Date of trip: October 3-13, 2024
I’ve had Georgia on my wish list since meeting a friendly Georgian in the Peloponnese in 2017. But the long travel time had always been a barrier to booking. This past May, I met my neighbor’s Georgian husband and after a margarita-fueled planning session, we impulsively canceled our trip to the Azores and booked flights to Tbilisi. Since there aren’t many travel guides for Georgia, he helped sketch out a few key highlights and places to stay. At the last minute, we ended up changing our itinerary to prioritize the Caucasuses rather than the Black Sea and I couldn’t be happier that we did.
Here’s a peek of my planning process. I usually draw everything out first just to get a sense of where everything is in relation to the map.
Here’s a rough map of where we visited on our 9 day trip. Word of warning- Google maps grossly underestimates travel time for Georgia road conditions.
Overview of Itinerary:
Days 1-4: Airbnb in Tbilisi- This includes time lost with international flights, late arrivals, etc. We also used one of these days for a day trip north to Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) with a guide.
Day 5: Cabin in Kutaisi – lots of drive time and tourist stops between Tbilisi and Kutaisi so would definitely build in another day to enjoy the area
Days 6-7: A-Frame with views of Ushguli in Mestia- Given the time commitment, I would most certainly recommend at least one more day here. It was my favorite spot. We stopped at quite a few canyons, springs and castles on the way which added to the drive but well worth it.
Day 8: Cabin directly on the Martvili Canyon- Very cool experience and we had time to explore the waterfalls and canyons in the surrounding area. One night was probably enough but we did miss some tourist attractions
Day 9: Water Tower in Baghdati- Found this unique Airbnb and made it our destination on the way back to Tbilisi to fly home. I picked it because of the cool experience but ended up finding one of my favorite gems nearby, the Vani Sulfur pools which were literally in the middle of a farm pasture.
Day 10: Mirrored Cabin in the middle of the forest- We chose this one for our last evening due to the proximity of the airport. We didn’t have time but I’d recommend to explore near Sabaduri Forest and maybe drive up to Tianeti for another night for some pretty hikes.
Day 11: International flight, Tbilisi to Istanbul to Atlanta
Here’s our trip in detail with all the fluff, links and pictures:
Day 1: We took an after work flight from ATL to Istanbul to Tbilisi. This was my very first non-Delta flight and I was impressed! The flight cost was $1200 each for economy comfort. We did have a delay in Atlanta and had to sprint across the Istanbul airport to make our connection just as the boarding door was closing, but everyone on Turkish Air was so helpful making that happen. Took us 20 minutes from plane to plane.
Day 2: We landed at 11pm Georgia time and had a driver transport us to our apartment arranged by our airbnb host for the cost of $20. We did rent a car but opted to pickup from the city center on our last day in Tbilisi to avoid parking (which we were warned was a nightmare). This was definitely the right thing to do – even our guide said she could spend an hour searching for parking in the city.
Given the long travel day and late arrival, we essentially only explored our neighborhood (which was really hip and centrally located near Freedom Square).
Our apartment looked like something you would find in Paris. Wood floors, high ceilings, detailed woodwork- it was dreamy and quite large! There were 2.5 bathrooms and two separate bedrooms with two balconies! I’ve linked the airbnb below. Our total cost for 3 nights was $475.87.
Day 3: Today was our Tbilisi day. My luggage got delayed due to our tight connection so we waited a bit for the airport to drop it off (seamless experience compared to when this has happened in the States).
We were a 15 minute walk to the Mother of Georgia so we started there.
We arrived at this church to start the “ascent” up the stairs to The Mother of Georgia overlooking the city.
After climbing down, we went to brunch at Mint a few miles away. Tbilisi is notoriously not open early for breakfast but this spot opened at 9am.
