Kazbegi (Stepantsminda)

Fame comes to this mountain town, set along the Georgian Military Road, from Gergeti Trinity Church below Mount Kazbek.

Kazbegi (Stepantsminda)
Photo: Аліна Семенець, CC BY-SA 4.0

Attractive locations

Gergeti Trinity Church

14th-century church on a high ridge, with the snowy peak of Mount Kazbek rising behind it. Visitors reach it by a steep hike or a 4x4 ride, and should dress modestly.

Mount Kazbek

Snow-capped dormant volcano on the border with Russia, one of the best-known peaks in the Caucasus. Climbing it is a serious high-altitude trip for experienced mountaineers with a guide.

Darial Gorge

Narrow, steep-sided gorge cut by the Terek River at the border with Russia. The road along it follows an old route through the mountains, and a monastery stands near the gorge entrance.

Truso Valley

Green valley with a river, abandoned villages and towers, and orange travertine terraces fed by mineral springs. A walking trail follows the valley, making a rewarding day trip from Stepantsminda.

Chaukhi

Jagged massif of rock spires above the Juta valley, a favourite of hikers and climbers. A day walk from the village reaches alpine lakes and views of the high ridge.

Ananuri Fortress

Fortified complex beside a reservoir on the Georgian Military Road, with towers, walls and two churches. It was home to local rulers and is a common stop on the way north.

Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument

Circular stone monument with colourful mosaics on a cliff edge above the road near Gudauri, built in Soviet times. Its viewing platform looks over a deep, wide valley.

Airports

Tbilisi International Airport TBS

Tbilisi, Georgia

It is about 113 km in a straight line from Kazbegi (Stepantsminda).

Scams and safe taxis

Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Georgia (Caucasus) page

Weather by month

Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.

  • Jan-9.6 °C38 mm
  • Feb-8.6 °C32 mm
  • Mar-4.3 °C55 mm
  • Apr1.0 °C65 mm
  • May6.9 °C89 mm
  • Jun11.4 °C89 mm
  • Jul14.5 °C62 mm
  • Aug14.5 °C55 mm
  • Sep10.0 °C54 mm
  • Oct4.5 °C60 mm
  • Nov-2.1 °C44 mm
  • Dec-7.2 °C33 mm

Driest months: Jan, Feb, Dec. Wettest months: Apr, May, Jun.

Long-term averages from NASA POWER; the area covered is large, so local weather can differ.

Costs

Prices here are about 33% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.

Who can help

Emergency

112 for police, fire and ambulance.

local government

Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA)

Helps with: Georgia's national tourism body. Its Georgia Travel website lists a hotline and an office in Tbilisi for visitor questions and feedback.

Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Georgia or planning a trip there.

Phone: *9898

Email: feedback@georgia.travel

Address: 4 Sanapiro Street, 0105 Tbilisi

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

ngo

Georgia Red Cross Society

Helps with: Georgia's national Red Cross society. Its website describes first aid training, disaster management work, social day centres and a volunteer network.

Who qualifies: People in Georgia who need its first aid, disaster or social services.

Phone: +995 32 2 501 105

Address: 71 Vazisubani Street, Tbilisi

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

un agency

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Georgia

Helps with: The UN migration agency. Its Georgia office supports national migration management and border management, and its offices run a Safe Migration Hotline and assisted voluntary return enquiries.

Who qualifies: Migrants and people planning to migrate. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.

Phone: +995 577 251115

Email: iomtbilisi@iom.int

Address: 12 Tengiz Abuladze Street, 1st Lane, 0162 Tbilisi

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

embassy

Foreign embassies in Georgia (official Diplomatic List)

Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The Georgian foreign ministry's Diplomatic List (August 2026) lists the missions in Tbilisi and those based abroad.

Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own country's embassy or consulate.

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

local government

Emergency number 112 (police, ambulance and fire)

Helps with: Reaches the police, ambulance and fire services in Georgia. The number comes from UK government travel advice.

Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.

Phone: 112

Source · checked 2026-11-04

See all information for Georgia (Caucasus)