Good afternoon, dear readers. In this article you will find useful tips about how to go on holiday to Georgia on your own.

Advantages of an independent trip to Georgia

Georgia is a special country, with its own traditions and exquisite national cuisine. A huge number of unique historical places are concentrated in a small area. There is a warm black sea, the Caucasus mountains, and plains with small hills. In no other country in the world can you see so many things at once. This is probably why tour operators charge considerable sums for organizing holidays in this country. Ride around tourist package lasting less than a week, comes out to an amount on which you can live in Georgia for about a month, rent good housing and not deny yourself anything.

A tour through the agency provides a standard route to the most favorite places of tourists. But there are many more in Georgia unique places that are worth seeing. In a constant rush to find a guide, surrounded by strangers, the trip can be so disappointing that you no longer want to continue the journey. It takes time to travel through at least part of the country and see a little of Georgia from the inside. Most travelers know this and travel to Georgia on their own. And you too can follow their example.

Advice: Don't be afraid that you won't succeed, be afraid that you won't try.

Knowing all the nuances of the upcoming trip, organizing your vacation independently and in advance will not be difficult. The first thing you need to do is decide on the transport that is convenient for you to get to Georgia.

How to quickly and comfortably get to Georgia

There are several options on how to quickly and conveniently get to Georgia:

• by plane to Georgia
• train trip
• bus ride
• flight by plane to Vladikavkaz, then by bus to Georgia.
• flight by plane to Azerbaijan or Armenia, then by bus or train to Georgia.

The easiest option is to fly by plane. Flights from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Rostov-on-Don and other Russian cities will arrive in a couple of hours at one of the airports in Georgia. There are three of them in the country: Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi. It should be noted right away that it is more convenient to plan the travel route, depending on the city in which the landing will be. This way you can save time on road trips by looking in order at all the planned places and without making unnecessary circles. Another flight option is Moscow-Vladikavkaz. Then by bus overland across the border to Georgia. Buses from Vladikavkaz depart every 1.5 hours. Travel time is 5-6 hours. You can also fly to Armenia (Yerevan) or Azerbaijan (Baku) and travel from the capitals to Tbilisi by train. Train schedules are available on the Internet. There is no point in giving even an approximate one here, since it changes depending on the season. You can also get there by bus from these capitals.

Traveling by car is also possible; the road will pass through the Russian-Georgian border at the Verkhniy Lars border crossing. Checking documents at the border may take some time. Depending on the season, the number of tourists entering the country varies.

Another option is to go by train to Vladikavkaz and from here also by bus through the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint. Due to the tense Abkhaz-Georgian situation, it is impossible to travel through Abkhazia; entry is prohibited. Georgian border guards will regard this as an attempt to illegally cross the border, even if you are from Russia.

Tourists from Sochi can get to Georgia by water transport. Several hours of travel on the Kamet fly by unnoticed and fill you with new emotions.

Documents required for travel to Georgia

List of documents required on the road and to cross the border:

• international passport
• child’s foreign passport if traveling with children
• If desired, you can take out insurance.

Tip: Check your foreign passport for stamps confirming crossing the borders of Abkhazia or North Ossetia. If they exist, entry into Georgia will be denied. Change your passport.

To travel to Georgia, you must have with you a foreign passport, which will be valid for at least another month after the expected date of return to the Russian Federation. This way there will be no unnecessary problems with the trip in the opposite direction in case of unforeseen situations. Since Georgia is a country high mountains, turbulent rivers, snowy cliffs and other extreme landscapes, traveling here can be fraught with some dangers. In this case, it is best to take care of insurance, which, if necessary, will cover all incurred expenses associated with treatment, return and other troubles.

Rent a house in Georgia

When planning a trip to Georgia on your own, you need to take care of your place of accommodation in advance. Speaking about whether it is necessary to book accommodation for the entire duration of the proposed trip in advance, we note that for the first 2-3 days of your stay in Georgia, you need to book a room or hotel. Having arrived at the place after a long journey, wandering around with suitcases in hand and looking for where to stay for the night is not very convenient. It’s much more pleasant to take a taxi to your room, take a break and begin your tour of this wonderful country with renewed vigor. Here the question arises: “For how many days should I book accommodation in Georgia?” It is impossible to answer it unequivocally. It all depends on the plans and route of the trip. If you decide to visit only one Batumi, then it is advisable to rent accommodation for the entire duration of your vacation. And if the trip involves visiting several cities, then you need to think about it. It may be more convenient for you to book a hotel on the spot, 2-3 days before your expected departure from the current city. If, having arrived in Batumi, you plan to go to Tbilisi in two days, and then want to lie a little more on the warm beach, you will not have to waste time and money in order to cancel your reservation in Tbilisi. And 2-3 days will be enough to find housing in a new city.

In Georgia, the service of providing housing for rent is quite developed. On many well-known sites you can choose and book the option that suits you. Price range from $4 to $200.

Advice: exchange rubles for dollars and euros in advance, this way you will save a lot

The main types of housing that can be rented are:

• rooms in local houses
• room in hostels
• hotel rooms
• daily rate apartments.

