18 Aug Bucketlist roadtrip in Georgia in a 4×4 with rooftent
Linda & Fedor went on a 4×4 with Rooftent Roadtrip in Georgia
I have a bucketlist, a list with all the things I still want to do in life. Going on a roadtrip holiday, exploring a country in a 4×4 and a rooftop tent was on it for a while already!
When the timing was finally right, my husband and I found ourselves arriving for our holiday in the country of Georgia. The friendly guys of iDrive4x4 had the rooftop tent and supplies all ready for us! With a rooftop tent on a 4×4 car full with camping gear we started our roadtrip.
Georgia is not that well known yet, but we soon discovered that this new holiday country has so much to offer! And it’s the perfect place for 4×4 drive rooftop roadtrip adventures. There are many 4×4 tracks and so many beautiful camping spots!
8,000 years of winemaking in Georgia
We first drove to the wine district. An easy drive to get used to the traffic in Georgia. Did you know that the people of Georgia were the first ones to make wine? They started 8000 years ago! The wines here are made in clay pots that are buried under the ground. They give the wines a special flavor. We had such a good time tasting the wines at Nekresi Estate, that we almost forgot what time it was. Time to drive to the camping spot before it gets dark! We drove on a gravel track and got stuck between a herd of cows on the road! We could see the Georgian cowboys herding them.
The sun was starting to set… We drove through a small village where the old men and ladies lifted their heads to see who was driving through their town. Then, we got on a bumpy off road track, driving towards the river. We even saw a badger cross the road! It was almost dark by the time we arrived at the river bank. Within 5 minutes our rooftop tent was up and we started cooking our dinner. At night it was raining a bit, and we heard thunder in the distance. Together with the sounds of the river we fell asleep.
Book here your 4×4 with rooftent in Georgia
Culinary holiday camping by 4×4 with rooftent
The next day we continued our roadtrip into the mountains! The first hour we drove on a smooth paved road along a beautiful bright blue lake. Next we started following a river, gradually making our way up. Then it was time to set up our rooftop tent for the night. We found a hidden meadow with trees just next to an old bridge. Here we made a small campfire, roasted some sausages with bread and Georgian cheese, and listened to the crickets, while drinking one of the wines we picked the previous day. When we woke next morning we saw the sunlight shining through the trees, and looking out from our rooftop tent we saw a green wet jungle.
We continued our roadtrip driving up the mountain. A drive not for the faint hearted! Now the road turned into gravel and we passed small waterfalls along steep walls hewn out of the mountain. Here the road became a bit more challenging, with water sometimes trickling over the road, making us whoop when it was splashing up. Then we entered a valley and followed the road further up the mountain via steep hairpin bends. Sometimes the road was super close to the edge and it was scary to look down! Further up we went until the crossed the mountain pass at 2600 meters. The views were amazing, green rolling mountains, with a blue sky above.
Bucketlist: 4×4 roadtrip in Georgia is ticked off the box!
After the pass, we drove another hour down to a Georgian mountain village. This village is known for its ancient medieval houses hewn into the side of the mountain. Only few people actually still live here, so you can walk up the steep little alleys and explore the old, thick walled, abandoned houses. We decided to put up our rooftop tent between the medieval houses and the river. This way we could see the sun go down while enjoying the views of the mountains and medieval houses at the same time. In the evening we met some other rooftop tent adventurers and enjoyed a few beers with them and ate khinkali (Georgian dumplings) in the local family restaurant.
The roadtrip back out of the mountains the next day was even better than the way there! By this time our holiday spirit was in full swing and we were comfortable with the 4×4 car and driving the beautiful mountain roads. We turned on the music and sung along, fully enjoying our Georgia 4×4 roadtrip rooftop adventure!
Bucketlist item completed ✅! We want to go on a roadtrip holiday again next year and go to Kyrgyzstan!
Book your 4×4 with rooftent in Georgia here