Georgia Travel Guide

Georgia is one of the most impressive countries due to the beauty of its landscapes, where you will find deserts, coastal areas, canyons and the highest mountains in Europe with several peaks that exceed 4,000 m in height.

Furthermore, on a holiday in Georgia you will learn about the interesting and somewhat turbulent history of this country located between two continents, Asia and Europe, with a very marked Soviet past.

Georgians are a people with fascinating ancient traditions, such as wine making, acrobatic dancing and singing that are World Heritage Sites and have reached space. I'm not exaggerating! 😉

In this guide to Georgia you will find the main articles I wrote based on the year I spent living in the country and took the opportunity to explore it well.

The idea is that it will serve as your guide in Georgia so that you can travel on your own and as always, if you have any questions, leave me a comment below and I will help you in any way I can. 😉

Get Ready for Your Trip to Georgia

Security, occupied and disputed territories

If you are preparing your trip, you may be wondering if it is safe to travel to Georgia and I can tell you that it is.

At this moment, Georgia is not in armed conflict with any country, although there are two territories occupied by Russia with very different situations:

• Republic of Abkhazia: It is a country recognized only by Russia and 3 other countries.
• South Ossetia: This is a fully occupied territory, where you cannot enter even by mistake.

👍 Friend's tip: if you are going hiking in the areas near South Ossetia, keep your distance or go with a guide.

In addition, there is a disputed territory on the border with Azerbaijan, where the David Gareja monastery is located, part of which is on the Georgian side and the other on the Azerbaijani side.

However, there is no armed conflict there or anything like that, the monastery on the Georgian side can be visited without problems, you can read all the details of the visit and how to get there in this article.

Tips for traveling to Georgia

Below you have a couple of items that will come in handy if you are going to travel to Georgia, one with things to pack in your suitcase.

The other has advice on security, visas, when to travel, currency and even questions that immigration officers can ask you, because they tend to be very creative. 😅

How many days to spend in Georgia?

Georgia is a small country, however, it has many places to visit. Therefore, I recommend you dedicate at least 10 days to see the essentials.

Georgia travel itinerary

Below you have a route through Georgia with itineraries for 10 and 14 days, in the shorter one I have put Tbilisi and Kutaisi as places to base because most visits can be done in 1 day.

In the other itinerary, I added a visit to Batumi on the Black Sea coast.

Georgia Essentials

When traveling to Georgia, the first thing you should know is that the country has 3 large cities:

• Tbilisi: It is the capital and a very interesting city with a lot of history, modern areas, a good gastronomic and leisure offer.
• Kutaisi: It is one of the ancient capitals of Georgia and from where you can make some of the most beautiful visits in the country.
• Batumi: It is the main Georgian summer destination in an area of lush vegetation bathed by the Black Sea.

Below you have several articles about each of the cities and the main nearby visits.

Tbilisi and surroundings

Kutaisi and surroundings

Batumi

Accommodation

Georgia is one of the cheapest countries to travel to in Europe, with accommodation much cheaper than in Spain.

Of course, in Tbilisi and Batumi during the high season (July and August) prices can skyrocket a bit, so it is advisable to book several months in advance.

Kutaisi is less touristy and in the towns (except the mountain ones) it is usually even cheaper.

In this Booking link, you can see all the accommodation offers in TbilisiI recommend staying downtown to have everything within walking distance, so you can walk to most places.

⭐ You may also be interested in this other article about 22 cheapest destinations in Europe, where I include Tbilisi and talk about the prices of the cheapest accommodation, food, drinks and nearby airports.

How to get around Georgia?

Driving

To travel to Georgia on your own, the best way to get around is by driving.

Although the driving of Georgians is very particular, fast and reckless, if you have enough experience behind the wheel you will not have problems.

Another advantage is that you can get rental cars at a very good price, I recommend this search engine where there are serious and cheap Georgian companies.

If you're driving in Georgia, the guide below will help you know what you'll encounter, including road conditions, livestock on the roads, documents, and more.

Day trips

Another good alternative for visiting are full-day tours that are usually very cheap, such as this excursion to Kazbegi which costs less than 25 euros.

The advantage is that you don't worry about everything, you have a guide who explains it to you and many times even the food is included.

If you don't speak English, in this link You can see all the guided tours in Spanish in Georgia by selecting the “only activities in Spanish” filter.

Public Transportation

Another advantage of going to Georgia on vacation is that there are many public transportation options for most places and if you didn't want to drive you wouldn't have any problems.

Below you have several articles that will help you move around the country, including the Kutaisi airport, which is where Wizz Air's low-cost flights arrive and take advantage of traveling to Armenia.

