Georgia country attractions on the map. Canyons and natural attractions. The biggest cave in Georgia

Routes in Georgia, description of routes in Georgia, features, safety of travel in Georgia, how long does it take to see Georgia on your own, by car or public transport, mountains and the sea in one route, the main attractions in the routes in Georgia, what to see, the weather in Georgia and what time of the year is better travel around Georgia.

Bad is when you want. Don't even try, you'll come again and again. Well - when the time is ten days, and better - a couple of weeks.

Here routes passed by us in Georgia V different time by car, while hiking, hitchhiking or public transport also has the right to life. Some of the routes were originally slightly different. I worked on the bugs - removed something, added something, swapped destinations in several places for reasons of ease of movement, taking into account my experience.

Route number 1 - Batumi plus Svaneti

Ideal route if the goal is to relax by the sea and see the most beautiful mountains Georgia, while having to sacrifice. However, if time and budget allow, you can also ride to the capital of Georgia, but I would not interfere with one another.

The route is also suitable for those who arrive in Kutaisi or Batumi, in particular for flights to Kutaisi there are often good discounts, the price of a ticket is considered good if it costs no more than 150 US dollars, both ways.

Batumi - Kobuleti - Kutaisi - Tskaltubo - Prometheus cave - Zugdidi (transit) - Mestia - Ushguli - Kutaisi (Batumi)

Depending on point of arrival Batumi And Kutaisi you can switch places, it won't be a big problem.

Batumi- a separate story and an extensive point of the program, it takes at least three days, and taking into account the rest at sea and trips around the surrounding area - up to a week. Details on what to see Batumi wrote in an article

Tskaltubo- cool in the past balneological resort, in Soviet times, the Moscow-Tskhaltubo train went here. Now it's quiet beautiful place in subtropical greenery, which I would consider as an overnight transit road to Svaneti . We spent the night at the hotel Tskaltubo SPA Resort 4* More housing offers can be found on the familiar Booking.com - Tskaltubo or Booking.com - Kutaisi

Near Tskaltubo And Kutaisi be sure to go to cave of Prometheus, you can get there by car in 10 minutes, by minibus or taxi. The best time is morning to get to the most beautiful part of Georgia - mountainous Svaneti.

Mestia. The capital of Svaneti, a small regional center and tourist mecca all lovers mountainous Georgia, must visit for everyone - seasoned and not so experienced. We drive from Tskaltubo or Kutaisi through Zugdidi, further along the mountain serpentines. Road to Mestia excellent, relatively recently built. IN Mestia have to spend at least one night, better 2-3, worth book hotels and guest houses in Mestia according to your budget.

Ushguli- the highest mountain village in Svaneti, we get by SUVs, which we rent together with a driver from Mestia. Round-trip costs about 60-80 dollars, you can have time to hit the road for a full daylight hours, but it's better to stay in Ushguli for the night.

On Svaneti you need 3 days at a minimum, less will not work, since almost a day and a half as a whole will take you on the road back and forth and along Svaneti. Ideally 4-7 days if hiking tracks are planned to the foot of the most famous peaks and Kuruldi lakes. I advise you to read story about a trip to Svaneti - it describes in detail all the nuances of traveling to Svaneti.

Total, at a minimum - 3 days in Batumi and its environs, 1 day in Kutaisi (Tskaltubo), 3 days in Svaneti. Total at least a week for the whole trip.

Route No. 2 - Tbilisi, Kazbek and Alazani Valley

For those who have only 4-5 days and arrive and depart to/from Tbilisi, as well as for connoisseurs of wine, ancient monasteries and beautiful nature. Along the route Greater Caucasus , the most famous peak of Georgia - Kazbek, resort Gudauri and part wine road V Kakheti.

