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An old stone defensive tower on a rocky spur above a wooded Tusheti valley, with green Caucasus slopes behind

Sample journey · 8–10 days

Over the Abano Pass to the tower villages of Tusheti

Tbilisi, Telavi, Omalo, Dartlo & Parsma

Photo: Gero Camp / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Tusheti lies in the eastern corner of the Greater Caucasus, against the borders of Chechnya and Dagestan, and one road leads there: over the Abano Pass, almost three kilometres up, on gravel and rocky ledges. It closes in winter, which is why many Tush families spend the cold season down on the Kakheti plain and return to the mountains with their flocks in summer. This journey follows the same rhythm: from Tbilisi to Telavi and the wine valley, then by 4x4 over the pass to Omalo and on to Dartlo and the Parsma valley, where towers stand like sentries above the river.

It isn't a hut-to-hut trek like Svaneti, but several days in one valley: walks or rides between villages, nights in simple family guesthouses and dinners made from what is grown or made locally. It suits people unbothered by a long, rough road, for whom silence makes up for comfort, but it needs no mountaineering experience, only good health, flexibility and a willingness to fit around the weather.

The route

The journey

  1. Tbilisi
  2. Telavi & the Alazani Valley
  3. The Abano Pass
  4. Omalo & Keselo fortress
  5. Dartlo
  6. Parsma & the Pirikiti valley
  7. Kakheti
  8. Tbilisi
  1. Snow-capped Caucasus peaks above the Alazani Valley, seen from Telavi in Kakheti

    01Days 1–3 · Tbilisi & Telavi

    The plain before the mountains

    The first night is in Tbilisi: an evening walk through the old town's lanes beneath Narikala fortress and, if you like, an hour in the sulphur baths after the flight. In the morning it's about two hours over the Gombori ridge into Kakheti, to Telavi. This is a day for an easy start: Alaverdi Cathedral, whose tall silhouette can be seen across the whole Alazani Valley, the ruins of the Ikalto academy among the vines, and lunch at a family marani, where wine matures in qvevri buried in the earth. In the evening you'll see the Caucasus wall you'll be climbing tomorrow. A night in Telavi or a nearby village, and an early bed: the road to Tusheti starts at dawn, when the pass is usually clearest.

  2. A gravel road winding across green mountain slopes towards the Abano Pass between Kakheti and Tusheti

    02Day 3 · The Abano Pass

    A road that is a journey in itself

    At Kvemo Alvani the tarmac ends and around 70 kilometres of gravel begin, which usually take about five hours. We travel only by 4x4 with a local driver who knows every bend: the road climbs through forest, winds along steep slopes and reaches the Abano Pass at roughly 2,850 metres, where the wind often blows and patches of snow can linger even in summer. We stop as often as you like, at springs, at a small chapel on the pass, at the first view down into Tusheti's valleys. It's an exhilarating road and, to be honest, it can be hard for anyone uneasy with heights. After rain or landslides the drive is sometimes postponed, so we plan a spare day and decide together with the driver.

  3. The stone towers of Keselo fortress on a grassy hill above Upper Omalo in Tusheti

    03Days 3–5 · Omalo & Keselo fortress

    The towers above Omalo

    Two nights in Omalo, Tusheti's largest village, made up of Lower and Upper Omalo. Above it stands Keselo, a 13th-century cluster of stone towers where villagers once sheltered from raids; some have been restored, and climbing up to them opens a view over both of Tusheti's main valleys. On the second day, an easy walk with a local guide to Shenako, with its small church on a hill, and back by way of Diklo, or half a day on horseback. Evenings pass on the guesthouse veranda: Tush guda cheese, khinkali and sometimes stories of driving the sheep down in autumn. Some mountain shrines, known as khati, are traditionally closed to women or outsiders, so a guide always explains where to go and how to behave.

  4. Dartlo village, with its stone houses and towers, in a green Tusheti valley

    04Days 5–8 · Dartlo, Dano & Parsma

    A valley where time slows down

    From Omalo it's about an hour on a rough road down and up again into the Pirikiti valley, to Dartlo. This village of slate roofs and towers on a slope is, for many, the image of Tusheti, and three nights here let you get to know it slowly. One day, on foot or horseback, up the river valley past the towers of Kvavlo and through Chesho to Parsma, where the road ends and only trails go on; back with a local driver or along the same path. Another day brings a shorter walk to Dano and its old tower ruins, or simply time with a book on a stone wall, watching horses graze on the slope. Some routes towards the Russian border require registration with the border police, so we check current requirements before you travel, and match the length of each walk to your energy.

  5. A rosy sunset over the roofs and hills of Tbilisi, seen from Narikala

    05Days 8–10 · Kakheti & Tbilisi

    Down with the flocks

    We return the same way over the Abano Pass, this time knowing what lies round each bend. In the afternoon, the Kakheti plain, where many Tush families spend the winter in the village of Zemo Alvani, and a night at a vineyard or guesthouse near Telavi: a hot shower, dinner in the garden and a glass of the wine you may have tasted in the mountains. The next day, on the way to Tbilisi, Gremi fortress with its church on a hill, or a quiet morning with no plan at all. A last evening in the capital: Narikala at sunset, a small wine bar and a dinner where mountain and lowland cooking meet. If the pass stayed closed a day longer, this Tbilisi night becomes the buffer, so we plan the flight home for the following morning at the earliest.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    The Abano Pass

    One of the country's highest and most exhilarating roads, with an experienced local driver and time to stop.

  2. 02

    Keselo fortress

    Thirteenth-century towers above Omalo and a view over both of Tusheti's valleys.

  3. 03

    Dartlo & Parsma

    A village of slate roofs and a day on foot or horseback up the valley to where the road runs out.

  4. 04

    At your hosts' table

    Guda cheese, khinkali and evenings in family guesthouses where life is still shaped by pasture and weather.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Shorter

    In an eight-day version, one night fewer in Dartlo and no separate night in Kakheti on the way back, though we always keep a spare day for the pass.

  • More walking

    Experienced walkers could follow a multi-day trail between Tusheti's villages or, with a guide and horses, cross the high passes into Khevsureti, which needs more days and border registration.

  • With Svaneti or Kazbegi

    Two weeks would join both ends of the Caucasus, Tusheti in the east and the towers of Svaneti in the west, or add a few days in Stepantsminda beneath Kazbek.

  • By season

    In June and July the valleys are at their greenest and full of flowers; in September the air is often clearer and the flocks begin to move down, a beautiful time but also the last before the road closes.

Practical considerations

  • The road over the Abano Pass is usually open from roughly June to early October, but the exact dates depend on snow each year, and in summer rain or landslides sometimes close it briefly. That's why the route always includes a spare day.
  • We travel to Tusheti only by 4x4 with an experienced local driver; we don't suggest driving this road yourself. We check the latest road conditions before the trip and on the ground.
  • Tusheti borders Russia, so some routes near the border may require registration with the border police. We check current requirements and travel advice before you travel.
  • Guesthouses are simple and warm, but electricity, hot water and mobile signal in the mountains aren't always reliable, and it's worth bringing cash in advance. Evenings are cool even in summer.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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