Georgian cuisine

This travel guide to Georgia could not be complete without including the delicious Georgian food that is gradually becoming more and more known internationally.

Traditional Georgian dishes are made from fresh foods produced in the country, seasoned with spices and delicious sauces.

Other star products are breads and an immense variety of cheeses.

In the article below, I tell you about the main dishes you should try on your trip to Georgia and some good restaurants in Tbilisi. 😉

Outdoor Adventures for Active Travelers

If you are an active traveler and you like adventure activities, Georgia is an excellent country for bouldering, paragliding, skiing and of course hiking and trekking.

bouldering

Bouldering is quite widespread in Georgia and you will find free access exterior walls in many places, as far as I know there are at least two in Tbilisi.

Ski

One of the country's star activities that attracts many tourists are winter sports, such as skiing and snowboarding.

Specifically, there are nine ski resorts, although the best known are these three below:

• Bakuriani: It is the oldest and closest to Tbilisi, on the Lesser Caucasus, in an environment with very charming landscapes.
• Gudauri: This is the largest in the country, with spectacular landscapes in the Greater Caucasus. It is also the most popular for its easy access by bus or with this transfer who makes other stops along the way. By the way, in the article I shared with you above about Kazbegi I talk in detail about Gudauri and the alternatives to get there.
• Mestia: It is located in Svaneti, the most remote but with incredible landscapes. You can read more information about Svaneti in the articles on excursions from Tbilisi or Kutaisi, because you can go from either city.

Paragliding

Another of the best activities you can do in Georgia is paragliding, the best place is in Gudauri to fly over its magnificent mountains.

Also, the prices are quite cheap, if you want to make a paragliding flight I recommend this one, which is a serious company and has all the material in perfect condition.

Hiking and trekking

Of course, I couldn't stop talking about hiking and trekking in a country like Georgia, if you like the mountains you can't miss doing a route, and there are also ones for all levels of difficulty.

Some of the most popular are in Mtatsminda, which is the mountain next to Tbilisi. In the article What to see in Tbilisi you have more details of the route passing through Turtle Lake.

Then, another place with easy and medium level routes with beautiful landscapes with a lot of charm is in the Borjomi Kharagauli Park, which you can read more about in this article about Borjomi.

If you are looking for more challenging high mountain routes, the Kazbegi area is perfect, with waterfalls, glaciers in a beautiful mountain environment.

In the Kazbegi article that I shared with you above you have more information and if you want to join a hiking tour, this is Juta ya the Gveleti waterfall It's the one I made.

In Kazbegi the most beautiful route is the Chaukhi Pass at 3341 m high, it is a complicated route if you want to do it alone. Another way is for you to join this trekking excursion.

Otherwise, in the Svaneti region there are the most spectacular routes in the country, with lakes and glaciers in the heart of the Greater Caucasus.

One of the most popular routes for its impressive landscapes is the one that goes from Mestia to Ushguli for several days, which you can do on your own or with this group that goes with a guide.

Urbex and Soviet Past

Georgia belonged to the USSR for 69 long years, something that left a mark that still persists, and it was also previously part of the Russian Empire.

If you are interested in this part of history, in Georgia you will find many interesting places to visit, below I tell you about the best ones where you can also explore abandoned sites.

The most beautiful place is Tskaltubo, a place that only tourists who love photography and the urbex pass by, and Chiatura, a very unique mining town.

Finally, the other article is about the main Soviet buildings and mosaics in Tbilisi, a compilation that took me 1 year to visit and select the best places.

Georgia Fun Facts

Before traveling through Georgia you may be interested in reading the article below with curiosities about its history, the uniqueness of its surnames, its fabulous banquets, those sent by God, the space message on Voyager and more.

By the way, the photo in the article is of traditional Georgian clothing, which today people still wear for special occasions for religious holidays, even for weddings. 😍

Recommended Georgia Guides

If you want to buy a travel guide to Georgia I recommend this one from Lonely Planet which is complete and includes Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Furthermore, as Georgia is a country that receives little tourism, it is the only one that you will find more or less updated in Spanish.

If not, you can opt for this other one of the Lonely Planet in English, which is more updated.

Final Thoughts

I hope this travel guide to Georgia helps you prepare your trip to this beautiful country with unique natural landscapes that is still little explored by tourists.

Keep this guide handy; it'll be a valuable resource throughout your journey, providing access to all my articles. If you found it helpful, don't hesitate to share it with fellow travelers. Have a wonderful trip! 💚

Other guides to the Caucasus and Europe

• Armenia Travel Guide
• Greece Guide
• Türkiye Guide (Turkey)