VASHLOVANI AND DAVID GAREJA 7 DAY 4X4 ITINERARY
GEORGIA ROAD TRIP
Looking for an adventure? Look no further. Our 7 day Vashlovani and David Gareja 4×4 road trip itinerary will have you off-roading through a wild and remote part of Georgia. You’ll explore the diverse landscapes of Vashlovani National Park, the Chachuna and Iori Managed Reserves, and the David Gareja cave monasteries.
Our route combines an existing network of off-road tracks into an adventurous 4×4 itinerary, starting and ending in Tbilisi. With limited tourist infrastructure in the region, it’s been designed primarily as a wild camping trip, best suited to those who don’t mind roughing it a bit and have some off-road driving experience.
Sound like your kind of fun? Read on for a detailed itinerary, route map, practical tips, 4×4 car and campervan rental options, and everything else you need to know to get out and explore this unique corner of Georgia.
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WATCH OUR FILMS
Watch behind the scenes videos of our Vashlovani and David Gareja 4×4 road trip on Instagram Stories
Watch behind the scenes videos
of our Vashlovani and David
Gareja 4×4 road trip on
Instagram Stories
VASHLOVANI AND DAVID GAREJA ITINERARY ROUTE MAP
VASHLOVANI AND DAVID GAREJA ITINERARY
ROUTE MAP
This map shows our Vashlovani and David Gareja 4×4 road trip route, plus camp spots, accommodation options, and points of interest along the way. Tap the menu button at the top left for more details, to toggle layers on and off, and to switch between satellite and terrain view. The map legend shows the order of the journey. You can highlight the route for each day or a particular pin by clicking on it in the legend or on the map itself.
Note that it functions best in the desktop ‘My Maps’ version. If you save the map to open on your phone, you can only view the Google Maps version which has more limited functionality. You can save this Google map by tapping the star.
For navigation on the road, we find it easiest to use an offline version of this map. You can do this by downloading our KML file for use with Maps.me (iOS/Android), or the GPX file for use with other offline mapping apps such as Gaia GPS (iOS/Android), Guru Maps (iOS/Android) or OsmAnd Maps (iOS/Android).
Download the entire route using the links below. Downloads for each day are available in the itinerary breakdown below.
HOW TO SAVE THIS MAP (ONLINE VERSION)
To save this map to use online on desktop or mobile just tap the star symbol at the top. When you open Google Maps on your phone, navigate to ‘Saved’ at the bottom, then swipe along to ‘Maps’ at the top. You’ll find this map in your list of maps.
On desktop, click the three lines at the top left, select ‘Your Places’, then ‘Maps’. Click the map, then scroll down and select ‘Open in My Maps’ to access the interactive version.
Alternatively, just tap the rectangle symbol at the top right of the map in this blog post to view the My Maps version larger on desktop.
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to view this version of the map offline, but we’ve provided a download for a similar version for offline use.
HOW TO SAVE THIS MAP (OFFLINE VERSION)
MAPS.ME
To use an offline map with all the same pins and driving routes marked, first download Maps.Me (iOS/Android), then download our Vashlovani and David Gareja Itinerary KML file, and select open with Maps.Me.
You can easily navigate by tapping the bookmark for your start point and selecting ‘route from’, then tap your end point bookmark and select ‘route to’. If you want to plot a different route to the one suggested by Maps.me, just tap a third (or fourth, fifth, etc.) bookmark between the start and end points and select ‘add stop’.
You can use Maps.me offline or online, but note that the attached photos and links for each bookmark will only appear when you’re online.
VASHLOVANI AND DAVID GAREJA 4X4 ROAD TRIP ITINERARY OUTLINE
Day 1 | Tbilisi → Dedoplistskaro → Eagle Gorge/Khornabuji Fortress → Pantishara Canyon | 198 km
5 hours driving |
---|---|---|
Day 2 | Pantishara Canyon → Bear Canyon → Mijniskure | 45 km
3.5 hours driving |
Day 3 | Mijniskure → Takhistskali → Shavi Mta/Black Mountain | 28 km
3 hours driving |
Day 4 | Shavi Mta → Dedoplistskaro → Dali Mta Reservoir → Takhti-Tepha Mud Volcanoes | 105 km
4 hours driving |
Day 5 | Takhti-Tepha Mud Volcanoes → Kilakupra Mud Volcanoes → Chachuna and Iori Managed Reserves → Sabereebi Cave Monastery | 58 km
3 hours driving |
Day 6 | Sabereebi Cave Monastery → David Gareja Main Complex → Mravaltskaro Reservoir | 56 km
2.5 hours driving |
Day 7 | Mravaltskaro Reservoir → Rustavi → Tbilisi | 60 km
1.5 hours driving |
Day 1 | Tbilisi → Dedoplistskaro → Eagle Gorge/Khornabuji Fortress → Pantishara Canyon | 198 km 5 hours driving |
---|---|---|
Day 2 | Pantishara Canyon → Bear Canyon → Mijniskure | 45 km 3.5 hours driving |
Day 3 | Mijniskure → Takhistskali → Shavi Mta/Black Mountain | 28 km 3 hours driving |
Day 4 | Shavi Mta → Dedoplistskaro → Dali Mta Reservoir → Takhti-Tepha Mud Volcanoes | 105 km 4 hours driving |
Day 5 | Takhti-Tepha Mud Volcanoes → Kilakupra Mud Volcanoes → Chachuna and Iori Managed Reserves → Sabereebi Cave Monastery | 58 km 3 hours driving |
Day 6 | Sabereebi Cave Monastery → David Gareja Main Complex → Mravaltskaro Reservoir | 56 km 2.5 hours driving |
Day 7 | Mravaltskaro Reservoir → Rustavi → Tbilisi | 60 km 1.5 hours driving |
DETAILED ITINERARY BREAKDOWN
VASHLOVANI AND DAVID GAREJA 4X4 ROAD TRIP
ITINERARY BREAKDOWN
DAY 1 | TBILISI → DEDOPLISTSKARO → EAGLE GORGE → PANTISHARA CANYON
198 KM | 5 HOURS DRIVING
DAY 1
TBILISI
→ DEDOPLISTSKARO
→ EAGLE GORGE
→ PANTISHARA CANYON
198 KM | 5 HOURS DRIVING
SUGGESTED CAMP: PANTISHARA CANYON
SUGGESTED CAMP //
PANTISHARA CANYON
First up on your Georgia road trip is a stop in Dedoplistskaro to pick up permits. This is followed by a couple of short hikes at scenic spots on the outskirts of town, before you end the day at a stunning canyon camp spot deep in Vashlovani NP.
TBILISI TO DEDOPLISTSKARO
The first 130 km stretch of this Vashlovani and David Gareja 4×4 road trip itinerary is uncharacteristically, on-road, and therefore best tackled in 2WD mode. From Tbilisi, head east on the Kakheti Highway and continue all the way to Dedoplistskaro. It takes about 2 hours to cover the distance, a speedy timeframe that won’t be possible again until the last day of this week-long itinerary. Exciting, right?
DEDOPLISTSKARO
In Dedoplistskaro you need to go first to the Vashlovani Visitor Centre (41.4625, 46.1036) and then to the Border Police building (41.4723, 46.0854), to collect permits and pay your NP and camping fees. You need to have your passport and car passport, plus your entry and exit dates for Vashlovani NP and Chachuna Managed Reserve. You also need to make sure you have cash for the payment.
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