Tusheti's road season is closing now — what that means if you were planning to go

Tusheti is reachable by road for only part of the year. The usual season runs from about the middle of June to some point in October, with the pass typically cleared for the first vehicles in late May or early June — though being cleared and being safe are not the same thing, and the advice is to wait until conditions settle. In 2026 the road opened on 20 June, later than usual, after late snowfall. The first snow of autumn generally arrives in early October, which is why a trip planned for the second half of this month is a gamble rather than a plan.

The Abano Pass needs a high-clearance four-wheel drive — a Delica, a Jeep or similar. A sedan will not make it, and most rental agencies prohibit taking their cars on this road at all, which means an accident up there can leave a visitor with no cover. There is also no public transport within Tusheti itself, so getting between villages is on foot, on horseback or by arranged vehicle. The practical answer for most visitors is a shared or chartered 4WD with a driver who does the route regularly; prices move, so ask for a current quote rather than relying on a figure from an old forum post.

Allow five to six hours from Tbilisi: roughly two to two and a half hours to Kvemo Alvani over the Gombori Pass, then three and a half to four hours up to Omalo. There is no park entry fee and no registration, but since 2022 a permit has been required to visit Diklo Castle and Lower Diklo, and some routes near the border may need one too — the Visitors Centre is the place to confirm which. If you are reading this in mid-October, the honest advice is to call ahead about the pass before committing to a booking, and to have a Kakheti alternative ready if the answer is snow.