Kazbek 5,033 m · and Kazbek + Elbrus double climbs

Kazbek South — Comfort, Horses & Huts

Kazbek (5,033 m) from Georgia without heavy packs: horses carry your kit, you sleep in a 4★ hotel, a mountain hut and cottages — no tents. 1 guide per 3.

Duration: 9 days
Max altitude: 5,033 m
Difficulty: Challenging
Group size: From 3 people · 1 guide per 3 climbers
Region: Caucasus

From€2,130/ person

Next date
8 Jun

4.9 traveller rating
95% summit success
No payment to book

Overview

About this tour

Kazbek, 5,033 m, is one of the best-known five-thousanders of the Caucasus and a great step from mountain trekking to real mountaineering: glaciers, roped teams in crampons, an early start for the summit push and a top above 5,000 m. We have made the classic southern route from Georgia as comfortable as possible while keeping its mountaineering character.

You walk light. Horses carry up to 20 kg of each participant's main load up and down the mountain — included in the price. There are no tents on this route. In Stepantsminda you stay in a 4★ hotel, two to a room; in the mountains you sleep in the modern Altihut hut under the Sabertse pass and in cottages near the old Bethlemi weather station. Breakfasts, dinners and lunch boxes for the trail are organised at altitude, and one professional instructor works with every 3 participants.

The programme suits well-prepared people who want their first serious climb above 5,000 m or the next step after trekking. Mountaineering experience is desirable but not required: during the programme we teach moving in crampons and in roped teams and working with an ice axe. Because the trip crosses into Georgia, a valid international passport is required. The tour runs when at least 3 participants have signed up.

Kazbek, 5,033 m, without a heavy pack: horses carry up to 20 kg of your kit up and down
No tents: 4★ hotel in Stepantsminda, Altihut hut and cottages near Bethlemi
Meals organised at altitude — breakfasts, dinners and lunch boxes for the trail
Small teams of 1 professional instructor per 3 participants
Individual airport meeting and transfer back included

Day by day

Itinerary

Weather may change the order of days; your guide always has a reserve plan.

Day1
Briefing and drive to Stepantsminda
1,750 m
Arrive the day before: we meet you individually at Mineralnye Vody airport and transfer you to Pyatigorsk, then check your kit and issue rental gear at our office (open from 08:00 on day 1 for late arrivals). At 09:00–10:00 we gather at the office for the briefing, meet the group and guides and check personal equipment — bring your valid passport. We then cross into Georgia on the scenic Georgian Military Road (about 5–8 hours depending on the border), with a lunch box for the road. Check in to the 4★ hotel in Stepantsminda, have dinner and rest.
Day2
Gergeti church to Altihut
2,995 m
After breakfast we drive up to Gergeti church (you can get a local SIM card in Stepantsminda before leaving). Your main luggage goes with the horse handlers, so you walk light with a 35–40 L day pack. We climb towards Kazbek, gaining about 824 m over 5 km, and eat lunch boxes on the way. We spend the night in the Altihut mountain hut on the plateau below the Sabertse pass.
Day3
Crossing the Gergeti glacier
3,671 m
After breakfast we continue up and cross the Gergeti glacier (3.5 km), again walking light while the horses carry the main load. Before setting out the instructor teaches walking in crampons and glacier safety rules. We climb to the high-altitude cottages near the former Bethlemi weather station at 3,671 m. Lunch, dinner and rest.
Day4
Acclimatisation climb to 4,300 m
4,300 m
An acclimatisation climb to 4,300 m (8 km out and back), gaining height gradually while we keep working on crampon technique, ice-axe use and self-arrest. Then we descend to the cottages at 3,671 m for dinner and rest. Participants who do not complete the compulsory acclimatisation climb are not allowed to go for the summit.

Comfort

Accommodation & meals

4★ hotel in Stepantsminda

2 nights, twin rooms, with Georgian-cuisine breakfasts and dinners.

Altihut mountain hut, about 3,000 m

A modern hut under the Sabertse pass; 1 night in rooms for 3–4 people or a shared 16-bed room.