One of the cheapest housing options is to rent a room in a house local residents. Georgians are friendly and good-natured people, they will feed you, give you something to drink, and tell you a lot of interesting things about the country. I immediately remembered a quote from Otar Ioseliane: “In Georgia they don’t shout at drunken husbands - they feel sorry for them and put them to bed.” So, especially in a Georgian house, it is not customary to shout at guests. A guest in Georgia is a messenger of God. Despite the hospitality of the people, one should not forget about the rules of good manners and neglect their cordiality.

For about 25 lari, you will be provided with a private room, a shared kitchen and a bathroom. It is inexpensive to rent a room in a guesthouse. You will have your own room and many cheerful neighbors, tourists just like you.

Hotel accommodation will cost on average from $20 to $200, depending on the class of the hotel. Here all the necessary conditions will be provided individually.

For tourists traveling big company or family convenient option will be - renting an apartment for daily rent. Prices start from 30 GEL.

Hotel map

What to drive in Georgia

Basically, urban transport in Georgia consists of regular buses and minibuses (minibuses). Getting around the city on them is quite convenient and fast. The price of a one-time trip is about 0.5 GEL. It is sometimes impossible to get to some interesting places by public transport. Taxi drivers know these destinations and deliberately raise fares. If necessary, it is better to use an official taxi, this will significantly save money.

Intercity buses are quite comfortable. But traveling for more than an hour in a minibus can be tiring. The local population is not shy about throwing a couple of trunks at the passengers’ feet to pass on to the neighboring town. In addition, they are already cramped and hot. But, despite these inconveniences, long trips involve visiting the most beautiful places, after seeing which, all gloomy thoughts immediately dissipate.

In the very popular destination, which connects the two main parts of Georgia, a modernized train runs between Tbilisi and Batumi. Travel time is 5.5 hours.

Trains also run in the following directions: Tbilisi - Kutaisi, Tbilisi - Ozurgeti, Batumi - Kutaisi, Tbilisi - Poti, Tbilisi - Borjomi, Tbilisi - Zugdidi. In fact, this is all one railway line: it starts in Azerbaijan and goes through Tbilisi, Gori, Rioni, then to Batumi with adjacent branches to Armenia, Borjomi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Poti.

The main directions and train schedules need to be clarified on the spot, as there are changes by time and season.

There is a metro in Tbilisi, and you can also travel by minibuses and buses. You can go to the suburbs from bus stations; there are two of them in the city on Mayakovskaya and Gogol streets. There are also commercial bus companies. It's much easier with them. All private buses have specific schedules. Bus directions to almost all cities of Georgia. Very convenient for independent travel.

Advice: When going on an excursion to the mountains of Georgia, do not take unnecessary things with you. Excursions here involve long hiking and mountain climbs.

The best relaxation and complete excursion around Georgia will be possible if you have a car. There are no time limits when driving around the beauty of Georgia in your car. If you don’t want to travel from Russia to Georgia on your own, you can use the car rental service on the spot. It is better if it is an SUV, since some places cannot be driven without sedans. Choose the route where the infrastructure is most developed.

Approximate travel route in Georgia: Tbilisi-Kazbeg-Alazani Valley

Having purchased tickets or determined an approximate route, you need to think about the travel route.

When going to Georgia for 5-7 days for the first time, you can plan to visit only the most famous places, since it is impossible to inspect everything at once. At the same time there will be a good reason to come again.

In order to enjoy beautiful nature, see ancient monasteries and fortresses, get closer to the famous peak of Georgia, drink good wine and taste delicious food, you can consider the following route: Tbilisi-Kazbeg-Alazani Valley.

Advice: think over the exact travel route in advance and allocate the time you spend at each point.

What attractions are there along the route?

To explore the city of Tbilisi, you need to stay here for two or three days. The city itself is very beautiful. There are ancient streets with stone pavement, beautiful facades, many interesting monuments, museums, bridges, parks and streets and many more interesting things that are worth paying attention to. Not far from the city is the village of Mtskheta, famous for its ancient Jvari monastery, built on a mountain. From there you have a stunning view of Tbilisi. The confluence of two rivers (Mtkvari) is clearly visible. The visit will take at least half a day.

When entering the country, through the Russian border, the path passes along the Georgian military road, so a repeated visit to this historical place, will not take much time, since on the way here, you can immediately explore its sights. If we didn’t have time, there’s nothing to worry about. Along the way there will be an ancient fortress, which is located on the shore of the reservoir. Further ski resort. Along the entire route, you can arrange endless photo sessions against the backdrop of beautiful Georgian landscapes.

Next the path goes to the village (Kazbegi). Here you can see the pearl of the Caucasus - Mount Kazbeg. The Gergeti Monastery was built at the foot of the mountain. To enjoy the beautiful view mountain peak and to explore the monastery, you will need to climb a little uphill. Local residents will be happy to take you to the point in 20 minutes. It's much more convenient and faster. Climbing to the foot takes about 2 hours. After the excursion, you can go to one of the hostels to relax and spend the night. There is also a hotel in the village, the panoramic views from which will remain in your memory for a long time if you decide to spend a little money.

