North to Kazbegi and Upper Mtskheta-Mtianeti

This chapter explores Kazbegi, the highland area of Mtskheta-Mtianeti region that can be visited from Tbilisi as a self-contained trip. (For the southern part and the town of Mtskheta, see chapter 2.) It travels up the Georgian Military Highway through a soaring landscape at over 2,000 metres (6,652 feet) towards Stepantsminda, the town with panoramic views of Mount Kazbek that’s just a few kilometres from the borders with North Ossetia and Ingushetia. In good weather the resort town can be reached in three to four hours from Tbilisi, making these peaks more readily accessible than Svaneti or Tusheti.