If you are flying on Lufthansa you will arrive in the very early morning hours of Day 2. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Due to the wide range of airline arrival times there are no group activities planned for this afternoon/evening. If you have the time, we highly recommend arriving a bit before the trip begins so that you have time to adjust from your long flight, as well as to allow for any flight delays or baggage issues before we begin our journey. Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, is beautifully located on both banks of the Mtkvari River. Founded more than 1,500 years ago, it is one of the most ancient cities of the Caucasus and on a clear day it is possible to see the mighty snow-capped peak of Mt. Kazbek jutting from the Greater Caucasus in the north. B, L, D... Hotel Koppala

In the late morning we invite you for a short tour of the city on foot to see the Metheki Church, the Sioni Cathedral, and the charming Rustaveli Avenue, a great place to stroll. We will discover Tbilisi’s small tea houses, traditional bakeries turning out their pointed bread loaves, quaint carpet shops and pepper pot roofed churches. The word tbili means “warm” and refers to the hot springs in the city center, under the 4th Century Narikala Fortress. We leave Tbilisi at noon to board air-conditioned Mashutka buses to the old religious center of Mtskheta, visiting the monasteries Jvari and Sveticxoveli. Following lunch at a nice local restaurant, we continue our drive, passing the beautiful Ananuri monastery overlooking Jinvali Lake. In the late afternoon we reach the mountainous Kazbeghi Region! After a break, we do an afternoon hike (2–3 hours) to Gergeti Sameba Monastery - a good place to take in the natural beauty of the province of Khevi. If the weather permits, we will savor the sunset view of majestic Mt. Khazbegi. We are now truly in the mountains! B, L, D... Hotel Stepantsminda

It is a good day for a warm-up hike! After breakfast, we leave Kazbeghi and drive on small back roads through green mountains towering above the wild rivers. After about one hour of driving, we reach the little mountain village of Juta: one of the highest settlements in Europe and the oldest village of Khevsureti. It was here that King Erekle of Khaketi gave the Khevsurs the surrounding lands in gratitude for their brave battle skills against invaders. From Juta we hoist our light backpacks and day hike into Chaukhi (3 hours). The Chaukhi massif rises steeply above the trail (3,800 meters) and is the home of many eagles and vultures. Also, its craggy stone walls are a great place for rock climbing. In the evening, we enjoy a supra to celebrate a wonderful day of walking. B, L, D…Wilderness Camping

Today we start our Caucasian traverse! We begin from Chaukhi and end at the Abudelauri lakes near Roshka Village, crossing the high Sadzele Pass (10,026 ft above sea level). It is our longest day of hiking (7-8 hours) but we take our time – and we are also accompanied by packhorses, who happily carry most of our gear. Roshka is known for its traditional weapon making skills and is the site of famous battles won by the Khevsurs over the invading Aragvi intruders. We arrive at Abudelauri lakes in the late afternoon and settle in, hungry and thirsty after a healthy day of adventure! B, L, D…Wilderness Camping

Today is more leisurely – we take a two to three hour hike down to the village of Roshka, the religious center of Khevsureti. Here, in the square in front of the church, Khevsur warriors were blessed by the priest before battle. The flags of the troops were kept safely hidden inside the ancient stone walls. You will be overwhelmed by the exquisite natural beauty of the countryside as we wind our way through river valleys and virgin forests. Halfway along, we rest at a picturesque place to eat our lunch. We reach Shatili in the early evening and settle in with our local hosts. B, L, D... Local guesthouse

Early in the morning we will leave Shatili and make for the Atsunta pass. En route we can take an optional side hike to Mutso, one of the most beautiful villages in Khevsureti, and one of the oldest. It is built up the side of a steep mountain, with a wide view, fortified to protect the townspeople from Dagestanians. Walking up to Mutso takes one hour both ways, and we’ll pass the ancient alkdamas grave site where people would go away from the village when they had plague. Many victorious battles against invaders were fought at Mutso, the last village in Khevsureti before we enter into the region of Tusheti. Along our way we will find a nice spot to stop and enjoy lunch to refuel for our afternoon hike of four to five hours up to just below the Atsunta pass, where we set up a high mountain camp. Far away from civilization, we eat our dinner under the stars and share stories with our guides around the campfire. B, L, D... Wilderness Camping

After the long hard hiking of the previous day we will have a hearty breakfast to get ready to hike into Tusheti, Georgia’s other beautiful mountain region. We will cross the Atsunta Pass (11,200 ft.) and hike down to into the Kvakhidi Valley. Here are the headwaters of the Alazani River, the longest river in Tusheti. Schools of trout swim in the blue green waters of this mountain river. In the Kvakhidi area there is a small Georgian military base protecting the borders, and it is a place where very few tourists go. On the way to Kvakhidi we will have to get on the horses to cross the river. Total hiking time 6-7 hours. B, L, D... Wilderness Camping

Late morning we will leave the Kvakhidi camp site and walk down to the village of Girevi (6 to 7 hours). Our hike will take us through Chontio, the first village in the Tusheti region. Nobody lives here anymore, because the living conditions are too harsh. Only horse keepers come here and they come only in the summer to stay for four months. On the way we will visit shepherds’ houses and we will have a chance to see how they make cheese. This remote area was once home to a group of orthodox monks, who lived and prayed here. They where kidnapped by Muslims and after several months the Georgian government brought them back. This day of our hiking is following the flat valley floor, an easy walk. B, L, D... Wilderness Camping

Our hiking journey today follows the banks of the rushing Pirikriti River. We pass the stone villages of Parsma and Chesho, and after a half day of hiking, we arrive at Dartlo (4 to 5 hours). Dartlo is mentioned in the old chronicles as one of most ancient villages in Georgia. In the village there are some wonderful stone towers, built for protection from outside enemy attacks and used as homes to live in during peaceful times. A family that owned a tower was considered a rich family. The Georgian King David the Builder used to pay many visits to this village, where he passed his time reading books and resting with the locals. Up on the steep mountainside, perched above Dartlo like an eagle’s nest, is Kvavlo– if you have the energy we recommend that optional short (one hour) but hard side hike. We overnight in Dartlo at a local guesthouse. B, L, D... Local guesthouse

On we go – today via the village of Chigo (6 to 8 hours hiking). One of the most important holy places in Tusheti is here at Chigo. Each year, at the beginning of August, the locals celebrate the Lasharoba – a popular feast of animal sacrifice, religious festivities, and joy! From Chigo it will take three hours of hard hiking to reach Shenako where we will tuck in for the night at our comfortable guesthouse. B, L, D… Local guesthouse

This is our last day of hiking, just a short walk to Omalo (2–3 hours). Here we visit the old regional museum of Tusheti, housed in stone towers in upper Omalo. We lunch near the towers, overlooking the wide Gometsari Valley, and enjoy the sweeping view. The landscape is dotted with dozens of villages that seem to climb up the mountainsides. In the evening we celebrate our trip with the local villagers -- very likely somebody will pull out the accordion and sing traditional Tushetian melancholic ballads! B, L, D…Local guesthouse

Expert drivers steer our 4-wheel drive vehicles through the passes, down the dramatic road out of this Shangri-la. We’ll enjoy a late lunch in Telavi in the afternoon and, time and road conditions permitting, we will visit the Alaverdi, Telavi and Shuamta monasteries. The final leg, a three hour drive, returns us to our hotel in the capital, where we refresh and get ready for our evening farewell dinner at a traditional Georgian Restaurant. For those who still have energy left we invite you to soak in the local thermal waters in the old bath house in Tbilisi. B, L, D... Hotel Koppala

Transfer to the airport for home-bound flights. B, L, D. Return home.