Cottages near Bethlemi, about 3,670 m

Up to 8 people per cottage, 4–5 nights depending on weather and use of the reserve day. This is where the group acclimatises, rests and prepares for the summit.

Meals

Breakfast and Georgian dinner at the hotel; at altitude, breakfasts, dinners and lunch boxes for the trail are included, plus a lunch box on the road on day 1.

Price details

What's included

Included

Advice from our managers at every stage of preparation, including gear and clothing
Professional mountaineering instructors, 1 per 3 participants
2 nights in a 4★ hotel in Stepantsminda (twin rooms) with breakfast and dinner
1 night at the Altihut hut and 4–5 nights in cottages near Bethlemi
Mountain meals: breakfasts, dinners and lunch boxes for the trail
Horses for personal kit and clothing up to the assault camp and back: 20 kg per person up and 20 kg down
Group transfers Pyatigorsk – Stepantsminda – Pyatigorsk and hotel – Gergeti church – hotel
Individual meeting at Mineralnye Vody airport (or station) and transfer to our Pyatigorsk office, and an individual transfer back at any time of day
National park entrance fee
Safety equipment: satellite phone, radios, GPS navigator, first-aid kit, registration with local rescuers
Mountaineering oxygen equipment and doctor contact by satellite or mobile phone
Group equipment: ropes, gas and cooking system
Certificate of ascent, branded long-sleeve shirt, Elbrus Expert cap and Kazbek participation medal
Official Russian Mountaineering Federation (FAR) badge and Climber's Book entry for a successful ascent; left-luggage storage at our office

Not included

International flights and travel to and from Pyatigorsk (fly into Mineralnye Vody, MRV)
Personal gear and clothing; rental equipment is paid separately
Mountaineering insurance (mandatory)
Nights in Pyatigorsk before and after the tour

Dates & prices

Choose your date

Small international groups. Booking is free — we confirm details with you before any payment.

8 – 16 Jun 2027
9 days
~~Regular price€2,470~~Now€2,130per person
Guides
AvailableBe the first
8 – 16 Jul 2027
9 days
~~Regular price€2,470~~Now€2,130per person
Guides
AvailableBe the first
25 Aug – 2 Sept 2027
9 days
~~Regular price€2,470~~Now€2,130per person
Guides
AvailableBe the first

Need other dates or a private group? — we organise departures on request.

Packing list

Required equipment

What to bring for this programme. Most technical items can be rented from us — no need to fly with them.

Equipment

Climbing cramponsRent
Large backpack 85–120 L + rain cover · Horses carry up to 20 kg of your main load; on the trail you walk with a 35–40 L day pack.Rent
Harness + 3 carabiners + safety lanyardsRent
HeadlampRent
Sleeping bag, comfort rating −10 °CRent
Mountain sunglassesRent
Ski gogglesRent
Insulated overbootsRent
1-litre thermosRent

Clothing

Mountaineering bootsRent
Warm down or synthetic jacket with a hood that fits over a helmet · Rated for winter and high-altitude conditions; for down, at least 250–300 g of quality down (Fill Power 700+ preferred).Rent
Extreme-cold mittensRent
Climbing trousers (softshell recommended)Rent
Fleece top (Polartec 200) · Base layers cannot be rented — buy them from us or bring your own.
Light trousers or shorts
Warm fleece hat that fits under a helmet
Thin Polartec gloves
Trekking socks, 2–3 pairs
Thin socks, 3 pairs
Cap or wide-brimmed hat
Buff or balaclava
Synthetic T-shirts, 2

Personal items

Compression sacks
Toiletries
Mug, spoon, bowl and knife
Sunscreen SPF 50
Waterproof pouch for documents
Plastic water bottle
Power bank

First-aid kit

Personal first-aid kit · Minimum: gauze bandage, roll plaster, antiseptics, anti-allergy tablets, fever and cold remedies, stomach tablets, elastic bandage, haemostatic products and your own medication for any chronic conditions.

