Santa Rita, Salento: All You Need to Know
April 26, 2024
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Chances are big that, when you travel to Georgia, you will want to visit the Caucasus mountains. There are many places in Georgia where you can admire these mighty mountain peaks, like Svaneti and Tusheti, but most people tend to make their way to Kazbegi, due to its easy accessibility. In this Tbilisi to Kazbegi guide, I will tell you about all the transport options you can choose from to get there, what the road is like and what you can see on the way up to the mountains.
Tbilisi, Georgia.
While Kazbegi is a small, easy-to-navigate little town, finding your way through the transport options in Tbilisi can be a bit of a hassle. Not many Georgians speak decent English, taxi drivers often speak only Russian and public transport information is generally written exclusively in Georgian.
Tbilisi old town with lots of cats on streets.
After investigating all the transport options in Tbilisi thoroughly, I have put together this guide for you to give you a clear overview of all the different options, what you can expect, and what the costs are to get from Tbilisi to Kazbegi.
I will also touch upon the best way to get from Tbilisi airport to Kazbegi, however, I strongly suggest staying at least one night in the city before continuing your travels to prevent travel fatigue.
The road from Tbilisi to Kazbegi is called the Georgian Military Highway and connects Tbilisi in Georgia with Vladikavkaz in Russia. It has many beautiful sights and views on the road so, depending on your choice of transport, it’s a good idea to include a few stops on the way.
The distance from Tbilisi to Kazbegi is 95,7 miles or 154 kilometers. It takes approximately 3 hours to get from Tbilisi to Kazbegi, however, travel time can be longer when facing road issues like heavy snowfall in winter or congestion due to the many freight trucks using the road to get to Russia.
A private car will be a little faster than a shared van, due to the many stops a minibus makes on the way to pick up and drop off passengers.
The Georgian Military Road is an attraction in itself with many sights on the road worth visiting. Please note, that minibusses won’t make these stops on the road and shared taxis only include a few on demand.
If you want to visit the following places on the road you will have to hire a car with a driver or drive the road yourself. Of course, it will also depend on your travel budget and the time you have on your hands.
Sights on the road from Tbilisi to Stepantsminda
The next stops I will highlight are arranged in the order you will encounter them on the road from Tbilisi to Kazbegi and are places I visited myself. There are, however, a few more stops you can make on the road. I will mention these at the end of this section.
Approximately 70 kilometers from Tbilisi lies this castle complex called the Ananuri Fortress. This well-preserved medieval castle was the home of the dukes of Aragvi from the 13th to the 18th century. It also includes two churches, one of which holds the graves of some of the dukes of Aragvi.
The castle was the battleground of many wars, eventually ending the reign of the dukes of Aragvi in the 18th century. The story goes that it was able to survive every battle over the previous 5 centuries due to a secret tunnel leading out of the complex providing them with food and water.
The enemy was once able to capture a woman from Nuri named Ana, who knew the secret passway to the tunnel. After they tortured her, she still chose not to give in and tell the location of the tunnel. Eventually, she died and became a legend, which led the castle to be named “Ananuri”.
There are many castles in Georgia to visit, but unfortunately, the history of most of them is not that well or not at all documented. I strongly recommend visiting this one if castles are your cup of tea.
There are tourist stalls selling food and drinks and there is a clean toilet you can use for one Lari.
Russia-Georgia friendship monument
Around 120 kilometers from Tbilisi, just after the ski resort town of Gudauri, you can find the Russia-Georgia friendship monument. It was built in 1983, to celebrate the 200-year anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Gorgievs, in which the Russian emperor back then swore to protect and support the Georgian dynasty from foreign invaders.
It is needless to say that the monument was erected during the Soviet Period and that it actually represents something that never really existed. Russia and Georgia have never been that “friendly” with one another and the main reason why the monument is still there is that it’s beautiful and offers amazing views of the surrounding mountains.
There are no tourist stalls at the monument, probably because the Georgians don’t want to promote this monument. There are some squat toilets next to the site but they are not maintained and there is no toilet paper.
The Caucasus Mountains seen from the Jvari Pass.
