Mountain Biking Tour in Tusheti National Park


This is a challenging bike tour. It requires 30-50km of mountain biking each day, with more than 1000m of climbing on gravel roads.

 June – October
 Guesthouse
 7 Days / 7 Nights
 Max Altitude 2,940m

Mountain biking in Tusheti offers the opportunity to explore the region’s rugged and mountainous terrain by bike. Tusheti is located in the northeastern part of Georgia, in the Greater Caucasus Mountains. It is known for its isolated villages, traditional tower houses, and beautiful natural landscapes. Trails here wind through the canyons and offer stunning views of the surrounding landscape. Tour also includes the opportunity to visit local villages and experience the region’s unique culture and traditions.

Highlights

  • Biking on countryside gravel roads of Tusheti mountains, with high altitude passes that overlooks Kakheti and Tusheti valleys.
  • Visiting various mountain village, including Omalo, Dartlo, Diklo and Shenako, while passing through high altitude alpine meadows and pine forests.
  • Learn how people in Tusheti mountains maintained their medieval war-towers, castles and churches, get involved in special culinary experience and get a glimple of local cultural with fellow mountain bikers.

Trip Details

PRICE

$1,305 USD (twin share)

  • $250 deposit
  • Lifetime Deposit. If you need to cancel, your deposit is transferable to other trips.
  • Twin Share: we’ll match you with a roomie if you’re travelling solo.
  • Private supplement available: $420 USD, max 4 spots

TRIP LENGTH

7 Days / 6 Nights
Trip starts and finishes in Tbilisi city

DATES

July 2024
1 booked • 15 spots left
Starts: 20 July 2024
Finishes: 26 July 2024

August 2023
New date!
Starts: 3 August 2024
Finishes: 9 August 2024

STARTING POINT

Tbilisi International Airport or Freedom Square

ENDING POINT

Tbilisi International Airport or Freedom Square

GROUP SIZE

Max 16 persons, Min 5 persons.
Trip will be confirmed once 5 deposits have been received.

Gallery

  • Tusheti Cycling trip, near Bochorna (2)
  • Biking in Shenako village
  • Biking near Diklo village
  • Tusheti Cycling trip, from Omalo to Dartlo
  • Biking in Shenako village
  • Tusheti Cycling trip, near Verkhovani
  • Tusheti Cycling trip, near Bochorna
  • Biking on Abano pass
  • Biking on Abano pass
  • Biking in Dartlo
  • Biking near Jvarboseli village
  • Biking near Jvarboseli village
  • Sunrise in Dartlo, Tusheti
  • Guesthouse in Dartlo, Tusheti
  • Biking on Abano pass
  • Biking in Diklo village (2)
  • Biking near Shenako village
  • Biking in Omalo village
  • Biking in Bochorna village
  • Biking in Chesho village, Tusheti
  • Biking in Dartlo village
  • Abano pass Bike
  • Omalo village Panorama from Shenako
  • Biking in Diklo village

Tour Plan

Upon arrival at Tbilisi International Airport our driver will take you to the hotel. In the afternoon you will go for a test ride on your bicycle.

Accommodation: Hotel

The day starts with a 4 hour drive from Tbilisi to the Abano Pass. You will start cycling on the lower part of the other side of the pass. We avoid starting from the top of the pass due to steep gravel roads. From the starting point you will ride along the river and then climb to the village of Omalo. Although this part of the route is on the main road, there is little traffic.

Driving: 180km; 4 hours
Cycling: 22km; ↑ 700m; ↓ 720m
Accommodation: Guesthouse

On this day you will cycle to the neighboring villages on the other side of the valley. In the evening you will return to Omalo. The route starts with a descent through the village to the bottom of the valley. After passing the bridge you start to climb the steep road. In Shenako village you will visit the local small church. In Diklo village you will have lunch and visit the ruins of a castle with amazing views of the valley. After that you will return by the same route.

Cycling: 27km; ↑ 1,280m; ↓ 1,280m
Accommodation: Guesthouse

On this day we will explore the western valleys starting from Omalo. The route passes the village of Bochorna, the highest settlement in Europe. Then we descend to the bottom of the valley and follow the river to the village of Jvarboseli. One of the features of the villages in Tusheti is that they are high on the mountains. This is mostly on the southern slopes where there is more sun, than on the bottom of the valley. This helps with better grazing for the cattle.
After lunch you will return to Omalo by the same route.

