π¬πͺGeorgia
Tbilisi as a base, the Military Highway up to Kazbegi, wine country in Kakheti, and the medieval tower villages of Svaneti β with room to extend.
At a glance
- Best time
- Late spring (MayβJune) & early autumn (SeptβOct)
- Budget
- π°
- Suits
- couples, food & wine lovers, road-trippers, hikers
Essentials
- Currency
- Georgian lari (GEL, βΎ)
- Hello
- Gamarjoba (ααααα α―ααα)
- Thank you
- Madloba (ααααααα)
Georgia packs an astonishing amount into a small country: a buzzing capital, 8,000 years of winemaking, cave cities and clifftop monasteries, and the high Caucasus with its medieval tower villages. This loop uses Tbilisi as a comfortable base before heading west and up into the mountains. Itβs easy to stretch or trim β if you have to cut something, keep Svaneti.
Map
Stops
- Tbilisi β base for the first few days
- Mtskheta, Gori & Uplistsikhe β day trip from Tbilisi
- Kakheti wine region π·
- Sighnaghi
- Telavi
- Georgian Military Highway & Kazbegi β day trip, or stay overnight
- Kutaisi
- Tskaltubo
- Svaneti
- Mestia
- Ushguli
- Armenia β optional bonus day trip
Day by day
- Day 1
Arrival in Tbilisi
Land at Tbilisi airport and take a taxi or the airport bus into the centre (about 30 minutes). Check in and decompress, then take a slow evening walk through Abanotubani (the sulphur-bath district) and the lanes of the Old Town. First Georgian feast: khinkali and a glass of amber wine.
- Day 2
Tbilisi β Old Town & the classics
Start at Narikala Fortress for sweeping views β walk up or take the cable car from Rike Park. Descend through the Old Town past the wooden balconied houses, Metekhi Church and the Bridge of Peace. Afternoon: a soak at one of the Abanotubani bathhouses (Chreli-Abano is the most famous). Evening: stroll grand Rustaveli Avenue past the Opera House and National Museum.
- Day 3
Tbilisi β the other side
Take the Mtatsminda funicular to the hilltop park for panoramas, stopping at the Pantheon on the way up. Then Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba), the largest in the Caucasus. Late afternoon: the Dry Bridge flea market for Soviet memorabilia and antiques. Evening: dinner in Fabrika, a converted Soviet sewing factory now full of bars and independent shops.
- Day 4
Military Highway β Kazbegi β Kakheti
An ambitious, rewarding day. Leave early and stop at Ananuri Fortress on the Zhinvali reservoir, then climb the Georgian Military Highway through dramatic scenery to Kazbegi (Stepantsminda). Hike up to Gergeti Trinity Church (2,170m) with Mt Kazbek looming behind β one of the iconic views of the Caucasus. Drive back south in the afternoon, cutting east into Kakheti for the night in Sighnaghi or Telavi.
π‘ Sleeping in Kazbegi is worth it for the morning light once the day-trippers leave. Split this into two days and push Kakheti back a day to make it an 11β12 day trip.
- Day 5
Kakheti wine region
Georgia is the birthplace of wine β 8,000 years of it. Base yourself in Sighnaghi, the prettiest town in Kakheti, ringed by an 18th-century wall with views over the Alazani Valley to the Caucasus. Walk the walls and visit Bodbe Monastery, then taste at a family winery (look for natural amber-wine makers in the surrounding villages). Evening: Telavi bazaar for churchkhela and local produce.
- Day 6
Kakheti β Mtskheta β Gori β Uplistsikhe β Kutaisi
A long driving day west β start early. First Mtskheta, the ancient capital and a UNESCO site: Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the hilltop Jvari Monastery, where two rivers meet below. Then Gori for the candid Stalin Museum, and Uplistsikhe, a rock-hewn pagan cave city above the Mtkvari River. Push on to Kutaisi for the night.
- Day 7
Kutaisi & Tskaltubo
Morning: hilltop Bagrati Cathedral and the spectacular Gelati Monastery just outside town, UNESCO-listed for its medieval mosaics. Afternoon: a short drive to Tskaltubo, a Soviet spa resort left to decay β grand sanatoriums with crumbling ballrooms and overgrown gardens, hauntingly atmospheric to explore.
π€ Some itineraries skip Kutaisi for a faster run to Svaneti. Keep it if you have the days β Gelati alone justifies the stop, and Tskaltubo is unforgettable.
- Day 8
Kutaisi β Martvili Canyon β Mestia
Leave in the morning and stop at Martvili Canyon β a turquoise river through forested gorges, with optional rowboat rides between the walls. Continue north through Zugdidi (good lunch stop) and up the dramatic mountain road into Svaneti, arriving in Mestia by late afternoon: ancient defensive tower houses ringed by snow peaks. Dinner at a Svan guesthouse.
