Tusheti is one of the last truly isolated highland communities in Europe, cut off from the rest of Georgia for roughly eight months of the year by snow. If Svaneti is Georgia’s famous mountain face, Tusheti is its best-kept secret.
Where Exactly Is Tusheti and How to Reach It?
Tusheti sits in Georgia’s northeastern corner, pressed right against the border with Chechnya and Dagestan. Culturally and geographically, it feels like its own pristine country.
The only road runs from Pshaveli over the infamous Abano Pass. It is 73 kilometers of unpaved switchbacks—an adventurous drive where weather turns without warning.
The Tush People: Shepherds of the Sky
The people who call this place home—the Tush (თუშები)—are a distinct Georgian mountain subgroup with a unique dialect, dramatic stone architecture, and a centuries-old pastoral lifestyle.
Traditionally, the Tush practice transhumance, spending summers in the high mountain villages and driving their flocks down to the Kakheti lowlands each autumn. This heritage gave the world Tushetian Guda cheese (aged in sheep-stomach casings) and the distinctive felt cloaks (nabadi) worn against the mountain wind.
Medieval Stone Towers and Ancient Shrines
Scattered through historic villages, you will find defensive stone towers built for protection during centuries of raids.
- Omalo: The unofficial capital, split into Lower Omalo (modern boutique guesthouses) and Upper Omalo (the dramatic stone tower cluster on the ridge).
- Dartlo: Arguably the most photogenic village—a tight cluster of slate-roofed stone houses climbing a hillside.
- Shenako & Diklo: Peaceful settlements that reward travelers with stunning green slopes and ancient churches.
Final Thoughts: Go Before It Changes
Tusheti rewards the traveler willing to trade predictable comfort for something profoundly real: bone-rattling roads, untamed nature, and living traditions. It is Georgia with the polish stripped away, and it is infinitely better for it.