Here’s a great blog I found that listed lots of breakfast options.
https://wander-lush.org/georgian-breakfast-in-tbilisi-cafes/
Mint was in the garden terrace of a courtyard and really cozy. We had a whole spread which included pancakes with pistachio ice cream! The latte was great too.
We spent the rest of the day exploring Tbilisi, just wandering the streets with no destinations in mind.
Here’s a great reference I found from the NYT for tourist spots in the city.
36 Hours in Tbilisi – The New York Times
It was Tbilosoba Festival while we were there so there were concerts, street food, parades in all the neighborhoods. We didn’t plan our trip around this but I would totally recommend trying to be in Tbilisi during this yearly festival.
https://www.georgianholidays.com/blog/Tbilisoba-2024-Celebrating-Tbilisi-s-Heritage-and-Culture/
We ate at this lovely wine bar dinner before going to our spa appointment. We tried a few different wines they suggested and they were all fabulous.
We then headed to Abanotubani, the neighborhood known for its sulfur baths. Unlike typical bathhouses, the area featured subterranean brick domes where steam escapes, creating a unique atmosphere.
There are several spa options, and we chose the most popular, Chreli Abano. We booked online exactly two weeks in advance to secure a large apartment with a private circuit that included a sauna, cold bath, and sulfur pool. I opted for a traditional kisi scrub, which cost 20 GEL, paid directly in cash to the masseuse—so be sure to have local currency on hand. We covered the room, towels, slippers, wine, and massages with a credit card.
We booked the N1 Room for 200 GEL (about $75 USD) per hour. Although I can’t compare it to Turkish or Japanese bathhouses, this experience was incredible—particularly the scrub. It far surpassed the expensive spas with hot and cold circuits I’ve visited in places like Canada. I wasn’t sure of the etiquette, but I asked the staff and it is customary to go nude.
Here’s the link to book at Chreli Abano.
https://chreli-abano.ge/?lan=en
Our guide the next day highly recommended Sam Raam Spa. I’ve linked their website below. Unfortunately we never got the opportunity to hit that one.
https://samraan.com/web/en/home
Day 4: I wanted to go to Kazbegi which was north of Tbilisi and since we didn’t have a car yet, we arranged a guide to take us. We arranged the trip through WT Georgia, a hiking group I found on Facebook. Here is a link with their contact information and our tour details.
Kazbegi Day Tour for Haley Hall – WT Georgia
We lucked out with Anna as our guide. She’s a local and not only knows Georgia inside and out, she’s well-traveled beyond Georgia, which made her stories and insights even more interesting. She’s also an experienced hiker who trained for and summited Mt. Kazbek. Anna’s enthusiasm and depth of knowledge added so much to the trip, making it all feel more personal and authentic. She also gave us valuable advice for the rest of the trip which you’ll see me quoting below.
Our first stop wasnt even on the schedule but Anna asked if I liked Brutalist Architecture (and of course I do), so she took us to the Monument of the Three Hundred Aragvians which paid homage to the soldiers who were defeated by the Persians in the 1700s.
Again off the scheduled tour, Anna then took us to the Zhinvali Reservoir for some instragrammable pics.
Next stop, we visited the Ananuri Castle overlooking the reservoir. Luckily we were early and were leaving just as the tour buses arrived.
By then I was hungry for brunch so Anna found us a great spot for traditional Georgian cuisine.
Next stop was the “Russian-Georgian” friendship monument erected in 1983 which shows scenes Kingdom of Georgia in drab colors transform into the bright and cheery colors as they enter the USSR.
There were also beautiful views of the mountains from here and we were super lucky to have such clear visibility.
Next up, Anna took us to a cool travertine waterfall right off the military road.
Then we adjusted the schedule due to visibility and went directly to Gergeti Trinity Church for stunning views of Mount Kazbek.
From here we drove to our hike at Gveleti Waterfall. It was a 2.2 mile hike through a beautiful canyon with 1,325 feet elevation gain. You will need some GEL to pay to park in the small lot at the trailhead.