Cycling: 46km; ↑ 1,550m; ↓ 1,550m
Accommodation: Guesthouse

Today we will ride to the Northern valley of Alazani river. Before arriving in Dartlo village, we will take an uphill towards Chigho village. After lunch there, we will ride back to Dartlo village.

Cycling: 28.5km; ↑ 1,125m; ↓ 1,365m
Accommodation: Guesthouse

This will be the last day of biking. We will follow the valley upstream, reaching the last settlement – village Girevi. Depending on the conditions of the road, the guide might take you 5km further to the abandoned village of Chontio. After lunch, you will ride back to Dartlo. This will be an easy day, as the route follows a flat gravel road at the bottom of the valley.

Cycling: 36km; ↑ 570m; ↓ 570m
Accommodation: Guesthouse

Driving back to Tbilisi. On the way, visiting a winery in Kakheti. Here you will taste several local alcoholic beverages and sample local cuisine. Arriving in Tbilisi before 6pm.

Driving: 250km, 6 hours

Includes

  • Guide: 1 English speaking biking guide throughout the trip.
  • Sightseeing entrance tickets
  • All Transportations (including airport transfers and support vehicle behind the group at all times)
  • Accommodation for 7 nights
  • All meals, from lunch of the first day to the dinner of the last day

Not Includes

  • Accommodation in Kutaisi
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal expenses, alcohol, souvenirs

Dates & Availability

DepartingFinishingTotal From USD
20 July 202426 July 2024available$1,305
3 August 20249 August 2024available$1,305

Want to go private?

Book this tour for your group on your preferred dates. Customize the details according to your needs and desires. Get 10% discount for groups of more than 10 people.

Amenities & Accommodation

We will stay in a simple mountain guesthouse with private bathroom. Breakfast and dinner will be at the guesthouse.

Difficulty: Hard

This mountain biking trip requires prior cycling experience. It is a challenging adventure tour, perfect for those who want to experience non-technical mountain biking. All the trails are gravel roads.

Useful to Know

Money

There are some places to spend your money in Tusheti. You can buy beer and wine at a guesthouse. In remote villages, people make hats, gloves, and socks using sheep wool, which they sell in their homes. Only cash is accepted in these mountains, as there are no official stores and markets.

What to bring with you

Clothes:
Padded cycling shorts
Sports top or cycling jersey
Fleece jacket or similar for the evenings
Trousers/leggings for the evenings
Waterproof jacket
Cycling gloves
Buff or neck scarf
T-shirts
Sunglasses Sunhat
Something to sleep in
Cycling shoes (bring your own pedals if using cleats)
Sandals

Other:
Swimwear
Bumbag or small light rucksack for riding
Ear plugs
Suncream
Personal items (biodegradable toiletries, sanitary wear etc)

Weather

Weather in Kutaisi and Tbilisi can be hot during the summer, temperatures going up to 40C. Mountains can be cold and hot, depending on the weather. Snowing is highly unlikely, though it have occurs once in a while during prolonged rainy weather. In case of sunny weather, it will be warm enough to hike in shorts and t-shirt.

Visa Requirements

For EU & EEA countries visa is not required, as well as for US, Canada, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain citizens. Contact our travel manager to see if you need visa for your travel in Georgia.

Payments Terms

  • When registering for the trip, 20% of the trip cost must be paid, which is a non-refundable deposit.
  • 30 days before the trip, the remaining 80% of the trip cost must be paid.
  • When registering for a trip less than 30 days before the trip, 100% of the total trip cost must be paid.
  • Additional services are charged separately.

Cancellation

  • 20% of the program cost is non-refundable. (Non-refundable deposit)
  • In case of more than 30 days’ notice, the amount paid will be returned, minus a non-refundable deposit of 20%.
  • In case of 30 days notice or even shorter notice, 50% of the cost of the trip will be refunded.
  • In case of 14 days notice or even shorter notice, the cost of the trip will not be refunded. Cancellation of a trip is considered valid only as a written notification.

Tour Video

Tusheti Cycling trip, near Bochorna (2)
Play
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Frequently Asked Questions

In general, if you are in good health and have an active lifestyle, all of our tours are acceptable for you. Easy, Medium, Hard, and Very Hard are the four levels of difficulty that we divide up our tours into. We only presume that you have prepared more thoroughly ahead for the Very Hard. Please get in touch with one of our travel managers if you have any questions so they can reassure you if necessary or, alternatively, help you decide which tour is more suitable for you. Unfortunately, those with disabilities mostly cannot participate in our tours. However, it also depends on the kind of disability, so it’s worth speaking with one of our tour managers about this in advance.