Tusheti's road closes from late September — the window on Abano Pass is shutting now

The Abano Pass links Kvemo Alvani in Kakheti with Omalo in Tusheti, topping out at about 2,826 metres. It usually opens somewhere between late May and mid-June and closes between late September and late October, but the exact dates shift each year with snowfall and landslides. Conditions can also change inside the open season, which is why local drivers will not commit to a crossing date far in advance.

From Tbilisi the whole trip runs roughly eight to ten hours: two to three to reach Kvemo Alvani, then four to six for the mountain section depending on conditions. Only four-wheel-drive vehicles are suitable and there is no public bus. Shared jeep seats are typically quoted around 80 to 120 lari one way, with private charters costing several hundred lari for a round trip.

Late September has the best light of the year up there and the fewest visitors, but it carries the real risk of the pass closing behind you. Anyone travelling now should keep the return date flexible, agree with the driver what happens if the weather turns, carry a local SIM, and know that 112 is the emergency number. Guesthouses in Omalo also start closing as the season ends, so confirm directly before setting off.

Once the pass shuts, Tusheti is effectively unreachable by road until the following summer, and the villages empty for the winter. Travellers who miss it this year are better served by lower Kakheti in October — the vineyards are at their most active during the harvest weeks — and by planning Tusheti for July or August, when the road is at its most reliable.