Walking holiday in the Caucasus, Georgia

country:	Georgia
trip type:	Moderate / strenuous walking holidays
departures:	2008: 3 Aug
price:	From £1150 - £1175 (11 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK. Single supplement £175. Maximum group size 12

Georgia holidays

Walking holidays

Cultural tours

the amazing things you'll be doing

Svaneti, Georgia's most mysterious mountain region, is like a fairy tale come to life. The fabled region is renowned for its enchanting stone villlages, punctuated by the famous defensive towers, and populated by a fiercly independent race, known as the Svans.

Still lying almost entirely off any tourist trail, this is a trip for the travel connoisseur who likes to see things real and wild. And of course, this tour is not only about Svaneti. Georgia in general is one of our favourite countries: its excellent cuisine, delicious wine, stunning mountains, exquisite churches, hospitable locals and rich and varied history, make it a perfect adventure travel location.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	London – Tbilisi: Afternoon flight, transfer to the hotel, have a quick drink and off to bed.
Day 2:	Tbilisi: After breakfast we start our tour of Tbilisi and visit the Old and New Towns. The city offers a great variety of sights, most of them very ancient. All the places of interest in the Old Town are very close to each other, within a few minutes’ walk. We start our visit to Old Tbilisi from Metekhi Church (13th century), then walk to the brick-domed Sulphur Baths. From the Baths we head up the hill to visit Narikala Fortress (4th century) - one of the oldest fortifications in the city. Afterwards we continue to the Synagogue, Sioni Cathedral (6th-7th centuries) and Anchiskhati Church (6th century). This marks the end of the Old Town. Afterwards we visit the stunning treasury of the Georgian National Museum, before taking a stroll along Rustaveli Avenue – the main street in Tbilisi.
Day 3:	Tbilisi – Mtskheta – Kutaisi: We drive to the ancient capital and religious centre of Georgia – Mtskheta - and visit its historic Jvari Monastery (6th century) and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century) – both UNESCO World Heritage sites. We then head to West Georgia – the famous Land of the Golden Fleece, where Jason and the Argonauts sailed. We arrive in Kutaisi – the second largest city in Georgia and visit Bagrati Cathedral (11th century) – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overnight in Kutaisi in a family guesthouse with shared facilities.
Day 4:	Kutaisi – Zugdidi – Becho: In the morning we visit Gelati Monastery and Academy (12th century), a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its frescos and mosaic. Then it’s time to get ready for the most exciting part of your trip – a journey to Svaneti, the region of the highest mountains and glaciers and the most abiding ancient traditions. We drive to Zugdidi and, after changing transport (4WD), continue our trip to the Svaneti region. Overnight in the village of Becho in a private guesthouse with shared facilities.
Day 5:	Becho – Ushba Glacier – Mestia: In the morning we drive through the neighbouring villages of Mazeri and Shikhra and then start our walk through the woods to the foot of Mt. Ushba (4700m). A spectacular walk will bring us to the waterfalls and we can enjoy the view of the spectacular Ushba Glacier. The first 2 hours is comparatively easy walking, but over the next 2 hours it gets a bit harder. In the evening we drive to Mestia – the centre of Upper Svaneti. Overnight in a private guesthouse in Mestia with shared facilities.
Day 6:	Mestia – Lakhiri – Mestia: In Mestia we visit the traditional Svanetian House and Tower and a unique collection of icons and crosses at the Ethnographic Museum. At about 11:00 we drive to the village of Zhamushi and then start our walk through typical Svanetian villages of Lakhiri and Mushkeli towards Mestia. We will walk past many typical Svanetian watchtowers, enjoying the beautiful nature full of wild flowers and stunning views of the Grand Caucasus. In the evening we return to Mestia.
Day 7:	Mestia – Ushguli: A three-hour drive will take us to the highest permanent village in Europe – Ushguli (2200m). Ushguli, and generally the whole Upper Svaneti region, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The village is most famous for its abundance of watchtowers and this is where you get the view of the highest mountain in Georgia – Mt. Shkhara (5068m). In Ushguli we visit Lamaria Church (12th century) and then walk up the hill to Queen Tamar’s Tower. Overnight in Ushguli in a private guesthouse with shared facilities.
Day 8:	Ushguli – Shkhara Glacier – Mestia: We start our morning walk to the foot of Mt. Shkhara, walking alongside the wonderful Enguri River which will eventually lead us to its origin – the Shkhara Glacier. After returning to Ushguli we drive back to Mestia.
Day 9:	Mestia – Lenjeri – Latani – Zugdidi – Kutaisi: A short drive from Mestia will bring us to Lenjeri Church, a beautiful building with original paintings both inside and outside. From here we will visit the church of Latani before driving back to Zugdidi, en-route making a photo stop at Enguri power station. In Zugdidi we will visit the palace of the Georgian Duke, before changing transport and continuing onto Kutaisi. Overnight in Kutaisi in a guesthouse with shared facilities.
Day 10:	Kutaisi – Gori – Tbilisi: Today we will drive back east to the town of Gori, the heart of the Kartli region, and visit the Stalin Museum and Uplistsikhe Cave Town (1st millennium BC) – a fascinating historical spot which was one of the main points along the Great Silk Road. In the evening arrive in Tbilisi and check in at the hotel.
Day 11:	Tbilisi – London: Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

what this trip includes

Trips are on full board basis, and include international flights if mentioned in the price details, transport as outlined in itinerary, twin-share accommodation, mineral water and entrance fees.

how this holiday makes a difference

In Georgia and Azerbaijan we use local ground handlers who in turn book locally run hotels, providing employment for a number of members of staff and support families. The ground handlers also use local drivers and camp staff, and ensure that all supplies are purchased locally for the journey. This means that all the operational costs go directly into the local economy and helps to improve employment opportunities in remote regions.
We have a strict environmental policy to make sure that the fragile eco-system of the mountains is not damaged or spoilt in any way. On our short walk programmes, our guides are trained to uphold this policy and all clients are fully briefed on appropriate/responsible behaviour whilst in wilderness areas. Our “Leave No Trace” ethic is applied to all trips in all regions, and as tour operators is something we are careful to promote.
The Caucasus have suffered over a decade of civil war and turbulence, and have been left with an abundance landmines and UXO in several areas. All landmine casualties place additional strain on the already overburdened health care system that has been damaged or destroyed by decades of conflict. We support the Adopt-A-Minefield project, an NGO that saves and improves lives by raising funds to clear landmines and help landmine survivors around the world.
When you take one of our trips, we make a contribution to “Climate Care” – an organisation devoted to ‘offsetting’ or ‘neutralising’ harmful greenhouse gas emissions caused by your flight. This is done by funding projects across the world that will reduce greenhouse gases on your behalf through sustainable energy or rainforest restoration.
We also support several NGOs around the world such as the Hope Foundation, A-Cet and Adopt-A-Minefield, which are all carefully selected to improve the standard of living for the communities we visit.

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