While the following are certainly not the ONLY adventure activities in the Caucasus (as there are MANY!), they would be our top recommendations based on our personal experiences living & traveling in the region over the last four years. Let us know in the comments which one most piques your interest!
Multi-Day Trekking in Azerbaijan
By far the most appealing adventure activity in Azerbaijan is trekking and hiking in the eastern part of the Caucasus mountains. Opportunities abound in both the northwest and northeast regions of the country. Our number one recommendation is a multi-day trek to summit Mt Bazarduzu, Azerbaijan’s highest peak at 4,466 meters (14,652 feet). Bazarduzu is not a technical summit, so there’s no intense prep involved apart from regular physical activity and some altitude acclimatization. It’s a great experience for beginners and more advanced trekkers! For those who desire a greater challenge, there’s the option to add on Azerbaijan’s 2nd and 3rd highest peaks, Shahdag (4,243m) and Tufendag (4,191m), respectively. Another excellent option is to add a few days of village to village trekking over a couple mountain passes through the Qusar region after a night’s rest in Khinalig. This is a beautiful area with waterfalls and panoramic mountain views.
GEORGIA
Georgia is FULL of adventure opportunities and outdoor activities for people of all ages and experience levels! And there’s fun to be had in the outdoors in all four seasons!
SKIING
For winter sport enthusiasts, Georgia offers skiing and snowboarding in five different mountain regions. Gudauri & Bakuriani are the most accessible ski resorts, approx. 2.5 and 3 hr. drives from the capital Tbilisi, respectively. While Bakuriani has a reputation as a more family-friendly ski environment (gentler slopes and more kid entertainment options), Gudauri has significantly more slopes to ski at a higher elevation and with varying levels of difficulty. The Gudauri area has more lodging than the Stepantsminda side of the slopes, as well as more ski lifts. While there is one ski lift on the Stepantsminda side, it isn’t always working due to strong winds. That being said, we highly recommend skiing down the Kazbek side of Gudauri at least once as it offers some of the most beautiful views one could have on a ski slope here of majestic Mt. Kazbek!
HORSE TOURISM
Horseback riding is another popular year-round activity, especially in the mountain regions, but also in the lowlands of Pankisi Valley and Vashlovani National Park. There are opportunities for people of all ages, from beginner to advanced riders. Single-day horseback riding is accessible year-round in the lowlands and in the summer months in the higher mountain regions (Tusheti, Svaneti, Kazbegi). Multi-day horse riding expeditions are available in Tusheti and Pankisi Valley from late June through September and in Vashlovani in October and November.
WHITE WATER RAFTING
White water rafting in the Aragvi River is a favorite summer activity. There are multiple local outfits up and down the main highway between Tbilisi and Gudauri, primarily in the Pasanauri town area. You can show up and get outfitted fairly quickly, or text one of the groups on Whatsapp in advance to prepare for your group’s arrival. While most of the local guides don’t speak much English, they will make sure to take care of your group and cover all necessary safety precautions. After rafting down the river, it doesn’t get much better than having a slow lunch of meat kabobs by the river you just rafted down or a tasty platter of khinkali in Pasanauri, acclaimed as the birthplace of this most famous Georgian dish!
Single- and Multi-Day Trekking
Possibly the most prominent adventure activity in Georgia is hiking and trekking, which is available year-round depending on the location. Single-and multi-day opportunities abound, ranging in difficulty from easy to super intense and highly technical. While a small subset of people specifically choose the latter, the great majority of hiking and trekking Georgia falls in the easy to moderate range of difficulty and is thus accessible for all ages and experience levels. Whether you want something close to Tbilisi, a simple single-day add-on to a multi-day cultural tour, or you want to spend several days in higher, more remote mountains, we have options for you to choose from!
In and around Tbilisi – there are lots of single-day options, many of which are family friendly and don’t require long travel to/from. Some of our favorites include:
- Hiking up to Mtatsminda for panoramic views of the city. You can add on the trail along the ridge to Turtle Lake and descend into Vake Park. This is a great few hour activity and the start of the trail is easily accessible by bus or taxi or a short walk from Rustaveli Metro station.
- Hiking from Kojori/Udzo Monastery down to Turtle Lake and into Vake Park. It’s easy to take a bus or marshrutka up to Kojori then hike down into the city.
- Armazi Fortress – approx 45 min drive from Tbilisi, located outside Mtskheta. This is an easy several hour hike through forest up to the fortress ruins with great views of the surrounding area.
- Birtvisi Canyon – approx an hour drive from Tbilisi, this hike combines forested trail with easy rock scramble, finishing at a fortress! It is a great all day outing for sure.
- Dashbashi Canyon – approx an hour and a half drive from Tbilisi, this paid entry location provides a hiking trail into the canyon to a waterfall.
Kazbegi has so many single day options, many of which are easy to add on to a cultural tour in the region! The most popular and easiest to add into a standard cultural tour is the short, easy hike to the small and large Gveleti waterfalls or the Arsha waterfall. Both are located just outside Stepantsminda and easy to access and follow the trail.
