Stepantsminda
First-timersThe town: guesthouses, the marshrutka stop, a few restaurants and the view across to the church.
Kazbegi city guide
Things To Do In Kazbegi
Stepantsminda, under a 5,000-metre peak, with a fourteenth-century church on the ridge above it and hiking in every direction.
5,054 m
Mount Kazbek, a dormant volcano
2,170 m
Gergeti Trinity church, on the ridge above the town
3 hours
From Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Highway
A small town with an extraordinary view
The town is officially Stepantsminda and almost everyone calls it Kazbegi, after the mountain and the writer the region is named for. It sits at about 1,750 metres on the Georgian Military Highway, three hours north of Tbilisi and ten kilometres from the Russian border.
Above it, on a ridge at 2,170 metres, stands Gergeti Trinity church — fourteenth-century, isolated, and with Mount Kazbek rising to 5,054 metres behind it. It is the image that sells Georgia to the world and it is genuinely as good as the photographs.
The drive up is half the experience: the Georgian Military Highway climbs through the Jvari Pass at 2,379 metres past reservoirs, a Soviet friendship monument and a good deal of exposed mountainside.
Beyond the church, the hiking is the point — Juta, the Truso valley, the Gergeti glacier.
Two nights. Doing it as a day trip from Tbilisi means six hours in a minibus for two hours on the ground.
Where to stay
A small town on one side of a river, with a village up the hill opposite.
Gergeti
Closer to the churchThe village across the river and up the slope, quieter and a shorter walk to the Trinity church.
Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Kazbegi
Walk up to Gergeti Trinity church. It takes about an hour and a half to two hours from the town, climbing roughly 400 metres through forest and then open slope, and it is free. The alternative is a 4x4 taxi at 50 to 80 GEL for the car. Walking up and taking a taxi down is a reasonable compromise.
The church is fourteenth-century, still in use, and modest dress is expected — shoulders and knees covered, and a headscarf for women, usually available at the door.
Beyond it, the trail continues towards the Gergeti glacier and the Kazbek base camp at the Meteo Station, which is a serious full-day walk at altitude.
Juta, an hour away by 4x4, is a village at 2,200 metres below the Chaukhi massif, with a day hike to the Chaukhi Pass.
The Truso valley, west along a gorge, has mineral springs, travertine terraces, abandoned villages and defensive towers.
Free things
Free things to do in Kazbegi
The walk up to Gergeti Trinity church is free and is the main event — an hour and a half to two hours each way, and the view back down the valley improves the whole way.
The church itself is free to enter, with modest dress expected.
The Sno valley, the river paths around the town and the walk into Gergeti village all cost nothing.
Watching the mountain is free and, on a clear morning, is what everyone here is doing. Kazbek is often hidden by cloud for days at a time, so the mornings tend to be the best chance.
The Soviet friendship monument at the Jvari Pass, on the drive up, is free and covered in mosaics, with a drop below it that no railing does much about.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Kazbegi
Guesthouse cooking is the best food here by a distance. Most places do dinner for 25 to 40 GEL and it is usually a small supra — several dishes, homemade wine, and more than you can eat.
Mountain Georgian food is heavier than the lowland version: khinkali, which originated in these mountains, plus potato, cheese and lamb.
The restaurants in town are limited in number and adequate rather than good, at 25 to 45 GEL for a meal.
There is a small supermarket for trail food, and you should buy what you need before heading to Juta or Truso, where there is very little.
Homemade chacha appears at guesthouse dinners and is strong, often 50 per cent or more.
Nightlife
Going out in Kazbegi
There is none, and that is the correct answer.
Kazbegi is a hiking base of a few thousand people. The evening is dinner at your guesthouse, homemade wine, conversation with whoever else is there, and an early night because the walk starts early.
A handful of bars and restaurants in town serve beer at 6 to 12 GEL.
In winter, Gudauri — the ski resort half an hour back down the highway — has the après scene, and a lot of people base there instead.
If you want a night out, it is three hours back to Tbilisi.
Getting around
Getting around Kazbegi
Marshrutkas leave Tbilisi's Didube station through the morning, take about three hours and cost around 15 GEL. They fill and go rather than running to a timetable, so arrive early.
The town itself is small enough to cross in ten minutes.
4x4 taxis are the local industry. Up to Gergeti church is 50 to 80 GEL for the car, Juta about 100 to 150 GEL return, and Truso similar. Prices are per vehicle, so a group splits them well.
The Georgian Military Highway is the only road, and it closes in winter for snow and avalanche risk — sometimes for days. Check the situation before travelling between November and April.
The Russian border is ten kilometres north at Dariali. It is a functioning crossing but the political situation makes it a poor plan for most visitors.
Costs
What Kazbegi costs
Cheap, with transport as the main variable. Dorms and guesthouse beds are 30 to 70 GEL, roughly €10 to €25, usually with breakfast.
A guesthouse dinner is 25 to 40 GEL and a beer 6 to 12 GEL.
