Ends of the world – Iberia

Ancient capitals, high passes and desert frontiers.

In the Caucasus, Iberia was not a peninsula. It was a kingdom.

Known as Kartli in Georgian tradition, ancient Iberia formed the eastern heart of Georgia — the world of early capitals, Christian monarchy, strategic roads and exposed frontiers.

This journey follows that eastern world from Tbilisi and Mtskheta to the high passes of the Greater Caucasus, the stone villages of Khevsureti, the remote valleys of Tusheti, the North Caucasian edge of Pankisi and the desert monasteries near Azerbaijan.

The route is built around places where Georgia becomes more severe and more revealing: mountain roads, fortified settlements, sacred cliffs, border valleys and dry landscapes where the country opens towards Asia.

This is not the postcard Caucasus. It is Georgia at the edge of roads, kingdoms and maps.

DAY 1

Tbilisi — gateway to Iberia

Arrival in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia and the natural starting point for a journey into the eastern world of ancient Iberia. This first day is deliberately light. The route ahead will lead through ancient capitals, mountain roads, fortified villages, high passes and  desert borderlands — so Tbilisi serves as an introduction, not a full city tour.

Depending on arrival time, we take a short walk through selected parts of the old city: streets, courtyards, river views and architectural layers that reveal Tbilisi as a capital shaped by trade, empire, religion and movement between worlds.

The evening is reserved for a welcome dinner and journey briefing. Over the table, we introduce the logic of the route: Iberia as the eastern heart of Georgia, from Mtskheta and the Christian monarchy to the high roads of the Greater Caucasus, Khevsureti, Tusheti, Pankisi and the desert monasteries near Azerbaijan.

Dinner and overnight in Tbilisi.

DAY 2

Mtskheta — the ancient heart of Iberia

After breakfast, we leave Tbilisi for Mtskheta, the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Iberia and one of the most important places in Georgian history. This is where the eastern world of Georgia begins to take shape: monarchy, Christianity, territory and political memory gathered around one landscape.

We begin at Jvari Monastery, set high above the meeting point of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers. From this hill, the old capital can be read through geography: rivers, roads, mountains and the routes that connected Iberia with the wider Caucasus. According to tradition, this is where Saint Nino raised the first cross, marking one of the decisive moments in the Christianisation of Georgia.  Jvari is not only a monastery. It is a visual statement of early Christian statehood: faith placed above the ancient capital, visible from the valley below. From Jvari, we descend into Mtskheta to visit Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, one of the great monuments of medieval Georgia. For centuries, this was the place of royal coronations and burials, a cathedral where church and monarchy stood visibly together. According to tradition, the Robe of Christ is also associated with this site, giving Svetitskhoveli a central place in Georgian religious memory.

Depending on timing, we may also visit Armaztsikhe, also known as Bagineti — the remains of the ancient royal citadel of Iberia. Before Christianity reshaped the political language of the kingdom, this was one of the major seats of power in eastern Georgia. The ruins remind us that Mtskheta was not only a Christian capital, but a much older centre of rule. The day closes the first chapter of the journey: Iberia as the ancient heart of eastern Georgia — a place where kingship, faith and geography began to form the political imagination of the country.

Return to Tbilisi.
Dinner and overnight in Tbilisi.

DAY 3

The northern corridor — Georgian military road to Kazbegi

After breakfast, we leave Tbilisi and travel north along the Georgian Military Road — one of the most important routes in the history of the Caucasus. This road was never simply scenic. For centuries, it connected eastern Georgia with the northern Caucasus and beyond. Merchants, armies, diplomats, pilgrims and imperial powers moved through this corridor. Whoever controlled the road controlled one of the key passages between the mountains and the Georgian heartland.

Our first major stop is Ananuri Fortress, the former stronghold of the Dukes of Aragvi. Set above the Zhinvali Reservoir, Ananuri controlled the route leading north from Kartli and protected one of the most sensitive approaches to Tbilisi. Its churches, towers and defensive walls show how power in the mountains was built through both architecture and terrain. We continue through the Aragvi Valley, where the road begins to climb towards the high Caucasus. Along the way, we may stop near the meeting point of the Black and White Aragvi — a striking natural place where two currents run side by side before merging.

Lunch is planned in Pasanauri, a mountain town closely associated with khinkali. Here, the dish belongs to its proper setting: practical, direct and shaped by the food culture of the highland road. Further north, the route rises towards Gudauri and the high passes of the Greater Caucasus. We stop at the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument, a Soviet-era structure set dramatically above the valley. Its location makes thepolitical geography of the Caucasus visible: beauty, altitude, ideology and borderland tension in one frame.

The road then crosses the Jvari Pass and continues towards Stepantsminda, set at the foot of Mount Kazbek. By evening, we arrive in Stepantsminda — one of the key settlements on Georgia’s northern edge. Dinner inspired by the mountain regions of northern Georgia.

