Hotels in Kazbegi

Kazbegi: Gateway to the Greater Caucasus

Kazbegi (officially Stepantsminda) sits at 1,740 m elevation in northeastern Georgia, roughly 150 km from Tbilisi along the Georgian Military Highway. The town is framed by Mount Kazbek (5,047 m), one of the highest peaks in the Caucasus range. The defining image is the 14th-century Gergeti Trinity Church, perched at 2,170 m on a ridge above the Terek River valley — a 3–4 hour round-trip hike from town.

Who Visits and Why

Hikers, climbers, and landscape photographers make up most visitors. The summer season (June–September) draws trekkers targeting multi-day routes toward the Chaukhi Pass or base camps below Kazbek. Winter brings ski tourers and snowshoers. The town itself is small — a handful of guesthouses, local restaurants serving khinkali and churchkhela, and a central square anchored by a Soviet-era statue of poet Kosta Khetagurov.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Marshrutkas depart Tbilisi's Didube station daily; journey takes approximately 3 hours.
• Best season: July–August for high-altitude hiking; roads can close in heavy winter snowfall.
• Altitude: Pack warm layers — temperatures drop sharply after sunset even in summer.
• Permits: No special permit is required to hike to Gergeti Trinity Church, but climbing Kazbek requires registration with the Border Police.