The next morning you can walk a little more through the local beauty and then head back to Tbilisi, returning sometime in the evening. Here you will have to stay overnight again, and in the morning leave for the historical region of Georgia, Kakheti. There, examine a small one, which is located on the slope of a cliff, the remains of towers and a fortress.

Your eyes will see the beautiful Alazani Valley against the background Caucasus Mountains. It is impossible to enjoy the beauty of these places in one day; if time permits, you need to set aside at least one full day for visiting them. A detailed examination of all the sights on this route will take a week, no less.

A route that will allow you to see everything Beautiful places Georgia: Tbilisi – Mtskheta – Gori – Uplistsikhe – Kutaisi – Tskhaltubo – Svaneti (Mestia, Ushguli) – Batumi – Tbilisi – Sighnaghi.

This route starts like the previous one. About two days are allocated to get to know Tbilisi and its surroundings. Further along the way is the village of Mtskheta, here you can get acquainted with, which is located on the mountain. View the city with its confluence of rivers from above and you can stay overnight.

In the morning you can drive towards Kutaisi. For those who love museums, we recommend going to Gori. For those who are not very fond of establishments of this kind, the advice is to immediately climb the Gori Fortress in order to examine the city and the surrounding areas from above. After Gori, visit Borjomi and try it mineral water, enjoy the fresh air and unique atmosphere, you need to stay overnight here.

After cave complex, you can go relax on the beach in Batumi. You need to allocate approximately 10-12 days for this route. If you have a rented car, the required time will be significantly reduced.

When to go to Georgia

It must be said that the holiday season in Georgia is always open. From to October, you can go to the sea, and from December they open ski resorts. Just don’t choose November to visit this country. At this time there is fog, rain and ice in the mountains.

Tip: Plan your trip during the months that best suit your vacation plans.

When going on a trip to Georgia, you can independently change routes and adjust them to your personal preferences. Tips from experienced travelers will help you organize your vacation as comfortably as possible.

For those who are just planning to visit Georgia, I would like to give a recommendation in the form of a statement: “Be restrained in business and passionate in travel.”

These are really the right words. By putting off a trip, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to experience new feelings and get a charge of positive emotions. You need to rest regularly. Why live then if you work all the time?

In conclusion, we would like to add that the more information you accumulate about Georgia, the easier it will be for you to plan your trip. Don’t hesitate to ask friends who have already traveled here for advice on how they organized their vacation. Someone will tell you one thing, someone else, and so a complete picture of the upcoming trip will emerge. By listening to the advice of those who have “experienced everything themselves,” you can avoid unpleasant mistakes and unnecessary financial waste in connection with a trip to Georgia. If you want to relax in Georgia, but are afraid to travel on your own, there is always the opportunity to purchase a tour through an agency. It's up to you to decide.

Background. Two tourists from Kazakhstan, who once went on vacation abroad through a travel agency, very quickly wanted to be independent. It's decided! This year is my first independent trip.

The country was chosen immediately - Russia. This was the perfect place to start: no language barrier, incredible amount attractions, the greatest cities - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan. Preparations for the trip lasted almost six months: maps, routes, transport, accommodation. The last days of waiting and we are finally... in Georgia!

How is this possible? And it’s all very simple, a month before the trip we looked at photographs of Georgia and were already there in our minds, but a month later we were no longer there in our minds. Why waste time on trifles?

Express retraining for the trip to Georgia took less than a month. Again maps, routes, transport, housing.

Housing

We didn’t book in advance, we looked for it on the spot, or rather, it was always there. There are a lot of guest houses in Georgia, before you even have time to get off the minibus, there is already “housing” nearby! Kidding! The one who offers it is worth it: owners, brokers. We looked at the hotels in advance on booking, chose the ones that were suitable for price and location, read the reviews, marked them on the map and with 100% confidence that there would be free rooms, we just went to the address. In all cases, we checked in without any problems.

Tickets

We didn’t bother with air tickets - we bought them at the ticket office (flight Astana-Baku, Air Astana, the journey takes 3 hours, ticket 118,000 tenge, that’s $336, purchased 5 days before departure). From Baku to Georgia we traveled by night train to Tbilisi (the price of a Baku-Tbilisi reserved seat ticket is 32 manats, to Baku from Tbilisi - 40.27 lari reserved seat).

Cards

We used a printed Openstreetmaps map with additions from Google maps and the MAPS.ME application. There are no completely panoramic maps of Georgia, where all the streets are visible, on the Internet, so we had to be content with point panoramas on Google maps.

