Georgia is a breathtaking destination brimming with adventure and natural beauty. Whether you're into hiking, trekking, skiing, or climbing, this country promises an unforgettable experience. Known for their love of the outdoors, the locals embrace an adventurous spirit that inspires visitors from around the globe. Each year, more outdoor enthusiasts discover Georgia as a premier destination for exploring nature. Adventure tourism has become a vital part of many local communities, offering visitors a wide range of activities while supporting the local economy. A quick search will reveal countless opportunities for hiking, trekking, and climbing across the country. Whether you prefer to explore on your own or join a guided tour, Georgia offers something for every type of adventurer.
I decided to sign up for a tour with Caucasus Trekking, as it aligned with what I was looking for. Since I didn’t bring any camping gear and wasn’t keen on purchasing equipment just for this trek, only to discard it afterward, this tour was an ideal choice. Additionally, I wanted to avoid the hassle of managing logistics, such as arranging transportation to and from the start and end points. This tour handled everything and was very affordable in my opinion. You can view a map of the trek here. For more details, including the route and daily stops, feel free to visit the tour website.
image credit: https://www.caucasus-trekking.com/hiking-tours/toba
The journey began in Tbilisi, where I met our guide and a few other participants before setting out toward the trek. Along the way, we made a stop in Kutaisi to pick up additional group members, then continued on to Mukhuri. Unfortunately, we were met with heavy rain at the end of the drive, making the roads unsafe to continue. This unplanned stop led us to a cozy guesthouse, where we were enjoyed an extra night of rest in a real bed.
The next morning, the weather turned spectacular, allowing us to finally reach the start of the trek. The route from the guesthouse to the trailhead was an adventure in itself—an incredibly steep and winding gravel road, with gradients as sharp as 24%. To navigate this terrain, we rode for three hours in an old Soviet truck. While the ride was thrilling at first, the excitement wore off after the first 30 minutes. Thankfully, our driver was highly skilled, and the breathtaking scenery along the way gave us a glimpse of the natural beauty that awaited us on the trek.
After reaching the end of the drive, we met up with the true heroes of the trek: the horse crew. One big advantage of this tour was we didn’t have to carry everything, only what we might need during the day. The horses carried all of our camping gear, food, and additional gear that we didn’t want to carry for the day. The horse crew guided the horses through the trek, loaded and unloaded the horses every day, and helped out throughout the trek.
After leaving our gear with the horses, we started on the trek. We only had half a day left, but we were able to make it to the campsite. In what became the norm for this trek, there was no warming up period. We were truly in the mountains, and the route reflected that. We had to go straight into some steep inclines through a few mountain passes, then down steep declines. The terrain itself was also challenging, as we often had to navigate trails with unstable rocks or even snow.
The first day also provided us with a taste of the rewards we would experience throughout the hike. The landscape was incredible, and the scenery was breathtaking. As I look back through the pictures now, it looks unimpressive compared to what was to come. However at the time, I was very pleased with the scenery.
We ended the first day with a steep decline down a snow filled trail. Almost all of us slipped and fell at least once during the descent. In my case, it was more than I care to admit. After making it down to the bottom, we were in a huge valley with a nice lake. We met up with the horse crew, unloaded, and set up camp for the night. As the sun started setting, I wandered around the campsite to enjoy the scenery during the golden hour. It really was amazing, and I didn’t know how it could get much better. After the sunset, it quickly got dark. Since we were in the middle of nowhere, we could really see and appreciate the night sky.
The next morning greeted us with clear, open skies, offering the perfect opportunity to soak in the beauty of our surroundings. The towering peaks around the campsite were breathtaking, and the still, reflective lake created a picture-perfect scene. We were so mesmerized by the landscape that we delayed the start of our trek to wander and fully immerse ourselves in the stunning views. Little did we know, the scenery would only get more spectacular as the journey continued.
The second day of trekking, though shorter, proved to be just as steep and challenging. Within a few hours, we arrived at our next campsite—Lake Tobavarchkhili itself. Everything I said about the scenery of the previous campsite was true at this one as well, maybe even more so. Since we arrived their early enough in the day, we were able to swim in the lake. The water was cold, but it was incredibly refreshing.
