Tusheti National Park is located in the mountain basin of Tusheti, in Akhmeta Municipality in northeastern Kakheti, 205 km from Tbilisi. The park covers 83,007 hectares at elevations ranging from 900 to 4,800 metres above sea level. It is one of eight national parks approved by the Parliament of Georgia on 22 April 2003. Among the natural attractions of Kakheti, Tusheti combines exceptional wilderness with living ethnic culture: the Tush people's traditional transhumance shepherding continues here to this day.
The park spans four mountain valleys of the Greater Caucasus: alpine meadows, glaciers, river sources, unique Sosnovsky pine groves, birch forests, highland oak and Caucasian mountain ash. The fauna includes over 190 species of birds and mammals on the Georgian Red List: golden eagle, steppe eagle, griffon vulture, Caucasian grouse, Caucasian snowcock, brown bear, chamois, tur, lynx, Anatolian leopard and wolf. The pine flowering season attracts medical tourism visitors.
The park's main summits are Tebulo (4,492 m), Diklo (4,285 m) and Borbalo (3,294 m). The visitor centre in Lower Omalo (open since 2010) includes guestrooms, a cafeteria and an exhibition hall. Eleven routes of 1 to 6 days are marked for hiking, cycling and horseback riding. One of the most celebrated treks in the Caucasus is the Omalo-to-Shatili route crossing the Atsunta Pass into Khevsureti. Bicycle hire and binoculars are available on site; locals rent out horses.
The cultural dimension of Tusheti is as significant as its nature. The Tushs have practised transhumance since medieval times, spending summers in the highlands and winters in the lowlands. The tradition continues today. Tusheti cheese, felt goods, carpets, hats and wool clothing are a recognised part of the region's cultural identity. Local festivals feature archery and horse-riding competitions. The 13th-century Keselo tower complex stands in Upper Omalo. Villages Omalo, Dartlo, Shenako and Diklo are included in cultural tourism itineraries. Other natural sites in the Tusheti area are listed on the Tusheti natural attractions page