Route

Born in pain. He did not get ready, did not adjust, did not become ringed. During the trip, due to our own stupidity, Racha, Zugdidi, Svaneti: Mestia, Ushguli dropped out of the route (later we regretted it many times), because we were afraid of the road - the mountain serpentine road is very poorly tolerated. And here's ours plan for the greatest conquest of Georgia standard route for 19 days (the actual one, the planned one looked more beautiful and more logical), the numbers in the first column are the dates of September:

6 Tbilisi (by train from Baku)

7 Tbilisi – Sighnaghi – Tbilisi

8 Tbilisi - Batumi (night train)

9-12 Batumi + surroundings

13 Batumi - Kutaisi

14-16 Kutaisi + surroundings

17 Kutaisi - Borjomi

18 Borjomi - Bakuriani - Borjomi

19 Borjomi - Tbilisi

20 Tbilisi – Mtskheta – Tbilisi

21 Tbilisi - Kazbegi

22 Kazbegi - Tbilisi

23 Tbilisi - Akhaltsikhe - Vardzia - Akhaltsikhe - Tbilisi

24 Tbilisi - Baku (night train)

When I tell someone that we spent a month in Georgia, everyone always immediately asks me about money. I don’t know why, but in the minds of most of my friends the idea was clearly established that traveling is expensive. I’m even at a loss for guesses, where did you even get this from? Although, of course, I can assume that all this is somehow connected with the activities of Belarusian travel agencies, which may well ask for 500-700 dollars for a three-day tour to Georgia and at the same time prove with foam at the mouth that this is some kind of super-mega -promotion... Is this really the whole point?

I have already written this phrase several times, but I am ready to repeat it again: any trip is worth exactly as much as you are willing to pay for it. The main thing is not to adjust it to yourself, but to try, on the contrary, to adapt yourself to current promotions, discounts and optimal dates. Well, one more thing: of course, it’s best to plan your trips in advance. This advice applies not only to Georgia, but to absolutely any other country. Personally, we bought tickets for September at the beginning of spring. But I will dwell on all this in more detail a little later.

So... How to look for cheap flights? What websites are the most convenient for booking inexpensive accommodation? How to invest in your existing budget and organize an independent trip to Georgia without extra costs? Let's go through the points. The introduction was already too long.

Purchasing air tickets

Tip #1. Do not look for plane tickets on the websites of certain airlines. Instead, it is better to use the capabilities of so-called ticket search engines, which allow you to immediately “see” offers from different (!) airlines and all the best connections (if any are needed). Personally, I usually use the Aviasales website (I just like its interface). Although, if desired, you can use some of its analogues - for example, Buruki or Skyscanner. They also show good results. Search for flight options on all three of these sites. This will save you an additional 5-6 euros.

Tip #2. Use the special “tricks” of ticket search engines, for example, the flexible search of the Buruki website (button – “I don’t know the exact dates, I want cheaper”) or the “Low Price Calendar” of the Aviasales website (see the sign below). Flights on different days have different prices. Adapt to them, and don’t bang your head against the wall shouting “I want tickets from 1st to 10th and nothing else.” It’s better to buy tickets first, and then go to your boss to ask for leave for the required dates. Or is there no way to reach an agreement with your boss at all?

Tip #3. As a rule, the cheapest tickets to Georgia are found on the Minsk – Kutaisi route. You can fly to the same city on a low-cost airline Wizz Air, which flies there from Vilnius. You can then get to Batumi or Tbilisi by train or minibus. Although in Imereti itself there is also something to see. An example is the Prometheus caves, Sataplia park with fossilized dinosaur tracks, Martvili canyons and much more.

See the price calendar for this route below.

I wrote more about how you can cheaply get to Georgia from Belarus. All the best travel options are listed there. Be sure to read it. It describes all this in more detail.

Important! If you don’t know the exact dates of your trip yet, it makes sense to monitor various sales in this direction. You can do this by subscribing to the Aviasales newsletter or various VKontakte public pages, which collect messages on their pages about the start of promotions and sales. As an example - vandrouki.by, fly4free.pl, pirates.ru and others. Plus - you can also subscribe to our group on VK (https://vk.com/mytraveldiaryby). This is welcome ;)))

How to rent cheap housing in Georgia?

The Caucasus is a special region of the planet, so not all modern housing booking systems work well there. The only exception is Tbilisi. Everything is as usual here. There are many hotels, guesthouses, and private apartments. You can rent a hotel in this city inexpensively through search engine sites (for example, on the RoomGuru website). Such services compare the cost of a specific room on dozens of booking platforms (such as Booking, Agoda, HRV, etc.), and then redirect the user to where the specific room costs the cheapest. This is a good saving option.

Another alternative is to look for private apartments on the AIRBNB website instead of hotels (discount when registering using the link provided). For example, in September 2016, we easily found a beautiful studio in the center of the old city of Tbilisi for only 25 dollars per day. Although here we need to make a reservation: in fact, I actually paid even less. The thing is that there are many different promotional codes and discount bonuses on the AIRBNB website. Therefore, I will not go into details now.

As for other cities in Georgia, it really makes sense to rent housing right on the spot. Another option is to look for apartments through specialized VKontakte groups. Most Georgians rent their homes the old fashioned way, without bothering with taxes and bank transfers. Therefore, on the same AIRBNB website, even after posting a specific advertisement, many owners say in plain text that they will not rent anything through this system. Here you can correspond with them, bargain, discuss details. But the money will have to be paid from hand to hand. There are exceptions (), but they are few.

VK groups where you can find suitable options rental:

https://vk.com/club37965380

https://vk.com/ihome

https://vk.com/rentapartmentsbatumi

https://vk.com/batumi_beach

https://vk.com/club62933149

https://vk.com/small_batumi

But I advise you to avoid the batumiphotos group. I don’t know why, but there are always a lot of frankly inadequate comrades who can correspond with you for a couple of weeks and then rent out the house to someone else. I came across two of these at once.

