Georgia: East Meets West
From Tbilisi to the stone towers of Svaneti and the Ushguli pass, with a night in a Soviet sanatorium on the way.
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Georgia: East Meets West
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11 nights through Georgia
Twelve days looping out of Tbilisi, from the wine country to the high Caucasus and the medieval tower villages of Svaneti. Georgia packs an unreasonable amount of variety into a small country, and this route finds most of it.
It opens gently through the Red Mountains to Sighnaghi in the wine region, then climbs to Kazbegi near the Russian border and up to the Gergeti church above the village, which is the postcard view of the Caucasus. Back over the pass, Gori is Stalin’s birthplace and has the museum to prove it.
The oddest night is at Tskaltubo, in a Soviet-era sanatorium, with a walking tour of the abandoned spa town around it, all peeling grandeur and empty colonnades. After that the route climbs on alpine meadows to Mestia in Svaneti at 2,000 metres, where families built stone defensive towers that still stand, and a rest day there is well used. The pass to Ushguli follows, one of the highest permanently inhabited villages in Europe, with about 60 kilometres of manageable off-road, then a long ridge trail south to the cave town of Vardzia.
Extreme Bike Tours provide a CFMoto 450 MT, hotels and guesthouses, all three meals a day, a guide, a mechanic, fuel and oil, spare parts, a support vehicle and airport pick-up. Flights, visa, insurance and riding kit are separate, and a single supplement is published though not available in the smallest villages. For riders who want somewhere genuinely unfamiliar without going to the other side of the world, Georgia is the answer.
Georgia: East Meets West (2 of 9)
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Georgia: East Meets West (8 of 9)
Georgia: East Meets West (9 of 9)
Photography and film: the operator
Georgia: East Meets West
Tbilisi, start point and first group dinner
Tbilisi, start point and first group dinner.
through the Red Mountains to Sighnaghi in wine country
through the Red Mountains to Sighnaghi in wine country.
into the high Caucasus at Kazbegi near the Russian border, riding up to the mountain church
into the high Caucasus at Kazbegi near the Russian border, riding up to the mountain church.
back over the pass to Gori, Stalin's birthplace
back over the pass to Gori, Stalin's birthplace.
fast forest roads to Oni and a ride up to Racha
fast forest roads to Oni and a ride up to Racha.
curving roads to Tskaltubo, a night in a Soviet-era sanatorium and a walking tour of the abandoned spa town
curving roads to Tskaltubo, a night in a Soviet-era sanatorium and a walking tour of the abandoned spa town.
backroads and alpine meadows to Mestia in Svaneti (2,000m)
backroads and alpine meadows to Mestia in Svaneti (2,000m).
rest day in Mestia among the medieval towers
rest day in Mestia among the medieval towers.
over the pass to Ushguli, one of Europe's highest inhabited villages (about 60 km of manageable off-road), then to Kutaisi
over the pass to Ushguli, one of Europe's highest inhabited villages (about 60 km of manageable off-road), then to Kutaisi.
a long off-road ridge trail south to the cave town of Vardzia
a long off-road ridge trail south to the cave town of Vardzia.
back roads east to Tbilisi
back roads east to Tbilisi.
onward travel
About 4 to 6 hours riding a day.
What's included
- CFMoto 450 MT
- hotels and guesthouses
- breakfast, lunch and dinner
- tour guide
- mechanic
- fuel and oil
- spare parts
- drinking water
- first aid
- support vehicle
- airport pick-up
Not included
- International flights
- visa (online, depends on nationality)
- personal medical insurance (required)
- single supplement (US $525, not available in a couple of small villages)
- riding kit
- alcohol
Ready to drive it?
11 days, from £3,741pp
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