A day is €20 to €45.
The walking is free. The costs are 4x4 hires — 50 to 80 GEL to the church, 100 to 150 GEL for Juta or Truso — and they are priced per vehicle, so travelling with others makes a large difference.
Bring cash. There are ATMs in town but they run out, card acceptance is patchy, and there is nothing at all in the valleys.
Safety
Staying safe in Kazbegi
This is a high mountain area and the risks are weather, altitude and the road rather than crime.
The walk to Gergeti church climbs 400 metres to 2,170, which is enough for some people to feel the altitude. Go slowly and drink water. Anything beyond the church — the glacier, the Meteo Station — is a serious mountain undertaking and should not be attempted casually or alone.
Weather changes fast and cloud can close in within minutes, making the open slope above the treeline disorienting. Take layers and waterproofs whatever the morning looks like.
The Georgian Military Highway is genuinely dangerous: mountain switchbacks, heavy Armenian and Russian truck traffic, and drivers who overtake into blind bends. Sit near the front, and ask the driver to slow down if you need to — it is normal and it works.
In winter the road closes for snow and avalanche. Do not plan tight connections around it.
There is no mountain rescue service comparable to the Alps. Tell your guesthouse your route. Emergency number is 112.
Day trips from Kazbegi
Valleys, passes and a ski resort, all within an hour.
Juta
A village at 2,200 m under the Chaukhi massif, with a day hike up to the Chaukhi Pass and back.
Truso valley
A gorge with mineral springs, travertine terraces, abandoned villages and defensive towers.
Gudauri
Georgia's main ski resort, with the Soviet friendship monument and its mosaics on the way.
Ananuri
A seventeenth-century fortified church complex above a turquoise reservoir, and the obvious stop on the drive back.
What's on
What is on while you are there
A hiking season, a ski season, and not much else by design.
June to September
Hiking season
The valleys
When Juta, Truso and the high trails are clear of snow and the guesthouses are all open.
December to April
Ski season
Gudauri, 30 minutes away
Georgia's main resort, with freeriding and heliskiing, half an hour back down the highway.
November to April
Road closures
Georgian Military Highway
The only road closes for snow and avalanche risk, sometimes for days. Check before travelling.
Summer
Gergetoba
Gergeti Trinity church
A local religious festival at the church above the town.
Year-round
Clear mornings
Stepantsminda
The best chance of seeing Kazbek, which spends much of its time in cloud.
When to go
June to September for hiking. Winter is beautiful and the road is unreliable.
Jan
Deep snow. The road closes periodically. Gudauri skiing nearby
Feb
The same. Cold, clear and quiet
Mar
Still winter up here. Avalanche risk on the pass
Apr
Thaw and mud. Higher trails still under snow
May
Green below, snow above. Church walk fine, high trails not
Jun
Excellent. Trails clearing and wildflowers out
Jul
Peak season. Warm, busy, and everything open
Aug
The same, and the most reliable weather
Sep
The best month. Clear air, stable weather, thinner crowds
Oct
Cold and golden. Guesthouses starting to close
Nov
Snow arriving. Quiet and unreliable
Dec
Winter proper. Road closures and short days
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs in the town at 1,750 m — it is considerably colder at the church and colder again higher up. Cloud hides Mount Kazbek for days at a time in any season, so give yourself two nights rather than one.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are shown in euros for comparison, but you will pay in lari and should bring it in cash. The shoestring doing line is zero because the best walk here is free.
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- Food and drink—
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- Doing things—
Kazbegi travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is it Kazbegi or Stepantsminda?
Both. The town is officially Stepantsminda; almost everyone, including Georgians, calls it Kazbegi after the mountain and the region. Hostelworld and some transport listings use Stepantsminda, so search both.
Can I walk up to the church?
Yes, and you should. It takes an hour and a half to two hours from the town, climbing about 400 metres, and it is free. A 4x4 taxi costs 50 to 80 GEL for the car if you would rather not. Walking up and riding down is a good compromise.
Can I do it as a day trip from Tbilisi?
You can, and it is six hours in a minibus for about two hours on the ground. Two nights is far better — it also gives you a second morning in case the mountain is hidden by cloud, which it often is.
How dangerous is the road?
The Georgian Military Highway is mountain switchbacks with heavy truck traffic and drivers who overtake into blind bends. Sit near the front and ask your driver to slow down if you need to — this is a normal request here and it works.
What do I wear at the church?
Shoulders and knees covered, and a headscarf for women. Wraps and scarves are usually available at the door. It is a working fourteenth-century church, not a monument.
Do I need cash?
Yes. Card acceptance is patchy, the ATMs in town run out, and there is nothing at all in the Juta and Truso valleys. Bring lari from Tbilisi.
When should I go?
June to September for hiking, with September the best month — clear air, stable weather and fewer people. In winter the road closes periodically for snow and avalanche, so do not build tight connections around it.
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