- Day 9
Mestia & Svaneti
Explore the Svan towers in town and the Svaneti History Museum (medieval icons and gold rescued from local churches). Afternoon hike, by fitness: the Koruldi Lakes ridge (~5hrs, the best on a clear day) or the gentler Chalaadi Glacier walk (~3hrs return). Evening: kubdari, the local meat-filled bread, at a family guesthouse.
- Day 10
Mestia β Ushguli β Mestia
The highlight of Svaneti. Take a shared 4x4 jeep taxi (~2.5hrs each way) along a rough mountain road to Ushguli β four hamlets at 2,200m, among the highest permanently inhabited places in Europe and a UNESCO site. Medieval Svan towers stand against the snows of Mt Shkhara, Georgia's highest peak. Wander the hamlets and the little Lamaria Church, then return to Mestia.
- Day 11
Mestia β Tbilisi β onwards
Back to Tbilisi for a final meal and evening stroll before your onward flight.
βοΈ Option A (summer): the morning MestiaβTbilisi flight (~30 min, stunning aerial views β book well ahead, seats are few). Option B: drive to Zugdidi and take a marshrutka or train (6β7hrs total).
Good to know
Before you go
- Book the MestiaβTbilisi flight well in advance β there are only a handful of seats and they sell out fast.
- Carry some cash once you leave Tbilisi; cards aren't accepted everywhere.
- Late spring is lovely, but the highest mountain roads (Ushguli) can still be rough.
Getting around
- Marshrutkas (shared minibuses) are the cheap way between towns; a hired driver is worth it for the Military Highway and the Svaneti roads.
- Mestia to Ushguli is a shared 4x4 jeep taxi, roughly 2.5 hours each way.
What to eat
Dishes to try
- Khinkali
- Soup dumplings β twist the top knot to hold, sip the broth, then eat. Meaty (mtiuluri) or herby (kalakuri).
- Khachapuri
- Cheese bread in many forms: boat-shaped Adjaruli with a runny egg, round Imeruli, buttery Megruli.
- Kubdari
- Svaneti's meat-filled bread β the speciality up in the mountains.
- Lobiani
- Bread stuffed with spiced beans.
- Pkhali
- Vegetable-and-walnut pΓ’tΓ©, rolled into little balls.
- Badrijani nigvzit
- Fried aubergine rolled around walnut paste.
- Shkmeruli
- Chicken in a garlicky cream sauce.
- Mtsvadi
- Georgian barbecue, usually pork or veal over vine cuttings.
- Churchkhela
- Walnuts threaded on string and dipped in thickened grape juice β the 'Georgian Snickers'.
Wine
Grapes to know
- Saperavi (red)
- Georgia's flagship red β deeply coloured, bold and full-bodied, with dark berries, spice and firm tannins.
- Rkatsiteli (white)
- Versatile β made both as crisp dry whites and as tannic amber (orange) wines in qvevri.
- Mtsvane (white)
- Floral and citrussy with crisp green-apple notes; often blended with Rkatsiteli.
- Kisi (white)
- Aromatic; makes complex amber wines with apricot, green tea and walnut.
- Tsolikouri (white)
- From western Georgia β lighter and refreshing, with citrus and floral notes.
Appellations to look for
- Mukuzani (red)
- Dry, oak-aged Saperavi; velvety, dark pomegranate colour.
- Kindzmarauli (red)
- Naturally semi-sweet Saperavi, rich with ripe blackberry and cherry.
- Khvanchkara (red)
- Legendary semi-sweet red from Racha, from Alexandrouli and Mujuretuli grapes.
- Tsinandali (white)
- Dry RkatsiteliβMtsvane blend; crisp and light with orchard fruit.
- Tvishi (white)
- Naturally semi-sweet white from Racha, all Tsolikouri.
Extend the trip
Worth adding with more time
- Batumi
- Black Sea resort city β lively, palm-lined, architecturally eclectic. Add a couple of nights if extending to 13+ days; best in summer.
- Chiatura & Katskhi Pillar
- Soviet manganese town built into a canyon, linked by 1950s cable cars, plus a monastery atop a 40m limestone column. Easy from Kutaisi.
- David Gareji
- Remote cave monastery carved into a semi-desert cliff on the Azerbaijan border; a dedicated day trip from Tbilisi. Check road conditions.
- Zugdidi
- Handy transit stop between Kutaisi and Mestia; Dadiani Palace is worth a quick look in passing.