RentItems marked as rentals can be hired at our Pyatigorsk office — we check and fit everything the day before departure (or from 08:00 on day 1). Base layers and small items are not rented.

Your team

Guides on this tour

Certified mountain guides who speak English and lead this route every season.

Reviews

What our travellers say

5.055 reviews on TripAdvisor 5.0210 reviews on Google

Google
“Комфортный тур на западную вершину Эльбруса с юга с Сергеем Тарасовым. Это был не просто тур, а кинотур! Довольна всем! Организация на высшем уровне. Питание, трансфер, безопасность, аренда снаряжения - понравилось абсолютно всё! Спасибо огромное за эмоции и впечатления!”
ННаиля Филиппова September 2026
Google
“Пользуюсь услугами компании не первый раз и планирую дальше с ними путешествовать: отличная компания, профессиональные гиды.”
AAleks September 2026
TripAdvisor
Подъём на Эльбрус! Западная вершина.
“Поднялись с группой на западную вершину Эльбруса! У нас был опытный гид Алексей Сикилинда, который грамотно выждал погоду, и мы успешно взошли на вершину. Были ребята, которые говорили что им всё равно на погоду, ведь они идут с Ксенией Котляр, и пошли на день раньше. Но взойти на вершину у них не вышло, и они вернулись назад. А мы зашли) Спасибо опыту Алексея). Компания была максимально разношёрстная - плотник, доктор, менеджер и торговый представитель. Несмотря на это все нашли общий язык и поддерживали друг друга во время всего тура) Что конечно же положительно повлияло на успех восхождения. В целом о поездке впечатление отличное, всё было хорошо - трансфер, снаряжение, питание. Спасибо компании Эльбрус Эксперт за прекрасный тур!”
ССергей М September 2026

Read all reviews

FAQ

Good to know

What documents do I need for the Georgian side?

The trip crosses into Georgia over the Georgian Military Road, so a valid international passport is required — it must be valid for at least 6 months on arrival. Entry rules depend on your nationality: check the visa requirements for both Russia and Georgia before booking, and keep the passport with you from the briefing on day 1.

How do I get to the start and where do we meet?

Fly into Mineralnye Vody (MRV). We meet you in the arrivals hall, or you can take a taxi to our office in Pyatigorsk (Lenin Square 13, Intourist hotel building) — about 27 km, 25 minutes. Arrive the day before the start (the office receives participants from 08:00 to 18:00 for gear checks and rental) or on day 1 between 08:00 and 10:00.

How does the comfort version differ from the standard Kazbek South tour?

There are no tents and no heavy packs: horses carry up to 20 kg of each participant's main load up and down, you stay in a 4★ hotel in Stepantsminda, the Altihut hut and cottages near Bethlemi, meals are organised on the mountain, and there is 1 instructor per 3 participants instead of 1 per 4. The mountaineering part — glacier, crampons, roped teams, night summit push — stays the same.

How fit do I need to be, and is climbing experience required?

The programme is designed for people in good physical shape who want their first serious climb above 5,000 m or the next step after mountain trekking. Previous climbing experience is desirable but not required: we teach moving in crampons and roped teams and working with an ice axe during the tour. Anyone who skips the compulsory acclimatisation climb to 4,300 m is not allowed to go for the summit.

What if the weather is bad on summit day?

Day 9 is a reserve day. If the summit is not possible on day 6, the reserve day is used for another attempt and the descent and return to Pyatigorsk move by one day. We recommend booking return flights for day 9 after 19:00. The tour runs when at least 3 participants have booked.

Where can I stay in Pyatigorsk?

There are hostels, hotels of every category and daily-rent apartments close to our office (hostel beds start at roughly €5–10 a night). If you need help choosing, ask our team.

Not sure about the date? Leave a request

A guide will reply within 24 hours with options, availability and answers to your questions.

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The mountain is waiting

Ready for your summit?

From €2,130 per person. Pick a date now — we confirm everything personally, no payment at this step.