The Road to Kazbegi: Georgian Military Highway, Segment by Segment

What the road is

The Georgian Military Highway (E117) runs north from Tbilisi along the Aragvi, over the Jvari Pass and down the Tergi valley to Stepantsminda. In our database it is the best-behaved mountain road in the country: every stop on the main carriageway is classed paved, from Zhinvali at 810 m to the Jvari Pass at 2,380 m. The road is flagged as open all year at each of those stops.

Two things push the rating up. Gudauri sits at 2,200 m and is rated SUV on asphalt because of the altitude and the winter, and the last 6 km up to Gergeti Trinity Church is mostly paved and rated SUV. A genuine off-road requirement appears only in the two side valleys, Truso and Juta. That is why our Georgian Military Highway route is rated SUV, 340 km, 6h40 of driving, and in season all year.

Segment by segment

Tbilisi to Zhinvali and Ananuri (0-70 km)

The first hour is ordinary asphalt through Mtskheta and Natakhtari. After the Zhinvali dam, 65 km and 1h15 from Tbilisi, the road follows the shoreline and narrows: it is cut into the rock with blind corners, so lorries are overtaken with care. Our data says to fill up in Natakhtari, because stations thin out higher up. Ananuri Fortress is 5 km further, 70 km and 1h20 from the city at 830 m, directly beside the road with a large car park. Both stops are rated economy and open all year; allow an hour at each.

Ananuri to Pasanauri and Gudauri (70-120 km)

Beyond Ananuri the Aragvi gorge tightens and the road stays narrow. Above Pasanauri the character changes: a long climb of switchbacks shared with heavy freight traffic. Gudauri is 120 km and 2h10 from Tbilisi at 2,200 m. The asphalt is fine, but this is the section our data flags as avalanche-prone in winter, closing periodically, with winter tyres mandatory in the cold season and chains worth carrying. Gudauri is rated SUV for exactly that reason, and its best season is December to March. Fuel is available in Pasanauri and central Gudauri.

Gudauri to the Jvari Pass and Kobi (120-125 km)

The Mleta-Gudauri section is a sustained climb with lorry traffic and no room to overtake, and the pass itself is 125 km and 2h20 from Tbilisi at 2,380 m. From Ananuri at 830 m that is roughly 1,550 m of climbing in 55 km. The surface is asphalt and rated economy, open all year, with a note that in winter you want winter tyres, chains in the boot and a willingness to turn around. Allow an hour at the Friendship Monument. The descent towards Kobi passes the mineral travertines.

Kobi to Stepantsminda and Gergeti (to 160 km)

Stepantsminda is 155 km and about three hours from Tbilisi. Gergeti Trinity Church is 160 km and 3h10 at 2,170 m. The final 6 km from the village is a steep, narrow concrete road: our data says a sedan can technically manage it in dry conditions, but passing an oncoming car means putting two wheels on dirt, so an SUV is what you actually want, and in winter chains and four-wheel drive are essential. Best season May to October, open all year, three hours on site. Fuel in Pasanauri or Stepantsminda.

Beyond Stepantsminda: the Dariali Gorge

Dariali Gorge and the Gveleti waterfalls are 170 km and 3h25 from Tbilisi at 1,550 m, mostly paved and rated SUV. The main road is asphalt with routine rockfall debris on the surface; the last couple of kilometres to the Gveleti trailhead are gravel. This is a border zone, so carry ID, and do not drive up to the crossing itself: taking a rental car out of Georgia is not permitted. Two hours is enough.

The side valleys: where the 4x4 starts

Truso turns off at Kobi: fifteen kilometres of stony, rutted gravel with several river fords, and after heavy rain the fords rise and the track can become impassable. There is a border police post at the entrance. Juta turns off at Achkhoti just before Stepantsminda: asphalt for the 5 km to Sno village, then 8 km that are rough, stony and steep with stream crossings. Both are flagged as not open year-round and are closed by snow outside the season. Both deserve six hours.

Which car class the data requires

• Main road to the Jvari Pass - rated economy at every stop.
• Gudauri, Gergeti, Dariali - rated SUV: altitude, winter, a concrete climb and a gravel finish. Book the SUV if Gergeti is on the list.
• Truso and Juta - rated off-road. Book the off-road 4x4, or leave the car at Sno and use a local jeep from Stepantsminda, as our Juta page suggests.

The wider reasoning is in Do you need a 4x4 in Georgia?.

Best season, from the data

The route itself is in season all year. Gergeti and Dariali carry May to October, Zhinvali the same, Gudauri December to March, Truso and Juta June to September. In winter the data says the pass can close for hours or days after snowfall, and the Gergeti track is a chains-and-4WD job.

Two days on the highway

Drawn from the route plan.

Day 1 - Tbilisi to Stepantsminda, 170 km, 3h30 driving. Leave at 09:00; Mtskheta and Jvari Monastery after 25 km (1 h); Zhinvali viewpoint at 11:00 (30 min); Ananuri at 11:45 (1h15); lunch in Pasanauri or Kvesheti; Gudauri and the Friendship Monument at 15:30 (1 h), refuel here; arrive Stepantsminda at 18:00.

Day 2 - Stepantsminda to Tbilisi, 170 km, 3h10 driving. Gergeti at 08:30, 6 km of steep track or a 1.5 h walk (2 h); Dariali Gorge and Gveleti at 11:00 (1h30); lunch in Stepantsminda; back over the pass at 14:30 with a stop at the Kobi travertines; a final break at Ananuri or Zhinvali; Tbilisi at 19:00.

For Truso and Juta as well, the four-day Kazbegi hiking base adds a day for each.

Honest warnings

• This is a classification of typical surface and season, not a live road report. The data does not say whether the pass is open today.
• It is 15-20°C colder in the mountains than in Tbilisi; a jacket is needed even in July.
• Kazbek is usually hidden after 10:00; the data suggests 07:00-10:00 for a clear summit.
• Truso and Dariali are border zones; carry a passport or ID.
• Check the rental terms before taking any car off the asphalt.

Crossover / SUV — Price from 130 ₾/day