Here’s the AllTrails link with the details.
Gveleti Waterfall on AllTrails
After our hike we had car snacks and Anna took us to the Russian border and the beautiful Dariali Monastery.
The drive back took forever due to traffic but at least we had Anna to navigate the back roads and the scenery was breathtaking.
I had been told this route was difficult to self-drive, but the roads really were not bad here other than traffic. I’d recommend staying the night somewhere near Kazbegi then explore Truso Valley and Juta the next day. I saw some great A frames on airbnb around that area.
Day 5: We rented our car from parent.ge and it was such a pleasant experience. For a 4wd manual transmission for a week, the cost was $400 which included insurance and wifi (which didn’t actually work so maybe don’t rely on that). Total fuel cost was only $110 for the entire trip.
Driving in Georgia was not nearly as bad as everyone warned us about as far as road conditions and crazy drivers. But just as we were told- and I’ll say it again- you absolutely cannot trust the timing on google maps. If it says 4 hours, it’ll probably be 6. There was construction traffic and diversion, livestock in the middle of the highway, washed out mountain roads, potholes and more. There were also speed cameras everywhere (clearly identified). But absolutely do not let that stop you because I highly suggest having a car to venture to the cool stuff.
After grabbing the car from only a block away from our apartment, we started en route to our cabin in Kutaisi and made a few touristy stops on the way.
First stop was Jvari Church in Mtskheta.
I loved the views here overlooking the confluence of rivers.
And of course the puppies.
Next we headed to the pagan caves of Uplistsikhe which was about an hour away. There was a small fee to enter and explore. There were also facilities and a cafe.
https://georgiantravelguide.com/en/uplistsikhe
We spent about 45 minutes in the caves. We were tight on time, but I’d suggest stopping by the Stalin Museum nearby in Gori.
Also would recommend seeing the Katskhi Column which is a cool Meteora-style church on the top of a single rock formation.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/katskhi-pillar
The drive at this point was really long and detoured a few times due to construction. But I enjoyed the scenery, especially the abandoned Soviet era buildings.
We passed Kutaisi and went to our next stop for sunset in Tskaltubo at Sanatorium Imereti.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tskaltubo-abandoned-soviet-sanatorium-town
These are the remains of a compound of 1920s thermal spas that were abandoned after the fall of the Soviet Union. We spent about 20 minutes here before it got too dark. There are people living here, so we tried to be respectful of their space and not barge through all the corridors.
After my navigating caused a few wrong turns, we made it to our cabin near Kutaisi after dark.
I’m linking the airbnb below. This one was so comfy and the hosts thought of every little detail. The total cost was $132.75 for one night.
https://www.airbnb.com/slink/B0nE3eOl
We missed the Prometheus Caves and Sataplia Dinosaur Footprints nearby. I’d say two nights would have been great at this place.
http://www.apa.gov.ge/en/eco-tourism/servisebi-da-tarifebi/sataflia
https://apa.gov.ge/en/eco-tourism/servisebi-da-tarifebi/Prometheuscave
Day 6: This was our longest driving day. We opted to take the long route from Kutaisi to Mestia for better road infrastructure, basically driving to Zugdidi then up. Anna gave us some great stops along the way but even just the views from the road were amazing.
First stop was Nokalakevi Fortress which we hadn’t planned to visit but it was right on the way to the hot springs. I included some of the helpful blog posts I found that led me to this area. There was a small cash fee to enter.
The ultimate guide to canyons and swimming spots in Georgia — Wild & Without
The ultimate guide to waterfalls in Georgia — Wild & Without
How to Visit Nokalakevi Fortress & Hot Sulfur Spring
We walked along the grounds, climbed to the top for the views spending maybe 30 minutes here.
We then headed toward the hot springs via car. We navigated toward “Nokalakevi” and actually passed the super sharp right turn we were supposed to make accidentally. We parked maybe a quarter mile past the missed turn in a small lot then walked to an opening across the street. It ended up being a happy accident because we found a really cool suspension bridge and a short hike to this emerald water canyon.
