8 Epic Day Trips From Kazbegi, Georgia – Day Hikes & More

The best way to spend a day (or a half-day) in Kazbegi is by hiking up to Gergeti Trinity Church. The church is so close to town, it almost doesn’t qualify as a day trip – but it does require leaving the centre and spending the better part of the day in nature, which is why I’m including it here.

There is a gentle path up to the church from Gergeti village (see directions and a map here) that takes around an hour to complete. Once you reach the crest of the hill, you’ll be treated to amazing views of Kazbegi town, the valleys, and Mount Kazbek. The church itself is small but very tranquil.

If you want to push yourself, you can continue walking from the church to Gergeti Glacier. This takes another 4-5 hours and the trail is more challenging. Walking back into town from the glacier via the church takes 3-4 hours total. See this guide for maps and full details.

How to get to the Gergeti Glacier trailhead from Kazbegi

The Gergeti trailhead is very easy to reach by foot – it’s a 25-minute walk from the bus station. If you’re staying on the eastern side of town, remember to factor in the extra time it takes to cross the river and climb the hill.

If you’ve come to Kazbegi specifically for this hike, then I suggest you choose a guesthouse in Gergeti village close to the trailhead. Red Stone Guesthouse is my top choice.

The Truso Valley is located south-west of Kazbegi, deep in the Greater Caucasus. The best way to explore this area is via the 22 km (mostly flat) hiking trail that leads through the Kasari Canyon to Zakagori Fortress. Along the way, you’ll see rivers, natural springs and mineral pools, abandoned villages, and monasteries.

The path is marked and easy to navigate. The trek runs close to the border zone with South Ossetia (AKA Tskhinvali/Samachablo) and there is a military checkpoint on the way, thus you must remember to carry your passport (hard copy) with you when visiting Truso. There is no danger in trekking here – it’s a popular route and you’ll surely encounter plenty of groups of tourists during the summer season.

How to get to Truso Valley & the trailhead from Kazbegi

There are two options for getting to the trailhead: Find a local taxi driver, or use the shuttle transfer service provided by Mountain Freaks.

In summertime (June-September) the Mountain Freaks bus departs Kazbegi at 9.15am (returning to Kazbegi at 4.30pm) and at 11.15am (returning to Kazbegi at 6.30pm). In Truso, the bus arrives and departs from Kvemo Okrokana village, close to the trailhead. Return tickets cost 45 GEL and can be reserved online through Viator.

Alternatively, a taxi to Kvemo Okrokana from Kazbegi should cost around 60-70 GEL one-way.

Stretching out into Kazbegi National Park to the south-east of Kazbegi, Juta Valley is another paradise for hikers. There are a couple of trails in this valley that you can follow. I recommend the classic hike to the waterfall and lake, which takes you through the Juta Valley in the shadow of the incredible Chaukhi Mountain – AKA the Georgian Dolomites.

If you choose to press on deeper into the valley and cross the Chaukhi Pass to the Abudelauri Lakes and Roshka in Khevsureti, then it is recommended to space the hike out over 2 days. Accommodation is available in Juta at Fifth Season Juta.

On the way into Juta, stop off in Sno, a tiny village famous for being the birthplace of the current Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II. Lesser-known are the ‘Sno Giant Stone Heads’, a set of sculptures scattered around the hills at the entrance to the village that depict different characters from the arts. Learn more about the Sno Giant Heads here.

An alternative hike, the Artkhmo trail starts from the bridge in Akhaltsikhe village and follows the gorge and river. It culminates in the abandoned village, where you can see some interesting architecture. Find directions and a map here.

How to get to Juta from Kazbegi

In summer (June-September) Mountain Freaks runs two shuttles to Juta at 9.15am (returning at 5.30pm) and at 11.15am (returning at 7.30pm). The transfer includes a quick stop in Sno for the sculptures.

The final 2.6 kilometres of the Juta road is closed due to damage and the risk of collapse. Mountain Freaks will drop you at this point, which means you have to walk a bit further to reach the trailhead (but don’t worry, there is still more than enough time to complete the route). See my detailed guide to the Juta Hike for more information.

Pre-book a transfer with Mountain Freaks here on Viator.

If you’re visiting Kazbegi in winter and want to try your hand at snowshoe hiking, the Sioni Valley is the perfect place. The terrain is gentle enough to be manageable for inexperienced snowshoers (like me!), yet hiking here is incredibly rewarding, with magic mountain scenery and interesting rock formations along the way.

Sioni is the next valley south from Juta, and it is much quieter and ‘undiscovered’ relative to its more popular neighbour. Visiting the 9th-century Sioni Basilica is a highlight of the walk. I did the hike with snowshoes in winter, but you can also walk here in the summer and autumn months. There are several trails on Wikiloc that you can reference.

How to get to the trailhead from Kazbegi

Sioni is a 15-minute drive from Kazbegi via the Military Highway. Taxi is the best way to travel – expect to pay around 35-40 GEL one-way.

Guided hiking in the Sioni Valley

For safety reasons, I highly recommend going with an experienced guide if you’re hiking here in winter. I did the hike as a guest of Vagabond Adventures based out of Gudauri. To reach the trailhead, we rode on the Gudauri-Kobi Cable Car which was almost as epic as the hike itself (see more below).

Vagabond offer several snowshoe hiking tours in winter and guided hikes around the Gudauri area during summer. I was very impressed by Vagabond’s professionalism and the quality of the tour – I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.

