Mountaineering in Georgia - Kazbek (5054 m)
Last available spot!
The trip to the mountains has long been yours on the bucket list Have you ever wondered? Or are you an old fish who has been to enough mountains in the Alps, but hasn't climbed 5000 m yet? Then Kazbek is your next goal!
Kazbek (or Mkinvartsveri, 5054 m) is located on the border of Georgia and Russia and is one of the highest mountains in the Caucasus Mountains there. When climbing to the top, you can walk on a hiking trail, pebbles, snow, ice and glacier. If you take it seriously, even an athletic beginner can manage to climb to the top. The Kazbek mountain trip is also worth considering for those mountain enthusiasts who have already been to some peaks, but would like to gain experience in moving in a ropeway, crossing a glacier and using a pickaxe. And of course, we should not forget that this trip comes with good Georgian cuisine, which we can enjoy before and after the mountain!
Who is this trip for?
Beginners in good athletic shape, mountaineering enthusiasts
Mountain enthusiasts who have already climbed mountains here and there, but have not reached 5000+ meters
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: Kazbek Peak (5054 m)
Dates: 7.-16.08.2026
Activity: mountain hiking and climbing on snow and glaciers
Adventure guide: Kaarel Kuslap
Technical difficulty level: 2/5 (suitable for beginners; crampons-pickaxe-ropes on the snow slope and on the glacier)
Route difficulty: PD (suitable for beginners; includes steeper snow slopes)
Physical difficulty: 3/5 (requires good physical fitness)
Group size: min 6, max 10 (+ 2 guides)
TRIP PRICE: €1790
NB! Elamus+ community members get a 5–10% discount. Read more and check your discount eligibility. community members page.
👉 SEE EQUIPMENT LIST HERE 👈
Travel cost
Price includes - the complete mountain program and all related activities:
The entire trip is organized and guided on-site by an EKR3-certified mountaineering instructor with experience on Kazbek.
Local transportation in Georgia (from the airport down the mountain and back)
All overnight stays during the trip (hotels in Stepantsminda village and Tbilisi city with breakfasts; camping fees on the mountain)
Breakfast and dinner on the mountain (high-quality MEKI camping food)
Special climbing equipment for the group (ropes, ice augers, and other glacier equipment)
Stylish Elamus+ sports shirt for each participant
Group pharmacy (including high-altitude medications)
Health assessment + pulse oximeter use
elamus+ mountaineering preparation package worth €250:
access to online mountaineering webinars;
personal 30 min online call with the tour guide;
winter mountaineering training day before the trip*;
Summer trial trip/training before the trip*.
*Held once a year in Estonia — participation depends on the time of registration.
The price does not include:
Flight tickets Riga/Tallinn-Tbilisi-Tallinn/Riga (including luggage €350-400)
Insurance (travel insurance and mandatory mountain hiking insurance) sports insurance)
Personal hiking and climbing equipment (can be rented also from us)
Transport of equipment up the mountain from Stepantsminda by jeeps and horses (optional if you can't carry the backpack yourself)
Tents and cooking equipment (a set per tent)
Meals outside the mountain (in Stepantsminda village, Tbilisi and on the road)
Lunch snacks for the mountain or if you want to buy additional food and drinks at the mountain huts
Unscheduled excursions, transportation, etc. (or if you want to do something extra)
Registering for the tour
Before registering, please read travel conditions. To secure your place on the trip, a deposit (20%) must be paid within 3 business days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by email; if there are less than 30 days left until the trip, the total cost (100%) must be paid. Read more: frequently asked questions ja package tour information sheet.
Schedule and activities
Days 1-2 (07-08.08) - Start!
The AirBaltic flight to the Georgian capital Tbilisi departs from Tallinn at 21.40 and from Riga Airport at 23.50. We will arrive in Tbilisi early the next morning.
The transition from day one to day two is seamless. The first half of the night is spent snoring in a lousy AirBaltic seat, the second half on the bus.
Upon arrival at Tbilisi airport, we take the bus that picked us up and head north to the village of Stepantsminda. The bus ride lastsca 4 h.
We settle into the guesthouse and have dinner at a local restaurant. The brave ones will also get a taste of the local wine. In the afternoon and evening we pack more things for the mountain hike, replenish our snack supplies at the shop and rest. We look up towards the mountain and discuss the plan for the upcoming days in the mountains.
Day 3 (09.08) - FIRST PUSH
After a generous Georgian breakfast in the morning, the party is over - we have to load our 20+ kg backpacks into a local SUV and drive them to the Gergeti Church, from where we head towards the intermediate camp at an altitude of 3000 m.
We enjoy the views and chat. Shepherds accompany us and horses circle by, carrying the equipment of those walking with their hands in their pockets.
At the intermediate camp, we set up camp and discuss the next day's journey. In the hut next to the camp, you can play cards, order hot food, and enjoy soft drinks. We will not sleep in the hut, we will sleep in tents.
