# Kazbegi + Juta

Georgia · The Greater Caucasus · Guide 001

Five days in the mountains

August — September 2026

Published 2026-09-16T00:00:00Z

Some of the best things in life are found in the most unexpected places.

![View of Mount Kazbegi](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/e4b82bb9cd69a7f079635c217cb2037875e3f5cd-640x360.jpg)

We came all this way and found somewhere that felt like home.

Mountains are always a good enough reason for us to pack up our things and head towards them for some time unplugged. Did we expect that reason to land us in Georgia? Absolutely not, but here we were, deep in the Caucasus Mountains of Kazbegi and Juta. You'd think we'd choose somewhere a bit more familiar like Switzerland or the Dolomites, but something about going a little further off the beaten path felt more exciting to us. And we're beyond grateful we did.

We hopped off our plane at Tbilisi International Airport, picked up our rental car, and immediately hit the road. The drive takes about 3.5 hours from the city, but it feels a lot shorter because of the views. It starts with glimpses of Tbilisi and its old Georgian architecture before quickly opening up into pastures of grass. We passed trucks with watermelons overflowing from the back, cows and wild mountain dogs roaming around together, and locals selling wine by the jug on the roadside. (Did you know Georgia is considered the birthplace of wine?) Every time we opened our windows, the smell of fresh, hot bread filled the car. Eventually, that smell turned into the moist, fresh green air the mountains bring when they greet you at their foothills.

![One of the very many trucks overflowing with watermelons along our route](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/e2b12fe271f95aefb2dbf6d8da4c2dc5ed2cf8ad-2048x2048.jpg)

And then boom. We arrived in Kazbegi. We did arrive in the evening, so the first thing we did was check into our stay and go straight to bed. But by the time the sun came back out, we woke up to one of the most beautiful views we'd ever seen. So obviously, we rushed to get ready, falling over our hiking gear before racing each other to the car to make it to our first hike.

![The road entering Kazbegi](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/aff0c92e8ac76ebf2a3dfbcf8cef9a8433a7ba40-1536x1536.jpg)

![A mountain dog standing outside of abandoned building at Truso Valley](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/f931e8bf05e4a29f38b053d02e7380a2500f3a6f-1536x2048.jpg)

The end point of this hike was Gergeti Trinity Church. Now... we're not really the type of people who love going to see landmarks because most of the time, they feel a bit too touristy. But my god, the surrounding landscape and location of this church blew us away and made the crazy elevation gain of the hike so worth it. There were sweeping views of the mountain range all around us, with wild horses and dogs roaming through the greenest pastures. The best part? They were all friendly. This was the first time we'd ever run into wild horses on a mountain that didn't mind being pet at all. The sweetest and most magnificent creatures. You could not get us to stop talking about them for the rest of the day, well into dinner and bedtime.

![A view of the Gergeti Trinity Church](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/a437815f61382c614deb2925aea7473d91185da3-1206x1580.jpg)

![Horses along the Monestary Loop Hike in Kazbegi](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/bd7763d2a3903d11d53a75b2a6b1bbedd436d844-1536x2048.jpg)

![Lauren standing in front of the mountains and rolling hills near the Gergeti Trinity Church](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/5e39d0c77ccff9953262b6330d4e562fd48a215c-2048x2048.jpg)

The rest of our time in Kazbegi moved at a much slower pace. A mix of hiking, driving through valleys, eating really well, and constantly pulling the car over because we'd either see an insane view of the mountains or a cow simply wouldn't move off the road. You can try all sorts of methods like “Hey, buddy!!” or honking your horn, or maybe Mango’s unsuccessful method of busting out expressive dance moves to try to lure them away, but they won't listen... until an old Georgian man walks by and simply grunts at them. It's their mountain! We're just here to abide by their rules.

Life in Kazbegi looks comfortable. Everyone has their job. Everyone seems to know how everything moves. A market owner will greet a local tour guide as if they've known each other since grade school. At restaurants, they'll take chacha shots together (Georgian brandy) and then offer everyone else, including us, a shot as well. Being around this energy made us feel like we, too, were part of a larger family that was proud of who they are and where they come from. Kazbegi felt like a warm, familiar embrace. Could it be that the energy within mountains knows no difference, regardless of location?

![A view from Restaurant Tiba](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/d369fa48f237980c1e462f144e0b63c5b60f8469-1772x1772.jpg)

![Cows on the side of the road](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/140e53376fe6abc4c26bc3cbfe59c0bf2e69703c-2048x2048.jpg)

And then there was Juta. Nestled in the valley beneath the Chaukhi Pass, we found ourselves in this tiny village marveling at the 360-degree views of rolling green mountains and wild horses running in packs. Fathers teaching their sons how to herd the horses, grandmas talking loudly amongst themselves while baking fresh khachapuri, and the smell of the river in the air as it rushed through the valley beneath our feet. We both teared up a few times because our senses were so overwhelmed.

We got on horseback and were led to a lake higher up in the mountains, ate at a local cafe, and best of all, ditched our car on the side of the road to hitchhike a ride from a random Georgian man who knew the mountain roads better than we did. And before anyone panics, yes, we got our car on the way back, and it is totally normal to do this!

![A view from Chaukhi Lake of the rolling hills of Juta Valley](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/d32833b2ec10a82d9c0b931424ccba6ea1ed438a-1536x2048.jpg)

![Chaukhi Lake nestled in the green pastures of the valley](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/8fc62b1741df869ae79bfd7a781f0289a78556be-1536x2048.jpg)

![My hands on my horse's reign while sitting on the horse](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/64d0a7d7809cba2e5a5a517525247a711628850a-2048x2048.jpg)

By the time we left, we understood why we had ended up here. Some of the best things in life are found in the most unexpected places, and our decision to choose the road less traveled felt like a reflection of that. Kazbegi and Juta made sure of it. These are the places that leave enough room to be surprised and test how willing you are to allow nature to shape your days. We came all this way for the mountains, but somehow left feeling even more certain that we'll always find a little bit of home within them.

![A view of the mountains](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sjtgzsa3/production/dc4ce50abcaa5efba80082098c68effed6ef7314-2730x1536.jpg)

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