Tip #1. Do not choose just one from the proposed options and try to look for housing on a variety of sites. Who knows which one will give the best result.

Tip #2. When renting housing in Batumi, be sure to bargain. Personally, this summer I had several cases when apartment owners asked for $1,000 per month, and then after saying “No, thank you,” they immediately reduced the price by almost half. Georgians usually first quote the maximum price, but almost always agree to make a discount.

It is written in great detail about all the nuances of finding housing in Batumi!!!

Travel insurance to Georgia

I liked Georgia and liked Georgian food, but believe me, sanitation rules are not always strictly observed in this country. On the streets you can often meet people selling homemade adjika and cheese directly from their cars. And at the market, I once saw with my own eyes how a woman stroked a cat, and then, without any twinges of conscience, without washing her hands, she simply went to sell churchkhela.

Where am I leading with all this? Moreover, insurance is mandatory when traveling to Georgia. Don't risk your health. And remember that paying a doctor’s visit is not cheap. For example, at the Paracelsus clinic, with whose doctors we (unfortunately) once had the opportunity to communicate in person, an appointment with a doctor cost from 13 to 17 dollars. Moreover, insurance prices can start as low as $8. In general, do not neglect purchasing a policy. The likelihood that it may be useful to you in Georgia is very high.

Transport in Georgia

Transport system Georgia is very underdeveloped. Attempts to change something were made during the time of Saakashvili. However, the Georgian authorities still have a lot of work to do in this area. Therefore, be mentally prepared for the fact that many of Georgia’s attractions can only be reached by car. Local taxi drivers know this, so they mercilessly raise prices for their services. Here's a simple example: in the center of Tbilisi, some taxi drivers ask for 70-100 lari for a trip to Mtskheta (the ancient capital of Georgia). You can do the same trip by minibus for 1 GEL. As they say: I have everything.

In general, do not let yourself be deceived, and if you suddenly really need a taxi, it is better to use those services that set the price according to the meter. I'll post it later brief information regarding transport in Georgia.

Taxi Maxim(transportation in Tbilisi, Batumi + some surrounding areas of Batumi). Immediately when ordering a car on the website it shows the cost the desired trip. But in rainy weather and late at night, cars arrive very slowly.

Tbilisi bus stations located at Didube and Samgori metro stations. From Didube you can go to Kazbegi, Mtskheta, Akhaltsikhe, Kutaisi, Borjomi, Batumi and many other cities. From Samgori station there are minibuses to Sighnaghi, Telavi and other regions of Kakheti.

Batumi bus stations located on Mayakovsky and Gogol streets. There are always a lot of minibuses going in the direction of Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Borjomi, Zugdidi and other cities. Come and ask for the required flight. The transport system in Georgia is very bad and confusing. There is practically no clear flight schedule. But, as they say, we have what we have.

Private bus companies, working in Georgia, mostly represent Turkish business. Luks karadeniz travels from Batumi to Turkish cities. And the Metro company (http://geometro.ge/ru/home) also operates flights within the country. There are flights to Tbilisi, Batumi, Gori (Stalin’s birthplace), Kutaisi and other cities. As surprising as it may be for Georgia, all buses have a clear schedule, route and price. These are not minibuses that can stand for half an hour because the driver is waiting for some old lady he knows with a bag of peaches.

Batumi railway station. Located outside the city. You can get there by bus No. 8 and No. 10.

Rail transport in Georgia– in fact, the only thing about which there can be no serious complaints. The trains are all new. The carriages have Wi-Fi, sockets, snack machines, and good toilets. The only thing worth noting is that all trains, in fact, run on one single line - Batumi - Tbilisi. There is no serious railway network in Georgia. You can get there this way only to Kutaisi, Gori, Zestafoni, Ureki and some other cities. Full map routes can be viewed on the website http://www.railway.ge/

How to get to the city from Batumi and Tbilisi airports

To Batumi: by bus number 10. It runs from 7 am and goes through the entire city (to the railway station). Travel time is 20-30 minutes. The fare is 40 tetri (0.4 lari).

In Tbilisi: by bus No. 37, which runs around the clock at intervals of 15-20 minutes. Fare: 50 tetri. There is also a station near Tbilisi airport railway. With its help you can easily get to Central station cities. The price is the same 50 tetri. But there are relatively few trains.

In Kutaisi: still simpler. There is a special company at this airport, Georgian bus, which provides transportation to all major cities of Georgia (including Batumi, Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Mestia, etc.). The bus schedule is linked to the plane schedule. You can view prices and buy a ticket online on the carrier’s website (http://georgianbus.com/).

How to navigate in an unfamiliar city?

Personally, I use the MAPS.ME mobile application for these purposes. This program, created by Belarusian developers, is a collection of offline maps with a GPS navigation system. Just set the required point on the city map and follow the arrows. Everything is very simple. The main thing before your trip is not to forget to download a map of Georgia separately. All this is done for free.