Get 10% off any activity (including skiing lessons at Gudauri Ski Resort) when you use the promocode wanderlush10.

Relaxing Kazbegi day trips that don’t involve hiking

These non-hiking day trips are all very close to Kazbegi and can also be reached by foot or by car in under 30 minutes.

Note: You can always visit Gudauri ski resort or any of the other stops along the Georgian Military Highway from Kazbegi – but I suggest doing your sightseeing on the drive up or down to save time. The best way to do this is by booking a transfer with GoTrip.

The Kobi-Gudauri Cable Car is one of the biggest attractions in this part of Georgia. If you’re looking for an easy way to soak up Kazbegi’s epic mountain scenery without having to do too much walking, then a joyride on the gondolas might just be the thing.

The cable car connects the village of Kobi 18 kilometres south-west of Kazbegi via the Military Highway with New Gudauri Ski Resort. Unlike the other ski lifts in Gudauri, this one was created for transportation purposes to help people get up and down the pass when the road is closed.

To travel from Kobi to Gudauri, you need to take four separate gondola rides. The top and bottom stations are all close to each other, making it easy to transition from one line to the next.

The higher you go, the more beautiful it gets, reaching a crescendo as you cross the Kobi Pass and look straight out to Mount Kazbek. I have been treated to many beautiful views in Georgia over the years, but I have to say this is some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen!

The gondolas are open throughout the year, though they might be closed for maintenance at certain points during spring and autumn. It is always a good idea to ask your hotel/guesthouse or driver to call ahead to the ticket office in Kobi to make sure the cable car is operating.

In 2024, the cable car closed after the end of the ski season and reopened on June 29.

It takes 30-60 minutes to ride the gondolas one-way depending on the season. When you arrive in Gudauri, you might want to spend a few hours skiing or snowboarding at the resort if the conditions are right. Outside of ski season there is not all that much to do in Gudauri – but you can find some ideas here in my Gudauri Guide.

How to get to the Kobi cable car station from Kazbegi

The first gondola station is a 20-30 minute drive from Kazbegi. The easiest option is to take a local taxi. In winter, you can expect to pay 100-120 GEL. Prices might be a little lower in summer when there are more drivers around and the roads are in better condition.

Located south-west of Kazbegi on the Terek River, the Pansheti Mineral Pool is a natural open-air swimming pool. It’s not a hot spring like you find in Borjomi or Abastumani – it’s a frigid spring water pool!

Facilities are limited, and it can be quite crowded in summer, so I recommend going early in the morning. Make sure you bring your bathers and an empty water bottle that you can fill up with mineral water at the Vedza spring.

Keep walking south towards Pansheti village, where there is an old defensive tower and fortress ruins (please be mindful that aggressive sheep dogs have been spotted in this area). Just beyond the next village, a trailhead opens up and leads to Toti Waterfall, an impressive cascade roughly 60 minutes by foot from the centre of Arsha village.

How to get to the Pansheti Mineral Pool from Kazbegi

You can quite easily reach the Pansheti Mineral Pool from Kazbegi by following the dirt road along the river. It takes around 30 minutes to cover the 2.5 km (flat) trail. 

The trailhead for Toti Waterfall is another 4 km (60 minutes by foot) down the road, and it takes 60 minutes to reach the waterfall itself. This adds up to around 3.5-4 hours of walking in total. A taxi back to Kazbegi from Arsha/Tsanareti Restaurant costs around 30-35 GEL. 

Alternatively, you can charter a taxi to take you to Pansheti and Arsha and wait for you while you swim and hike to the waterfall. This should cost around 80-90 GEL.

The Gveleti Waterfalls are two twin falls – one small, one large – located north of Kazbegi. An easy path leads to the waterfalls from the highway. If you’re travelling by taxi, you can reach both with only 30 minutes of walking.

After splashing in the rock pools and admiring the cascading falls, you have the option to go a little further north to visit Geveleti Lake, Gveleti Fortress and a tower. If you’d rather take it easy, bring a picnic lunch and find a secluded spot in the forest.

How to get to Gveleti Waterfalls & Fortress from Kazbegi

A taxi to Gveleti from Kazbegi should cost around 50-60 GEL. Ask the driver to drop you as close to the waterfalls as possible.

If you want to visit Dariali Gorge on the same day, Mountain Freaks organises small group, independent day tours around this area, with transport by van and plenty of time for hiking in between stops. See the next section for details.

Dariali Gorge, sometimes referred to as the ‘Gate of the Caucasus’, is a spectacular valley and mountain pass located north of Kazbegi. It forms the natural border between Georgia and Russia and is the only passable land transit point between the two countries (aside from the crossings in South Ossetia and Abkhazia).

Close to the border zone, Dariali Monastery, built in 2005, is a stunning complex of chapels, monastery quarters and bell towers. Be sure to visit the onsite cafe for lunch or to try the monk’s own cheese and wine!

There are marked and unmarked viewpoints all along this section of road from where you can peer down into the 1000-metre-deep canyon. You can even look out to the Verkhny Lars border crossing, located just beyond the monastery.

How to get to Dariali Gorge & Monastery from Kazbegi

In the summer months (June-September) Mountain Freaks operates a tour of the Dariali area, stopping at Tsdo village, the Gveleti Waterfalls, Dariali Monastery, and the Russian border. It departs Kazbegi daily at 11.15am and returns at 3.15pm. Reserve your tickets here through Viator.

During the family-friendly tour you’ll spend about 40 minutes in the van, with the remaining time set aside for independent exploring and hiking.