Visit Georgia’s Vashlovani Park: 4×4 route to the David Gareja monastery

Why visit Vashlovani National Park?

Kakhetia is the region of Georgia best known for its vineyards and historic sites. Separated from the Alazani valley by the Gombori mountains, southern Kakhetia is much wilder and more desert-like. It’s a paradise for adventure-seeking travellers! Located in the easternmost part of Georgia, along the border with Azerbaijan, Vashlovani National Park is home to some of Georgia’s most stunning landscapes. Along a dirt and rock track, you’ll discoverimmense canyons with jagged walls, vast savannahs dotted with centuries-old pistachio trees and arid steppes where gazelles graze peacefully. This immense wild territory with its arid, semi-desert climate covers more than 250km2 and is home to a wealth of wildlife. Up until 20 years ago, hyenas and Caucasian leopards lived in the park. For nature and adventure lovers, Vashlovani National Park is a must!

Practical information before your trip to Vashlovani Park

When is the best time to visit Vashlovani Park?

The park can be visited all year round. Due to the region’s arid climate, it gets very hot in summer (July-August), so the best time to visit is spring and autumn. Please note that the trails can become very difficult in wet weather, as the ground turns to sticky, slippery clay. In case of rain, a 4×4 is mandatory.

How much time should I allow in the park?

We recommend spending at least two days in the park. This allows you to enjoy the scenery in the morning and evening, when the light is at its best. You can also plan to hike or ride in the park. Then, if you wish to drive to the David Gareja monastery along the Azeri border, allow at least another 2 or 3 days.

Where to sleep and eat in the park?

Dedoplistskaro is the last refreshment point before heading into Vashlovani Park. Remember to stock up on food, water and fuel. Camping is permitted in the park. It’s a great way to enjoy the morning light and observe wildlife.

If you don’t want to camp in the park, you can sleep in the park’s bungalows. However, you will need to reserve them in advance when you apply for your permit. The price for a 2-person bungalow is GEL 40 and for a 3-person bungalow GEL 50 (each bungalow has its own private bathroom).

What type of vehicle is recommended for visiting Vashlovani?

An off-road vehicle is recommended (4×4 with high ground clearance), especially in wet weather, when tracks become muddy and slippery. In dry weather, an SUV equipped with off-road tires may suffice. Motorcycles and trucks have been banned from Vashlovani Park for several years.

Don’t forget to apply for your Dedoplistskaro permit

The border area with Azerbaijan is subject to strict regulations governing the movement of people, particularly foreigners. A border permit is therefore required for the Vashlovani National Park, the Chachuna Reserve and the Iori Plateau (tracks 7, 8 and 9 in our Explore Georgia guide). Please note that special permission is required for Vashlovani National Park and Chachuna Reserve.

• Permits for Vashlovani Park and Chachuna Reserve are issued at the Vashlovani Visitor Centre in Dedoplistskaro. You must present your passport and vehicle documents. If you’re renting a vehicle, check that the rental agency has provided you with these documents.
• • Admission: 5 GEL per person.
  • Vehicle: 5 GEL per vehicle (motorcycles are not allowed on tracks 6, 7 and 8, and trucks are not allowed on track 7).
  • Overnight bivouac: 5 GEL per person per night.
  • Night in a bungalow: double room GEL 40 per night, triple room GEL 50 per night.

• For tracks 7 (Vashlovani Park) and 8 (Chachouna Reserve), you can apply for a border permit at the border police in Dedoplistskaro after obtaining authorization at the Vashlovani Visitor Centre. However, if you also wish to travel on track 9 (Iori steppes), things get a little more complicated: a border permit can only be applied for at the Tbilisi border police (12 Simon Kandelaki street). It is therefore advisable to apply there directly for border permits for lanes 7, 8 and 9.

Please note that at each checkpoint, guards will check your border permit, authorization, car papers and passport. If any of these documents is missing, you will not be able to enter the park.

5-day 4×4 itinerary from Vashlovani Park to David Gareja

The following are the highlights of a 5-day itinerary from Vashlovani Park to David Gareja Monastery, along the Azeri border. For more details on this itinerary, visit tracks 6, 7, 8 and 9 of our Explore Georgia guide. We spent ten days exploring the region and compiled the best of the trip on high-resolution satellite maps with all the camping spots and viewpoints. You’ll also find historical information on the region’s troglodyte monasteries, as well as explanations of the landscape, flora and fauna. For those who prefer, we provide GPS tracks and a tourist map of the country.

