Georgia’s Javakheti Plateau is all about the spectacular volcanic landscapes, big skies, and scintillating lakes.
I have been lucky enough to explore this region several times by car, by foot and even by boat. Recently I had a chance to see it from a different angle when I completed the day hike to the summit of Shaori Mountain.
Towering over Paravani Lake at 2,735 metres above sea level, Shaori Mountain is a treasure in many ways. Not only is it the best vantage for panoramic views of the biggest lake in Georgia by surface area, it is also home to a megalithic cyclopean structure that dates back to the Bronze Age. The enigmatic Shaori Fortress is one of the most important monuments of its kind in the region.
The hike to discover the fortress and mountain peak also affords you the opportunity to visit the fairytale-like village of Tambovka, a former Doukhobor settlement with charming blue-shuttered and sod-roofed houses.
Combining culture, history and spectacular nature, the Shaori Fortress hike is one of the best Georgia has to offer.
The abridged 1.2-kilometre (0.75-mile) version of the trek can be knocked off in less than four hours. But it is not an easy hike. For most of the ascent and all of the descent you are clambering over lava fields composed of wobbly, uneven basalt rocks. To avoid injury, every step you take has to be very deliberate.
For me, the challenging terrain made the hike that much more enjoyable – I’ll take jumping between stones over plodding along a monotonous dirt path any day of the week. The ascent is gradual, and climbing the stones like stairs makes even the steepest parts of the walk bearable.
You don’t need special gear or to be particularly fit, but you definitely do need good mobility and a keen sense of balance to be able to complete this hike.
In this quick guide, I will recount my personal experience and provide detailed tips for hiking Shaori Mountain.
Transparency: My visit to Shaori Fortress was part of a press trip organised and funded by Samtskhe-Javakheti DMO. I was not paid nor was I required to write this guide. All opinions and recommendations are my own.
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What is Shaori Fortress, and why go?
Located at the summit of Shaori Mountain, Shaori Fortress is a rhomboid-shaped structure built using the cyclopean masonry technique – AKA constructed out of massive basalt blocks without the use of mortar.
Shaori has never been subject to systematic study – no archaeological excavations have ever taken place here. Thus the history of the structure, who built it and for what purpose exactly remains something of a mystery.
As far as scholars can gather, the two-part upper and lower fortress was probably constructed around the 2nd millennium BC when the Trialeti-Vanadzor culture thrived in this part of Georgia (burial mounds and petroglyphs from this period can be observed nearby around Tsalka).
For ease, I use the name Shaori Fortress to describe the site – but it is not known for certain whether this structure was indeed a fortification. The tiny chambers could have been used as burial sites rather than hideouts. The fact that the main entrance is oriented in the precise direction of the Solstice sun indicates that it might have been a temple or a place of worship.
Shaori was re-discovered by local shepherds and remains in remarkably good condition considering the harsh winters and blustery winds this region is known for.
Though not as pronounced as Abuli Fortress, a second megalithic structure in Samtskhe-Javakheti that can also be reached on foot, Shaori Fortress is a fascinating and extremely beautiful place.
Shaori Fortress Hike: Overview & essential info
Climbing to Shaori Fortress involves climbing the volcano-shaped Shaori Mountain from the western side, then descending down the southern side. It is a marked loop route that starts and finishes in the same place.
→ Distance: 1.2 kilometres (0.75 miles) or 7 kilometres (4.5 miles) if starting from Tambovka village.
→ Time required: Approx. 1.5-2 hours to ascend plus 1.5 hours to descend. Minimum 4 hours total, starting and finishing at the base of the mountain (add 3-4 hours if starting from Tambovka village).
→ Terrain: Some grass/dirt but mostly walking over stones and boulders.
→ Difficulty level: Medium (requires a mid level of fitness, good mobility and excellent balance).
→ Start/end point: Tambovka village (3+ hours from Tbilisi / 2.5 hours from Akhaltsikhe / 50 minutes from Ninotsminda).
→ Hiking season: June to September.
Best time of year to do the hike
With an average elevation of 1,800 metres, Javakheti region experiences unforgiving, long winters and mild summers.
It is not recommended to attempt this hike outside the summer months. Late June to early September is the best time for hiking in Georgia generally and the window you want to aim for.
In winter, heavy snow obscures the trail and if you can’t clearly see where you are stepping, there is a high risk of tripping and breaking an ankle or worse. In peak winter, the only way up is with this tank… Yes, tank tours from Tambovka village are available!