The temperatures that night dropped to below 0. Needless to say, no one slept well that night, and we were very slow to get out of our sleeping bags the next morning. As we got up, we saw that our swimsuits were frozen. The guides and horse crew all said that this was the coldest August night they had seen here. Eventually the sun rose over the peaks and quickly heated everything up.
As the day progressed and the heat subsided, we were fortunate to enjoy spectacular weather with mostly clear skies. This was, without a doubt, the most breathtaking day of the trek, though also the most physically demanding. The day began with a steep climb to a mountain pass—the highest point of our entire trek. Reaching the summit, we were rewarded with an awe-inspiring panoramic view. The skies were so clear that we could even spot Mount Elbrus, the tallest peak in Europe! Our guides shared in our excitement, mentioning how rare it is to witness such an extraordinary sight from this vantage point.
After enjoying this view for a while, we continued on with our busy day. We started the descent and passed our first lake of the day. This lake was fun as it was partially frozen over and had a lot of snow. Our guides really let loose here and started a snowball fight.
After the break, we set off toward the second lake, where we paused for lunch to recharge. From there, we began the most challenging stretch of the trek—heading toward the third lake. This leg started with a steep scramble through snow and loose rocks, leading us to another mountain pass. The trail then demanded careful navigation as we traversed partway around a peak, grabbing patches of grass for stability. Thankfully, this section didn’t last long, and we soon arrived at the breathtaking viewpoint of the third lake. We took a moment to soak in the stunning scenery and catch our breath before continuing our journey.
We then had to reverse course, head back to the campsite, quickly pack up, and then head to the next campsite down a different trail. The trail followed a steep descent until we reached a hut that was inhabited by shepherds who were related to the horse crew. We setup camp near there, and then ate dinner with the shepherds. These shepherds prepared Elarji, which is sulguni cheese (common Georgian cheese) with cornmeal. After enjoying that, they served us fresh Matsoni, or Georgian yogurt. The incredible thing here was the food was super fresh. The shepards milk the cows, and then use that milk to produce the milk and yogurt.
The next day had a lot of steep ascent and descent. The weather was cloudy for most of the walk. Even when we had good views, it was honestly impossible to get better scenery than the day before. However we still were able to enjoy some nice flowers, and appreciate the geology of the canyons around us (we had a geologist on the trip who educated us). At the end of the day, we arrived to our campsite on the top of a hill. From the top of the hill, we could see the local town of Skuri which was where our trek ended.
The next day was our last day of the trek, and we descended down the mountain until we arrived to a gravel road. Waiting there was our trusty—yet infamous—Soviet truck, ready to take us to Skuri. After the first day, I was convinced I never wanted to set eyes on that giant vehicle again. But after completing the trek, I was surprisingly excited to hop back in. That excitement, however, quickly faded. About ten minutes into the bumpy ride, I was already wishing for it to end (and I’m certain the rest of the group felt the same). Unfortunately the ride took over 2 hours down a steep and windy gravel road, but eventually we did make it, thanks again to the excellent driver.
From there, we switched to a sprinter van and made our way to Poti, a quaint city nestled along the Black Sea. That evening, we indulged in a traditional Georgian feast, featuring dishes like Khachapuri, Khinkali, grilled chicken barbecue, and refreshing Georgian salads. Our accommodation for the night was a charming guesthouse right on the beach. The next morning, we all rose early for a refreshing swim in the Black Sea, soaking in the calm waves and salty air. With that, our adventure concluded as we embarked on the long drive back to Tbilisi.
This trek was just one of the countless incredible hiking experiences Georgia has to offer. What made this journey stand out wasn’t just the stunning scenery but also the sense of remoteness. We rarely crossed paths with fellow hikers, and any encounters were brief and fleeting. For the most part, it was just our group surrounded by untouched wilderness. With no cell service throughout the trek, we were truly disconnected from the outside world.
If you have even the slightest interest in trekking, I can’t recommend Georgia enough. Whether you prefer venturing out on your own or joining an organized tour, there’s something here for every type of adventurer. A quick search will reveal a variety of trails, guided tours, and options to suit your preferences. One thing is certain: Georgia offers an unforgettable trekking experience you won’t want to miss!
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