Ascent meters: 800
Hike length 7 km
Time required: 3-4 hours
DAY 4 (10.08) - First snow
Morning routine and 9.00 start. We hike on gravel, moraine and glacier. By the afternoon, we reach the Meteo Station (Betlemi hut). It is an old meteorological station called the base camp. It reminds us of a haunted castle, but it is used as a place to stay and there is a lively life there. We sleep outside in our tents. Cleaner and at least as comfortable. In the evening, we discuss the plan for the next few days.
Ascent meters: 650
Hike length 4 km
Time required: 4 hours
DAYS 5-6 (11.-12.08) - REST DAYS
Now the altitude really starts to make itself felt. In the morning, you may experience a headache — this is normal. We take it easy: rest, acclimatize, and get used to the height. We put on crampons, practice moving on a rope, and learn techniques for stopping a slide with an ice axe. We also take a short acclimatization hike.
DAY 7 (13.08) - SUMMIT DAY!
Wake up at 01.00. This is not a morning routine. Everyone is anxious and even though they have been able to float around in the horizontal plane for a while, they probably haven't had much sleep. All you bring is a backpack with a warm jacket, snacks, drinks and other little things.The beginning is difficult. It gets even harder later. But it gets more and more beautiful. In total, you should expect 12-15 hours to go up and down. This is the hardest day of the hike. We should reach the summit around 9.00 in the morning.
After the summit celebration and social media presentations, we head back down. In the afternoon we are back at camp at the Betlem hut. We are very tired. We also feel happy. We spend our last night in a tent.
Ascent meters: 1400
Hike length: approximately 12 km (round trip)
Time: 12-15 hours
DAY 8 (14.08) - DEPARTURE AND CITY RIDE
No matter if no one is tired from the previous day, in the morning everyone is united by one thought - DOWN! We can rest and have shashlik and beer and take a shower! And the internet, of course. So we walk down to the village of Stepantsminda, have a little refreshment and then immediately drive back to Tbilisi. We are in the city in the afternoon.
DAY 9 (15.08) - Spare day / day in Tbilisi
We will rest. We can visit sulfur saunas, walk around the city and dine in restaurants. Warning! We may drink Georgian wines.
DAY 10 (16.08) - That's all
Return flight early in the morning. An ordinary Estonian summer and loved ones are waiting for us back home. We shower them with the emotions we have received, and the more special ones may even receive a gift of wine.
NB! There may be minor changes to the schedule and planned activities - for example, due to weather and conditions or passenger requests.
Travel documents
The participant is responsible for the validity and orderliness of their travel documents. The following documents are required for this trip:
passport(no visa required);
sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking (read more on the FAQ page). A suitable sports insurance policy must be carried and is a prerequisite for participating in the mountain hike;
travel insurance (including travel disruption, baggage, medical assistance).
We recommend that you take out travel insurance immediately after receiving confirmation of your travel registration so that you are also covered for longer-term health problems!
Summits are not guaranteed. As you might expect, weather is king in the mountains. So it is entirely possible that weather or dangerous conditions will prevent us from even attempting the summit. Nevertheless, it will definitely be an awesome experience!
Although at the end of the day everyone is still responsible for their own actions and consequences, we do our best to mitigate the risks associated with mountaineering. As a result, the group leader has the right to make ongoing decisions about the competence of the participants, the suitability of their equipment, physical/mental capacity, etc. and, if necessary, for example, to prohibit participation on summit day if it endangers the health of the group or the participant themselves. Hopefully, of course, there will be no need for this.
Any more questions? Feel free to ask the adventure guide!
Watch and read how Elamus+ I've been to Kazbek before!
In addition to the video, you can read our Kazbek 2019 travelogue HERE.
Don't worry, let's do it!
My altitude record is Munamägi. Can I still do it?
If you are in good physical shape, you can do it. Going straight to the top of such a high peak may seem daunting at first glance, but it's not that bad at all - especially if you have a good hiking guide at your disposal. A little training and preparation.
But I don't have any hiking gear, who can afford to buy it?!
You'll still have to spend a little, but not much. Hiking and climbing equipment can be rented for a very reasonable price, and you can also borrow some from friends. In addition, you can use any kind of clothing you have - for example, a ski jacket is also very good for the mountain. The more resourceful can manage almost without additional expenses.
Will I survive?
It's an extreme sport/hobby, but you shouldn't be too afraid here. Of course, there are certain dangers in the mountains and you have to take that into account, but at the same time, you could get hit by a bus walking across the street tomorrow. The most important thing for the group leader is to ensure the safety of the participants - to do this, we learn and use correct mountaineering techniques and turn around if the weather gets too bad. The point is still to have an enjoyable experience and not let this mountain go away. ;)
Okay, I registered. Now what?
Well, theoretically you could just vanish into thin air and appear on a plane, but then you risk discovering on the spot “oops, I have the wrong cats and what is this middleman node?”. It can happen, but a warm recommendation is to participate in preparatory events - it's part of the fun. We organize preparatory hiking trainings, give advice on suitable insurance and equipment, where to rent cheaply, what to train for, etc. We will definitely review the collected equipment just before the start of the trip and send reminders about important things.
Read more also frequently asked questions.