Overnight in Stepantsminda.

DAY 4

Kazbegi — Gergeti, Truso and the northern gate

The morning begins in Stepantsminda, set beneath the powerful silhouette of Mount Kazbek. This day explores the northern edge of Georgia: not as a postcard mountain landscape, but as a frontier shaped by roads, passes, sacred places, mineral valleys and the long movement between the northern and southern Caucasus.

We begin with 4x4 vehicles up to Gergeti Trinity Church, one of the most recognisable sites in Georgia. Set high above the valley at more than 2,000 metres, the church stands against the vast background of Mount Kazbek and the high Caucasus. Its meaning goes far beyond the view. According to tradition, during times of danger, sacred objects and treasures were brought here for protection. Gergeti shows how naturally Georgian geography could become part of defence, faith and memory: the mountain was not scenery, but shelter.

From Gergeti, we continue into Truso Valley, one of the most striking landscapes in the region. The valley is known for mineral springs, travertine formations, abandoned settlements, defensive towers and wide highland spaces that feel close to the edge of the map. Here, the Caucasus becomes more severe and more exposed. Ruins such as Zakagori Fortress remind us that these valleys were never empty. They belonged to a world of movement, defence, migration and border control. In the afternoon, we continue towards Dariali Gorge, the dramatic northern gate of Georgia. This narrow passage of the Terek River has been one of the most important crossings through the Greater Caucasus since antiquity — a route of armies, traders, travellers, imperial ambitions and frontier tension.

Near the gorge, we visit Dariali Monastery Complex, standing close to the Georgian-Russian border. Its location makes the geography of the day clear: sacred architecture placed at one of the most strategic thresholds of the Caucasus.

By evening, we return to Stepantsminda.
Dinner inspired by the mountain food traditions of the region.
Overnight in Stepantsminda.

DAY 5

Khevsureti — the stone cities of the warriors

After breakfast, we leave Stepantsminda and begin the journey towards Khevsureti, one of the most remote and dramatic  mountain regions of eastern Georgia. This is where the route enters a different Caucasus. Unlike the open valleys of Kazbegi, Khevsureti feels narrower, harsher and more defensive. Roads climb through deep gorges, high passes and landscapes where villages were once built as fortresses, and architecture was shaped by the need to survive.

The journey itself is part of the day. Crossing towards Khevsureti, we move through mountain roads that reveal why this region remained so isolated for centuries. Here, geography was not background. It was protection, border, obstacle and identity. Our main destination is Shatili, one of the most extraordinary fortified settlements in the Caucasus. Built from stone towers and  connected defensive houses, Shatili stands like a mountain citadel at the edge of Georgia’s northern world.

For centuries, it guarded routes leading from the North Caucasus and functioned as both village and fortress. Its architecture explains the logic of Khevsureti better than any description: compact, vertical, defensive and deeply adapted to the terrain.
We walk through the stone complex, reading it as a place where daily life, clan structure, defence and frontier culture were built into one architectural form. Depending on road conditions and timing, we may continue further into the region or keep the afternoon focused on Shatili and the surrounding valley. The priority is not to rush through Khevsureti, but to understand the  character of this frontier world.

This is a long mountain transfer and one of the more demanding road days of the journey. The exact route may be adjusted depending on road conditions, weather and local access.

Dinner and overnight in Khevsureti / Shatili area.

DAY 6

Mutso, Anatori and the descent from Khevsureti

The morning begins in the high valleys of Khevsureti. After the fortified world of Shatili, we continue deeper into one of the most
dramatic landscapes of the eastern Caucasus — towards Mutso and the upper valleys near the borderlands of the North Caucasus. Mutso is one of the most striking medieval fortified settlements in Georgia. Built on a steep rocky slope above the valley, its towers and stone houses seem to grow directly out of the mountain. The settlement once guarded routes through this remote frontier, where architecture, clan life and defence were inseparable. Walking below the ruined towers, we see Khevsureti at its most severe: stone, height, silence and the logic of survival in a landscape where every village had to protect itself.If access and timing allow, we also visit Anatori Necropolis, one of the most haunting places in the region. The stone burial houses are connected with local memory of epidemic and self-isolation — a harsh reminder of how mountain communities faced danger, disease and death far from the structures of the lowland state.

This is not an easy or decorative part of Georgia. It is a frontier world where geography shaped behaviour, belief, architecture
and memory. In the afternoon, we begin the long descent from Khevsureti. The road crosses high mountain landscapes and gradually leaves behind the stone villages, narrow valleys and defensive architecture of the northern borderlands. By evening, we arrive in the Kakheti foothills — ideally in the Akhmeta, Alvani or Telavi area, depending on the final route arrangement. This positions us for the following day’s ascent towards Tusheti.

Dinner and overnight in Kakheti.

