contemplation until her death. King Mirian built a church over her tomb in the 4th century.

The Monastery:

The current monastery dates to the 9th century and functions as an active convent with resident nuns maintaining spiritual traditions.

What You’ll Experience:

• The Main Church – Housing St. Nino’s tomb beneath the altar, this is a major pilgrimage site
• Peaceful Monastery Grounds – Beautifully maintained gardens
• The Sacred Spring (Optional) – A steep descent (200+ steps) leads to a spring that tradition says appeared miraculously where St. Nino prayed, with healing properties attributed to its waters

Spiritual Atmosphere:

After the wild, harsh beauty of Vashlovani’s badlands and Khornabuji’s military might, Bodbe offers a different energy—contemplative, peaceful, spiritual. The working convent maintains genuine religious practice, not performance for tourists.

Time at Bodbe: 30-40 minutes

02:00 PM – Sighnaghi: The Town of Love

As evening light gilds the landscape, arrive at Sighnaghi (also spelled Signagi), Georgia’s most romantic town, perched on a hilltop with panoramic views of the Alazani Valley and Caucasus mountains.

The Town of Love:

Sighnaghi earned its romantic nickname through a uniquely Georgian innovation: it operates a 24-hour wedding registry. Couples can arrive at any time—midnight, 3 AM, Sunday morning—and get married immediately with just passports and witnesses.

This policy attracted eloping couples and spontaneous romantics, gradually creating the town’s reputation as Georgia’s most romantic destination. Combined with picture-perfect architecture, stunning views, and intimate scale, the “town of love” nickname stuck.

The Town:

Founded in the 18th century by King Heraclius II as a fortified settlement, Sighnaghi retains remarkably intact defensive walls (4 km long with 23 towers) and beautifully preserved traditional architecture.

What You’ll Experience:

Defensive Walls & Views:
Walk sections of the 18th-century fortifications for spectacular panoramic views—the Alazani Valley spreading below like a green carpet of vineyards and orchards, the Greater Caucasus mountains rising as a distant wall, villages dotting the landscape. On clear days, you can see across the border into Azerbaijan.

Charming Architecture:
Pastel-colored houses (pinks, yellows, blues, creams) with distinctive wooden balconies overhang narrow cobblestone streets. The style is uniquely Kakhetian with Italian influences. Every corner seems designed for photographs.

Wine Shops & Cafés:
Sighnaghi has become a center for artisanal winemakers and artists. Small wine shops offer tastings, cafés provide terraces with mountain views, galleries showcase contemporary Georgian art.

Optional Wine Tasting:

For wine enthusiasts, we can arrange a visit to a boutique winery such as:

Pheasant’s Tears (or similar natural wine producers):
An American-Georgian collaboration that helped pioneer the revival of traditional qvevri winemaking and natural wine production in Kakheti. Pheasant’s Tears produces acclaimed wines using indigenous grapes and ancient methods, gaining international recognition and influencing a generation of Georgian natural winemakers.

Typical Tasting:

• 4-5 wines (amber/orange, whites, reds)
• Explanation of the qvevri method
• Indigenous grape varieties
• Natural winemaking philosophy
• Pairing with local snacks

Cost: $15-20 per person (paid directly or pre-arranged)
Duration: 45-60 minutes

Free Time:

You’ll have 60-75 minutes to explore independently:

• Walk the fortress walls for sunset views (if timing aligns)
• Browse wine shops and galleries
• Enjoy coffee or wine at terrace cafés
• Wander the photogenic streets
• Shop for souvenirs
• Simply absorb the romantic atmosphere

Time in Sighnaghi: 80-90 minutes

04:30 PM – Return to Tbilisi

As twilight settles over Kakheti, begin the westward journey back to Tbilisi (approximately 2 hours).

You’ll be returning from one of Georgia’s most distinctive days—from wild badlands and medieval fortresses to sacred monasteries and romantic towns, from soaring eagles to contemplative sanctuaries.

Arrival in Tbilisi: Approximately 6:00-6:30 PM

What Makes This Journey Exceptional

Georgia’s Hidden Face
While most tours showcase Georgia’s lush, green mountain beauty, this journey reveals the country’s wild, arid eastern frontier—a landscape few visitors see and fewer expect. Vashlovani offers a completely different Georgia.

Rare Wildlife & Wilderness
This is one of the few tours focusing on Georgia’s natural biodiversity and protected wilderness areas. For nature enthusiasts, photographers, and birdwatchers, this represents access to ecosystems and species rarely encountered on standard tours.

Dramatic Geology
The badlands, Eagle Canyon, and Khornabuji’s volcanic plug showcase dramatic geological processes—erosion, volcanism, sedimentation—creating landscapes that look otherworldly.

Off-Beaten-Path Adventure
This is not a crowded tourist route. You’ll see few other visitors, experience genuine remoteness, and discover places your friends back home have never heard of.

Photography Paradise
From soaring eagles to eroded badlands, from impossible fortress pinnacles to romantic hilltop towns, this tour offers photography opportunities dramatically different from typical Georgia images.

Balance of Nature & Culture
The combination of wild Vashlovani with sacred Bodbe and romantic Sighnaghi creates a perfect balance—raw nature and refined culture, wilderness and civilization, adventure and relaxation.

Expert Naturalist Guiding
Our guides for this tour include specialists with backgrounds in biology, ornithology, or ecology who can identify birds, explain ecosystems, and share insights into Georgia’s natural heritage beyond standard historical narratives.

Important Notes About Vashlovani Protected Areas

Conservation & Responsible Tourism:

Vashlovani is a protected area with fragile ecosystems. We practice responsible tourism:

• Stay on designated trails – Don’t damage vegetation or disturb wildlife
• No littering – Pack out all trash
• No collecting – Leave rocks, plants, and artifacts in place
• Respect wildlife – Observe from distance, don’t approach or feed animals
• Quiet observation – Noise disturbs both wildlife and other visitors
• Support conservation – Entrance fees fund park protection

UNESCO World Heritage Candidate:

Georgia has nominated Vashlovani for UNESCO World Heritage status. Your visit supports the case for protection by demonstrating the site’s value for sustainable tourism and education.

Climate Change & Seasonal Variability:

Like many arid ecosystems, Vashlovani is sensitive to climate shifts. Wildflower displays, water availability, and wildlife patterns vary year to year based on rainfall and temperature. We can’t guarantee conditions identical to photos from previous seasons.

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Why Visit Remote Vashlovani?

The Honest Answer:

This tour requires early waking, long drives, remote facilities, and investment of time/money. Why do it?

Because this is the Georgia almost no one sees. While thousands visit wine regions and mountain churches, fewer than 5% of Georgia’s tourists reach Vashlovani. You’ll have dramatic badlands, soaring eagles, and an impossible medieval fortress almost to yourself.

Because this landscape is genuinely unique. There’s nowhere else in the Caucasus—possibly nowhere else in Europe—quite like Vashlovani’s badlands. It’s a one-of-a-kind ecosystem.

Because nature and wilderness matter. If you’re someone who seeks wild places, who appreciates biodiversity, who finds beauty in raw geology and untrammeled landscapes, Vashlovani rewards that sensibility.

Because the journey reveals Georgia’s diversity. Seeing both lush wine valleys and arid badlands, medieval fortresses and living monasteries, wilderness and romantic towns—you’ll understand Georgia’s geographic and cultural complexity in ways standard tours can’t provide.

This tour isn’t for everyone. It’s for curious, adventurous travelers who value unique experiences over comfort, who appreciate nature as much as culture, and who want to explore beyond the guidebook highlights.

If that’s you, Vashlovani will be one of your Georgia highlights.