A little further after the Russia-Georgia friendship monument, you are driving through the Jvari Pass. Here is where the scenery truly becomes spectacular. The pass is 39,2 kilometers long and is the highest point along the Georgian Military Highway. You can see an obelisk next to the road to mark the exact point.
It’s a good idea to get out your camera here because the location offers great views of Mount Kazbek. That said, there’s no real need to get out of the car, the point here mainly is to soak in the amazing natural scenery.
Statues at Sno village, Georgia.
If you are driving to Kazbegi yourself or by taxi it is a good idea to pay a little visit to Sno village. Just 5 kilometers before you enter the town of Kazbegi there is a road to the right in the town of Achkhoti which will bring you to the town of Sno in 3,5 kilometers.
Here you can see some giant stone head sculptures that are often referred to as “Georgia’s Eastern Island”. Each head is carved out of a single block of stone and, if you know a little about Georgian history, you can maybe recognize the famous poet Shota Rustaveli and writer Alexander Kazbegi.
The stone sculptures are the work of Merab Piranishvili, a Georgian artist and self-taught sculptor. At the time of our visit, he was there in Sno working on his next piece. There was a “pay one Lari”-sign but we were there on a paid tour and didn’t need to pay anything.
Other places of interest in Sno are the statue of Vakhtang Gorgasali and the Ghudushauri fortress.
Pansheti mineral pool
Driving back from Sno to the main road, go on for 1,5 kilometers to the town of Pansheti. Turn left, drive to a little roundabout and take the first exit. After one kilometer, you will arrive at the natural pool of Pansheti.
The location of this pure and magical natural pool is magnificent, offering great views of the town of Kazbegi. The water is cold but it was doable to swim in it during our time of visit at the end of May.
There is a spring on site where you can fill up your water bottle. The water is tasty and slightly sparkling and a lot of locals drove up the road to fill up big bottles of water when we were there.
There are no facilities on the site. This is pure nature at its best.
There are a few other points of interest and activities you find along the Georgian Military Highway. I will not go into detail because I haven’t visited or tried them myself but I will list them below:
As you can see there are a lot of interesting sites to be seen on the way from Tbilisi to Kazbegi. I will now share with you five ways to get from Tbilisi to Kazbegi including prices, level of comfort and if there are any stops included on the way.
Kazbegi, Georgia.
At this point, I also want to mention that the traffic in Georgia can be really bad. Aside from around Tbilisi, there are no real highways in Georgia. The road From Tbilisi to Kazbegi is called “The Georgian Military highway” but after leaving the city, it quickly turns into a two-lane road.
Therefore, traffic jams can occur easily and road safety is not really a thing in Georgia, with a lot of drivers carrying out crazy maneuvers, resulting in lots of deaths. Take this into consideration before choosing your mode of transport.
Kazbegi, Georgia.
If you have little time on your hands, the best way to visit Kazbegi is on an organized tour. There are several tour operators to be found in the city center, especially around the Old Town. You won’t have to look for them, they will likely approach you when you are exploring the Old Town.
If you like to book a tour in advance, this day tour starting from Tbilisi covers many of the sites mentioned above. Prices start at $ 34 per person and the tour takes around 12 hours.
I do think though that Kazbegi and Kazbegi National Park are too beautiful to just spend one day rushing through all the sites. Do this if there’s really no other possibility, otherwise, I would definitely recommend staying at least one night.
Check out my handpicked tours from Tbilisi to Kazbegi for your next trip!
If you’re keen on driving yourself, renting a car is definitely the best option to explore all of the beauty the Georgian Military Highway and the Kazbegi region have to offer. do keep in mind that traffic can be a hassle but it is definitely doable if you are a confident driver.
I like to use the site Skyscanner to compare prices for renting a car. Whatever other option I explore, Skyscanner always seems to be able to find the lowest prices online.
Prices tend to vary according to the season. You can find cars for around € 25 during the low season and it will at least set you back € 35 during the summer months.
With this option, you are able to freely explore all the sites on the road to Kazbegi. Don’t forget to count in the gas, if you are traveling on a budget.