Tbilisi - Mtskheta - Ananuri Fortress - Gudauri - Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) - Tbilisi - Signagi - Tbilisi

Attractions along the route

In the capital Georgia You should spend at least two or three days. What to see, where to spend the night and where to eat, read the article Three days in Tbilisi. Very close is ancient Mtskheta, in which the most interesting is Jvari Monastery on the mountain, top view of the city and the confluence of two rivers - Aragvi and Kura (Mtkvari). On Mtskheta You need at least half a day. Book budget hotels in Tbilisi on Booking.com .

We move forward along the Georgian military road to the side Stepantsminda village (Kazbegi). On the way we look at the ancient Ananuri fortress on the shore of the reservoir, make a stop at the high mountain ski resort Gudauri and make plans for the winter. We pass the picturesque Cross Pass, stopping every 15 minutes for a photo shoot.

In the evening we arrive at Kazbegi (Stepantsminda), the village is famous for the fact that here is the most famous peak of Georgia - Kazbek And Gergeti Monastery practically at its foot. It is near the monastery that the place with the most stunning panorama that I have ever seen. We “pray” that we are lucky with the weather and Kazbek is not covered by clouds.

Getting to Gergeti monastery and the foot of Kazbek you can walk (about two hours), but it’s better with the locals on an SUV - 20 minutes, you can agree on a rental central square Stepantsminda or at the hotel, the price is about 20 dollars round trip with the expectation of as much as you need.

We spend the night in one of the hostels, and if the budget allows, I strongly advise you to stay in the best view hotel - Rooms Hotel Kazbegi , memories for years are guaranteed. We stayed there, but today the price has increased a bit (from $90 per night to $110 or more depending on the room), although there are discounts in autumn. I also advise read article from A selection of the best hotels in Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) ⇒ Choose and book Hotels in Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) on Booking.com ⇒

We return to Tbilisi, spend the night and radially leave for Kakheti - beautiful town Signagi. We look at the remains of the fortress, the clock towers and a view of Alazani valley against the backdrop of snow caps Caucasian mountains. If time permits, you can spend the night and walk around the wineries. The most famous and beautiful winery - Chateau Mukhrani, in the same place on the rock there is a view restaurant with open area, prices are higher than city prices, but if you don’t show off, it’s quite tolerable. The central square has tourist office, in which you can get detailed information by region Kakheti and a map. The whole route will take from 4 to 6 days, if there are 12-14 days left, it can be combined with route number 1.

Route number 3. Svaneti, Kakheti, Tbilisi and more

This route is for those who want to see everything or almost everything in Georgia.

Tbilisi - Mtskheta - Gori - Uplistsikhe - Kutaisi - Tskhaltubo - Svaneti (Mestia, Ushguli) - Batumi - Tbilisi - Signagi

Destinations that are repeated in previous routes will not be duplicated. If arriving in Tbilisi , then after two or three days in the capital, we look and move to the side Kutaisi. On the way, if there is a desire, we stop by Stalin Museum in Gori I didn't really like it, it's better to climb Gori fortress and look at the city and its surroundings from a bird's eye view. Next is to make a stop and enjoy the air, atmosphere and of course mineral water Borjomi. In this case, you will need at least one more overnight stay.

Choose and book Booking.com - hotels and guest houses in Batumi

What is the best time of the year to travel in Georgia?

Bathing season for Black Sea coast from July to early October (we swam at the end of October, water - +18), best time for travel - autumn, because fewer people, fruits, reasonable prices for housing and food, comfortable weather almost everywhere, with the exception of the mountains, as you're lucky. The cost of fuel in Georgia is cheaper than in Ukraine and is approximately $0.7-0.9 per liter, as of June 2016.

How to rent a car in Georgia

To search and rent a car in Georgia, I recommend using the site myrentacar.com, which specializes in local local distributors with a good reputation. On that website good price, only 15% prepayment and flexible cancellation terms. You can choose a specific car, so carefully read the description, characteristics. If suddenly it happens that the car did not fit for technical reasons or others - ask - they will change it, do not worry. Everything is very friendly, including 24/7 phone/viber support.

