A Beautiful Road Trip to Kazbegi and Beyond

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When we were planning a trip to Georgia, I knew exploring the mountains was my top priority. Well, that’s the reason we traveled to Georgia anyway. Not to drink the fantastic wine in Sighnaghi or get mesmerized by the capital city of Tbilisi. We wanted to see the lush green mountains and the raw beauty Georgia has to offer. Hence, a beautiful road trip to Kazbegi and beyond came into the picture.

Kazbegi, a district in the region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Georgia is one of the fastest and closest mountainous areas to Tbilisi. It’s one of those locations where the journey to the destination is in itself a splendid experience. Kazbegi is located in the northeastern part of Georgia, very close to the Russian border. Stepantsminda is the main townlet that acts as a gateway and access to this beautiful region.

a beautiful road trip to Kazbegi and beyond

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Without further ado, let’s dive into all the beautiful spots you can explore while driving to Kazbegi and things to do in this beautiful village.

A beautiful road trip to Kazbegi and beyond

In the most likely scenario, your road trip to Kazbegi will begin from Tbilisi or Sighnaghi. Either way, you will drive through the famous Georgian Military Highway to reach Kazbegi.

In an ideal situation, the travel time from Tbilisi to Kazbegi should be around 3-4 hours not including the pit stops you might take in between. However, often you might encounter many freight transport on the highway that would slow you down a lot. So, we would recommend starting your road trip early in the morning.

As you begin your journey from Tbilisi, here are the quick stops you can take to explore Georgian history and culture.

1. Jvari Monastery: pit stop on your beautiful road trip to Kazbegi & beyond

Jvari Monastery is a very quick detour on your way to Kazbegi but should be your first pit stop for experiencing early medieval Georgian architecture. It’s a 6th-century Georgian Orthodox monastery with an astonishing view of the old town of Mtskheta and the intersection of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers. The monastery itself is one of the rare cases of an early medieval Georgian church surviving to this day almost unchanged.

We recommend spending a quick 30 minutes walking around the area. There are a few juice stalls in the area if you need to refresh with a drink quickly.

2. Ananuri Fortress Complex: UNESCO World Heritage site to visit on your beautiful road trip to Kazbegi & beyond

Ananuri is a beautiful Georgia Medival castle on the banks of Aragvi River. While driving towards Kazbegi on the Georgian Military Highway, it’s almost impossible to miss this beautiful fortress complex. The architecture dates back to the 13th century and it’s pretty astonishing to see such a well-preserved structure considering it was a staging ground for numerous battles. The complex eventually fell out of use in the 19th century after surviving hundreds of years of turmoil.

Today, Ananuri is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a location you must include in your itinerary. If not for the history, we would highly recommend making a pit stop for the beautiful views the complex offers.

3. Restaurant Guda in Pasanauri: food stop on your beautiful road trip to Kazbegi & beyond

As you drive ahead on the Georgian Military Highway, you will reach Pasanauri. It’s a small town and one of the best places to stop for lunch. Pasanauri is also referred to as ‘the home of khinkali’.

We stopped at Restaurant Guda for lunch, which is one of the fancier restaurants in this region. Google 4.8 star rating with 800 reviews, and it’s pretty popular amongst tourists and locals. Our experience was unlike the ratings though, probably because we got over-excited and ordered way too many dishes. After a while, we felt an overdose of everything and couldn’t finish our food.

What I remember about Pasanauri was the breadth-taking drive along the Aragvi River. We saw dozens of small eateries along the way, right at the bank of the river. Had we stopped at one of those eateries, we would have been picnicking along the banks of the river enjoying a stunning view.

4. Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument & Jvari Pass: best viewpoint on your beautiful road trip to Kazbegi & beyond

Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument is located on the Georgian Military Highway between the ski resort town Gudauri and the Jvari Pass. The monument itself isn’t special in any way, but you should stop there for the stunning views of Devil’s Valley in the Caucasus mountains. The panoramic view will blow your mind.

When you park at the monument, you might be approached by a few folks trying to sell a paragliding experience. Of course, if this is something that excites you, and you have the time for you by all means experience the thrill.

As you drive further on the Highway, you will cross Jvari Pass which is the highest point of the road. You most likely won’t be able to stop to admire the views as by this time, you will encounter heavy freight transportation traffic, but be sure to admire the views from within your car.

