Our first visit to Kazbegi was a one-day tour in July and it attracted a lot of attention when I share on Instagram. Since we started to live in Georgia, we had the opportunity to go a few more times and we spend more time by staying there. We visited Kazbegi in every season. So now I would like to write a detailed Kazbegi guide for those who are planning a trip to Kazbegi.
Kazbegi Travel Guide
Where is Kazbegi? How to get to Kazbegi?
Kazbegi, with its current name Stepantsminda, is 150 km away from Tbilisi, but the road takes around 3 hours as the roads are a bit winding after a point. We always go by by car, but there are different transportation options. There are daily tours to Kazbegi, you can hire a private minibus or join group tours. There are tours around 65 -70 Lari per person for the group, there are also tours around 120-150 Lari, their contents are probably different. If you hire a private car as a group of friends, car prices start from 350 Lari. While walking around the streets of Tbilisi, you can ask for the price and route to the tourism offices with tour advertisements in front of them. These tours usually depart at 9 am and arrive in Tbilisi at 8 pm. Apart from the tours, there are also minibuses going to Kazbegi, these depart from Didube Station 11 times every day and the price was 13 Lari.
Kazbegi Travel Itinerary
On the way to Kazbegi, there are a few touristic spots you can stop by. As far as I know, they stop at some of them when you go with the tours also. The first important stop is the Ananuri Church. There is a castle and two churches, one big and the other small, in Ananuri. The castle is on the temporary heritage list of UNESCO. The history of the castle dates back to the 13th century, and the churches were built in the 17th century. There are frescoes inside the large church, but it was slightly damaged by a fire in the 18th century. Entry is free and the triple complex is quite impressive, so if you’re traveling by car, be sure to stop by. There are stalls selling food and souvenirs in front of the castle. You can take pictures while wearing traditional costumes for a fee. You also have the chance to do rafting or kayaking in some places where the Aragvi river flows strongly, if you are interested, I recommend you to arrange your time accordingly.
Our second stop on the way is the Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument which has a magnificent view and was built in memory of the Treaty of Georgiyevsk signed in 1783. Both the monument itself and the place where it is located are very beautiful, you should definitely take a short break here. There are people paragliding in this region, if you’re interested, it’s definitely a good chance. Here, again, there are stalls selling food and souvenirs.
The last stop before Kazbegi is SNO Village. Here is one of Georgia’s water sources, you will prbably see SNO branded waters in the markets. But the real highlight of this place is the sculptures of an art teacher named Merab Piranishvili, similar to the giant head sculptures on Easter Island in Chile. He made all of the sculptures by carving one piece of granite with his own hands, and it took months to make one. For now, there are important figures from Georgian history such as Shota Rustaveli, Ilia Chavchavadze, Alexandre Kazbegi, and a statue of Jesus. Piraniishvili actually wanted to turn this place into an open-air museum with many more sculptures and the state financed these works during the Soviet period, but then he had to bear the costs himself and there was no progress for a long time. A few kilometers from Kazbegi, you will see the Sno sign on the right and go a few kilometers. Then you will see them on your right.
Things To Do in Kazbegi
And at last we came to Kazbegi. Kazbegi is a small town located between the mountains, 10 km from the Russian border. What makes it so valuable as a tourist attraction is Mount Kazbegi, which generally prefers to hide its peak behind the clouds and has been the subject of Greek mythology and Georgian legends. Kazbegi, the third largest mountain in Georgia, is at an altitude of 5000 meters. In Kazbegi you shoul definitely go to Gergeti Church at 2170 meters, I am sure you will be amazed.
Where to stay in Kazbegi?
Rooms Hotel is the best place to stay in Kazbegi, but the prices are a bit expensive. This hotel belongs to Adjara Group, which has the most stylish hotels and venues in Tbilisi. Even if you don’t plan to stay, you can still stop by to see the decoration of this place, to have some fun on the terrace against the Kazbegi view, or to have a meal. We prefer this place for accommodation, there is Intourist Kazbegi similar to the style of this hotel, there is Landscapes Hotel in glamping style. Apart from these, let me share nice alternatives with more affordable budgets: Sunshine Kazbegi, Alpenhaus Kazbegi Hotel.
Click for all available accommodation options in Kazbegi.
I hope my article will guide you in Kazbegi and you will have a nice trip. Follow me for more information, photos and videos about Tbilisi and Georgia.
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