How to buy a cheap flight to Georgia

Flight to Georgia can be bought on average 100-170 USD roundtrip. It is optimal to search for tickets through an international site for searching and booking air tickets airline sales. It is almost always cheaper than a search on airline websites. For example, along the routes Kyiv-Tbilisi, Kyiv-Batumi, Kyiv-Kutaisi, Moscow-Tbilisi, Moscow-Batumi.

A pre-booked transfer is also required if you are traveling from Tbilisi to Gudauri or Batumi, from Kutaisi to Batumi or Mestia (Svaneti) or any other popular destination.

Cheap accommodation or hotels in Georgia can be found through the booking system Hotels Combined (Room Guru), a service I use myself. The advantage of the service is that it compares the prices of dozens of booking systems - you just have to choose Best offer. In each article or report, I provide links to hotels where I have stayed and which I liked.

Travel report by car in Georgia. Sights of the Georgian Military Highway, neighborhoods of Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Svaneti, others Beautiful places and tips.

Foreword

I often heard people's rave reviews about Georgia, about the amazing Georgian nature, cuisine and hospitality of the locals, but for some reason I constantly put off visiting this wonderful corner of our planet.

The pristine beauty of Georgia

The idea to go to Georgia came quite spontaneously. Having quickly put together a travel plan and evaluated all the options for traveling around the country, we decided to go there by private transport.

Initial data:

Travel time: August 2017.
Distance to the border with Georgia: 2675 km.
Vehicle: BMW 318iA with automatic transmission, petrol engine.
Average fuel consumption: 9 liters per 100 km.
Team composition: four adults and a child.

The purpose of the trip: in two weeks to explore the country as much as possible, visit all the most popular attractions, beach holiday not a priority, emphasis on leisure and trekking in the mountainous Georgian regions.

Mountain Svaneti - for the sake of such views we went to Georgia

So, having collected things and provisions for the road, we set off on a long journey. At the time of the trip, an average liter of gasoline at gas stations in Russia cost 40.2 rubles. For 2.5 days we used up about 210 liters of gasoline, that is, about 8,000 rubles for a one-way trip.

After 2.5 days we finally got to the Russian-Georgian border.

Passing the border

It is possible to enter the territory of Georgia from Russia only through the Upper Lars checkpoint on the Georgian Military Highway. This is the only legal overland way to get into Georgia.

The border operates around the clock, but the procedure for passing is quite lengthy and can take about 5 hours. After listening to the reviews, we passed the border at night. It is believed that it is at this time of day that it can be crossed the fastest. I know lucky people who managed to cross the border in 40 minutes, but for us this procedure took about 3 hours.

The Upper Lars checkpoint has its own website www.vlars.ru, where you can follow the situation at the border online. Video footage on the site is updated every 15 minutes.

I want to note that the driver with the car crosses the border separately from the passengers. All passengers must get out of the car and walk passport control in a building specially designated for this purpose.

Travel itinerary in Georgia for 2 weeks

Of course, two weeks is too short to study such beautiful country like Georgia, but we tried to cover the regions of interest to us to the maximum during this period.

Here is our sample itinerary:

Day 1-3: Sights of the Georgian Military Highway (Stepantsminda, Gudauri, Sno village, Aragvi gorge);
Day 4-5: Tbilisi and environs (Mtskheta, Jvari, Uplistsikhe, Gori);
Day 6-7: Kutaisi and surroundings of Kutaisi (Okatse canyon, Kinchkha waterfall, Martvili canyon);
Day 7-10: Mountainous region of Svaneti;
Day 11: Rest on the sea (Anaklia);
Day 12-14: Borjomi, Akhaltsikhe and Vardzia.

An important role in the implementation of our plan was played by the availability of personal transport - this greatly facilitated the logistics of movement in Georgia. When traveling on Georgian roads, we usually used the help of the Google Maps navigator.

