Kazbegi day trip from Tbilisi: Military Road with private guide

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/11

Duration11h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · DE +1

Mobile ticketAccepted

The monastery at Kazbek rises from the clouds above a river gorge.

A private guided day trip from Tbilisi to Kazbegi along Georgia's Military Road, with an English, German or Russian-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport and stops at Zhinvali reservoir, Ananuri fortress, the Arch of Friendship and a mineral spring. The tour ends at Gergeti Church, where you transfer to a jeep to climb to the monastery at the foot of Mount Kazbek. The 11-hour route covers 16th-century fortifications, river confluences and mountain landscapes; jeep transport to the monastery and meals are separate.

11h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Georgian Military Road highlights

Travel from Tbilisi to Zhinvali reservoir
Admire turquoise reservoir and learn history
Visit 16th-century Ananuri fortress
See confluence of White and Black Aragvi rivers
Enjoy views at Arch of Friendship
Discover unusual mineral spring
Drive to Stepantsminda village
Take jeep to Gergeti Church monastery

The Experience

If you've just landed in Tbilisi or have a free day before heading north, this route takes you from the city through the Aragvi River gorge to the foot of the Caucasus. The drive itself is the first attraction: the road runs alongside the turquoise Zhinvali reservoir, where you stop to see how the dam shapes the landscape and the water below. From there the route passes the 16th-century fortress of Ananuri, where the local rulers—the Aragwa eristavs—held power behind its walls, and continues to the confluence where the White and Black Aragvi rivers meet.

The Arch of Friendship marks the border between the lowlands and the mountains proper. Beyond it sits an unusual mineral spring that locals say resembles a golden river. By midday you reach the village of Stepantsminda at the base of Mount Kazbek, where the day shifts from driving to climbing. You transfer into a jeep for the ascent to Gergeti Church, the ancient monastery that appears in postcards and Pushkin's poems—standing on a hilltop with snow-capped peaks behind it. The jeep ride is not included in the tour price, and lunch is arranged separately, so you control what you spend on those parts of the day.

Your guide travels the whole route with you in the air-conditioned vehicle, speaking English, German or Russian depending on which language you choose at booking. The 11-hour day means an early start from Tbilisi and a return in the evening, so plan for a full commitment but no overnight travel.

What’s included

Private air-conditioned transport from Tbilisi.
a highly qualified guide in your choice of English, German or Russian.
stops at Zhinvali reservoir, Ananuri fortress, the Arch of Friendship and a mineral spring.
and transfer to the village of Stepantsminda at the base of Mount Kazbek.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by ushba travel

Is this one for you?This is a private tour, so the driver and guide work only for your group—no shared stops or waiting for other travelers. It suits anyone arriving in Tbilisi who wants to see the Military Road and Kazbegi in a single day without renting a car or navigating the route themselves; the 11-hour commitment means you need a full day free, but the fixed itinerary and included transport mean the day holds together without you building it.