The route starts in the wine town of Sighnaghi and goes via the Abano Pass to Omalo in the Tusheti National Park in the far northeast of Georgia.
This is no ordinary ride; it's an adventure, a transition from the cultivated vineyards of eastern Georgia to the raw, untamed wilderness of the Greater Caucasus.

Warning
This route is designed for riders who enjoy challenges and adventure, as the last stretch of the route is unpaved. If you're up for this adventure, this will be the ultimate experience. The steep and narrow climb to the Abano Pass is described by some as one of the most adventurous (read: dangerous) roads in the world. The road over the mountain pass is open from June to October.

Sighnaghi (starting point)
The tour begins in Sighnaghi, a town perched like an eagle's nest on a hill in the Kakheti region. In the early morning, as the sun illuminates the red roofs, you'll understand why it's called the "City of Love." The architecture is unique to Georgia: pastel-colored houses with ornate wooden balconies and cobblestone streets reminiscent of an Italian mountain village.
Sighnaghi is surrounded by one of the longest city walls in the world, over four kilometers of 18th-century fortifications with 23 towers. From these walls, you have an unobstructed view of the Alazani Valley. As you prepare for the climb into the mountains, you can still breathe in the soft, warm air so characteristic of the Georgian wine region.

Bodbe Monastery
Just two kilometers outside the city walls of Sighnaghi lies the Bodbe Monastery. This is one of the country's most important religious sites. Nestled among tall cypress trees, the monastery complex offers a serene tranquility. It is the final resting place of Saint Nino, the woman who brought Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century. Tradition dictates that travelers stop here for a blessing. The pilgrims descending to the sacred spring in the valley below remind you of the country's deep spiritual roots, a contrast to the physical challenge that lies ahead.

Telavi (coffee break)
The road then takes you deeper into the Alazani Valley to Telavi, the capital of Kakheti. Telavi breathes history. Here you pass Batonis Tsikhe, the castle of King Erekle II, and come face to face with the famous 900-year-old plane tree, a living monument that has seen generations of kings and invaders come and go.

Alaverdi Monastery
Shortly after Telavi, the monumental cathedral of the Alaverdi Monastery appears on the horizon. This 11th-century structure was the tallest church in the country until the construction of the Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi. Its walls are pale and austere, but its scale is awe-inspiring against the backdrop of the approaching mountains. In 2026, the monks here still produce their famous wine in underground qvevris, a tradition unchanged for millennia.

Pshaveli (lunch break)
At the village of Pshaveli, everything changes. This is the gateway to the Tusheti region. It's a place where drivers check their tire pressure and mumble a final prayer. From here, there's no turning back; civilization is behind you, and the vertical world of the Caucasus beckons. Take care of your inner and outer self and vehicle. There's a restaurant and a gas station in the village. Also, remember to bring enough fuel for the return trip.

Alazani Pass and Abano Pass
The ascent is an exercise in patience and nerves of steel. The road winds along the mountainsides, with waterfalls sometimes cascading directly over the roof of the car. You pass the lower Alazani Pass, where the eponymous river roars deep below in the gorge. The vegetation changes from dense beech forests to alpine meadows and finally to bare rock. The absolute highlight is the Abano Pass (also called the Aboba Pass in local dialects). At 2,850 meters, it is one of the highest motorable passes in the Caucasus. The air here is thin and cold, even in summer. Here you are literally driving above the clouds. The pass marks the border between Kakheti and Tusheti. The view is both terrifying and magnificent: an endless sea of sharp peaks and deep valleys. At the summit there are often small memorials, nishis, decorated with ibex horns, which bear witness to the animistic traditions that still go hand in hand with Christianity here.

Omalo (end point)
After the nerve-wracking descent from the pass, where the road plunges downward in hairpin bends, you arrive in Omalo. This is the largest village in Tushetia, but "large" is a relative term in a region that is completely cut off from the outside world by snow for half the year. Omalo is divided into a lower part (Kvemo Omalo) and a higher part (Zemo Omalo).
Omalo is a place where time seems frozen. There are no large hotels, only the hospitable homes of local families where you're welcomed with fresh mountain cheese, khinkali, and the strong local chacha. The silence here is palpable, interrupted only by the distant murmur of flocks of sheep.

Keselo Fort
The highlight of the trip is a visit to Keselo, the historic fortress of Omalo. Situated on a rocky ridge above the village, Keselo comprises a cluster of thirteen medieval defensive towers. These towers were built in the Middle Ages to protect the villagers from raids by tribes from the North Caucasus.
As you walk between the slate walls of the towers, you sense the history of a people who refused to be subjugated by either nature or man. From the top of the towers, you have a 360-degree view of the Pirikiti and Gometsari Alazani valleys. The light of the setting sun paints the towers gold, and shadows fall across the Caucasus Mountains.