Well, now I’ll tell you about those places that I remember the most.

Mountainous Georgia: Stepantsminda, Gudauri, Juta

The beauties of Georgia began to open to the eye immediately after crossing the border. We followed the Georgian Military Highway and enjoyed its magnificent views.

Magic of the Georgian Military Highway

The first settlement on our way was the village of Stepantsminda (Gergeti). It is from here that all climbers begin their ascent to the mighty Mount Kazbek. This time we did not conquer it, but went on a radial track to the current temple - the Trinity Church in Gergeti.

Start of the trek to Gergeti church

View from Trinity Church in Gergeti

Magic clouds, and somewhere down there the village of Stepantsminda

It took us 2.5 hours to walk to the church and back with stops, although it was possible to drive an SUV along the broken serpentine. We followed walking route, which is indicated on the map of the maps.me application.

View of the road leading to Trinity Church

Further, our path lay in the picturesque Sno valley to the highland village of Dzhuta and the Chaukhi massif. The village of Juta is considered one of the highest mountainous villages in Georgia, approximately 2200 meters above sea level. To get there, you need to move along the Georgian Military Highway and after about 20 km from Stepantsminda turn left (there will be a sign indicating the village of Sno). As soon as you pass the village of Sno, the road will begin directly to Juta. You can’t get to Juta by ordinary sedan, you will need an SUV, because the road is very bad.

Hotel with a small cafe in the village of Juta, you can park your car nearby

Juta is an amazingly beautiful place, here you feel your unity with nature more than ever.

The beauty of the village of Juta

Jute - amazing place for complete merging with nature

We came here just for a day, walked around the neighborhood, meditated and did a lot of beautiful photos against the backdrop of mountains.

Campsite in the village of Juta, from here the hiking trails start in the mountains

After visiting Juta, we went to Gudauri - this is a modern mining ski resort Georgia. But even in the summer we had a wonderful time here. In Gudauri, we lived in the beautiful Apartments in New Gudauri for 2500 rubles per day.

Our apartments in Gudauri

Being in Gudari, we climbed the most high point ski resort– Sadzeli Peak at an altitude of about 3200 meters above sea level. From the top of Mount Sadzeli, stunning views of the gorge and mountain ranges with snow-capped peaks.

Stunning view from the top of Mount Sadzeli

Most convenient way Climb Sadzeli Peak cable car. To reach the top, you need to ride on three lifts, it costs about 130 rubles for each level of the lift.

I’ll tell you about one trick that will help you save money: buy a ticket only for the ascent on the first and third cable cars. The distance between the second and third cable car is easy to walk in 5 minutes. Thus, the cost of climbing will be 260 rubles instead of 390. If you want to climb Sadzeli Peak, dress warmer, it is quite windy and cool at the top even in summer.

Only mountains can be better than mountains: we study Svaneti

Svaneti is what attracted me the most. Svaneti is an amazingly beautiful mountainous region of Georgia. Due to its inaccessibility and remoteness from the capital of Georgia, Svaneti was able to preserve its original beauty and integrity.

Svaneti is located about 460 km from Tbilisi. The road to Svaneti is extremely picturesque and can be safely called a separate attraction of this region.

View of the Svan mountains from the Mestia route

Our road to Svaneti took about 5 hours, and we moved from the town of Martvili, which is located in the vicinity of Kutaisi.

Waterfalls of the Martvili Canyon near the town of Martvili

Sailing on a boat along the Martvili canyon, you can meet such a waterfall:

If you are going to Svaneti, drive only along the Mestia highway, which connects the city of Zugdidi with Mestia. The road here is of excellent quality with perfect asphalt. After the village of Jvari, a decent serpentine begins. To the village of Jvari, if you drive from Kutaisi, there are several sections with no asphalt, but it is possible to drive.

This is what a bad road looks like

After Jvari, we turned left from the main road and looked at the Ingurs hydroelectric power station.

