Georgia Horse Riding Tour
Along with various thematic tours, Georgia is the best choice for horse riding lovers. Due to its unique geographical location, it is possible to organize various equestrian tours here. We can go horseback riding to the beautiful regions of the Great Caucasus mountains, such as Svaneti, Mtiuleti, Khevsureti or others. But if you have to look at only one region, we definitely recommend Tusheti. Horse riding in fantastic Tusheti fills us with positive emotions. The strong impressions obtained here, will remain in our memory for a long time.
Great elements of this tour
Fortified Town Sighnaghi
We will walk along the cobbled streets with colorful houses and balconies, enjoy the amazing view of the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains and valley of Alazani.
Outstanding nature of Tusheti
Medieval fortresses merge with breathtaking nature leaving every person who visits this province at least once with unforgettable impressions. Most impressive villages are Shenako, Diklo, Dartlo, Parma, Jvarboseli, Verkhovani.
Outstanding nature of Khevsureti
The architecture of the Khevsuretian villages confirms this: houses and towers are closely built to easily protect the village inhabitants from frequent attacks. Important villages are: Shatili, Mutso, Ardoti.
Day 1: Arrival
Arrive in Tbilisi and transfer to the hotel.
Day 2: Tbilisi
After a late breakfast, we start our Tbilisi sightseeing tour to get acquainted with the city. Walking through the historical part of the city and enjoying the unique combination of cultures. Meandering through the narrow streets of the city we will come-across various religious buildings: Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, Wooden houses built in the 19th century with colourful balconies, sulphur baths, the Narikala fortress.
Next, we take in the Georgian National Museum, where a great many intricate Georgian treasures are preserved. To finish up this introduction to the city we peruse Rustaveli Avenue which is the main central boulevard. The rest of the day is left for exploring Tbilisi further, tasting wine in one of the many wine-bars, and getting acquainted with Georgian cuisine in one of the many great restaurants in the city centre.
Day 3: Tbilisi - Sighnaghi - Kvareli
In the morning we take the road to the Kakheti region. This side of Georgia is considered the homeland of wine. However, apart from winemaking, Kakheti is distinguished by monuments of different periods and diverse nature. Here we will visit the fortified town Sighnaghi, which leaves a special impression with its beautiful streets and distinctive natural location. We will walk along the cobbled streets with colourful houses and balconies, enjoy the amazing view of the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains and the vast valley of Alazani.
A visit to Kakheti is improbable without a local family lunch. The tradition of generously hosting a guest is especially felt here. The kindness of the hosts, the immediacy, the taste of home-made dishes and wine create special emotions around the table. After lunch, we visit Gremi Architectural Complex. The viewer will easily get an impression of the greatness and strength of the old Gremi. At the end of the day, we will stay in Kvareli.
Day 4: Kvareli - Omalo
In the morning we follow the road to the fantastic Tusheti. Getting to know Tusheti starts from the road, which adds extra charm to the region with its beauty and extremity. Full of extremes and positive emotions, we arrive in Tusheti – a region with beautiful nature, medieval defensive and residential towers, and unusual traditions. Unique cultural heritage monuments, ancient settlements, folk handicrafts, or items of ancient culture are still preserved in Tusheti.
After a long drive, we will stay in the village of Omalo, which is the administrative center of Tusheti region.
Day 5: Omalo - Verkhovani
Today we take a beautiful route on horseback. We will cross the mountain ridge, from where we can see Piraketa Tusheti, Pirikita Tusheti, and Gometsari gorge. Then, we walk to the open pasture, which is full of intensely coloured wildflowers.
We reach the highest peak of the ridge (2950 m) and then descend to reach the car road. We will follow the car route to the end. We will have to cross the river Alazani on horseback. Our day ends in the village of Verkhovani, which is located at 1980 meters above sea level. (Duration of the horse riding tour is 6 hrs.; arrival time from the ridge is 35 minutes).
Day 6: Verkhovani - Parsma - Dartlo
From the morning we ride on horseback to Nakaicho Pass (2500 m). On horseback, we see the highest village of Tusheti – Dadikurta (2360 m). After climbing the peak we will start accessing the opposite Tusheti gorge. When we reach the end (1600 m), we can relax and have a picnic in this beautiful nature. Then we continue, visiting the village of Parsma, which is one of the magnificent villages in Tusheti. Slopes covered with cedars, poppies and chamomiles, slate-roofed houses, and old castle-towers add amazing beauty to the villages of Tusheti. Such a variety of flowers is rare if encountered in the world. It is easy to guess where the makers of Tush rugs get their inspiration from.
Then, we go through the village of Chesho on horseback to the village of Dartlo (1920 m). Dartlo architectural complex includes castle towers, burials, and churches. The historic buildings of the village date back to the late Middle Ages. The sixth day of the tour ends in this marvelous village. (Horse riding duration 5 hours; 1.30 hours for a steep trail from Nakaicho Pass).
Day 7: Dartlo - Diklo - Shenako - Omalo
On the seventh day of the trip we visit other beautiful villages of Tusheti. If we have the opportunity, in the morning we will see how the residents of the village Dartlo make cheese. Here is the ancient technology of making sheep cheese, the same as Guda cheese.
Then we will visit the villages of Diklo and Shenako on horseback. Both villages have preserved their authenticity and are distinguished by a special location. Diklo is the last village in Tusheti, Dagestan starts behind it. We will return to Omalo in the afternoon.
(Horse riding duration 5-5.30 hours; walking time 30 minutes).
Day 8: Omalo - Lake Oreti - Omalo
In the morning we start the journey from the village of Omalo, we will go to the village of Kumelaurta and the route will take us to the beautiful forest. We reach the small Oreti Lake, which is surrounded by beautiful mountains. From Lake Oreti we can enjoy the amazing views of the Great Caucasus and the village of Omalo.
We enjoy a picnic in the beautiful nature and return to Omalo for dinner. The last day spent in Tusheti ends in Omalo.
(Duration of the horse ride 5.30 hours; walking time 30 minutes after returning to Omalo).
Day 9: Omalo - Telavi - Tbilisi
In the morning we leave the flower-embroidered fields, bluish-green mountains, rocky outcrops and take the road to Telavi. We will have lunch in this historic city. Visiting the homeland of wine is incomplete without a visit to a family wine cellar. The Georgian traditional method of making Qvevri wine has the status of a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Site.
We are visiting a family cellar in one of the villages near Telavi. We will taste natural wines in the family cellar. Later we continue our journey to Tbilisi pleasantly drenched with wine. We can spend the last evening in Georgia pleasantly in a diverse Tbilisi, which will fully satisfy our interests.
Day 10: Departure
Transfer to the airport and departure.
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