georgia

Colored Hills of the Gareji Desert

Take a break from the noise, check out hills that look like bacon, breathe deep, and get those 10,000 steps in!

120 GEL

SCHEDULE

BOOK YOUR SPOT

1 day

duration

below average

difficulty

10 km

distance

↑↓450 m

elevation gain / loss

group hike schedule

May 31, Sunday

Book your spot

What you'll see on the trail

Our adventure kicks off with an off-road drive across the vast Gareji Steppe. Along the way, we'll run into flocks of sheepgrazing under the watchful eye of shepherd dogs.

First stop—the majestic sandstone cliffs, where time and wind have carved out wild patterns. For centuries, monastic cells were hollowed right into this soft rock.

Right after that, we'll get our first look at Mravaltskaro Reservoir. We'll leave the car nearby and hike up to the top of the legendary Rainbow Hills. Millions of years ago, this was the bottom of an ancient sea, and today we can literally walk through its history.
The red and pink stripes come from iron in the soil.
The yellow layers are ancient sandstone.
The white patterns are traces of sea salt, chalk, and limestone.

Because of the bright stripes, people often compare them to bacon. We'll spend plenty of time wandering between them, checking out the cosmic patterns right under our feet.

After coming down from the colored hills, we'll pass by sandstone mounds where remains of cave cells still exist. Then we'll hit the lowlands that separate the surreal colored mountains from the classic steppe hills. That's where we'll hike, and we might even run into tortoises.
along the way. We'll wrap up our trek at a small church and a spring, where we'll take a break and grab some tea before heading back to the car.

Our final stop is the Monastery of St. John the Baptist (Natlismtsemeli). This active cave complex dates back to the 6th century. Right here in the monastery, we'll see the central temple carved into the rock, which houses unique 12th-century frescoes, including images of Queen Tamar and the master who created these caves. You can even see the ancient systems of channels and reservoirs the monks used to collect water in the dry desert.

route details

During the tour, we hike through the hills. They aren't very high, but they have a unique surface that looks like dried, cracked clay. That's why it's important to choose comfortable, stable shoes with a non-slip sole. We highly recommend using trekking poles—they'll keep you safe on the descents and climbs. There are a few spots on the route where we walk along a narrow path on the hillside. Keep this in mind if you have a strong fear of heights.

*Keep in mind that this is a hike — a trek along mountain or forest trails without an overnight stay, requiring comfortable shoes and a small daypack with snacks. A walk, on the other hand, is just a casual stroll, often in the city or developed parks.

The difficulty level is specified for this category of routes.