Inguri hydroelectric power station - the largest hydroelectric power station in the Caucasus

The scale of the building is impressive.

View of the river Enguri

Then we returned to the main track and drove on. It is impossible to get lost, there is only one way. After a few tens of kilometers, the asphalt ended, a concrete road of excellent quality began, we did not notice much difference.

This is how the route to Mestia looks like

There is also a shorter road to Mestia - through the settlement of Lentekhi. The navigator can show it as the shortest one, but in no case should you drive along it, especially in a sedan. The road through Lentekhi is a test even for a large SUV.

Arriving in Svaneti, we stopped for a few days in Mestia - administrative center this region. With the help of Booking, we booked a cozy two-room apartment Apartments KM Rest for 2500 rubles per day.

At first glance, Mestia attracts attention with its magnificent Svan towers. They are everywhere here, and in the evening, when the lights turn on, the towers look even more amazing. Svan towers - business card Mestia and all of Svaneti as a whole.

Svan towers of Ushguli village

Mestia is the starting point for many trekking, there are many picturesque authentic villages and villages in the vicinity, there are stunning glaciers, waterfalls, lakes and alpine meadows.

And, of course, mountains and more mountains. In four days in Svaneti, we managed a lot.

Went on trekking to observation deck"Cross" and Koruldi lakes from Mestia.

Koruldi lakes - a hidden oasis among the mountains

During hiking you can meet horses in the mountains

View of Mount Ushba during a trekking to the Koruldi lakes

View of road leading to the Koruldi lakes

Then we went trekking to the Chalaadi glacier in the vicinity of Mestia.

The dangerous beauty of the Chalaadi Glacier

We also went trekking to the Ushba waterfalls and the Ushba glacier from the village of Mazeri.

The largest Ushba waterfall

Then we went to the mountainous Svan village of Ushguli to conquer the Svan tower.

View of Mount Shkhara from the village of Ushguli

During the tracks we used the maps.me app.

To get to know all the beauty and versatility of Svaneti, here you need to be mobile and constantly move around. Roads in Svaneti leave much to be desired. Of course, this region of Georgia is gradually developing, and in some places an asphalt road appears, but this is only a small part of the Svan roads.

Roads in Georgia: myths and reality

When reading the reviews of other tourists, we were very worried about the road issue. Georgian roads seemed like bumpy roads with steep serpentines and Georgian drivers desperately racing against the rules. But having driven almost two thousand kilometers across Georgia by car, we can say with confidence that not everything is so scary.

In Georgia, the roads between cities and popular attractions are mostly excellent: with a smooth road surface, signs and barriers. From Tbilisi to Kutaisi, a simply gorgeous high-speed autobahn is laid in general, where you can safely rush at a speed of 110 km / h.

As for parking places, there are no particular problems with this in Georgia. You can leave your car anywhere. The only exception is Tbilisi. Organized parking in the city is paid, in the city center every now and then there are signs indicating the work of a tow truck. Since we only stayed in Tbilisi for a day, we didn’t waste time on finding out the parking rules, we walked around the city on foot. Toll roads not in Georgia, at least we didn't meet any.

We also did not meet traffic on the roads, with the exception of Tbilisi, where the traffic is quite heavy. It will be difficult for a novice driver to drive a car in Tbilisi. All traffic on the roads, no matter how ridiculous it may sound, is created by cows.

Traffic jam on the Georgian road

Georgia is a country of cows. Cows on the roads are more important than cars.

A cow is a full participant in the road traffic

Cows occupy the right lane

Separately, I will tell you about the situation with the traffic police. It seemed to us that there are practically no police posts on the roads in the sense we are used to, when a traffic cop with a baton stands on the road and slows down unwanted cars. However, there are police on the roads, for example, on the autobahn between Tbilisi and Kutaisi, we saw bored police cars every 20-30 km.