How much money to take with you to Georgia

To tell the truth, Georgia is not the most cheap country. Most prices in shops and restaurants here are higher than in Belarus. The only thing that costs less than ours is Georgian wine and Georgian mineral water. It turns out very convenient. In the evening you drink wine. In the morning - mineral water.

Big story about prices in Georgia. Everything is described there in very, very detail. For now, I will present here only a small cost estimate.

Cost of rooms in Batumi hotels ranges from 20 to 30 euros (per day). But you shouldn’t be too attached to these prices, if only because the cost can change at different times of the year and from season to season. Specific prices can be found on the websites Hotellook and RoomGuru. I wrote about all this in more detail above. On average, for a trip of 10 days, expect to pay 200-300 euros (for 2 people). In Tbilisi, it makes sense to look for housing on the AIRBNB website. By using their discount coupons, you can shave $20, $40, or even $100 off your total. Read more about this.

Food in a restaurant: average bill 15-20 lari ($1 = 2.3 lari). But here, of course, everything largely depends on your personal preferences. If you are smart and completely turn off the excitement, you can eat in Batumi for 1 lari. I already wrote about this life hack in one of the.

Food in a store in Tbilisi and Batumi costs more than in Minsk supermarkets. Two liters of juice - 5 GEL, milk - 3 GEL, a pack of khinkali - another 7. Cigarettes 2.40 - 3.60 per pack. Personally, for two of us, for a month of living in Georgia, it cost us 400 dollars. Although I tried to buy everything as thoughtfully as possible. The best stores in Georgia are the Yalcin and Willmart chain supermarkets. Although it is cheapest to buy food at the Batumi market (Mayakovsky St.). This place is unsightly, and the sellers here are not particularly fond of washing their hands, but the prices here are lower than in stores. Therefore it is worth visiting. Just wash all your purchases thoroughly at home afterwards.

You can get to the market by buses No. 1, No. 1a, No. 4, No. 8.

Excursions around Georgia (travel cost in minibus) . Prices are for one way travel per person.

Renting a taxi or traveling with a tour company will cost much more. See photo below. The photo was taken in the capital of Georgia.

Again, I wrote in more detail about the cost of excursions in the article about. Be sure to read it. There's a lot of interesting stuff there.

General impression of Georgia

Georgia is bright and interesting country. But like any other state, it has its shortcomings. For example, I was personally unpleasantly surprised by the fact that many attractions here can only be reached by car. And the fact that sometimes you need to travel from one city to another with a transfer also somehow does not add optimism. Another disadvantage I would consider is quite high level prices for rental housing near the sea. Here's a simple example: last year we rented an apartment for $24 a day. In Batumi in September, sometimes they asked for $30 or $35 to rent a small apartment. Although normal offers are also found here.

On the plus side, I would note the fact that Georgia has very nice people (especially those not related to tourism). Plus delicious wine beautiful nature and many interesting historical sights - all this is also an indisputable advantage of this Caucasian state.

Read more about my impressions from the trip to Batumi and Tbilisi. And I will slowly finish this review. Have a nice trip and all the best.

Do you need insurance for a trip to Georgia?

If we talk about insurance for your personal health, I think it is definitely necessary (although the Georgian border guards are absolutely not interested in whether you have it or not). Still, it’s not like lying on the sofa at home – you never know, what will happen in the mountains, or you won’t be able to stop in time while eating khinkali..)) Anything can happen – and not only in Georgia. For the last few years, I have been purchasing insurance for my travels through an online service - here you have the opportunity to choose from the many products presented on the insurance market exactly what suits you in terms of price and insurance coverage:

Now regarding car insurance (if you do not plan to drive your car to Georgia, you can safely skip this point).

On March 1, 2018, the Georgian government adopted a law on compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance for vehicles with foreign numbers. Simply put, if earlier this type of insurance was optional in Georgia, now it has become necessary. An insurance policy (not a green card!) can be issued online on the website https://www.tpl.ge/ or purchase at the border. There are 4 types of policies - for 15, 30, 90 days and 1 year. If you are traveling to Georgia for less than 15 days, you will still have to take out insurance for 15 days.

The fine for the lack of compulsory motor insurance for the summer of 2018 is 100 lari (payable at any branch of any large Georgian bank, under no circumstances try to “resolve” this issue with the police on the spot!).

How to get to Georgia?

By land in a personal vehicle– if you are planning to travel to Georgia by car, I suggest reading an article about the Moscow-Tbilisi road and the specifics of traveling around Georgia by car:.

If the goal of your trip is not only Tbilisi, but also the “summer capital” Batumi, I recommend reading.

An article about Tbilisi city transport, as well as how to move around Georgia:.

Housing in Georgia - private sector, hostels, guesthouses, hotels, apartments

Before you start searching for and booking accommodation for your independent rest or traveling around Georgia, I recommend reading a separate large article - in it you will find all the necessary information: classification of types of housing, where and how best to look for it, how to book, recommendations and tips for minimizing costs and the nuances of Georgian specifics.

If you are planning an independent trip to Georgia or just a vacation by the sea, I highly recommend looking at my articles dedicated to the best apartments and guesthouses in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi in terms of price and quality:

Transfers throughout Georgia

If you are traveling to Georgia with your family or a large group, it may make sense for you to think about a transfer directly to the door of your booked hotel or to the desired attraction.