If you don’t like to drive yourself but want to have the freedom to make stops along the road according to your liking, hiring a car with a driver is your best choice.
There are different options here to choose from if you are looking for a reliable driver. You can make your way to Didube bus station in Tbilisi and find a taxi there, however, it will require a bit of negotiation concerning the price and you can’t be sure if they will fully understand you when you want to make stops on the way due to the fact that most of the time little English is spoken.
Another option is to book a taxi through your hotel or guesthouse. They are familiar with the options around the city and probably know some reliable and trustworthy drivers who can take you to Kazbegi for a price you both agree on in advance.
Lastly, you can opt to book a transfer through Gotrip. This website allows you to craft your own itinerary with stops on the way for a fixed price at the end of your booking. The great thing about this website is that you can filter by language, so you can choose an English-speaking driver if you feel safer without having to worry about the language barrier.
Depending on your wishes, expect to pay between 150 and 250 GEL (€/$ 50-90) for a private transfer or a taxi.
It is possible to share a taxi to get from Tbilisi to Kazbegi. This is a pretty economical option and will get you there as fast as a private car, however, you will have to agree with your co-passengers if you want the driver to make stops along the way.
You can find the shared taxis to Kazbegi at Didube Station. Make your way down at the metro station, exiting right to the market outside. Walk through the market and you will see shared taxis waiting in the parking lot. They usually have a sign indicating where they are going.
A shared taxi will cost you 30 to 40 GEL, however, it is possible to negotiate this price. When we arrived at Didube Station we were initially looking for a Marshrutka van to take us to Kazbegi. Passing by the taxis, the driver approached us and said he would leave for Kazbegi directly and the Marschrutka van would take at least another hour to leave.
We were able to negotiate the price down to 20 LARI leaving both him and us satisfied since he didn’t have to wait for passengers anymore and we were able to enjoy a comfortable ride that left directly for Kazbegi. There is no fixed schedule so you might be lucky like we were but it is also possible you will have to wait a while for the car to fill up.
Using this transport option, we were also able to explore the Ananuri Fortress and the Russia-Georgia friendship monument along the way.
Marshrutka vans at Tbilisi Didube bus station.
The least comfortable but cheapest option to get from Tbilisi to Kazbegi is to take a marshrutka van. I didn’t know what to expect when I heard the term “marshrutka” but it is just a regular minivan, similar to the ones you find in South-East Asia. This is your best option if you are looking to take a bus from Tbilisi to Kazbegi.
To take a marshrutka van to Kazbegi, walk past the shared taxis at Didube Station and make your way to the Didube bus terminal. You will see vans lined up to leave to various destinations. Just ask around where you can find the marshrutkas bound for Kazbegi and they will tell you.
We were told at our guesthouse that marshrutka vans to Kazbegi leave the Didube bus terminal hourly between 8 A.M. and 5 P.M. every day. The price is fixed and costs 15 GEL.
Tbilisi to Kazbegi bus: Space inside a marshrutka van.
If you have to wait a while, there are stalls nearby where you can sample some delicious Georgian food like Lobiani and Khachapuri. There is a public toilet inside the building at Didube bus terminal that costs 30 Tetri.
Note that a marshrutka doesn’t make any stops along the way. We expected the marshrutka to make at least one toilet stop but it didn’t. Nonetheless, when I asked to make a toilet stop he pulled over immediately at a restaurant where we could use the (squat) toilet.
Most of the time we felt very comfortable taking marshrutka vans around Georgia. However, the drive on the Georgian Military Highway was pretty challenging. There are a few hairpins along the way and the driver was speeding at certain times so I didn’t feel 100 percent safe.
If you are planning to get straight from Tbilisi airport to Kazbegi I would say: Don’t. Why wouldn’t you spend a day in the capital first before heading off to the mountains? Even if you are not a big fan of cities, Tbilisi has a lot to offer. It has some amazing museums and great monuments, like Tbilisi Stonehenge making it the best place to learn something about Georgian history and to fully understand the culture and its people.