Georgia is a mountainous country, so there are a lot of serpentines here, they are quite steep and winding. You need to drive carefully, especially at night, and it gets dark quite early in Georgia. Serpentines are often so sharp that there is no way to see what is waiting for you around the corner. The situation is complicated by the fact that such roads are very narrow, and when turning, the driver sometimes occupies the entire traffic lane.

To solve this problem, Georgian drivers have developed an interesting warning system. Every time a manoeuvre, the driver constantly honks, thereby warning others. This allows you to avoid problems on the roads, and believe me, they are quite common here. We ourselves have witnessed several unpleasant road accidents.

As for the aggressive driving of Georgian drivers, this is a myth. They drive fast but carefully.

I want to note that despite the fact that our sedan is equipped with an automatic transmission, we often switched to manual control mode on serpentines. It seemed to me that the car in this case behaved more confidently on the road.

The beginning of the serpentine on the way to Mestia

Along with good paved roads, Georgia is full of off-roads. More often bad roads can be found in mountain regions and villages. And for such roads, an ordinary sedan, even with high ground clearance, is no longer suitable. Such roads will be mastered only by an SUV.

What does bad road mean in Georgian? This is the complete absence of asphalt, pits, stones and other irregularities, water or just deep puddles, gravel or clay in some places.

A section of bad road on the way from Mestia to Ushguli

This is how the Georgian off-road appeared before us.

Personal transport or car rental?

As a rule, the most beautiful and authentic places in Georgia are difficult to reach by passenger car. If you do not have an SUV like we do, then there are two options: rent a car and use the services of local drivers.

Enough to rent a car in Georgia Russian rights with category "B". The cost of renting a car on average is about $ 30 per day, excluding gasoline. The price depends on the specific car model and the number of rental days. As a rule, the longer the rental period, the cheaper the cost of the day. For example, renting a Toyota RAV4 for a month will cost only $20 per day, for two weeks - $40 per day, and the same car, but rented for just a couple of days, will cost $55 per day. The difference is obvious.

You can save on car rental with promotions early booking. All current promotions, current prices, conditions and the fleet itself can be viewed on car rental websites in Georgia, for example, www.georentcar.ge and hire-auto.biz. Most car rental companies require a deposit when renting a car.

In general, having considered the possible expenses for this article, we came to the conclusion that this option does not suit us, so we used another option - the services of local drivers.

Private transport is very popular among the locals. The most popular car in Georgia is the eight-seater Mitsubishi Delica. This car seemed to be specially designed for off-road conditions. It is on such cars that locals are ready to give a lift to a designated place for a fee, wait a few hours, and then take them back.

Tip: when you hear the price, be sure to bargain. The competition is developed here, it will certainly turn out to bring down the price a little.

Here is a list of places we visited with the help of local drivers:

The picturesque village of Juta is 14 km from the exit from the Georgian Military Highway. Cost: approximately 3,000 rubles (from Stepantsminda), waiting time for the driver: 3 hours.
Ushguli community in the mountainous region of Svaneti. Cost: about 5000 rubles (from Mestia), waiting time for the driver: about 3 hours.
The village of Mazeri in Svaneti. Cost: 2000 rubles (from Mestia), waiting time: about 3 hours.

In Georgia, in addition to simply bad roads, there are frankly bad roads. Yes, they can hardly even be called roads, rather directions. In principle, you should not drive on such roads, even if you are driving a super-resistant jeep. These include:

short road to Mestia through the village of Lentekhi
Short road from Batumi to Akhaltsikhe through the pass
The road to the village of Upper Omalo in the mountainous region of Tusheti

Please note that you cannot drive on such roads in rented cars.

Separately, I will tell you about the situation with gas stations in Georgia. Prices at gas stations vary greatly, from about 46 to 60 rubles per liter of gasoline. What is the reason for this is unknown, but it is recommended to refuel at large network gas stations, for example, "Wissol" and "Gulf". We refueled exclusively at Gulf gas stations. A nice bonus was the fact that the employees of this gas station wipe the windshield of the car for free.