Comfortable transfers throughout Georgia can be ordered using a local online service GoTrip. During the booking process, you have the opportunity to select the class, car brand and specific driver based on reviews from previous passengers. Considering the horseman driving style of Georgian street taxi drivers and their cars, which are not always in good working order, this is a very useful option. The price on the website is final, you won’t have to bargain with anyone.

Transfer examples:

Mobile communications and Internet in Georgia

WITH mobile communications and the Internet is doing well in Georgia. Of course, there are remote corners like Tusheti or Khevsureti, where civilization in the form of mobile operators has not yet reached, but this is the exception rather than the rule. In large and medium-sized cities, as well as in all beach and ski resorts, with a local SIM card you will always be in touch. As for the signal quality, all operators have already switched to 4G, but so far only in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi. In the outback, the connection is usually either H or 3G.

What to see in Georgia

Below is a map of all the interesting places in Georgia mentioned in the guide. The numbers of attractions on the map correspond to the numbers in the text of the guidebook (indicated in brackets after the name of the city, church, fortress, etc.). By clicking on the number on the map, you will find a photo and a link to quickly jump to an article about this attraction.

Tbilisi

Tbilisi(number 1 on the map of attractions) - the capital of Georgia and one of the most beautiful and interesting cities former USSR. Old Tbilisi is a unique courtyard with drying laundry, lazy cats and sedate men playing backgammon. As well as the famous carved balconies, many of which are the size of a small Moscow apartment.

In addition to numerous antiquities, Tbilisi also has modern attractions: for example, the Peace Bridge, Presidential palace and the House of Justice.

And, of course, amazingly warm and hospitable residents and delicious food. In my opinion, the minimum you need to get to know Tbilisi is 2-3 days, and for a thoughtful inspection - no less than a week.

If you have more than a couple of days at your disposal, I recommend reading my guide articles dedicated to the most interesting areas of Tbilisi:

Be sure to take a walk around mine - there’s only best restaurants, cafes and khinkal towns.

And so that the waiter and bartender understand who they are dealing with, I first suggest studying two articles that are mega-valuable for any “culinary tourist”:

To better experience the unique atmosphere and energy of old Tbilisi, it is better to stay not in a hotel, but rent an apartment for daily rent from local residents in a real Tbilisi house with carved balconies, high ceilings and creaky wooden stairs in echoing entrances. For this purpose, my article can be very useful - in it, based on personal experience I describe the best options in terms of price and quality.

If you are traveling alone or do not plan to stay in Tbilisi for more than one or two days, then I would recommend choosing a good guesthouse over an apartment: .

And in order to more fully experience the unique atmosphere of this city, I recommend that the most inquisitive and sociable travelers book personalized tours of Tbilisi from local residents. Your guides will be Tbilisi residents themselves - writers, artists, photographers, journalists, winemakers - who are in love with their city and know everything about it.

Below is a selection of the most interesting and popular excursions in Tbilisi according to traveler reviews. To see all available options, click View All. At the booking stage, you will need to pay online only 20% of the excursion cost - the rest of the amount is given to the guide before it starts.

Georgian Military Road

Georgian Military Road- one of the most picturesque roads in the world and a complete attraction with a length of 208 km. It was built immediately after the annexation of Georgia to the Russian Empire to supply the Russian army, which was then fighting in the Caucasus with the highlanders, Turks and Persians - and this explains its name; nowadays there is nothing “military” in it for a long time.

Georgian Military Road in the Cross Pass area

The main attractions of the Georgian Military Road, located between the Russian border and Tbilisi:

Ananuri Fortress and Zhinvali Reservoir- number 3 on the map of Georgian attractions
Ski resort Gudauri(number 4)
Trinity Church in Gergeti (5)
Kazbegi (Stepantsminda)- number 6
Cross Pass and Monument to Friendship of Peoples (7)

Mtskheta

Mtskheta(2) - the ancient capital of Georgia, located 18 km north of Tbilisi, on the Georgian Military Road. It was from here that the Christianization of Georgia began through the efforts of St. Nino.

In addition to the Jvari Monastery, in Mtskheta you should definitely visit the huge Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the Samtavro Monastery, where, according to legend, Saint Nino lived under a blackberry bush.

Jvari Monastery coordinates: 41.83837, 44.73403.

Ananuri

Here, on the banks of the picturesque Zhinvali reservoir, is located one of the most famous attractions of northern Georgia - medieval castle of Ananuri(number 3 on the map of Georgia).

The castle was built by the rulers of these places - the Aragvi Eristavis - presumably at the end of the 17th century, when there was no reservoir here yet. But there was, on the contrary, the narrowest place of the Aragvi gorge, and it was impossible to go from the north, from the Dariali gorge, to the south to Tbilisi, passing the Ananuri fortress.

Coordinates: 42.16403, 44.70319.

Gudauri

Gudauri(number 4 on the map) is a relatively young, but, along with Bakuriani, one of the most famous ski resorts in Georgia (and the most popular, due to its proximity to Tbilisi and the Russian border). People come here for good skiing, Georgian hospitality and delicious food.

