Kazbegi mountain day trip from Tbilisi
Kazbegi mountain day trip is a popular day tour from Georgia's capital Tbilisi. It is also a Ski resort area but September is not the season. This post shares my experience and what to expect during this trip.
You can take up Kazbegi mountain day trip for around 2000-3000 INR from any of the operators.
#1 Zhinvali reservoir:
Our first stop for the day was at a reservoir that provides water to Tbilisi. We can only see the vast lake from a distance- no water activities possible.
Few shops sell snacks and souvenirs, paid restroom is also available. There are some photo booths that charge 5 GEL, a potato twist costs 10 GEL.(4 USD). We were given 10-15 mins time here.
#2 Ananuri Church: A small church with historic significance related to war times.
Tourists can rent traditional dresses. Watch the video [Watch on Insta]
We can also walk down to the river and try some adventure activities/watersports but not much time in a tour bus. View of the lake below the church.
#3 Lunch stop:
Not much veg options, we tried some bread, corn bread and a veg momo like item. Saw Indian flag and other national flags on the river bed- but the flags were all torn over time.
Watch a clip below
#4 Honey tasting stop: We stopped at a local shop where we were introduced to different flavors of honey. Got to taste a few and see honey bees from a close distance- those were worker bees and didn't sting us.
#5 French Monument/ Gudauri View Point: A circular structure on the hilltop, strong and cold wind prevented us from spending lots of time outdoors. We could see snow capped mountains at a distance. An Indian restaurant is available here so you can plan to grab some food, including Masala Dosa.
A cup of corn was 10 GEL (3.5-4 USD) so I didn't buy. One guy was trying to sell us one hour 4x4 ride to nearby hilltop, but we didn't have that much time.
The region is popular for snow and skie resorts but September was not the season so there wasn't much snow.
#6 Gergeti Trinity Church: Another church, for which we had to take a 4x4 van paying 20 GEL per person extra. Roads are narrow like our Agumbe ghat, but I felt our mini bus could have made it to the top, not needing a separate 4x4. But I guess they have their ways to make some extra money from tourists.
We stopped at a distance first for a photo and then were dropped closer. Strong wind was limiting our time. Free rest room was available. Not many shops or areas to rest. Another church experience. Some portions were under maintenance, drawback of visiting in off season I guess.
Came back to bus parking area in 4x4 van, had some time for a coffee. Back to Tbilisi with one rest stop on the way. We reached by about 9 PM. A total of 300-325 kms was coverd whole day, Tbilisi to Tbilisi. Map link here
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