Vashlovani National Park

Vashlovani Protected Areas is located in the eastern-most part of Georgia. It includes Vashlovani Nature Reserve, National Park and 3 Natural Monuments – Eagle Gorge, Takhti-Tepa Mud Volcanoes and Kakliskure Alazani floodplain forest. Its area includes Pantishara-Vashlovani massive, whose height is up to 300-600 meters above sea level. The name Vashlovani is derived from the natural similarity and disposition of pistachio and apple trees that leaves the association of the fruit garden. 

Distance: 225km from Tbilisi (4 hours)
Best for: Offroad, Bird-watching
Best time: April-May, or October-November
Addon: Extend your offroading trip by driving from Vashlovani to Davit Gareji monastery.

How to Get

Public Transport

You can take a mini-bus from Ortachala Bus Station to Dedoplistskaro town, but from there there is no further means of public transport to Vashlovani area. Unless you want to visit only Eagle gorge and Khornabuji castle, public transportation is a wrong choice.

Private 4WD vehicle

If you have one, or rent one, make sure to have good set of tires, as Vashlovani gets real muddy during occasional rain.
There are 3 ways to access Vashlovani National Park:

1. Via Davitgareji offroad – This route requires driving to Udabno village, from where you will need constant GPS  monitoring, not to cross border to Azerbaijan accidentally. There are many single-lane dirt-roads, but you will need to cross Iori river twice, here and here. Make sure to have your passports with you, as there will be border police check-points.
   Once you reach Takhti-Tepa mud volcanoes, or Dali reservoir, you will still need to drive to Dedoplistskaro town and your travel permit to Vashlovani area.
2. Via Kasristkali village – Get your permits in Dedoplistskaro Visitor Center and drive towards Kasristkali Village. From Kasristkali you can choose to enter Vashlovani either from central route, or from Southern route.
3. Via Shavi Mta (aka Black Mountain) – After getting your travel permit, drive to Kvemo Kedi village, after which starts offroad route via Mt Shavi Mta, eventually leading either to central entrance to Vashlovani area, or to Mijniskure campsite.

Eat and Sleep

As there are no supermarkets/shops/cafes beyond Dedoplistkaro, you should carry all the food with you during the trip.
Mijniskure is the only water supply point in whole Vashlovani area, therefore buy all your water reserves in Dedoplistskaro.
We suggest to have your own tent/sleeping pad/sleeping bag and not rely on huts found on the park area. Keep you tents always closed.
For the accommodation is Dedoplistkaro, check the map. 

What to See

What to Do

Bird & Animal Watching

This is the primary activity in Vashlovani area and even if you are not particularly interested in birds, we still suggest to have binoculars or zoom lens with you to check out various animals.

Offroad

Though offroad driving is the only way of getting around Vashlovani area, some people visit just for the sake of driving those single-lane dirt-roads, exploring narrow canyons and driving rugged hills.

Horseback

There are several horse riding routes you can take in Vashlovani, but almost all of them start from Kasristskali village, as this is the location where you can arrange horses in advance.

Hiking

Vashlovani National Park is NOT a hiking destination. Having said that, there are still couple of small hiking trails that you can take, but generally area lacks trail markings.
If you spend a night in Mijniskure, make sure to take a walk to a nearby viewpoint for a sunrise (marked with a orange line on a map).
You can also take a hike from Mijniskure to Devebi viewpoint, just following the car road, but narrow canyons with birds chirping along make it worth walking.

Cycling

Vashlovani area is extremely hot during the summer, therefore we only suggest visiting during spring or late autumn to pedal through those hills. Keep in mind, that shepherd dogs during those times can be territorial and aggressive, so keep a distance and try to find a different route if you encounter a flock of sheep.