Hike up to Gergeti Trinity Church
Nestled high in the Caucasus Mountains, Gergeti Trinity Church is one of Georgia's most iconic landmarks. This 14th-century church, perched atop a hill overlooking the village of Stepantsminda, offers hikers a perfect blend of history and culture, whilst rewarding you with breathtaking scenery on the journey.
The hike to this historic site is a must-do for anyone visiting the region. Here’s your comprehensive guide to hiking to Gergeti Trinity Church, ensuring a memorable and rewarding experience.
Getting there
Located about 157 kilometres north of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, Stepantsminda serves as the gateway to Gergeti Trinity Church. The journey from Tbilisi takes approximately three hours by car along the Georgian Military Highway, a scenic route that winds through stunning mountain landscapes. Would highly recommend renting a car and self-driving as there are lots of beautiful stops on the way, but you could also go with a driver (GoTrip can help here), take a shared minibus (marshrutka), or join an organised tour to get there.
Stepantsminda is a great place to base yourself for a few days, in order to properly explore the Kazbegi mountains. There are a few easy hikes in the region, including one of my favourite to the Gveleti Waterfalls, and the mountains themselves are beautiful. We stayed at Rooms Kazbegi which was a great affordable option, with beautiful views!
If you have a 4x4, you can actually drive all the way to Gergeti Trinity Church in the summer. In the winter and early spring the area is covered in deep snow, making the road access more challenging. Depending on conditions, you may be able to go some of the way by 4x4, but be prepared to walk. Of course if you don’t have your own 4x4, there will be taxis in the town that will be willing to take you for the right price. Some of the tours from Tbilisi will also take you directly to the top to save time.
The easiest walking route follows the road round and you can find the route easily on google maps. This is slightly longer, but doable and an easy path. However, if you have the physical ability, I would suggest following the hiking route below, which goes overland through the valley and makes for a much more enjoyable hike from Stepantsminda town! It’s still fairly easy as far as hikes go, with a vaguely marked path, and only a little bit of steepness towards the end. The trip takes around 3-4 hours round trip (including some time to take pictures and explore the church).
Gergeti Trinity Church
Gergeti Trinity Church, also known as Tsminda Sameba, is situated at an elevation of 2,170 metres above sea level. This ancient church is renowned not only for its spiritual significance but also for its dramatic location against the backdrop of Mount Kazbek, one of Georgia’s highest peaks.
Getting to the start of the trail
Our walk started at our hotel (Rooms Kazbegi). As you walk down the steps you can see the Gergeti Trinity Church looking quite small at the top of the hill (as per the blue arrow).
To get to the trail head, we first needed to walk through Stepantsminda town and cross the bridge. Our hotel was on the wrong side of the river, adding 30-40mins of walking, but gave us a great opportunity to get some cash from the ATM, and stop off to pick up some snacks and water in the local Spar in the centre of town. Make sure to get enough water, as it is quite a long walk and there are no places enroute to refuel if you aren’t prepared.
Walk through the town, cross the bridge (if needed), take a left and follow the road through Gergeti town and up the hill. You will go past some little triangular huts on the right hand side.. that’s a good sign you are on the right road! You can also check on google maps to ensure you are going the correct way. At the top of that road, you can either turn right or left. Turning right here leads you onto the road route up to the church. This may feel like the obvious choice, but for the more scenic (and better) route, you want to turn left.
Turning left, you will soon come to the Cafe Gergeti, and a little car park. If you prefer to skip the walk through the town, you could drive here directly. This is where the trail properly starts and there is a little worn trail that you can follow all the way up.
The hike to reach the church
Once you leave the village, you will enter the trail, go past a little stone tower, and follow a stream most of the way up. You never need to cross the stream, instead it should remain on your left the whole time. The worn path continues up until it finally opens out into a meadow, from where you can go directly up to the church. This meadow area allows for some good photos with the church in the background, so you may see quite a few people loitering around here - many people who take the road route will come this way to take some pictures. The route is pretty simple and worn away enough that it’s marked, as you can see in the pictures, but for the more adventurous, you can always veer off the track at any time and take a scramble up for a more direct route. Use your judgement here based on your energy, capability level and how much you just want to enjoy the scenery.
You will probably see a few people on the trail, depending on the time you go and the church itself can get quite busy in the day. The way up probably takes a little over an hour at a leisurely pace (with extra if you need time to get to the trail), and it is of course quicker on the route back down. If you are going in the summer, I would recommend to do it before it gets too warm, with the added advantage that you will get there before all of the cars on tours.
We left the hotel after breakfast, took it quite leisurely, and had made it back down to town in time for lunch. We also had enough energy to visit another church in the region and hike to the Gveleti Waterfalls in the afternoon.
Top Tips
Footwear: Wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots, as the trail can be rocky and uneven in places
Clothing: Dress in layers, as the weather in the mountains can change quickly, and it is a long day! It can get quite hot and sunny with limited shade, so a hat and sunglasses are not a bad idea. Make sure you also have something to cover your shoulders and knees if you want to enter the church
Supplies: Bring water, snacks, and a camera to capture the stunning scenery, there are beautiful spots around the church if you want to stop with a small picnic to rest a bit and enjoy the view; Also bring some change if you want to buy and light a candle in the church
Church opens between 9am - 5pm: It’s well worth going inside, so plan your trip accordingly. You also don’t really want to be hiking in the dark either