Experiencing Kazbegi and Beyond on your road trip

Your beautiful road trip to Kazbegi and beyond doesn’t end at Kazbegi. Rather, we assure you that Kazbegi will fill your heart with Georgian beauty, as there are a few places of interest here that you shouldn’t miss.

1. Gergeti Holy Trinity Church

Gergeti Trinity Church is one of the most prominent locations and the face of Kazbegi. The church and the stunning backdrop make for a picturesque location. The church is located 1km from Stepantsminda village and you can easily drive in any car to get there. If you are interested in hiking, you can do that in about 30 minutes to 1 hour, however, the walk up to the church is very steep.

2. Explore Sno Village

Sno Village wasn’t on our itinerary but we realized (very late) that this quirky open-air sculpture museum is on the way to Juta. The collection of tiny stone heads on a grassy field is so unique that it should be a no-brainer pit-stop on your drive to Juta.

3. Juta – Chauki Lake Hike

In our opinion, Juta is one of the main reasons you want to visit Kazbegi. The hike is medium-level difficult and offers you a mesmerizingly stunning view. You can easily do the hike to Chaukhi Lake in a few hours. However, if you wish to follow the trail to Roshka via Chaukhi Lake, you will need days to cover the distance.

You can use any regular car (no you don’t need a 4×4), to drive until Juta and park at the village entrance. From there follow the signs for Zeta Camping or Fifth Seasons Hotel, which will eventually lead you to the hiking trail.

We highly recommend a hike to Chaukhi Lake, and if possible a stay (or at least a meal) at the Fifth Seasons Hotel in Juta.

Also read: Some of our other amazing hiking adventures around the world:

Peru:
Switzerland: 3 amazing days in Interlaken, Switzerland
Jordan: Exploring the Lost City of Petra
Iceland: Itinerary for Winter / Spring Road Trip in Iceland
Ireland:
Scotland: Postcard from the Scottish Highlands
Montenegro: How to explore the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro
Japan: 6 Unique Temples & Shrines to Experience in Kyoto, Japan

Where to eat in Kazbegi

1. Rooms Hotel

Even if you are not planning to stay at the Rooms Hotel, we highly recommend coming here for a meal. The food is fingerlickingly delicious and during the daytime, you can enjoy the stunning view the hotel has to offer.

2. Lunch at Maia

We found this family-run restaurant by chance, and hands down it was one of our most memorable and delicious meal experiences in Georgia. The menu is small with some vegetarian options but we absolutely enjoyed our meal here.

Where to stay in Kazbegi

Kazbegi feels so welcoming, almost as if the Caucasus mountains are giving you a warm hug. After driving to Kazbegi, we are sure you might want to spend at least two nights in this beautiful location.

1. Rooms Hotel, Kazbegi

Our first recommendation is Rooms Hotels Kazbegi which is located in the heart of Stepantsminda Town. Rooms Hotel is one of the most popular hotels in Georgia and the Stepantsminda location offers one of the most stunning views of Kazbeg Mountain. Our best experience ranged from watching the most stunning sunrise from our room balcony to swimming with the gorgeous views of the Caucasus mountains. Prices for the room are on the higher side compared to the rest of Georgia. So, if this is something outside our budget, we highly recommend dropping by for a finger-licking Georgian meal paired with stunning views. You will not be disappointed.

2. Fifth Season Hotel, Juta

Our second recommendation is the Fifth Seasons Hotel in Juta. While in Kazbegi, we highly recommend doing the Juta-Chauki Lake hike, as the location is out of the world. Hiking the Juta trail is the primary reason you want to take a trip to Kazbegi.

However, even though hiking is not in your cards, you can always plan to spend a night at the Fifth Season Hotel. The location is wonderful and you get the most scrumptious view of the mountains.

The hotel and even the restaurant are open only during the hiking season when the snow on the mountains has melted. Even though this hotel was so high on my list, we couldn’t book a room as the hiking season hadn’t started yet.

3. Kazbegi View Cottages

The final accommodation recommendation is one of the various gampling sites that are not opening up in the Stepantsminda Valley. Obviously, they are not as fancy as the above-mentioned recommendations, but easier on the pocket. We stayed one night Kazbegi View Cottages, a basic wooden cabin in the beautiful valley.