Your adventure begins with your landing in Tbilisi. From the airport we transfer you directly to your hotel in the Georgian capital – time to settle in, relax and prepare for the days ahead.

Accommodation: Tbilisi, Hotel 3★

At 9.00 am we meet at Freedom Square in Tbilisi. The drive takes you eastwards through the wine region of Kakheti and further south into the hilly black earth landscape of Shiraki – once the breadbasket of the Kremlin, today wide grazing land.

At the last village before the national park the hills begin to rise. Arable farming gives way to cattle grazing, the landscape becomes wilder and quieter. After a snack with a farming family we head to the ranch of Tushetian Sosso, where you meet your Tushetian horse for the first time. In the afternoon you set off on your first long ride in the surroundings of the ranch – with no limits on the gallop.

Daily stage: 15 km Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Accommodation: Homestay Kasristskhali

After breakfast you ride past scattered ranches and farms towards “Shavi Mta” – Black Mountain. At 854 metres it is the highest point in the national park region and offers sweeping views over the chain of the Greater Caucasus and far into Azerbaijan. The mountain owes its name to its dark colouring, which sets it apart from the surrounding hills.

Here grows the rare Caucasian peony Paeonia tenuifolia, which blooms in March and April. From the summit you ride down into the walnut valley “Kaklis Kure”, where the meanders of the Alasani river form the border with Azerbaijan. The river is home to 16 freshwater fish species – including pike-perch, barbel and catfish. Ospreys, black storks and great egrets nest in the treetops, while rare bitterns hide in the reeds.

Daily stage: 28–30 km Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Accommodation: Tent camp Shavi Mta

Today you ride through the most fascinating landscape in the park: eroded sandstone cliffs covered by fragrant juniper and yew forests and wild pistachio trees (Pistacia mutica), which give certain biotopes of the park their distinctive character. The only path is a dried-up riverbed that winds through an enchanted forest.

After a few kilometres reeds begin to grow and the ground gets wetter. The landscape opens up before you and suddenly you feel transported into the panoramas of Monument Valley in Utah. On the banks of the Alasani lies Mijnis Kure ranger station, run by two rangers who take turns serving two-week shifts here. Five simple national park bungalows await you for the night.

Daily stage: 32 km Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Accommodation: Bungalows, Mijnis Kure Ranger Station

Today’s ride takes you through the southern mountains to Buga Moedani ranger station. Along the way you visit a Tushetian shepherd camp – time for conversation, fresh shashlik and encounters with horses, dogs and sheep. In the late afternoon the horses rest, and those who wish can organise a small horse race with locally sourced prizes.

Daily stage: 20 km Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Accommodation: Tourist shelter, Buga Moedani

The longest riding day of the expedition: 35 kilometres through the endless Samukhi Plain, past numerous shepherd camps in the remote borderland with Azerbaijan. In this boundless vastness you understand why the Georgians became such accomplished horsemen in their centuries of resistance against Romans, Persians, Mongols and Turks. The horse was always the Georgian’s friend and companion – and is still considered smarter than a dog here.

The birdlife of the steppe is spectacular: rose-coloured starlings, steppe and imperial eagles, bee-eaters, European rollers, monk vultures, griffon vultures and Egyptian vultures. With a little luck you may also spot the shy gazelles, reintroduced into Vashlovani about ten years ago as a gift from Azerbaijan.

Daily stage: 35 km Meals: Breakfast, lunch Accommodation: Ranger camp Vashlovana

A final ride takes you to Kasristskhali, the last village before the national park – where the journey began. In the evening you round off the expedition with a shared farewell dinner: six days of steppe, horses and vastness that will stay with you for a long time.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Accommodation: Homestay Kasristskhali

At around 10.00 am you leave Kasristskhali. After four hours driving through Kakheti you arrive in Tbilisi at around 1.00 pm. The afternoon belongs to the old town: sulphur baths, Metekhi Church, Narikala Fortress, the lively lanes of the Abanotubani quarter – three hours to explore the city or simply sit in one of the cafés on the Mtkvari riverbank and reflect on your journey.

Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Tbilisi, Hotel 3★

Transfer to the airport. Departure from Georgia – or an individual extension of your stay in Tbilisi.

Meals: Breakfast