Climb Kazbek (5,054 m), the dormant volcano that rises above the Gergeti Trinity Church. Eight days from Tbilisi with proper acclimatisation, a snow and ice skills day and a glacier summit with crampons, ice axe and rope.
Kazbek is one of the great peaks of the Caucasus: a dormant volcano covered in glaciers, rising almost 3,500 metres above the village of Stepantsminda. Georgian legend says Prometheus was chained to its slopes. It is an ideal next step after Kilimanjaro or a first 4,000 m peak, and you climb it from Georgia, a welcoming country that most travellers can visit without a visa.
Eight days from Tbilisi, with acclimatisation, a training day and two reserve days for the weather — tap each day to expand it.
Your guide meets you at Tbilisi airport at 12:00, or in Abanotubani Square in central Tbilisi at 12:30. A drive of around three hours along the Georgian Military Road takes us to Stepantsminda, the village at the foot of Kazbek. Night: guesthouse in Stepantsminda.
Horses carry our gear up to the hut. We drive by 4×4 to the Gergeti Trinity Church (2,170 m) and hike over the Sabertse Pass (about 3,000 m) to the Altihut. After a rest, an acclimatisation walk to the lower part of the Gergeti Glacier (about 3,500 m) and back. Night: Altihut.
We carry part of the equipment up to the Bethlemi hut (3,680 m), climb on to around 4,000 metres to help the body adapt, and come back down to sleep at the Altihut. Night: Altihut.
We move up to the Bethlemi hut. In the afternoon your guide runs a snow and ice skills session: walking in crampons, using the ice axe and moving roped up on the glacier. Night: Bethlemi hut.
A very early start, by head torch, over the glacier and up the final snow and ice slopes to the summit of Kazbek. The round trip takes around 11 to 12 hours, and we descend all the way to the Altihut. Night: Altihut.
A reserve day in case bad weather stops us on summit day. If it is not needed, we walk down to Stepantsminda. Night: guesthouse in Stepantsminda.
A second reserve day. Then we drive to Mtskheta, Georgia’s ancient capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, around 20 km from Tbilisi. Night: hotel in Mtskheta.
Transfer to Tbilisi airport, arriving by 09:30.
Our departure is in July, summer in the Caucasus. Down in Stepantsminda days are warm, but at the huts nights are around freezing, and on summit morning it can be −10 °C or colder with the wind. The weather can turn quickly, with storms and fresh snow possible on the glacier. You sleep in a guesthouse, a mountain hotel, a hut and a hotel, so there are no tents to carry. Horses carry up to 15 kg per person up to the Altihut. Kazbek is a glacier climb, so you need technical gear that you’ll practise with on the skills day.
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An outstanding experience with Thin Air Trips! Isa and the team brought so much care, enthusiasm and professionalism to the whole adventure. Their thoughtful planning, clear communication and attention to detail made everything feel smooth and well organised, allowing me to relax and enjoy the experience.
What stood out most was the personal approach. Isa was approachable, helpful and always happy to answer questions. You could really feel her passion for the mountains and her commitment to making the trip special.
A fantastic team that I would happily recommend to anyone looking for a memorable trekking or mountain adventure. Thank you, Isa and Thin Air Trips—I would love to join you again!
I’ve now travelled with Thin Air Trips twice — to Torres del Paine and Kyrgyzstan — and both trips were absolutely incredible. Two very different destinations, but equally unforgettable adventures!
One of the best things about travelling with them is that they take care of everything. From planning the itinerary to organising accommodation, transport and all the logistics along the way, they make the whole experience feel easy. There’s so much that goes into organising trips like these, and having it all managed means you can relax, enjoy the adventure and focus on the places you’ve come to explore.
Torres del Paine was spectacular, and Kyrgyzstan was another amazing experience, with breathtaking mountains and landscapes that will stay with me for a long time. Both trips gave me so many special moments and memories that I’ll always treasure.
For me, the real value of Thin Air Trips is being able to experience these extraordinary destinations without the stress of coordinating everything myself. You get all the excitement of an adventure, with the reassurance that the details are taken care of.
The fact that I booked a second trip after my first probably says it all! I would happily travel with them again and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a well-organised, memorable adventure. An easy five stars!
Fuimos con ellos al Ararat y todo perfecto, organización de 10, muy buena comunicación antes y durante el viaje, y muy buenos guías. Repetiremos!
I had a fantastic experience travelling to Russia to summit Mt Elbrus. Isa has been really communicative and helpful. I had a lot of hestitations about travelling to the region, but all went smooth and the entire trip was amazing. The team on ground were also just as professional and helpful, really helping to take off the logitical pressure and allowing me to focus on the summit.
Espectacular!!la ruta , la organización , la gente…repetiré sin duda!
Viaje top y equipo mejor aún!
Eight days from Tbilisi with acclimatisation at the Altihut, a snow and ice training day and summit day on Kazbek (5,054 m). More dates from June to September on request.
Bring a friend: $100 credit each towards your next trip
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It is a glacier climb: there are crevasses on the glacier and steep snow and ice near the summit, so you use crampons, an ice axe and a rope. Previous experience with crampons helps but is not essential, as the training day covers the basics. What you do need is very good fitness: summit day lasts 11 to 12 hours.
Both are 5,000 m peaks in the Caucasus. Elbrus is higher (5,642 m) but its slopes are more straightforward. Kazbek is lower but more technical, with glacier travel and a steeper final slope, and you climb it from Georgia.
In a guesthouse in Stepantsminda, at the Altihut mountain hotel (3,014 m) in shared rooms, one night at the Bethlemi hut (3,680 m) and a last night in a hotel in Mtskheta.
From $1,680 per person, with guide, transfers, accommodation and most meals included. International flights, mountaineering insurance and gear hire are extra.
Citizens of the EU, the UK, the US and many other countries can enter Georgia without a visa. Check the current rules for your passport before you travel.
Yes. There are departures every week from late June to early September. Tell us your dates and we’ll check.
Save your spot for free with the button on this page — you don’t pay anything yet. Once the departure is confirmed, you secure your place with a non-refundable 10% deposit. When the balance is due depends on each trip, and we send you the exact conditions together with the itinerary. You can pay in euros, dirhams or US dollars, depending on the destination.
Yes. If someone books a trip on your recommendation, you each get $100 credit towards your next trip with Thin Air ($50 if the trip they book costs under $1,500). The credit isn’t taken off the trip being booked now: it’s used on the following one. They just need to mention your name when booking.
Mount Kazbek Georgia · 4 – 11 Jul 2027