Inside Vashlovani Park

There are two main routes through the park, the first via Usakhelo to Mijniskure. Next, a track that passes through Alisebi and Pantishara. It’s on this second route that you may be lucky enough to spot gazelles.

Usakhelo viewpoint – Mijniskure substation

A dirt track leads to the spectacular Usakhelo viewpoint. An observation platform has been built above an outcrop, offering a panoramic view of the badlands. From here, you can see the track plunging into the middle of this stunning landscape. It disappears into a narrow, winding canyon before emerging onto an open plain that leads to the Mijniskure guardhouse. The section of track that crosses the canyon can be tricky in wet weather, when the clay soil turns to sticky, slippery clay. The Mijniskure camp is located on a meander of the Alazani River, which forms a natural border with Azerbaijan. The views are stunning, especially in autumn when the trees lining the river turn golden. At Mijniskure camp, you’ll find bungalows (to be booked in advance) and places to camp. A well provides drinking water.

Steppes aux Gazelles – Alisebi – Pantishara Gorge

On these vast steppes, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the park’s famous goitered gazelles.

The road then joins the Alisebi badlands. It’s hard to know what country you’re in when you get here. In Iran? In Kenya? Or maybe even on the moon? Sculpted by the wind and eroded by rain over millions of years, clay landscapes have taken on original shapes, from sheer cliffs to canyons, ridges, chasms and pyramidal columns. These ancient seabeds are now home to griffon vultures, who soar silently above the high cliffs.

After the vast Alisebi badlands, the valley narrows into a narrow, cliff-lined canyon. The Pantishara canyon continues to the “Bear Gorge” tributary, then on to the ranger huts.

Explore the Chachouna reserve

A dirt track runs along the border with Azerbaijan through the breathtaking panoramas of the Chachouna reserve. From desert steppes to lush forests lining the Iori River, the reserve is packed with stunning landscapes that will make you feel as if you’re on another continent, or even another planet. This immense wilderness is a refuge for many species. Swarms of birds fly over the forests along the river, while wolves and jackals howl at night. The track did not present any major difficulties when we visited, but it can quickly deteriorate in bad weather.

Discovering mud volcanoes

A few kilometers after the Dali Mta reservoir, there are two different places where you can find mud volcanoes: Takhti-Tepha and Kilakupra. A hundred mud volcanoes litter the hillside. The diameter of the craters varies from a few centimetres for the smallest to several metres for the largest. Contrary to what you might think, the mud mixture discharged from the crater is not hot. The emission of gas through the viscous sludge is at the origin of the large bubbles formed on the surface. The color palette (light gray, dark gray, brown, blue, black, etc.) is impressive. It forms a fascinating natural tableau in motion. Please do not damage the site by staying away from the craters. Your footprints remain visible for several weeks.

Cross the Iori steppes and discover the Sabeerebi monasteries

Dotted with thousand-year-old troglodyte monasteries and remarkable geological structures, this itinerary will delight lovers of both wide open spaces and history. The track criss-crosses the arid, semi-desert landscapes of the Iori plateau along the border with Azerbaijan. After discovering the mud volcanoes, you’ll cross the Iori River, lined with flooded forests and shady bivouac spots. The cliffs overlooking the Iori steppes were dug out in the 6th century to house hermitage monks. Take the time to explore these abandoned troglodyte monasteries covered in period frescoes. Here and there, erosion has exposed the sedimentary rock that makes up the soil, forming ruiniform landscapes and multicolored hills.

Udabno

Udabno is the first village on this route. After the fall of the USSR, it was abandoned and many houses fell into ruin. Today, a few families have returned to the area. A Polish family runs an inn and a small restaurant.

David Gareja Monastery

The David Gareja troglodyte complex consists of a dozen independent monasteries located on the border with Azerbaijan in a vast arid valley. The best known of these is the Lavra monastery. This incredible historic site, over 1,400 years old, features a troglodyte section and several stone buildings, including fortifications and a small church. Located 100 km south of Tbilisi, it is one of the region’s main tourist attractions. Since 2019, following a disagreement between Georgia and Azerbaijan, part of the complex, including access to the Udabno monastery, has been closed to tourists. But the site is well worth a visit!

Rainbow mountains

Made up of several layers of colored clays and sandstones, the hills form a magnificent multicolored natural tableau, hence their name of Rainbow Hills. This semi-desert landscape is accessible via a dirt track. The hills are reflected in a small stretch of water where families picnic in summer. Many herds also come here to drink.

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