Late summer is one of the best times to experience Georgia’s natural beauty. In the highlands, the hiking season is still in full swing, and the landscape offers everything from easily accessible trails to longer hikes through the mountains and along rivers. From waterfalls in Lagodekhi to the Chalaati Glacier above Mestia, the routes reward hikers of every level, whether out for a half-day walk or a multi-day trek deeper into the Caucasus.
The landscapes vary, as does the difficulty of the trails. They wind through the Caucasus mountain ranges, alongside rushing streams and glaciers, and on through forests and across alpine meadows. Some are suitable for shorter half-day excursions, whilst others traverse higher and more challenging terrain. Several of the trails require neither specialist equipment nor extensive preparation, and in late summer many more remote areas are still accessible.
Rivers and gorges characterise large parts of Georgia, and in many places the hiking trails lead to waterfalls. In Lagodekhi National Park, a path winds through the lush forest to Gurgeniani, where the cascades plunge some 40 metres. Further west, a shorter hike begins in the village of Kurzu and continues through lush countryside to the Ochkhomuri waterfall. Near the village of Stepantsminda in the Kazbegi region lie the two Gveleti waterfalls, which can be reached via marked paths through alpine terrain.
Kazbegi is also one of the country’s best-known areas for mountain hiking. From the village of Juta, there is a relatively easy trail, around four kilometres long, leading towards the foot of the Chaukhi massif. Along the way, the trail passes Lake Juta before reaching the base camp, where the landscape opens out towards the jagged ridges of the Eastern Caucasus. For more experienced hikers and climbers, more challenging routes continue towards the massif’s peaks.
In Guria lies Gomismta, where clouds often gather dramatically below the mountain plateau at an altitude of over 2,000 metres. When the air is clear, the view stretches all the way to the Black Sea. The area is surrounded by coniferous forest and alpine meadows, and from here hiking trails lead to destinations including Lake Chinhao, the Kintrishi Nature Reserve and the mountainous regions of Bakhmaro and Meriyakeli. Further north still, in Svaneti, lies the Chalaati Glacier. It is the only glacier in the world that extends into a forest zone and can be reached via a half-day hike along the valley from Mestia.
Among the more secluded parts of the Caucasus is Arkhoti in Khevsureti. The valley is framed by steep mountains and high passes, and along the narrow valley lie the three small villages of Chimgha, Akhieli and Amgha. This is where the Arkhotitskali River has its source before flowing on northwards. The road into the valley winds through a sparsely populated mountainous landscape and is part of the experience: some sections can only be covered on foot or on horseback.
Another highland area is Chirukhi in Ajara, which stretches from the Mareti Valley and continues up the mountainside, where alpine pastures and lakes stretch out. During the summer, families move up to the highlands with their livestock to stay well into the autumn, which means that even as a hiker you can get a close-up view of traditional daily life in the mountain villages.
However, you don’t have to venture far into the mountains to experience Georgia’s unique natural beauty. Towering above the capital, Tbilisi, is Mtatsminda, which can be reached by a historic funicular dating from 1905. On the mountain, there are walking trails through pine forests and viewpoints overlooking the city, and you can explore attractions such as Narikala Fortress and Turtle Lake on the slopes, some 700 metres above sea level.