Mount Kazbegi is the highest peak in Eastern Georgia, located just south of the border with Russia. The Trinity Church in the Kazbegi mountain is also well known as the closest church to heaven in the world situated at an elevation of 2170m from sea level.
How to go?
If you have only limited days in Georgia but still want to go to Kazbegi, going on a tour starting from the capital Tbilisi should be the most convenient and time-saving way. You will have an expert director to guide you to the Kazbegi including the stopping over many must-see spots at the most productive schedule in one day.
We booked a Kazbegi day-trip tour meeting up from the center in Tbilisi, which offers a whole day ban leading you to the Jinvali Water Reservoir, Ananuri Fortified Castle Ensemble, Russian Georgian Friendship Monument, Gergeti Trinity Church and safely drive you back home in Tbilisi. The tour usually costs 25-40$, and the 4WD car from Kazbegi to Gergeti church is 20GEL(about 6$) at your option.
For people whose budget is tight but who are adventurous, the MARSHRUTKA MINIVAN (shared taxi) is affordable and optional, it is only 15GEL/person. Most taxis depart from the central station 11 times daily, taking 3-4 hours. The other day, we tried to use this minivan going to Uplistskhe, and we had so much difficulty finding the specific minivan from the crowd of buses that go to your destination with the language barrier. Don't give up on asking people around. They may not look very friendly but they should help you out.
Must-Do Activities in Kazbegi
On the way to Kazbegi
We took a tour to see some historical spots along the way to Kazbegi. Unfortunately, the weather was not perfect with showers raining and cold which made me stop getting out of the van at some points. But if you are lucky, you will hopefully get a perfect landscape photograph of the wonderful lake, Jinvali Water Reservoir, constructed in the Soviet era in the 1980s, and it has been supplying essential water for the citizens of Tbilisi.
Keep driving through the Georgian Military Road, we headed to the Anauri Fortified Castle Ensemble, a castle of the Eristavis of Aragvi in the 13th century. The castle is located along the river connected to the Jinvali Lake, so people also enjoy camping and some water activities out there (if the weather is good).
After lunch, the tour led us to one of the main courses, the Russian Georgian Friendship Monument. When we reached there, the entire wall was fully covered in fog, but catching the moment the fog went away, I was impressed by how mysteriously majestic it towered over the place. This huge monument was built in 1983 to commemorate the bilateral friendship between Georgia and Russia. Two nations now stand independently throughout the many decades of wars and armed battle histories, however, this overcoming historical challenges cannot be simply forgotten as just one of their their histories for this nation. Unspokenly, I could sense that people still have a strong aversion towards Russia, through the street paintings, conversations with the taxi driver, and related news on the local newspapers.
After about a 30-minute drive from the Russian Georgian Friendship Monument, we finally reached the Stepantsminda village, in the Kazbegi municipality. Most tours would charge you an extra 20GEL for shifting to a 4WD car which takes you to the top of the hill where the Kazbegi Trinity Church is located by saving your limited time. It was already around 5 pm, so the tour was rushed into the church, however, we dropped off the tour to spend overnight in Kazbegi.
Where to Stay in Kazbegi
The most popular and convenient area is Spantsminda village where you can find budget accommodation such as guest houses and luxury hotels and have various types of cafes, restaurants, and supermarkets. I will never forget the speechless view of the mountains, hitting by the sun rising in the morning, while having a wonderful breakfast.
Kazbegi Trinity Church
If you are an adventurous hiking lover enjoying the time of walking across the spectacular scenery of nature, I would highly recommend taking a hike, not the car. The Trinity Church was built in the 14th century. Apart from the religious purpose, in the time of the Persian invasion of Tbilisi in the 18th, this place was started to be used to save people and treasures by the invaders because they barely marked it as their target. In the 1990s, the Georgia Orthodox took this church back from the Soviet Union which took control by prohibiting the religious services and shutting it down at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, this historic architecture is a must-visit destination for travelers visiting Georgia. The view from the top surrounded by the Caucasus Mountains is absolutely breathtaking and a visual delight.
We walked back to the Spantsminda area for another 40 minutes and found a taxi pool heading to Tbilisi. The minivan runs frequently every hour (but it will NOT depart until it has full passengers) and costs only 15GEL. Differing from the tour, the shared van does not stop even for a short refreshing break in the middle of the way to Tbilisi, and it takes around 2 hours.
