Day 1 - Arrival in Tbilisi
Riding: No riding.
You will be met on arrival at Tbilisi airport and transferred to your hotel. Flights usually arrive late/midnight so you may wish to add an extra day/night to recover. We can book additional nights for you at the same hotel (please just ask).
Please note that transfers are only included if you arrive after midday on Day One or into the early hours of Day Two. If you arrive before midday (or very early in the morning on Day One) then you are advised to book a hotel night for the previous night so that you have somewhere to go on arrival. We can book the hotel for you, but you will need to organise a taxi to get yourself there on arrival. This can be done easily via the "Bolt" app (similar to Uber).
Day 2 - Tbilisi - Kakheti - Alvani
Riding: No riding.
You will be collected from your hotel at c 9:30am and driven to the Kakheti region. This historical region contains some interesting sites which you can stop and view en-route. Firstly you visit Shuamta - there is Old Shuamta (three churches from the 6th and 7th century) and New Shuamta (a church and nunnery from the 16th century with well preserved frescoes). You visit New Shumta only and then continue by road to Telavi which is the main city within the Kakheti region. Here you have c. 1 hour to walk around the colourful market or perhaps visit the fortress of King Erekle II.
After a picnic lunch you are transferred to Tsinandali where you visit a historic winery which once belonged to the 19th century aristocratic poet, linguist and wine-maker Alexander Chavchavadze (1786-1846). You visit both the beautiful house and the gardens.
You finish your sightseeing with a visit to Alaverdi cathedral. This cathedral for pagan worship was built in the 6th century and rebuilt in the 11th century. It was the highest cathedral during the Soviet period and the architecture of the edifice is typical of the region.
Eventually you reach Alvani, a small village at the foot of the Caucasus mountains. Here you are welcomed by a Tush family and spend the night in their home. Before/after dinner you will re-pack your belongings into waterproof sacks which can be carried by the pack horses - your remaining luggage will stay here for safe-keeping until you return from your riding trail.
Please note: the toilet is a long-drop (hole) in the back garden. There is one (shared) bathroom with a hot shower. Rooms are dormitory style.
Day 3 - Alvani - Tusheti
Riding: No riding.
After breakfast you set off in a 4WD vehicle into the Tusheti region but ascending the path which was carved into the rocks after the second world war. You drive over Abano Pass at 2,926m which marks the border between the Kakheti and Tusheti regions and offers spectacular views across both. Eventually you reach Omalo, the main village with the Tusheti national park at 2,000m.
Continue by road until eventually you reach the remote Tush village of Borchona. The view from the village is spectacular. Your accommodation for the night is a typical village house which has no comforts but is very authentic. There are no bathrooms and the toilet is a simple external long-drop.
Day 4 - Borchorna
Riding: 6 - 7 hours
A circular ride from Borchorna and returning to Borchorna for a second night. Ride on horseback to visit secluded villages within the Tusheti region. There is possibly one opportunity to trot or canter. You will spend c. 1.5 hours on foot alongside your horse.
Paganism was still present in the Caucasus region until the middle of the 20th century and many altars still remain in Tusheti, with some divinities such as Otchopintre (God of nature) and Elia (God of weather) still honoured.
Day 5 - Borchorna - Gometsari
Riding: 7 hours
Leave Borchorna behind and ride up a crest from where you have great views of the Tusheti region. You spend the whole day riding on the roof of the Caucasian range at c. 3,000m (highest point being almost 3,300m). Your camp location is decided on the day, depending on local weather conditions but will be at an elevation of c. 2,700m. No trot/canter opportunities and c. 2hrs on foot.
Day 6 - Gometsari - Zovata
Riding: 6 hours
You start the day on foot, descending for c. 30 minutes. Continue riding through the Gometsari valley and then cross another pass into Zovata valley. Today you will need to mount and dismount many times for some technical sections. No trot/canter possibilities and c. 2 hours on foot. Overnight in camp.
Day 7 - Zovata - AZ Valley
Riding: 6 - 7 hours
Ride uphill more than 900m elevation to a pass which leads to the beautiful AZ valley. Ride alongside the river through some very wild landscapes. You may have to dismount a few times before reaching camp which is beside the river. No trot/canter possibilities and c. 2 hrs on foot.
Day 8 - AZ Valley - Saidumlo
Riding: 6 hours
Ride up to a third pass, ascending 800m. Once at the top you walk down through some beautiful gorges before riding down into the valley and setting up camp near Saidumlo. No trot/canter possibilities and c. 2 hrs on foot.
Day 9 - Saidumlo - Pirikiti Valley
Riding: 6 - 7 hours
Ride to the Pirikiti valley which contains several Tush villages. The first inhabited one is Girevi. Visit Parsma and ride through Tchecho and set up camp between Parsma and Dartlo near the river. There are some difficult passages today, with some pathways carved into the rock alongside the ravine. You should have some previous mountain experience to complete this itinerary. No trot/canter possibilities and c. 1 hour on foot.
Day 10 - Pirikiti Valley - Borchorna
Riding: 5 - 6 hours
Visit the village of Dartlo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and ride up the Mirgvella pass to Omalo, arriving late in the day. You can visit the fortress and some other places of interest. Say farewell to your horses and spend the night in a traditional Tush house in Borchorna. Some possibilities to trot/canter and c. 1 hour on foot.
Day 11 - Borchorna - Alvani
Riding: No riding.
Say your farewells before being transferred back downhill to Alvani. You will welcome the shower and being reunited with your luggage and clean clothes!
If time allows you can visit the complex of Alaverdi - built on the site of Pagan worship, this cathedral was built in the 6th century and then re-built in the 11th century. It was the highest cathedral during the Soviet Union period and the architecture is typical of the region.
Dinner and overnight with the family in Laliskhuri again.
Day 12 - Alvani - Tbilisi
Riding: No riding.
After breakfast you are driven back to Tbilisi, aiming to arrive in the early afternoon. You are then free to explore the city, which is surprisingly chic and interesting. Dinner is in a local restaurant where your guide will choose specialities for you to try. You can choose your own wine this evening from some wonderful Georgian vineyards. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 13 - Departure
Riding: 1 hours
You will be transferred to the airport for your flight home, which is likely to depart in the early hours. Transfers are included provided your flight departs before 8 pm. Many flights depart in the early hours (c. 3 am) and this is fine on Day 13, but you'd have to organise a taxi for the transfer if your flight departed in the early hours of Day 14.
NB. The itinerary may have to alter depending on mountain and weather conditions but always with your best interests at heart.
Note: All programmes and itineraries are weather dependent; in the face of adverse, or unexpected, weather conditions reasonable attempts will be made to provide equivalent riding. All programmes are accurate at the time of writing. However, the team may adapt or modify details, whilst aiming to provide a similar experience.
