Hello,

Thank you for creating that excellent website! I would like to travel to Kazbegi this summer (late July/ early August).

*Do you think, it is recommendable to reserve a room in one of the homestays beforehand (if you are travelling with two people)? *As you don’t have any prices on your website: Do then ask (negotiate?) the price of the homestay (on the phone)? Maybe someone who’s already been in one of the homestays could tell me how it worked. *As far as I understood what it says on the website, the best (and cheapest) way to get to Kazbegi from Tbilisi is taking a marshrutka, but if you want to get a homestay in Jutta or Gergeti, is it usual that people pick you up from Kazbegi (I assume there is no public transport to any of those places)?

Hi again!

• It is usually not necessary to reserve a room long before. What we recommend though, is that you choose the place where you want to stay and you the hosts on the day of arrival or a day before. Then the hosts can meet you at the bus station.

• The price should be negotiated with the host. It’s usually not a very hard bargain (if any), the ones who are used to take tourists have their fixed rates.

• Gergeti is walking distance from Stepantsminda (Kazbegi). It is basically one village, it’s just situated on the other bank of the river. If you wish to stay at Jutta, I would recommend you to hire a car(+driver) directly from Tbilisi. In Tbilisi the competition between the drivers is bigger and you would usually get better prices. The homestay-people in Jutta will probably not volunteer to pick you up from Stepantsminda (if they are not accidenally on their weekly shopping tour or any other duty in Stepantsminda). Or if so, they will expect you to pay the usual taxi rate.

Does anybody else have experiences with those questions?

Regards,
Kadri

Hi there,

we have a group of 7 mountain hikers going to mt. Kazbek in August. We arrive in Tbilisi at 3am.

What’s the most reasonable way to get a hired minivan/small bus (or alternatively 2 cars) with a driver to pick us up from the airport and drive directly to Stepansminda? Is it possible to hitch them down in the airport or should we arrange it beforehand? What can be the approx. cost?

Cheers,

Alari

Well, there are taxis just next to the airport, but the cost will be probably higher. If you don´t want to use standard marchrutka (from Didube station, cost 8 Lari, I guess the first in the morning will go at 7 o´clock), then it is possible to arrange it before – maybe it would be better to ask someone in Kazbegi than from Tbilisi. Contacts must give someone else, we have choosen the marchrutka way:-)

Hello alari76,

I can suggest you to visit the web-site of Tergi GuestHouse: www.tergiguesthouse.com.
Tergi Guesthouse is the only guesthouse in kazbegi that has it’s own web-site and has pick up service from the airport.
The guesthouse itself has a wonderful view on Mount Kazbegi and Sameba Church and other conditions that will make your stay in kazbegi more comfortable, because not all guesthouses have those conditions. In case of questions write to us and you will get all the information about pick up and the guesthouse. Best regards, Tergi Guesthouse