DAY 7

Tusheti — Abano pass and the high villages of Iberia

After breakfast, we leave Kakheti and begin one of the most demanding and spectacular mountain roads in Georgia: the route to Tusheti through the Abano Pass. This is not a simple transfer. The road climbs above the Alazani Valley, rising through forests, high pastures, exposed slopes and narrow mountain tracks before crossing the Abano Pass at almost 3,000 metres. For much of the year, this route is closed by snow, which is why Tusheti remains one of the most isolated regions of Georgia.

Crossing into Tusheti feels like entering another version of the Caucasus. Unlike the defensive stone compactness of Khevsureti, Tusheti opens into wide valleys, scattered villages, high ridges and mountain settlements that seem suspended between sky and pasture. The region was shaped by seasonal movement, pastoral life, clan memory and the constant negotiation between isolation and survival.

Our first major stop is Omalo, the historical centre of Tusheti. Above the village stands Keselo Fortress, a cluster of restored defensive towers that once protected the local community in times of danger. From here, the scale of Tusheti becomes clear: high valleys, remote houses, mountain roads and ridgelines stretching towards the North Caucasus.

Depending on road conditions and timing, we continue towards Dartlo, one of the most beautiful stone villages in the region. Its traditional houses, towers and historic council spaces reveal the social structure of Tusheti: a mountain world governed by local law, community decisions and strong codes of honour. If access allows, we may also visit nearby villages or viewpoints, but the priority is not to rush through Tusheti. The road, altitude and landscape are part of the experience.This day shows Iberia at its most remote: not the ancient capitals of the lowlands, but the high frontier communities that guarded, inhabited and interpreted the mountains in their own way.

Dinner in a local guesthouse, with food rooted in the pastoral traditions of Tusheti.
Overnight in Tusheti.

DAY 8

Pankisi — the north caucasian edge of Georgia

After breakfast, we leave the high valleys of Tusheti and begin the descent back through the Abano Pass. The road returns us from one of the most remote mountain worlds of Georgia to the wider landscapes of eastern Kakheti. Forests, high pastures, exposed slopes and river valleys gradually replace the stone villages and high ridges of Tusheti.

After crossing back into the lowlands, we continue towards Pankisi Valley — one of the most distinctive cultural borderlands in Georgia. Set at the foot of the Greater Caucasus, Pankisi is home to the Kist community, a group culturally connected with the peoples of the North Caucasus. The valley has its own rhythm, architecture, food traditions and memory, shaped by movement between Georgia and the northern mountain world. A walk through one of the villages introduces a different dimension of Iberia’s eastern edge: not the ancient capitals or Christian monuments, but a living frontier community where Georgian, North Caucasian and local traditions meet.

Depending on timing and local arrangements, the visit may include a familyhosted meal, conversation with local hosts or an  introduction to the cultural traditions of the valley. This day is designed as a controlled descent from the high Caucasus: still
active and road-based, but with a different rhythm after the intensity of Tusheti. It allows the journey to descend from the high Caucasus without losing the frontier theme that defines the route.

Dinner and overnight in Kakheti / eastern Georgia.

DAY 9

David Gareja — desert monasteries and the azerbaijani borderlands

After breakfast, we leave Kakheti and travel south towards one of the most unexpected landscapes of eastern Georgia. The green valleys and mountain roads give way to dry hills, open plains, eroded ridges and the semi-desert landscapes of the Gareja region.  After days spent in the high Caucasus, the change is striking: Georgia suddenly becomes wide, exposed and almost lunar.

Our destination is the David Gareja Monastery Complex, one of the most important rock-cut monastic landscapes of the Caucasus. Founded in the 6th century by Saint David, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers, the complex grewinto a world of caves,  chapels, cells and hermitages carved into the dry borderlands. This is Iberia at its desert edge. Here, faith was not built in the green valleys or mountain villages, but in solitude, heat, stone and silence. The landscape itself shaped the religious experience: cliffs, caves, wind, distance and the long horizon towards Azerbaijan.

Depending on access and border conditions, the visit may focus on the main monastery area and selected surrounding sites. If timing allows, we may also include Natlismtsemeli Monastery, a less visited and beautifully situated monastic site hidden among the red hills of the Gareja plateau. The day closes the journey with a final contrast: from ancient capitals to high passes, from fortified mountain villages to desert monasteries at the edge of the map.

In the evening, return to Tbilisi.
Farewell dinner and overnight in Tbilisi.

DAY 10

Tbilisi — departure

After breakfast, the journey comes to a close in Tbilisi. Depending on the flight schedule, there may be time for a final coffee, a short walk or a carefully chosen last stop — a bookshop, wine shop, artisan store or another quiet place connected with the themes of the journey. This is not another day of sightseeing.

The route has already taken us from the ancient heart of Iberia to the northern corridor of the Caucasus, the stone villages of Khevsureti, the high valleys of Tusheti, the North Caucasian edge of Pankisi and the desert monasteries near Azerbaijan.

Transfer to Tbilisi International Airport. Departure.