GE · Mtskheta-Mtianeti · 42.66°N 44.65°E

kazbegi (stepantsminda)

A hilltop church below Mount Kazbek, with mountain walks straight from the valley.

Best time
June–September is best for valley walks and higher trails, though snow can linger into June. November–March is a snowy winter trip, and the road over the Jvari Pass sometimes closes.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop to Tbilisi, usually via Istanbul, Dubai or Doha, about 13–16 hours all in. Kazbegi is about 3 hours north of Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Road, over the Jvari Pass.
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GE · Mtskheta-Mtianetikazbegi (stepantsminda)42.66°N 44.65°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,A hilltop church below Mount Kazbek, with mountain walks straight from the valley.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingKazbegi (Stepantsminda)GE, Mtskheta-Mtianeti
KLkazbegi (stepantsminda)
≈ 7,129 km from KL, as the crow flies
View of Stepantsminda town in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of north-eastern Georgia, seen from Hotel Memoir Kazbegi.

Photo: This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote. Feel free to use any of my images, but please mention me as the author and may send me a message. (สามารถใช้ภาพได้อิสระ แต่กรุณาใส่เครดิตผู้ถ่ายและอาจส่งข้อความบอกกล่าวด้วย) Please do not upload an updated image here without consultation with the Author. The author would like to make corrections only at his own source. This ensures that the changes are preserved.Please if you think that any changes should be required, please inform the author.Otherwise you can upload a new image with a new name. Please use one of the templates derivative or extract. · CC BY 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Kazbegi is the name most people use for Stepantsminda, a small mountain town below the glaciers of Mount Kazbek. The church-on-a-hill view is real, and staying the night gives you the best chance of seeing the peak clear of cloud.

Makan

  1. KhinkaliThis is khinkali country. The mountain version is often beef or lamb with herbs, but pork is common too, so ask.Map ↗
  2. LobioBean stew in a clay pot, with mchadi cornbread.Map ↗
  3. KhachapuriCheese bread, the easy meal after a long walk.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Gergeti Trinity ChurchA 14th-century church alone on a ridge above town, with Kazbek behind it.Map ↗
  2. JutaA high village at the end of a side valley, with an easy walk towards the jagged Chaukhi peaks.Map ↗
  3. Gveleti waterfallA short walk up a side valley near the Dariali Gorge.Map ↗
  4. Truso ValleyMineral springs, travertine pools and abandoned stone villages, best with a driver and guide.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Stay at least one night; Kazbek is often clearest at dawn and hidden by afternoon.
  • Halal meat is hard to find here. Guesthouses will cook bean, cheese and vegetable dishes if you ask ahead; check the beans aren't cooked with pork.
  • The walk on past Gergeti to the glacier is a long, steep mountain day, not an add-on to the church.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.