But, if you are keen on doing this, let me help you with how to navigate this. The easiest way is to rent a car at the airport and do the drive up to Kazbegi yourself. If you don’t feel like driving yourself, the best option is to ask your accommodation in Kazbegi to arrange a ride for you. Do not take a taxi at the airport, they are known for scamming people.
If you want to travel by shared taxi or Marshrutka to Kazbegi, I would suggest you download the online taxi app Bolt and arrange a ride to Didube Station. This is the easiest way to get to the place where the minivans and shared taxis or located.
It is also possible by public transport but will take a while. At the airport, you can take bus 337 to the city center for 1 GEL. You can take it all the way down to the last stop which is Tbilisi Central Railway Station. From there take metro line one in the direction of Akhmeteli and get out at the third stop.
Alternatively, you can also get out of the bus earlier, before you cross the city. In that case, look up Samgori metro station on Google maps. The bus should stop a few hundred meters from the metro station. You can walk from there and take the metro at Samgori. It’s possible that it will save you a little time since the metro is faster than the bus.
Kazbegi, Georgia.
Ha! You made it to Kazbegi. If you have your own wheels or private taxi you obviously will get to the door of your accommodation easily.
In case you are traveling by public transport, the shared taxi or marshrutka will drop you off at the Kazbegi bus station. It’s right in the center of town, near shops, restaurants, and bakeries. There are many guesthouses in the city center and it’s convenient to stay there, however, if want to have a room with a nice mountain view, you’ll have to venture out of the city center for a bit.
There are plenty of guesthouses in Kazbegi
In that case, there are taxis waiting at the bus station and they will happily take you there. I didn’t get the feeling that they were trying to scam anyone. When we asked them for prices, they all seemed reasonable.
Darial Gorge, Kazbegi, Georgia.
There are so many beautiful natural sights in and around Kazbegi that I would definitely recommend staying at least one night and more if possible. We spend four nights in Kazbegi and were still not able to get to all the places we wanted to see.
Juta Valley near Kazbegi, Georgia.
The best activities in and around Kazbegi are hiking up to Gergeti Trinity Church, doing a day trip to Juta Valley, visiting the Gveleti waterfalls and the Darial Gorge, and walking Truso Valley up to the South-Ossetian border.
Check out my complete Kazbegi travel guide for more detailed information!
Chance are that if you’re traveling to your next destination in Georgia you will have to pass through Tbilisi again. In case you haven’t got your own vehicle or you took a private taxi, you will find the marshrutka and shared taxis waiting at the Kazbegi bus station.
Make your way to the Kazbegi bus and taxi station.
The shared taxis leave when full. The Tbilisi-bound marshrutka has a fixed timetable and left exactly on time when we were there. Do note that we were in Kazbegi at the end of May without many tourists around, so it is possible that they already leave once they are full during the high season.
There is a sign at the bus station with the hours of departure but, to make it easy for you, here they are: 7 AM, 8 AM, 9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM 12 PM, 1.30 PM, 2 PM, 3.30 PM, 5 PM, and 6 PM.
A lot of the seats in our marshrutka van already seemed to be reserved beforehand. I think it’s a good idea to ask your hotel or guesthouse if they might be able to reserve a seat for you. If you are not able to make a reservation beforehand, try to arrive at the bus station at least half an hour before departure time.
There you go! I hope you enjoyed this Tbilisi to Kazbegi guide. Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments below and I will be happy to answer them for you!
With this guide, I wanted to give you a full overview of all the options out there to travel from Tbilisi to Kazbegi. Nonetheless, Travelers & Dreamers is a blog about conscious travel. With this, I kindly encourage think twice about your actions while traveling. Taking a shared taxi or a marshrutka is the most ecological option here and I would advise to only take a private car if there’s really no other option.
It is also the best way to slow travel your way around the country and really grasp the local culture, flair, and customs.
ENJOY!
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Hi! I am Annelies and this is Travelers & Dreamers, a blog about conscious travel which means traveling in a more mindful way, with a positive impact on the world and yourself!
On this website, I cover different topics like slow travel, plant-based food guides, responsible travel, sustainable packing, eco-travel, and more!
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