Day 1-3:
Visit the vibrant city of Tbilisi
Tbilisi is a vibrant and colorful city, where ancient history and modernity exist side by side. I didn`t know what to expect, but I instantly fell in love with the city and the country. The old town consists of cobblestone streets that are overlooked by the beautiful Narikala fortress. Through the city there are also many sulfuric bathhouses , which gives it the name `city of warm springs`. Some of them are really worth visiting (even if it`s only from the outside), like the Chreli-Abano bathhouse. But the city has also earned another name: The wine capital. Tbilisi is considered one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world! So it`s not surprising that you can find a wide variety of wine bars and tastings through the streets. And if that doesn`t convince you: Try the food! The Georgian cuisine is completely different from what I´ve known, but all the different dishes were incredibly tasty (and heavy). Be sure to try the Khachapuri, a sort of bread with an egg an cheese inside, it is heaven!
What to visit: The cable car to Narikala fortress (nice views over the city), Holy trinity cathedral of Tbilisi, Sioni cathedral, Georgian national museum, Tbilisi opera an ballet theater, the peace bridge, the underground Meidan Bazar (perfect for souvenirs), the leaning clock tower
Relaxing options: Take a river cruise, visit the botanical garden, visit a traditional sulfuric bathhouse (be sure the make a reservation in advance)
Nice areas to walk around: Along the river to see the peace bridge, the area surrounding the famous Chreli-Abano bathhouse
Areas to eat and drink: the akhvlediani street and Shardeni street (filled with cafes, bars and restaurants), Fabrika
Day 3-5:
Visit the beautiful Kazbegi region
I´ll be honest, 2 days are not enough to explore this beautiful gem, but even if you´re short on time, you should definitely stay 2 nights in Stepansminda and not only take a day tour from Tbilisi. The area is very rich in history and culture and a must-see for photographers. After all, the Gergeti trinity church is considered as one of the most beautiful churches in the world and is the most popular destination of Georgia. Considering that, the amount of people was still very reasonable when we were there. Try to avoid the afternoon, as there are many tours visiting during that hours. The church is especially beautiful to see at sunrise or sunset. But Kazbegi has many more things to offer, loads of beautiful hikes and amazing food.
Beautiful hikes: Hike to Gergeti Trinity church (6,4 km, you can even visit the church for free), Hike to the Gveleti waterfall (4 km, very beautiful during the rain, but slippery!), walk to St Elias Church (5 km), visit Chaukhi valley (7,9 km), visit Truso valley (21km), hike to Gergeti glacier (20 km, check the weather beforehand)
Relaxing options: visit the relatively unknown open air spring water pool in Pansheti (it´s not a hot spring, so the water is very cold!), enjoy a drink and amazing food at “Cozy corner”, right by the river
Day 5-8:
Visit the impressive mountains in Svaneti
Now you should already be pretty hooked by the mountains in Georgia. So let´s dive into another mountain region: Svaneti. The svan culture is a little different from the rest of Georgia, but not less interesting! Here you will find ancient villages with the traditional Svan towers everywhere. The most popular area to stay in is Mestia. It is a bigger town where you can find all the necessities like stores, restaurants, bars etc… They even have a ´cinema´(think a beamer in a basement) with only one award-winning movie (Dede) that was made from locals in the area and it is highly worth visiting, as it gives you a better understanding of the culture. The movie has English subtitles and plays everyday. So the town is a perfect mix for beautiful hikes in between the mountains and a relaxing vibe in the evening.
Beautiful hikes: Chaaladi glacier (5,2 km, highly recommend), Koruldi lakes (16 km, you can shorten it and just walk to the cross), Guli pass hike (17,6 km), Zuruldi ridge (6 km, if you take the Hatsvali cable car up), from Mesti to Mazeri by the Guli pass (22,6 km and over 2000m ascent, so only do this one if you´re really fit!)
Relaxing options: See the movie ´Dede´ in the their local cinema, visit Margiani´s house where you can also climb a traditional Svan tower, visit the museum of history and ethnicity, take the hatsvali cable car and eat at Georgia´s highest restaurant, enjoy the tradional live music in one of their many restaurant/bars.
Day 8-12:
Hike the famous Mestia to Ushguli trail
To really take the mountains and culture in, you should do the famous Mestia to Ushguli Hike, which takes 4 days. Alternatively, you could visit Ushguli by car from Mestia, but it really isn´t the same. If you are really fit (and fast), you could do the hike even in 2 days, sleeping only in Adishi, but I advise you to take your time, chat with the locals and take a whole lot of pictures. Take it easy on the Chacha (a local type of alcohol), as the homemade one can have up to 70%. And you will be offered A LOT of chacha, even on the hikes. I will crate another post, getting more into the deatails of the hike, but for now here are the most important informations:
Distance: Mestia – Zhabeshi: 16km, Zhabeshi – Adishi (11km), Adishi – Iprali (19km), Iprali – Ushguli (14km)
Where to sleep: There are plenty of homestays, which you can book in advance, but we also found many available places the same day. Remember to bring cash, as many accomodations don´t accept cards.
How to get back: It´s not necessary to sleep in Ushguli, especially when you are short on time. There are some beautiful hikes though. After a look around and getting a refreshment in Ushguli, you can get together with other hikers and share a car back to Mestia. Don´t worry, the drivers will find you!
Day 12-14:
Visit the city of Kutaisi
Tbilisi is quite a long way from Mestia, so Kutaisi is a perfect place to cut the travel in 2, especially if you´re travelling by Mashrutka. Kutaisi is a beautiful city and there is plenty to see. As one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe, the are beautiful churches and relics everywhere. During our stay we visited the Gelati monastery (founded in 1106!), which is only 20 minutes by car. It can be nicely combined with the Sataplia cave, where you can still see actual dinosaur footprints! In general Kutaisi is a good spot for many day excurtions.
What to visit: The retro city cable car, Bagrati cathedral, colchis fountain, Green bazaar, the white bridge, Kutaisi holy annunciation temple
Day trips: Gelati monastery, Sataplia cave and national reserve, Okatse canyon, Prometheus cave, Martvilli canyon
Day 14:
Return to Tbilisi
Sadly your trip has come to an end. Kutaisi also has an international airport, so it´s up to you if you choose to leave from there, or return to Tbilisi. When we were in Georgia we mostly moved around using the app ´Bolt` (similar to Uber). Most of the time the drivers gave us their number, so that we used the same one for the time we stayed in one place. The drivers often don´t speak English, but they were very friendly and we could manage to communicate anyway. For longer distances we used the public Mashrutkas, but if you get carsick easily like me, I advise you to take a pill before as they are very crowded, very hot and drive very crazy. Alternatively you could check flights, as Georgia has 6 airports (quite a lot for a rather small country) or rent a car.
I hope you will enjoy Georgia as much as I did, it really was one of my favorite travels so far. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments 🙂
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