You’ll see a little gate that leads to a trail to the canyon.
We walked as far as we safely could then turned back to see where we missed the hot springs.
On the map, it looked to be close so we decided to walk along the road which I preferred because although you can definitely drive, the road is super steep and it was a pleasant walk.
Down the hill, we first came across these natural saunas/steam rooms heated by the hot springs. It was such a cool natural spa experience unlike anything I’ve ever done before.
We continued walking by a changing room where we saw a small path down to the travertine “waterfall” where the hot springs fall to the beach below.
This was such a unique rock formation and we enjoyed scrambling around the hot waterfalls.
I strongly encourage prioritizing this remarkable stop. Though I nearly skipped it due to the demanding day ahead, it turned out to be one of our most memorable experiences.
Our next destination was the Castle of Rukhi near Zugdidi close to the Russian-occupied region of Georgia. Anna had suggested it as an off-the-beaten-path stop, and it exceeded our expectations. Entry was free, and aside from a few playful puppies, we had the entire place to ourselves.
It was a fairy tale looking castle from the 1600s and the smooth white stones are covered in vines making it feel more dreamy.
Our next stop was Enguri Dam which was directly on the way so no added time to the itinerary. We stopped and paid 15 GEL in the small lot then walked to the dam. There’s a hotel overlooking the reservoir and they have a movie about the dam’s construction and an art gallery to tour.
Enguri Hydro Power Dam – ENGURI Attractions LLC
That was our last stop before heading to our airbnb in Mestia (which took over 3 hours).
Views from the drive were so beautiful. Unfortunately it rained for most of the drive but we stopped a few times before it started.
This was the driving we were most worried about while planning. It wasn’t as bad as we expected but it’s like a 1.5 lane winding mountain road with animals and lots of potholes.
We stopped in Mestia for groceries before heading to our airbnb.
This stay was one of my favorite airbnbs. It was a classic A-Frame with views of the Caucasus. I’ve linked it below. Our total cost for two nights was 228.24.
https://www.airbnb.com/slink/Ik4rc05H
Day 7: We didn’t realize how wonderful the views from our cabin were until the clouds cleared and we could see Mt. Ushguli.
Our plan for today was to do two hikes Anna helped us pick out from a Caucasus Trekking website I’ve linked below.
https://www.caucasus-trekking.com/regions/svaneti/best-day-hikes-around-mestia#chalaadi
The first was a two hour hike to Chalaadi Glacier. I’ve linked the AllTrails below. We followed the advice from reviews to drive closer than the stated trailhead to avoid just walking along the gravel road.
Chalaadi Glacier from Mestia on AllTrails
It was a very scenic easy hike along a river with views of the mountains and finally Chaaladi Glacier.
You do have to cross this slightly scary suspension bridge to start and finish the hike.
Next we headed to start our second hike.
We stopped for views of Mestia. If you look closely you can see the classic Towers specific to these mountain towns.
I’ve linked the AllTrails for the Koruldi Lakes below.
Koruldi Lakes Viewpoint on AllTrails
We got very confused because the coordinates to start the hike are incorrect. And after attempting to google, physically search the maps and look through some blogs, we figured out we had to hire a driver to take us to the “Cross Over Mestia” to start the hike from there. There’s an all day hike from town, but at this point we did not have time for the 12 hour hiking option (8 miles with 4700 feet elevation gain). So then we started trying to find a car to hire to take us to the alternative trailhead. It was actually not straightforward because most people arrange this ahead of time. I saw a sign that said “Central Bus Station” and I honestly wasn’t sure what I booked but I paid 250 GEL ($91.75) and a driver led us to a 4×4 jeep to start our ascent.