Costs for two weeks in Georgia

The financial issue worries everyone at the stage of planning a trip. Here is an approximate list of our expenses for a two-week trip to Georgia.

Accommodation: 29,000 rubles (about 6,000 rubles per person). In Georgia, we mostly rented apartments and only once a hotel room. The average cost of living in apartments was about 2000 rubles per day. We never booked accommodation in advance, but decided everything along the way with the help of Booking.
Meals: 28,000 rubles (about 5,500 rubles per person). Eating in Georgia can be delicious, and most importantly cheap. The average check in a cafe per person is 300 rubles. The portions are just huge, for the money you can get enough.
Visiting attractions: 20,000 rubles (4,000 rubles per person).
Gasoline expenses: 8,000 rubles (1,600 rubles per person).
The average cost of gasoline in Georgia: 56 rubles per liter of "premium" gasoline.
Total mileage in Georgia: 1750 km.
Total liters of gasoline spent: 152 liters.
Actual gasoline consumption: 8.69 liters per 100 km. My advice: since gasoline in Georgia is much more expensive than in Russia, I recommend refueling, for example, in Vladikavkaz before crossing the border. Drive back across the border with almost an empty tank to refuel again in Russia.
Other expenses (purchases, souvenirs): 4000 rubles.

Total: approximately 90,000 rubles for everyone, that is, 18,000 rubles per person.

My story about a trip to Georgia by car has come to an end. I hope the information was helpful and my story encourages you to go on your own adventure. Let's say goodbye to Georgia as we drive through the Aragvi Gorge on the Georgian Military Highway.

The sights of Georgia are not only magnificent nature, famous historical places, architecture, wine, but also themselves locals. In this post I want to tell you what to see in Georgia and where to go, and a little later - about the mysterious Georgian character.

Regardless of whether you came to Georgia for 5, 7, 10 days or for a month, there will always be interesting places where you can go. We traveled around the country for about three weeks, and then settled in Batumi for a month, so we studied this issue well. Now we'll tell you everything - we'll show you ;-)

Sights of Georgia

Tbilisi

Of course, you can't miss the capital! This is one of the most pleasant and romantic cities we have ever visited. Walk through the back streets of the old city, look into the famous Tbilisi sulfur baths, climb the Mtatsminda park on the mountain and look at the evening city from a height.

View of Tbilisi from Narikala Fortress

Must visit main cathedral Georgia - Tsminda Sameba in the Avlabari district, buy something at the antiques market near the Dry Bridge and taste khachapuri, khinkali and wine in one of the cafes in the city center.

It is good to take 2-3 days from your trip to Tbilisi to feel the atmosphere of Tiflis, as it used to be called.

What to see in Georgia in 1 week?

In my opinion, the route below is the best for the first study tour to Georgia. It allows you to see the main sights, visit several regions, get a general idea of what Georgia is and arouse an irresistible desire to return to this country again.

Day 1-2 Tbilisi

Day 3 Mtskheta, Gori, Uplistsikhe

Day 4 Georgian military road, Kazbegi

Day 5-6 Kakheti and David Gareji

Day 7 Souvenir shopping, lunch at a restaurant, farewell tear, flight home

Tbilisi

Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia, a city with a population of 1.2 million people.

In July-August, Tbilisi has enough one day(very hot, I want to run away), at other times of the year you can 2-3 days to plan. Tbilisi sights not to be missed:

Narikala fortress
canyon with waterfall
Abanotubani District
cable car
Sololaki area
Mtatsminda park

Detailed routes with maps:

- a complete guide to tourist and non-pop places.

Center of Tbilisi

Mtskheta

Mtskheta is the oldest city in the country, 15 km north of Tbilisi, the very first capital of the country and sacred place for Georgians. The monasteries of Mtskheta are included in the list of objects protected by UNESCO.

