National Park of Tusheti

National Park of Tusheti

National Park of Tusheti
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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles69 reviews
Excellent
60
Very good
7
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0
Poor
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1

DesertJay
Tucson, Arizona23 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Couples
I have been all over the world and the area is beautiful. However, the sheep dogs are grossly downplayed in guidebooks and by locals. We talked to a Dutch hiker who was stalked 6 times. He said he won’t be back. Today we were surrounded by them with their masters near. The sheepherders couldn’t control them. I don’t know how we got out without being bitten. We are leaving a day early as there isn’t much to do unless this is your idea of having fun. Had no problems in Stepandsminda and it was probably more beautiful. Locals are really nice but want to be able to do things outdoors.
Written June 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kelvin
Weert, The Netherlands11 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018 • Friends
Let's start with the road condition. Together with a friend I rented a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and rode to Omalo. The trip over the Abano pass is quite thrilling, but it is definitely doable. We were blessed with good weather on our departure. A clear blue sky and practically no fog. The road is practically always big enough to allow 1.5 - 2 vehicles to pass. On the moments we passed other vehicles we never ran into any trouble. But please beware, there is literally no safety on the edge of the road. This means that you are driving close to ravines. The road is very technical with a lot of 'hairpin bends' (I hope it's an English word). Always pay attention to your driving, never be distracted. I definitely discourage this trip to the faint hearted. Only do this if you trust your own driving skills! On our way back we were a bit less lucky... There was severe rain the days before. As a result of that, we had to depart two days later than planned. The Abano pass was blocked for almost the full first day, which meant for us it was too late to drive back (the taxis did depart). And the next day we were told it was very dangerous to return (but, the taxis did), which was a reason for us to delay one additional day. Regardless of our two days delay, the return was still considerably more dangerous. A lot of new waterfalls had emerged which made it all even more tricky. On top of that, a lot of thick fog allowing only a vision of 20 meters for several kilometers long. A big plus... You no longer saw the ravines. Unfortunately, we often had to use the 4x4 option of our car which we did not have to do on our trip towards Omalo. We really disliked our return trip, but were nevertheless very happy we went here. And, only do this with a high ground clearance vehicle. Don't even think of doing it with a regular car. With that being said... It's literally an extraordinary trip to undertake as self-drive. Always able to stop and enjoy the superb view. A big plus compared to being packed in a 'taxi' with 6 to 8 others. Good to know, plan at least 5 hours for your trip.

Now, something short about the hikes. The hikes you can undertake are wonderful. As of last year an organization created hiking routes. We got a map from our guest house. What we really liked about hiking here is that it is far from touristic, you are almost always alone during your hikes and the views are amazing. We really liked hiking to Diklo Fortress. A big plus! Hiking in Omalo is as hiking should be. It feels like an adventure, and not like you are just following a track.

In conclusion, if you have time in your itinery - I would say plan 2 days for travel and at least 2-3 full days for hikes - it's worth the trip. If you don't have much time, you should consider Kazbegi. It is very easy to reach and the hikes are the best. But beware, it's considerably more touristic (but still, just a fraction of the tourism in other famous hiking countries). That area was definitely the highlight from our 3.5 weeks Georgia.

Hope this helps :).

Cheers
Written August 23, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Olly O
Oxford, UK4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2014 • Couples
Some of the most stunning scenery and warmest hospitality I've ever experienced. Even getting there is an adventure. You can only visit between March and October when the 75km road over the mountains is clear. It clings to the steep mountainsides but if you're with an experienced driver it is fine. We used Aliko Kizilashvili - one of the safest drivers I've ever seen in my life, with a great landcruiser. He used to drive Kamaz trucks over the route so knows it very well. He was really helpful, friendly and responsible, and can be reached on (995) 599 111068 and (995) 557 681100. He also helped us to arrange accommodation with families in Dartlo (ask for Marika's guesthouse) and Upper Omalo - food and drink were great and abundant in both places, and Marika made us a packed lunch for walking. Tusheti needs minimum three days including the journey and longer is better.
Written February 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

