Real people, real adventures.
Bike the historic trade route that once connected East and West and tackle the famous Goderdzi Pass (7,218 ft)
Open water swim in the volcanic Lake Paravani and end your journey with a celebratory dip in the turquoise waters of the Black Sea
Visit the labyrinthine cave city of Vardzia, carved deep into Erusheti Mountain, and explore the Fortress of Rabati
Day 1
Check into your hotel in Tbilisi's historic old town. If you have time, it's well worth exploring as the capital is packed full of UNESCO-listed sites. Meet your guide and fellow adventurers for a briefing about the journey ahead, then sit down for your first traditional Georgian meal at a local restaurant.
Day 2
After getting your bike set up, set off early for Tetritskaro and immerse yourself in the region’s dramatic, wild landscapes. The ride begins on smooth pavement, which gradually turns into broken asphalt as you descend towards the scenic Ktsia River. Following the river’s path, you'll tackle a challenging gravel climb leading to the spectacular Dashbashi Canyon. Here, take a well-earned break and enjoy lunch before continuing along a long, open track that stretches across the treeless Javakheti Plateau – often referred to as the 'Georgian Siberia'. Take a dip in the volcanic Lake Paravani before visiting a famous convent to try their locally produced variety of chocolates and chacha (Georgian brandy). End your day at the guesthouse enjoying a tasty fusion of Georgian and Armenian cuisines.
Day 3
Your ride today begins on a smooth asphalt road, passing the picturesque Lake Saghamo, its tranquil waters reflecting the surrounding mountains. Just before reaching Akhalkalaki, turning toward Kartsebi, the terrain shifts and leads to an exhilarating gravel descent. With over 15 thrilling switchbacks, the route winds its way down toward Vardzia – an awe-inspiring city carved into the mountainside. Seeming like something straight out of the Lord of the Rings, this ancient cave-palace-monastery was built for the fabled Queen Tamar and is still protected by a small group of monks. Explore some of the 200 cave dwellings and learn about its fascinating history of earthquakes and invasions, before tucking into another delicious dinner.
Day 4
Cycle from village to village, keeping your eyes peeled for the legendary Caucasian sheepdogs and their semi-nomadic owners. From Aspinza, prepare for a challenging ascent toward the village of Chobareti, where the road tests your endurance with gradients reaching over 12%. But the reward is well worth it – a thrilling, well-earned descent leading you straight into Akhaltsikhe. Wander the impressive 9th-century Fortress of Rabati. For castle geeks, this really is something, having been liberated many times over the centuries and now housing a mosque, an Orthodox church, a synagogue, a Catholic church, and a citadel. Phew!
Day 5
Time for a big day as you tackle the legendary Goderdzi Pass. Climb your way through lush green forest and into the Adjara Mountains; as you reach the summit, take a moment to soak in the stunning 360º views before beginning the ride toward the serene Green Lake. Here, pause for a well-earned picnic lunch, with the option to take a refreshing dip in the lake's crystal-clear waters. From here you can enjoy an exhilarating 19-mile descent, cruising effortlessly toward your overnight stop. Tonight, as most of the climbing for the trip is done, you can relax and enjoy the potent, home-brewed chacha (grape brandy) offered by your host – Georgians take their drinking seriously and you can learn how to correctly make a traditional Georgian toast (or, join the sensible and go to bed!).
Day 6
Today you ride toward Batumi Boulevard and the shores of the Black Sea. There's work to do before you roll into the city, with a couple of proper climbs on the cards. After a filling Adjarian breakfast—not far off a full English in terms of fuel—you transfer to the village of Erge, where the real riding begins. The road soon tilts upwards as you climb to two viewpoints overlooking Batumi, with clear views across the city and out over the Black Sea. The meeting point of mountains and coastline makes this stage stand out. After taking it all in, enjoy a long descent that carries you down into the city, finishing on Batumi Boulevard by the beach. You'll have time to swim, relax at the hotel, or head out to explore. Keep a little in reserve—a generous Georgian dinner awaits this evening.
Day 7
Load the bikes into the truck and road trip back to Tbilisi, stopping for lunch along the way, before heading to the airport in time for your flight home. If you would prefer to finish your trip in Batumi, rather than returning to Tbilisi, please let your host know in advance (they can also arrange additional nights of lodging and make itinerary recommendations, should you need them).