Other common full day hikes in the area include Truso Valley (make sure to go all the way to Zakagori Fortress!), Juta to the base of Chaukhi Mountain, and from Gergeti Trinity Church to AltiHut or Gergeti Glacier.
Then, of course, for the overly adventurous mountaineer there is the multi-day expedition to summit Mt Kazbek (5,054m). This has some technical components and requires more specific training, preparation, and acclimatization prior to the expedition.
On the Gudauri side, a popular half-day add on or a full day trip from Tbilisi is the hike from Kvemo Mleta up to Lomisa Church, from which are stunning views of Gudauri, the Greater Caucasus, and even into South Ossetia. On a clear day you can even see Mt Kazbek from here!
Kakheti – The primary location for hiking and trekking is in Lagodekhi National Park. There are two single day options to different waterfalls, through which you get a feel for the sub-tropic climate of this particular location within Georgia. Both are full day hikes, whether choosing to go to the smaller Black Grouse Waterfall or the larger Ninoskhevi Waterfall. There is also a 2-3-day option to Black Rock Lake, located on the border of Georgia and Russia, offering views into Dagestan. For this there are two hut shelters where you can reserve a space and sleep overnight (furnished with bunks and mattresses) or pack your own tent & sleeping gear to set up camp. For this you will need to acquire a border zone permit, which can be done at the border guard station located along the trail. You will need your passport/id in order to complete the permit.
Svaneti – the most attractive trekking in Svaneti is multi-day village to village trekking, particularly from Mestia to Ushguli (or Ushguli to Mestia) The trail system in Svaneti is very well developed. There are also many great single day hiking opportunities if you plan to stay several days in one location.
- Shdugra waterfall is a favorite, easy day hike from village Mazeri/village Beso. If fully on foot from Mazeri it’s a 14 km out and back hike. Or if you have transportation you can drive to the start of the trail at the end of the dirt road and then hike 8km out and back. This route offers a variety of beautiful landscapes of forest, river, waterfall, rocky mountain sides, and views of Mt Ushba.
- Shkhara Glacier – you can visit Shkhara glacier either by hiking from Ushguli 16 km out and back or driving the first 6 km to the footbridge and small cafe then continuing on foot for 4 km out and back hike. The best part of this hike is the views of Mt Shkhara if she’s not hiding behind a wall of clouds or entrenched in fog.
- Latipari pass loop – a roughly 13 km moderate to difficult hike starting and finishing in Ushguli. Theres a steady ascent along the river through rhododendrons the first 4-5km before continuing your ascent to the pass and making a loop of sorts before descending by the same path. On a clear day the views of Mt Shkhara and the Greater Caucasus are simply breathtaking and one even has the possibility of seeing Mt Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe/the Caucasus.
- Koruldi Lakes – while this can be an add-on after hiking Guli Pass (just be prepared for a looong day and and intense up hill ascent after already hiking 16-18km), if you’re staying in Mestia you can drive partway or hire a driver to the starting point of this hike. There is one main lake and several smaller ones from which, on a clear day, you have panoramic views of the Caucasus as well as Mount Ushba.
- Guli pass is highly recommended as it provides some of the best up-close views of picturesque Mount Ushba, of ten called the “Matterhorn” of the Caucasus as well as panoramic views of the Greater Caucasus the majority of the trail! It does, however, require setting up transportation to/from or planning to stay in a different location up on completion. While the views are 100% worth it be ready for a 16-18km moderate to difficult hike! Though ultimately your distance hiked will depend on whether you start from the end of the road or in village Mazeri.
- The recommended window for the last three hikes to ensure the best views and no hindrance due to lingering or fresh snow is mid-July through September.
Tusheti – most well-known for its multi-day trekking, with the most popular route being from Omalo to Shatili through the Pirikitri Valley, but there are many other village to village multi-day possibilities through the various valleys of Tusheti. But, for those wanting to stay several days in Tusheti or desirous to do some cultural touring, there are several great half- and single-day hiking options!
There are several options that start and finish in the same location, making it easy should you have your own transportation or a hired guide/driver. These include Diklo Fortress, Dochu Village, Dartlo – Kvavlo Loop, and Oreti Lake. The first three are easy to include in cultural touring in the region as they take a max of 2 hours to complete, while the Oreti Lake hike is a more extensive full day option, but easy to add into a multi-day Tusheti tour.
There are several other single-day hiking options that have different start and finish locations, requiring either a driver to drop you off/pick you up or planning for an overnight in the finishing location before continuing your travels the next day. The most popular/well-known of these are Nakaicho Pass (our top recommendation!) Omalo to Shenako, Omalo to Dartlo, Diklo to Chigho.
Ultimately, no matter what your flavor of outdoor adventure activity, your age, or your experience level, there is PLENTY to do and choose from in both Georgia and Azerbaijan. We’d love to know which activity most piqued your interest and why in the comments below!