No matter the time of year, be aware that the weather can flip on a dime. Pack accordingly.
What to wear & bring with you
It is essential to dress properly for this hike. I visited in the middle of July and still needed a jumper and a jacket. As you can see, there were a few pockets of ice on the ground at the base of the mountain.
A windbreaker to guard off the gale would be ideal, plus I highly recommend carrying a scarf or buff to wrap around your neck and face. As the trail is entirely exposed, you will also need good sun protection gear.
As for footwear, I wore my WHITIN barefoot sneakers. They are not exactly the best hiking shoes, but I actually found they were perfect for this terrain. As you are walking on rocks, you want to be light on your feet and really feel your way with each step. Heavy hiking boots would have weighed me down and made things more difficult.
I carried trekking poles for the hike and found them quite useful for prodding suspect-looking rocks and for giving me a bit of help on the steepest parts of the climb.
There is one spring on the route, but at the time of our visit it was dry. It is essential to carry water with you.
Since there are no restaurants (or guesthouses) in Tambovka, I recommend bringing a pack lunch to enjoy at the summit. On your way in, stop off at Poka St. Nino Convent to buy some chocolate and snacks from the nun’s shop.
Do you need a guide?
A guide is not necessary for this hike – the path is indicated with a combination of signs, painted flags and stone markers. The trail was marked out quite recently so everything is still very clear. Having said that, there are some sections where you need to ‘feel your way’ a bit and follow your nose. You can never venture too far off track, though.
One thing you definitely do need is a map. This trail is marked on Wikiloc as part of a longer route that continues deeper into Javakheti. Access the map here.
I had perfect mobile coverage for the entire hike. Even though the map is available offline, I highly recommend using a Magti SIM card to stay connected in case of emergency.
I visited Shaori with a group. Our guide for the hike was Nino Khazalashvili, Tourism Development and Project Manager at Samtskhe-Javakheti DMO.
How to get to the trailhead in Tambovka & where to stay nearby
The hike starts from the village of Tambovka on the north-western edge of Paravani Lake. Tambovka is around 3 hours by car from Tbilisi and around 50 minutes’ drive from Ninotsminda, the closest city.
If you are self-driving, I recommend entering Tambovka from the main highway via Poka and Paravani. The final 4.5 kilometres into the village is over an unsealed road, but it is manageable in a sedan.
There are no guesthouses in Tambovka. I recommend staying in Ninotsminda (Hotel Sonya is my top choice) or at Family Corner in Gamdzani.
If you are without a car, Samvel, the owner of Family Corner, can help you to organise transportation to Tambovka and the starting point for the hike (more details below).
Shaori Fortress hike map
There are several online maps available for this hike. I recommend following this map for the Tambovka – Shaori Fortress – Levani Lake hike created on Wikiloc by Samtskhe-Javakheti DMO.
This is the exact map we followed for the section of trail we completed.
Shaori Fortress hike route guide
Tambovka village to the the trail starting point
There are several variations of this hiking route. The trail officially starts from the fringe of Tambovka village, with the first yellow trail sign located here, adjacent to the so-called ‘Fisherman’s House’ (a former collective fish storage and distribution centre from the Soviet period).
To shorten the walk by around 5 kilometres, you can hitch a ride along the unpaved road to the second trail marker sign, located close to the base of the mountain at this point.
Since that first part of the hike takes you over exposed grassy fields and is not terribly interesting, I do recommend skipping the first part if possible.
You can always walk back into Tambovka via this route to see the fisherman’s house and a collection of Doukhobor cottages up close.
If you so desire, it’s possible to trim another 1.5-ish kilometres off the walk by driving all the way up to the spring (see below). Note that the road is a bumpy, unpaved dirt track that definitely requires a 4WD and an experienced driver.
Several families in Tambovka have cars that can handle the terrain and will take you to the hiking start point for a small fee. Samvel from Family Corner can help to organise a car for you.
Slow amble to the shepherd’s settlement & spring
If you are starting from the second trail marker like we did, the first part of the walk is very pleasant as you follow the bend of the Sukhoi River and gently ascend to the western foot of Shaori Mountain. The terrain is mostly flat, open fields, with thin veins of volcanic rock and large boulders that are easy to avoid.
As you near the base of the mountain, you will come across pockets of prehistoric-looking vegetation and a small round lake.