Made for those who seek to push themselves and embrace the outdoors
This trip is designed for experienced bikers with a sense of adventure. You should feel comfortable riding back-to-back days covering an average of 40 miles. You will be ridin...
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Sunday 28th June 2026
to Saturday 4th July 2026
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To request any extras, message your host via your Much Better Adventures account once you have booked your trip.
All extras must be paid before your trip starts.
It's no secret that we love biking and many of us at HQ think it's the best way to see a country, however, we realize that organizing your own trip can be a total hassle. On our biking trips, we've found a local guide who has put together a perfect route and will navigate for you all the way. We even send a van that transports your overnight luggage and provide high-quality bikes and delicious snacks to keep you going. Hassle eliminated! All you have to do is show up, pedal and take in the landscape with your fellow travelers. You don't need to be a lycra-clad 'roadie' although they're welcome too!
You will be using Trek Allant Specialized Rockhopper hardtail mountain bikes with front suspension and hybrid tires. These are light aluminum mountain bikes, perfect for riding on roads and rough tracks. The bikes are equipped with a water bottle cage and standard flat pedals. If you would like to bring your own SPD pedals and saddle, these can be fitted for you.
Bikes are available in the following sizes:
Can I bring my own bike? Bringing your own bike is discouraged. This is due to a lack of storage for bike boxes/bags, and also, the support trailers are tailored to fit the bikes the host provides, which means safe carriage of your personal bike cannot be guaranteed. In addition, your own bike may require special parts for maintenance which may not be locally available, nor possible for the support vehicle mechanics to repair, so the use of the bikes provided by your host is recommended.
On some days, yes, on other days there will be a transfer (usually under an hour, driving durations are stated in the itinerary above if over this amount) to get you between the biking routes - this is to keep you away from busy roads and onto the best bike routes.
The guide ratio on the trip is one guide per eight bikers. This means that for groups of nine or more people, there will be two bike guides. Throughout, you will also be accompanied by a support vehicle driven by a bike mechanic.
E-bike upgrades are not available for this trip; you’ll be riding mountain bikes as listed in the trip inclusions. Keeping everyone on the same bike type helps maintain a comfortable group pace, simplifies logistics, and ensures a more inclusive experience. We do, however, have a growing collection of e-bike adventures which you can explore.
In the event of poor weather such as heavy rain, strong winds and/or storms, it is possible that conditions may become unsafe to complete the planned hikes on this trip. Your guide will assess the conditions and weather forecasts and make a decision with your safety in mind. If it becomes necessary to make a change to the planned itinerary, an alternative hike or activity will be offered.
The support vehicle will have large containers of water for you to refill your water bottles. Bring a refillable bottle; it will be put to good use.
Extra luggage can be stored at the hotel in Tbilisi and collected at the end of the trip. There will also be a support vehicle on-hand to transfer your overnight luggage and meet you at stops if you need to grab an extra layer. The van also carries tools and spare bike parts that may be needed.
We would suggest bringing a small bag that can be attached to yourself or your handlebars for essentials like money, phone, sunscreen, and a snack.
Yes, you need to bring your own bike helmet on this adventure. It should meet recognized safety standards, display a relevant certification mark, and be in good condition. It is mandatory for all riders to wear a helmet whenever cycling.
Please make sure your helmet is:
A purpose-built bike helmet that meets a recognized safety standard and displays a relevant certification mark, including (but not limited to):
In good condition:
A good fit:
If your helmet isn’t suitable on arrival:
Need help choosing or fitting a helmet?
For advice see British Cycling’s guidance.
Bike Safety Please see our cycling safety guidance for further information.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers review the practical information available on the UK Government’s FCDO website, where you can find up-to-date advice by searching for your destination(s).
If you are based in the United States, you can also check the latest travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State.
For customers joining from other international locations, we recommend checking the official travel advice issued by your country of residence, as guidance may vary.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates daily, so prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips typically consist of a mix of solo travelers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves, and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
The average temperature during summer in Georgia ranges from 77-95°F in the lower valleys. Up on the plateaus and in the mountains it will be colder (down to 41°F at night) so you will need to pack accordingly. Rain at this time is rare, although it could be windy.
As you will traverse the entire country, you will pass through several climatic regions, so be prepared for all seasons. By the time you reach the Black Sea, it will be hot and humid due to its year-round, moderate climate.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre program, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 288kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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75% join our trips solo, with most in their 30s–50s. 95% give our group dynamic five stars.
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