How to get there? Minibus from Tbilisi from Didube metro station. Price - 1.5 GEL, 25 minutes on the way

Mtskheta from the walls of the Jvari monastery at sunset

Gori, Uplistsikhe

Gori is the birthplace of Stalin, here is the museum of the leader. Uplistsikhe - ancient cave city(3000 years) near Gori.

The trip from Tbilisi will take 5-6 hours(back and forth and walk there). If you visit Mtskheta on this day, then 7-9 hours for all.

There is no need to rush in Georgia

How to buy cheap tickets to Georgia?

About how to search and when it is better to buy cheap flights to Georgia was. You can also read through Vladikavkaz and Sochi.

Apartments and hotels in Georgia

We rented 3-room apartments in Tbilisi and Kutaisi for a day for $20-45

It makes sense to rent an apartment in Georgia if you are traveling with a company, planning long rest in Georgia or traveling with a child. The apartments have a kitchen where you can cook yourself, which helps to significantly reduce costs.

Sights of Georgia. The most important and interesting sights of Georgian cities: photos and videos, descriptions and reviews, location, sites.

Is there anything in the world that cannot be found in this country? I think no. Georgia has everything and for everyone. If you are interested in mountains, you should visit Svaneti. If you are a gourmet and a lover of traditions, appreciate fine Georgian wine - you are in Kakheti. If you prefer subtropics, sea, palm trees and exotic - go to Adjara.

Of course, it is worth visiting the Land of a Thousand Towers, or the Land of the Golden Fleece, as Svaneti is called. This pearl of Georgia, lost in time and space, is beautiful at any time of the year. Fabulous snowy winter, blooming spring, sunny summer and colorful autumn of Svaneti await true connoisseurs of natural attractions.

One of the most original areas Georgia - Adjara. Washed by the Black Sea, a narrow strip of coast at the foot of the mountain ranges of the Lesser Caucasus, this ancient land has a mild subtropical climate and excellent natural conditions.

It is worth visiting the main shrine of Kakheti - Alaverdi Cathedral, this is one of the most famous medieval temples Georgia. Built at the beginning of the 11th century, it was repeatedly destroyed, stubbornly rebuilt again and again, in order to amaze the eyes of pilgrims and tourists today with its mighty and ascetic grayish walls. Deprived of decorations and drawings, they make an indelible impression with the strength of spirit and faith that from century to century made the cathedral survive in the most terrible ups and downs of history.

The cave monastery of Vardzia echoes the Kakheti Cathedral - truly the main architectural "pearl" of the country. The complex, built in the 12th-13th centuries in the depths of the rock, was once a real Orthodox fortress, and today it is considered the spiritual center of Georgia, where pilgrims from all over the world flock.

Tbilisi is the friendliest, most beautiful and most drunk city in the world, where every day you are greeted with a prayer, and escorted with a kind smile and a glass of wine.

Near Gori attracts attention amazing rock, whose gentle slope is indented man-made caves- This ancient city Uplistsikhe ("God's fortress"). Resembling a large anthill from afar, this cave complex dates back to the 2nd millennium BC. e. Once it consisted of 700 rooms, but today only 150 have been preserved for tourists. You should not miss the ancient Mtskheta, the first capital of Georgia, where in 337 Christianity was proclaimed the state religion of the country. This is where the first and main temple Georgia - Svetistskhoveli ("life-giving pillar").

Finally, be sure to visit the Ananuri fortress, which is 70 km from Tbilisi, as well as the Khertvisi citadel, located on high mountain. The exact date of construction of this fortification is unknown, but already in the 10th century life was in full swing here, there were fierce battles for the land and earnestly prayed to God in anticipation of salvation.

Riding mountains and valleys hospitable Georgia, be sure to return for a couple of days to handsome Tbilisi - the friendliest, most beautiful and most drunken city in the world, where every day they meet with a prayer, and see them off with a kind smile and a glass of wine. Alaverdi!