After around 20 minutes walking, you will reach a shepherd’s settlement. Several families make camp here from late May until September, sending their sheep to pasture on nearby fields.
Where there are sheep, there are sheep dogs – even though the settlement is located on the opposite side of the (dry) river, there is only so much you can do to give it a wide berth. You must be prepared for aggressive dogs to approach you. We had three dogs on our heels at one point.
If you’re hiking in a group, stay close together and move slowly. Do not run or make any sudden movements. If the dogs get too close for comfort, call out and someone from the camp will call them off. It’s amazing how fast the dogs will retreat when beckoned by their owner.
Just past the settlement at this point there is a mountain spring where you can fill up a water bottle. When we did the hike in July, the spring was all but dry, so don’t count on there being water available – best to carry plenty with you from the village.
First ascent to the plateau
After the spring comes the first steady climb up to the plateau. This part of the trail is marked with yellow and white or red and white flags painted on the rocks.
At this point the terrain turns to pure stones – stacked three or four layers deep, every rock is a different shape and size and some are teetering and unstable. This was the most challenging part of the hike for me. To minimise your chances of tripping, you definitely want to aim for the bigger, heavier stones that are lower on the pile.
As you round the mountain, the views of Paravani Lake get better and better with each step.
Second steep ascent to the lower fortress
The next stage of the hike is another push over a river of volcanic rocks. The first part is very steep, but gradually they flatten out and become quite easy to walk on.
When you reach the top, you will come to a grassy field with the lower Shaori Fortress visible on your right.
At this point, a few people from our group turned back. It is possible to descend virtually straight down back to the first trail marker from this point if you choose.
Final ascent to the upper fortress
Next comes the final push to reach the highest point of the mountain and the upper Shaori Fortress. From this point on there are no more painted trail markers – instead, you will be following cairns (pyramid-shaped piles of stones) that have been specially erected as low-impact markers to guide hikers on this path.
It is imperative to follow the cairns so that you don’t fall into a void. There are hiding places, arrow slits and man-made chambers dotted all along the mountainside and there is a high chance you might accidentally trod on a roof if you stray from the marked path.
At some point the trail flattens out completely and you find yourself walking over large, flat stone slabs. This tiled ‘road’ leads directly to the eastern side of the fortress and must have been laid out specifically, with each stone fitted to its neighbour.
Exploring Shaori Fortress
When you reach the rhomboid-shaped fortress, enter through the ‘gate’ on the eastern side.
There is a void in the centre of the fortress and a large grassy area where you can walk around the walls and see the various structures crafted by arranging rocks on top of each other.
Do not scale the walls or move any of the rocks.
In the centre of the fortress there is a makeshift stone picnic table where you can sit and eat lunch. Remember to take all your trash with you, including any organic food waste.
Descent back to Tambovka
To get back to the starting point, retrace your footsteps down the mountain to re-join the trail but instead of heading west towards the spring, continue directly down the side of the mountain.
The descent is quite steep and almost entirely over rocks, so it’s important to take it slowly. At the very bottom of the mountain you pass through an otherworldly Avatar-like forest before arriving back at the trail sign.
The descent took us roughly 90 minutes. We had prearranged a ride back to Tambovka (a 20-minute drive), otherwise you can follow the road all the way back into the village via the fisherman’s house.
Extending the hike to Lake Levani
The extended version of this hike in Samtskhe-Javakheti continues west to Levani Lake (Levanis Tba). This brings the distance to 15 kilometres and requires 11-12 hours round-trip.
If you want to turn this hike into a multi-day affair, it is possible to camp on the northern shore of the lake.
More ideas for Samtskhe-Javakheti
- The best places to visit in Samtskhe-Javakheti, full guide to the region
- Meskhetian food guide, a culinary journey through Samtskhe-Javakheti
- Top things to do in Akhaltsikhe, the fortress and beyond
- Tips for visiting Akhaltsikhe Fortress, my guide to Rabati Castle
- Things to do in Borjomi and Bakuriani, thermal pools and Romanov ruins
- Guide to Abastumani, visiting Georgia’s astrophysical observatory
Went to Shaori on October, 30th, drove up to 2350 m with my rental car (4WD) from Aspara, and in 1,5 hours made it to the summit (excellent view), backwards I drove directly to Tambovka, You can just guess where you can drive, but wheather conditions where perfect. If somebody needs the track coordinates, I can provide them.
Thank you Peter!