Georgian Military Highway and Kazbegi
Two days on Georgia's great mountain road — Zhinvali, Ananuri, Gudauri and Gergeti Trinity.
- days
- 2 / 1 nights
- Total distance
- 340 km
- Total driving
- 6:40
- Car needed
- Crossover / SUV
- Season
- All year
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Click a marker for details. Coloured lines are ready-made road trips.
The Georgian Military Highway is the country's most famous mountain road: 155 kilometres from Tbilisi to Stepantsminda, following first the Aragvi and then the Tergi valley and crossing the Jvari Pass at 2,379 metres. Two days is exactly the right amount of time to drive it without rushing — you head north on the first day and drift back on the second, picking up the stops you skipped on the way up.
The scenery changes character several times. First Mtskheta and Jvari Monastery on their confluence hill, then the turquoise water of the Zhinvali reservoir and Ananuri Fortress standing on its headland — the first real stop. After that come the narrow Aragvi gorge, Pasanauri, and the switchbacks up to Gudauri, where the Friendship Monument looks straight into the Devdoraki valley. Beyond the pass the landscape shifts again: rust-orange mineral travertines near Kobi, the tight Tergi defile, and finally Stepantsminda under Gergeti Trinity Church and the 5,047-metre summit of Mount Kazbek.
This route suits travellers who are short on time but want genuine high mountains. It works for families too, because the asphalt runs all the way. The highway is open year round, though in winter the pass closes for a few hours or days after heavy snow, and the last climb to Gergeti needs real ground clearance. Pick a car with enough clearance from our fleet before you set off.
Day-by-day plan
Day 1 · Tbilisi → Stepantsminda (170 km, 3 h 30 min) - 09:00 Leave Tbilisi; after 25 km stop in Mtskheta and at Jvari Monastery (1 h). - 11:00 Zhinvali reservoir viewpoint, photo stop (30 min). - 11:45 Ananuri Fortress — the church, the carved facade and the tower (1 h 15 min). - 13:30 Lunch in Pasanauri or Kvesheti (1 h). - 15:30 Gudauri and the Friendship Monument (1 h); refuel here if needed. - 18:00 Arrive Stepantsminda; overnight in Stepantsminda.
Day 2 · Stepantsminda → Tbilisi (170 km, 3 h 10 min) - 08:30 Climb to Gergeti Trinity Church — 6 km of steep track or a 1.5 h walk (2 h). - 11:00 Dariali Gorge and the Gveleti waterfalls (1 h 30 min). - 13:00 Lunch in Stepantsminda (1 h). - 14:30 Drive back over the pass, stopping at the Kobi travertines (30 min). - 17:00 Final break at Ananuri or Zhinvali (30 min). - 19:00 Back in Tbilisi.
Stops on this route
Jvari Monastery
A 6th-century church on a cliff above the meeting of the Aragvi and Mtkvari — the starting point of Georgian architecture.
1 hZhinvali Reservoir
A turquoise artificial lake in the Aragvi valley — the first big view on the Georgian Military Highway.
1 hAnanuri Fortress
A 17th-century castle on the shore of the Zhinvali reservoir — the most photogenic stop on the Georgian Military Highway.
1 hGudauri and the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument
Georgia's main ski resort below the Jvari Pass, with a mosaic-lined monument and an enormous mountain panorama.
6 hGergeti Trinity Church
A 14th-century church at 2,170 m with Mount Kazbek behind it — the single most recognisable view in Georgia.
3 hDariali Gorge and the Gveleti Waterfalls
The narrowest gorge in the Caucasus, right at the border, with two waterfalls and a short, dramatic trail.
2 hTips
- Fill up in Pasanauri or Gudauri — petrol stations thin out beyond the pass.
- In winter the Jvari Pass can close for hours or days after snowfall; check road status before leaving.
- The track up to Gergeti is narrow and steep — high clearance and dry weather are essential.
- Monasteries have a dress code: headscarf and long skirt for women, long trousers for men.
- It is 15-20°C colder in the mountains than in Tbilisi; bring a jacket even in July.
- Book your Stepantsminda hotel in advance, especially in July and August.