This is the long day: we leave at about 08:00 and are back at the hotel at about 19:00 to 19:30, with 6½ to 7 hours of that on the road. We stop at Ananuri Fortress on the Zhinvali reservoir, climb to Gudauri at about 2,200 m, then cross the Jvari (Cross) Pass, which is higher still, to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) and take a local 4x4 up to Gergeti Trinity Church, facing Mount Kazbek. We plan the day so that the pass and the hairpin bends below Gudauri are driven in daylight.
Halal options on this road are few, so lunch at Gudauri is reserved in advance (paid on the spot) and we confirm the restaurant with you before departure. If the Gudauri restaurant is closed for the season, we order a packed halal lunch from Tbilisi instead. We found no mosque on this road, so we stop at prayer times and carry prayer mats in the vehicle.
From November to mid-April the section beyond Gudauri depends on the pass being open on the day. From November to February the full day to Stepantsminda leaves Tbilisi by 08:00, keeps the Gudauri lunch stop to one hour and starts back from Stepantsminda no later than 14:30; that leaves about an hour and a quarter there, enough for the 4x4 ride up to Gergeti or for the town, not both. From December to March the day is planned as far as Gudauri (244 km, about 5½ hours of driving): if the pass is open, you choose on the day between longer snow time at Gudauri and continuing to Stepantsminda; we do not do both.
At about 6½ to 7 hours of driving, this day is longer than the 5 hours we normally plan as a daily ceiling; the December to March version, at about 5½ hours, is also slightly over. We keep it as a day return so that you stay in one hotel for the whole trip and are back in Tbilisi for the evening, close to the halal restaurants and the mosque. If you prefer a shorter day, ask for the version with 3 nights in Tbilisi and 1 night in Gudauri, which spreads the drive over two days.
Stops
Ananuri Fortress
A fortress with towers and churches on the shore of the Zhinvali reservoir; going inside the churches is optional.
- Time there
- about 40 minutes
- Opening and closures
- Opening days and hours are not published officially; checked on site before each trip
Gudauri
A stop at about 2,200 m for mountain views and lunch; in the snow season, time in the snow.
- Time there
- about 1½ hours with lunch; 1 hour from November to February when the day continues to Stepantsminda; 2–3 hours in the December to March version (Gudauri-only version)
- Opening and closures
- Lifts run in two seasons set by the operator (2026 summer from 18 July; 2025–26 snow season 27 December to 19 April; 2026–27 dates not yet announced). No lifts from late April to mid-July or from late September to late December, when restaurants and hotels can also be shut
- Booking
- Lunch reserved in advance by us and paid on the spot. If the Gudauri restaurant is closed for the season, we order a packed halal lunch from Tbilisi instead (also paid separately); this is confirmed before departure. Lift tickets, when the lifts run, are bought on the day on a physical card
Jvari (Cross) Pass and Stepantsminda (Kazbegi)
Over the pass, which is higher than Gudauri, to the small town beneath Mount Kazbek (5,054 m), which you see from a distance.
- Time there
- about 30 minutes in town
- Opening and closures
- The Gudauri–Kobi section over the pass can be closed to all vehicles because of avalanche risk (closures on 13 January and 10 February 2026). November to mid-April: reached only if the pass is open on the day
Gergeti Trinity Church
A hilltop church above Stepantsminda, at an altitude of about 2,200 m, reached by local 4x4; the visit is for the view, and going inside is optional.
- Time there
- about 1–1¼ hours including the 4x4 both ways (about 6 km each way)
- Opening and closures
- Opening hours are not published officially. Snow can block vehicle access in winter; 16 July (Gergetoba festival) is crowded
- Booking
- Local 4x4 arranged by us on the day
If a road or a site is closed
Pass closed or an avalanche warning in force: the day ends at Gudauri and we return by the same road, without attempting the section beyond. If the road up to Gudauri itself is restricted, or the weather is poor, we swap this day with Day 4; if it cannot run at all, a shorter outing to Ananuri and the Zhinvali reservoir replaces it, with the rest of the day in Tbilisi. Low cloud at Gergeti: we stay in Stepantsminda town and leave out the 4x4 ride. Running late: we turn back at the time set for the day, even if a stop has to be shortened or left out.