stanwix1960
Carlisle, UK53 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2014 • Friends
Tusheti is amazingly beautiful, geographically remote but you can get there in a day from Tbilisi. We stayed for a night in Mirgvella guest house just pas Omalo which was fabulous. Marshrutka from Tbilisi to Telavi then local taxi to Alvani where we met the 4WD taxi -Tito, who was a very safe driver, tel 599 40 49 34 though this was sorted by the guest house in advance to save time. the 4WD is 200 lari or so for whole thing, so cheaper if you can share. Walked past beautiful villages - worth detouring to up to Chesho where there was another guest house run by Kato/Katerina,first house in the village. Food and hospitality if these two houses was superb, especially how remote it feels.The higher valley above Chesho which lead to Shatili over a high pass changes in character - wilder, open valleys and mountains and more deserted medieval? towers. Superb. Guest houses are in several villages so trekking in this area can be made quite comfortable. We walked with a tent over to Shatili which was a hard slog but camping in the high valleys is another treat if you have the gear, maps etc.
Written July 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Smallfishbigworld
Gran Canaria, Spain163 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Arriving to Tusheti is a an art of patience. Unless you have your own 4wd and good skills, you will need to hire someone with one to bring you here (average cost 200 Lari or if more than 4 people, 50 per person). It takes 4-5 hours to arrive here from Telavi (normal starting point). If you go on your bicycle with panniers is a challenging experience but totally worth it. From our point of view the best place to stay is lower Omalo, wider area and pretty unless you want to stay really close to the fortified houses on Upper Omalo. I do not recommend staying in the towns after Omalo (next valley), unless you are doing a long tour. From Lower Omalo to Upper Omalo it takes an hour at good pace walking up. IMPORTANT: if you walk early, close to houses BE CAREFULL with the dogs, they use to get out of the house and start chasing you. Normally a few rocks and shouts will stop them, but be ready to run. The place is fantastic to relax for 2-3 Days, with no much to do than drinking room temperature beer and wine (no fridge around...). You can stay in guesthouses or camping around. There is a standard price and most places, but not ALL accomodations are the same. Check them on the website of Tusheti or reviews here. You will love the place. #smallfishbigworld.
Written July 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Medina A
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2017 • Family
If you plan to visit tusheti national park I wanna give you advice. You can contact tusheti national park administration center and they give you all information about tusheti. from my experience I was called Giorgi Tsikaradze he made tour for our group. contact information you can see here tusheti national park contact info
Written January 31, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Avi G
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2015 • Couples
We did the three day circuit, starting and ending in lower Omalo. On the first day we made our way to our afternoon stop in Dartlo, where a group of friendly Georgians treated us to some watermelon and way too much Chacha. After that we had some lunch in a place outside the village and pressed on to Chesho, where we intended to sleep. However, since we got there before 3pm we decided to press on to Pharsma, which is right next to the bridge that has to be crossed on the second day. The map doesn't have a marking of a guesthouse there, but someone we'd spoken to the night before told us his group had slept there. As it happened, we arrived there at just the wrong timing! The place was almost deserted, and there was no one able to host us since all the mattresses had been removed. Apparently the whole village travels down to the lowlands before winter. By this time it was an hour before dark. Thankfully, there was another village called Girevi less than an hour away, so we slept there. The only thing about this was that we ended up walking about 40 minutes of "extra" distance, since we had to go past the bridge on the wrong side of the river bank, and return the same way the next day in order to cross it.
The second day we crossed the bridge and started our ascent to the pass. It's a long and steep climb, but not technically difficult and very possible for anyone reasonably fit. The view from the top is fantastic! The descent however is poorly marked and we completely lost our way. In the end we wound up trudging down the steep hills with only patches of grass trampled by sheep and cattle reassuring us that if this wasn't *the* way down, it was at least a *possible* way down. It was painful for the knees, but in the end we made it. Ultimately when we got the Verkhovani we found out the right way was through the gorge that was to our left when we began descending. Still a very fun day overall.
Many people catch a ride on the third day back to Omalo, since the entire way is on a dirt road. However, we decided to walk and did not regret it, since the weather was lovely and the views fantastic.

Overall this is a highly recommended hike which is well worth the effort of travelling to Tusheti. The views are spectacular, the trail is a lot of fun, and I would also add that the hospitality was as good as it could possibly be. Apart from the circuit, there is also a possibility of horse riding (or walking) to Diklo, which we didn't do but I understand to be lovely.

Cheers!
Written June 20, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

las644
prague50 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Couples
It is an amazing part of Caucasus. When I was there, it was still much less touristy than other parts, partly because it was quite difficult to reach. It was definitelly worth if though. Different than Svaneti or Kazbegi - steep meadows with typical towers
Written May 26, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wild_at_heart_50
Stockholm, Sweden27 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Friends
I have been to the Tusheti region in the Georgian moutains two summers in a row now. It is truly the most enchanting, magical place. The villagers are friendly, proud and amazing horsepeople. I have been riding, and it is like ewandering through a post card. The beuaty is overwhelming.

I have stayed at a very small guset hoese namned Tusheti Tower. The owners son can be reached on FB on a page called Wild Tusheti. You get wonerful home cooked melas three times a day for not more than around 25 euros, including room. Go, before large scale tourism starts.
Written August 5, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

evelinand
41 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Friends
Real hidden pearl of Georgia. Getting there is a bit uncomfortable and requires about a 5-hour drive from Telavi on a good 4WD, but it's well worth the effort. With truly amazing views, Tusheti is excellent for trekking or horseback tours. Maps of the area are unfortunately quite poor, but the visitor's center is currently working on improving that situation. As the hills are quite steep, it's probably not best for hiking with small kids.
Written July 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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