I’ll say that one of the AllTrails reviews said you could drive an AWD to the Cross over Mestia and we found that to be absolutely false (for one, google maps wouldn’t even suggest a route). We were so happy we hired a professional because not only should you have an off-road vehicle, you really should know the route. The drive was rutted out and extremely steep and at one point our driver had to reverse up the other side of the mountain as someone was driving down.
These views though ⬇️
Our first stop was the Cross of Mestia, where I thought we’d start our hike.
But due to the language barrier, I realized I had actually paid to take us all the way up to the lakes. We decided rather than try to coordinate another pick up or hike all the way down, we’d just skip the hike and take the full ride.
As we had read, the lakes themselves aren’t spectacular but the views and reflections are just magnificent. Hard to capture actually.
These were the scenes that inspired me to come to Georgia in the first place. And this was one of the highlights of the whole trip.
When we got back down, we noticed a sign that said “Bread” and got delicious fresh bread right out of the kiln.
We stopped by a wine store to restock before enjoying a sunset dinner from our cabin.
Day 8: The views at sunrise were just as magical.
Today was another drive-intensive day, mainly just coming down from the mountains.
It looks like we actually took the “harder” route coming down but it was not too bad. And the views were impressive with the clearer weather.
I also enjoyed the art and the abandoned Soviet era buildings.
We went straight to our next airbnb, a cabin right on Martvili canyon. This one was $163.76, a bit more expensive but also had multiple bedrooms.
https://www.airbnb.com/slink/xsgU1dwe
We decided to check out all the canyons in the area starting with Balda which is where Anna recommended to avoid the crowds. We parked at Balda Monastery then walked to the canyon.
It turns out that someone has bought the land to commercialize the canyon similar to Martvili so we had to hop a gate to get down to the river.
We were there around 5pm so there was no construction but we could tell crews had been there and some areas were fenced off.
We slid down a pretty steep cliff to the river then walked along the stream for better views of the canyon.
We hiked around this canyon for over an hour then headed back to our car and back to the airbnb.
The cabin was on a family compound with a few other rented cabins and the family’s homes. They served us an amazing traditional dinner which was the first real meal we’d had since leaving Tbilisi.
We had a carafe of wine and enjoyed the property, including hammocks and of course puppies.
Day 9: We started the morning with a traditional khachapuri for breakfast.
We realized that we were actually above the Gachedili canyon that we had planned to visit so we walked the path down there after eating.
This blog was really helpful planning which canyons to visit. I will say we opted to skip the most touristy part of Martvili Canyon because I didn’t want to wait till they opened and I read that it’s very crowded.
The ultimate guide to canyons and swimming spots in Georgia — Wild & Without
We ultimately didn’t have time but I’d suggest checking out the Kaghu and Abhesi waterfalls while you’re still in this area.
We set out for Okatse Canyon next which was about an hour off-route to our next destination but I had heard great things.
We navigated toward “Kinchka Waterfall Parking” which led us to a box office where you buy tickets for 20 GEL to enter a platform walk along the canyon.
If you next navigate toward “Okatse Canyon” you can go purchase a ticket to a suspension bridge but you apparently have to hire a taxi to take you down to the canyon. We opted to skip it after seeing a full parking lot.
Our next stop was the Vani Sulfur pools. I found these by looking for things near our next airbnb in Baghdati.
Here is the blog post I found to be super helpful.
How to Visit the Vani Sulfur Pool (Dikhashkho Sulfur Geyser)
These pools were quite literally in the middle of farmland in a pasture.
We were here all alone at 4:30pm and spent an hour soaking then watching the sunset.
We then set off for our airbnb.
We were glad to have our SUV on this stretch of road. We didn’t need 4WD but definitely a high clearance vehicle.
