Darial Gorge
A gorge about 13 km long cut by the Terek river at the eastern foot of Mount Kazbek. Its granite walls rise as much as 1,800 metres in places, and the old mountain road north squeezes through the bottom beside the river.
- Where
- Stepantsminda, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Georgia
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 42.7447, 44.6225
Get the Darial Gorge stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Darial Gorge. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Mtskheta-Mtianeti volume with your photos and a note.
Near Darial Gorge
Gergeti Trinity Church 9.2 km
A 14th century stone church alone on a ridge at 2,170 metres, above the village of Stepantsminda and right under Mount Kazbek. The walk or drive up ends with the church set against the snow of the mountain behind it.
Mount Kazbek 10.0 km
A dormant volcano and one of the great peaks of the Caucasus, just south of the Russian border, with glaciers running down its flanks. In Georgian legend Prometheus was chained to its rocks, and it towers over Stepantsminda and the Gergeti church.
Kazbegi National Park 30 km
A protected stretch of high Caucasus country in Kazbegi Municipality, around the slopes below Mount Kazbek. Its alpine meadows, birch woods and valleys are walked from Stepantsminda and the villages along the mountain road.
Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument 31 km
A large round structure of stone and concrete on the mountain road between Gudauri and the Jvari Pass, built in 1983. Inside runs a tiled mural around the whole circle, and the open side looks straight down into the Devil's Valley.
Gudauri 32 km
A ski resort on a south facing plateau of the Greater Caucasus, at about 2,200 metres. It sits on the old mountain road north from Tbilisi near the Jvari Pass, with skiing in winter and paragliding over the valleys in summer.
Shatili 45 km
A highland village on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus, in the old province of Khevsureti. Its medieval stone tower houses are packed so tightly together that they read as one fortress, and only a couple of dozen people still live there.
Ananuri Fortress 65 km
A walled castle with two churches inside, on the Aragvi about 72 km north of Tbilisi along the road to the Caucasus. It stands on the shore of the Zhinvali Reservoir, and its towers and domes are reflected in the blue water below.
Tusheti National Park 80 km
A protected area created in 2003 in the high mountains of Tusheti, in eastern Georgia. The region is reached over a single mountain pass road that is open only in the warmer months, which keeps its villages and pastures remote.
More hidden gems in Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Questions
Where is Darial Gorge?
Darial Gorge is in Stepantsminda, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Georgia. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Gergeti Trinity Church (9.2 km), Mount Kazbek (10.0 km), Kazbegi National Park (30 km).
How do I get the Darial Gorge stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Darial Gorge and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Mtskheta-Mtianeti volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Darial Gorge before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Mtskheta-Mtianeti volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.