Overview
- Private AS350 B3 AStar helicopter adventure for up to four travellers
- Reach Tusheti during the up to eight months each year when its only road is inaccessible
- Explore a region of 52 historic villages where only around two dozen people remain through winter
- Fly above the 2,950-metre Abano Pass towards Omalo and the Greater Caucasus
- Door-to-door private transfers from any preferred address in Tbilisi
- Traditional Tushetian lunch with khinkali, khavitsi, Georgian wine and chacha
- Optional one-hour winter horse ride experience
For up to eight months each year, deep snow and avalanche risk close the only road leading into Tusheti. The route over the 2,950-metre Abano Pass disappears beneath the winter landscape, separating the region from the rest of Georgia.
Across Tusheti’s 52 historic mountain villages, published winter counts have recorded only around 20–25 remaining residents. Most Tushetians descend to the Kakhetian lowlands, leaving Omalo and the surrounding highlands almost silent beneath the snow.
Unreachable Winter Tusheti is a private helicopter day experience created for the season when ordinary travel to the region becomes impossible. Beginning at your preferred address in Tbilisi, travel privately to Kachreti before flying across the snow-covered Greater Caucasus and into one of Georgia’s least-seen winter worlds.
This is more than a scenic flight. It is rare access to a region that disappears from the road map for most of the year and an opportunity to become one of the exceptionally few travellers to experience Tusheti in winter.
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Description
Your journey begins with pickup from your hotel in Tbilisi. A comfortable private vehicle transfers you to Kachreti Airfield, where the aviation team welcomes you and provides the necessary pre-flight briefing.
You will then board a private AS350 B3 AStar helicopter, reserved exclusively for your group of up to four guests. From Kachreti, the landscape rises rapidly towards the deep valleys, high ridges and snow-covered summits of the Greater Caucasus.
The flight reveals the true scale of Tusheti’s winter isolation. Below lies the 2,950-metre Abano Pass and the region’s only road connection: a route that remains accessible for merely four to five months of the year. For the remaining seven to eight months, snow, ice and avalanche risk make road travel into Tusheti impossible.
Beyond the pass, Tusheti opens as a vast white highland of isolated villages, ancient stone towers and valleys almost entirely without movement. Omalo, the region’s administrative centre, stands at approximately 1,900 metres above sea level, while Tusheti’s highest settlements rise beyond 2,300 metres.
In summer, these villages welcome hikers, shepherds and adventurous travellers. In winter, the atmosphere changes completely. Most families relocate to the lowlands and only around 20–25 people may remain across the entire region. Many villages stand completely empty until the road reopens.
Landing in Tusheti brings an immediate change of pace. There is no traffic and no conventional winter tourism. Only snow, mountain air and the profound stillness of a region separated from the road network.
Here, you will be welcomed with a traditional Tushetian lunch centred around two of the region’s most characteristic dishes. Taste Tushetian khinkali, mountain dumplings rooted in the region’s pastoral traditions and warm khavitsi, a rich local speciality traditionally prepared with fresh curd or cheese and clarified butter.
The meal is accompanied by Georgian wine and traditional chacha. This is not a city interpretation of mountain cuisine: it is Tushetian food served in Tusheti itself, during a season when almost no visitors can reach the region.
Guests wishing to explore further may add a private winter experience. A one-hour horse ride offers an intimate way to discover the snowy surroundings using the form of transport most closely connected with Tusheti’s mountain traditions.
After your time in Tusheti, return to the helicopter for the flight back to Kachreti. The changing afternoon light offers a new perspective over Omalo, the Abano Pass and the snow-covered Caucasus before landing at the airfield.
Your private driver will be waiting in Kachreti to return you directly to your hotel or any other preferred location in Tbilisi.
This trip is not simply a way to see the region. It is the privilege of entering Tusheti when it is most secluded, most silent and least seen. Join the exceptionally small number of travellers who have witnessed this mountain world in winter.
Route
Visited Attractions *
Included
Our tour program's list of attractions is a guide, not exhaustive. Unlisted sites may be visited, and listed ones might be viewed from a distance. Conditions like operating hours, weather, or local rules may affect access. Thank you for your understanding.
Brochure
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