Downtown Baghdati
Our host luckily gave us detailed instructions because the map did not work well for this spot. This was another of my favorite stays of the trip, an old hydroelectric tower converted into lodging. I was looking for somewhere to stay on the way back to Tbilisi and basically picked this place for the uniqueness. The cost was $125.53 and the experience was amazing.
https://www.airbnb.com/slink/odqa2R4D
These hosts thought of everything to make our stay comfortable (including wine and Bluetooth speakers). So we enjoyed the evening on the terrace overlooking the mountains and river.
Day 10: We spent the morning soaking up the sunrise and enjoying the property. There are little trails down to the river and a hammock to enjoy the sounds of the water flowing.
We then hit the road on what turned out to be an all day drive across the country back toward Tbilisi.
They had these great mall-like food stalls on either side of the highway so we stopped and grabbed groceries and a tasty lunch.
We reached our next cabin later than expected. This was also a gem of an accommodation, a mirrored cabin in the middle of Tbilisi National Park in Tskhvarichamia. We picked this area because it was close enough to the airport for our flight out super early in the morning.
https://www.airbnb.com/slink/26Vb0qYG
The plan was to visit nearby Sabaduri Forest but with the additional drive time, we had to skip it. So we built a fire for the hot tub and simply enjoyed the peace and solitude on our last night.
Day 11: We drove the 45 minutes to Tbilisi International Airport and returned the car. PArent.ge made the process very easy and even drove us to our gate.
The lounge was fabulous in both Tbilisi and Istanbul. It was a long travel day, nearly 21 hours, and then I went to work the next day (because you know I maximize my paid time off so no rest days built in)!
Pic of a dog in the airport in Tbilisi to close.
Overall, when planning I definitely underestimated the amount of time we’d be driving per day which didn’t leave a lot of time to explore in most places. I still wouldn’t have cut anything out but wished we had a few more days. I have made my ideal Georgia itinerary based on our experience, research and suggestions from others and have shared below:
-Tbilisi – 4 nights. Include a day trip to Mtskheta, Gori and Uplistsikhe caves.
-Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) and/or Juta for a night or two rather than a day trip like we did. There’s rafting and lots of hiking. I saw a bunch of A-frames on airbnb with great views
-Tskhvarichamia if you wanted to stay at that cool mirror box one night. We didn’t have time but you should go explore near Sabaduri Forest and maybe drive up to Tianeti for another night for some pretty hikes
-Kutaisi 2 nights – added time to hit the more touristy spots we missed such as Sataplia Nature Reserve and Prometheus Cave. Also day trips to Nokalakevi Canyon and Hot Springs from here rather than adding to a busy driving day like we did
-Mestia 3 nights -I loved our airbnb and you can do a bunch of day hikes
-Martvili 1-2 nights – nice place to base from to explore the canyons and waterfalls nearby.
-Batumi 1 night. We missed this but it’s supposed to be like Vegas on the Black Sea. Mtirala National Park is nearby for hiking
-Eco House Merisi (cool glass box with great views. We didn’t go that far south but I think it’s supposed to be pretty cheesy and cool). I’d hit the Vardzia Caves while while you’re here
-Baghdati – the only reason I even heard of this is because I found that cool water tower airbnb. But the area is so cool with rivers and canyons. I’d go just to stay at the tower though. Make sure to hit the Vani sulfur pools on the way
-Sighnaghi – The wine region
-David Gareji Monastery – This could be a day trip from Tbilisi or you could find somewhere cool near to stay (maybe Sighnaghi). It’s at the Azerbaijan border surrounded by rainbow mountains.
-Tusheti National Park 7-8 hours north east of Tbilisi. I think this drive is pretty technical but if you have time and are a confident driver, I’ve heard it’s a beautiful area.
-You could also extend the trip and explore Armenia and Azerbaijan as well.
To close:
If Georgia isn’t already on your travel list, it absolutely should be. From the stunning mountain landscapes to the welcoming hospitality, this country exceeded my expectations in every way. If you have any questions about planning a trip or want more details on my experiences, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me a DM—I’m always happy to help. Until next time, happy exploring!
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