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Stone towers of a Tusheti village on a green mountainside

Tusheti over the Abano Pass

Two or three days in the most remote corner of the Caucasus, reached by a dirt road over a 2,850 m pass.

From Tbilisi
195 km
Driving time
6–7 hone way
Duration
2–3 days
Highest point
2,850 m
Best time
June to early October, when the pass is open

Tusheti is one of the most remote corners of the Caucasus. The only road in climbs from the Alazani Valley over the Abano Pass at 2,850 metres, a dirt track that is open only from about June to early October.

On the other side are slate-roofed villages and stone defence towers, sheep on the hillsides and almost no traffic. We plan it as a two- or three-day trip, with nights in family guesthouses in Omalo or Dartlo.

The Abano road needs a proper 4×4 and a driver who knows it well, and we arrange both for the mountain part of the trip.

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The route

  1. Mtskheta480 m
  2. Telavi700 m
  3. Abano Pass2,820 m
  4. Omalo2,060 m
  1. 1Mtskheta480 m
  2. 2Telavi700 m
  3. 3Abano Pass2,820 m
  4. 4Omalo2,060 m
Height above sea level along the road, from Mtskheta to Omalo.

Along the way

  1. Kakheti and Telavi

    The drive east through wine country to the foot of the mountains.

  2. Abano Pass

    About 70 km of mountain track and the highest point of the trip, at 2,850 m.

  3. Omalo and the Keselo towers

    The main village of Tusheti, with restored towers on the hill above it.

  4. Dartlo

    A village of stone houses and towers, often called one of the most beautiful in Georgia.

Included

  • Transport for the whole trip, including the 4×4 for the pass
  • Help booking guesthouses in Omalo and Dartlo
  • Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel

Good to know

  • The pass road is unpaved and narrow; from the valley to Omalo takes about four hours.
  • Mobile signal is patchy and there are no cash machines in Tusheti, so bring cash.
  • Dates depend on the weather: the road opens and closes with the snow.

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Send us your dates and group size, and we will reply with a route and a price.

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