Coordinates: 42.4745, 44.48089.

Gergeti

A small village on the Georgian Military Road, famous for the fact that on the mountain above it is located the oldest and one of the most revered churches in Georgia - Trinity Church Sameba (5).

Trinity Church Gergeti

The place is really simply stunning and “atmospheric”, in addition, from the church there are excellent views of Mount Kazbek (Kazbegi in Georgian) - however, the mountain is very “capricious” and even in summer it very rarely peeks out from behind the clouds.

Coordinates: 42.66243, 44.62054.

Transfers along the Georgian Military Road

Adjara

A blessed land of beaches, mountain resorts, national parks and hospitable people. The capital of Adjara, Batumi, is the “showcase” of modern tourist Georgia, as well as the country’s third largest city (after Tbilisi and Kutaisi) and the largest Georgian city on the Black Sea.

Excursions in Batumi and Adjara from local residents:

Beach resorts of Adjara (as well as Guria and Megrelia)

Sandy beaches

Ureki (Magnetity)

The most unusual beach resort Georgia, located 45 kilometers north of Batumi, on the very border Guria And Megrelia. Unofficially divided into two parts: the village itself is called By the river, and the coastal tourist area with a beach - Magnetity(number 9 on the map of Georgia).

Magnetiti is a 4-kilometer beach with black magnetic sand, which is considered very useful for the treatment of hypertension, joint diseases and for rehabilitation after a heart attack. Unlike the pebble beaches of Adjara, Magnetiti has fine, pleasant sand (albeit an unusually black color), which makes the resort comfortable for families with children.

Coordinates: 41.98689, 41.75924.

Shekvetili

Shekvetili(10) is a small sleepy village 10 km south of Ureki, known for its huge sandy beach and a wonderful pine forest.

Considering the sparsely populated resort even at peak beach season, a holiday here is suitable for notorious introverts and those who are mortally tired of the crowds of big cities. The beach is quite good - black magnetic sand, the same as in Magnetity.

Coordinates: 41.92025, 41.76718.

Pebble beaches

Beach resorts south of Batumi (the cleanest sea):

Kvariati

Kvariati(number 11 on the map) is a small seaside village whose main attraction is its wonderful pebble beach.

Kvariati beach is considered the best in Adjara - some, however, will disagree with this, considering best beach V Sarpi. This is a seaside resort with long traditions and well-developed infrastructure - there is a restaurant and a cafe, you can rent sun loungers and umbrellas, ride a jet ski and a cheesecake.

Coordinates: 41.54584, 41.56179.

Gonio

Gonio(12) is a small Adjarian village, famous not only for its beach (very good, by the way), but also for its ancient Gonio-Apsaros fortress, located a couple of kilometers from the village and the beach.

As for Gonio Beach, it is typical for this part of Adjara: long, wide, pebbly, with clean water, a standard range of tourist attractions and a relatively wide selection of accommodation. A boulevard of one and a half to two kilometers long was recently made along the sea, following the example of the famous Seaside Boulevard of Batumi.

Coordinates: 41.5675, 41.56591.

Sarpi (13)

Most south beach Adjara and generally its southernmost coastal point. A village on the border with Turkey - on the other side it is called Sarp.

Under Soviet rule, there was a border zone here (after all, Turkey was and remains a NATO member), but now the border passes literally a few meters from sunbathing and swimming tourists.

Coordinates: 41.5213, 41.5478.

Beach resorts north of Batumi:

Cape Verde Beach (Mtsvane Kontskhi - number 14 on the map)

A sparsely populated pebble beach with clear water is relatively close to Batumi - you can get there in 20 minutes by minibus. Usually Cape Verde visit together with Botanical Garden Batumi - it is located exactly above the beach.

Cape Verde beach coordinates: 41.69181, 41.70474.

Chakvi

Chakvi(number 15) – once a fishing village and the center of Georgian tea growing, and now a cozy and calm beach resort on Black Sea coast Georgia, located 13 kilometers north of Batumi and 12 kilometers south of Kobuleti.

Coordinates: 41.72181, 41.72929.

Tsikhisdziri

Village Tsikhisdziri(16 on the map) is located 15 km north of Batumi, the easiest way to get there is by minibus going from Batumi to Kobuleti.

Currently, Tsikhisdziri is quite rarely considered as a beach resort - the Byzantine town located nearby is much more widely known. Petra fortress. But this was not always the case - thanks to its eucalyptus grove, in Soviet times Tsikhisdziri was one of the generally recognized “favorites” for relaxation and treatment of people with diseases of the respiratory system, nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Coordinates: 41.74682, 41.73785.

Kobuleti

Kobuleti(17) is the second largest city in Adjara, located 25 km north of Batumi.

In addition to its huge (about 10 km long!) pebble beach, Kobuleti is famous for its peat swamps of Spain- a nature reserve located northeast of the town, as well as an amusement park "Tsitsinatela", which means "Firefly" in Russian. This name is no coincidence: with the onset of darkness, the park lights up with many multi-colored iridescent lights - many young visitors like to tumble on the Tsitsinatela rides just after sunset. The park looks especially impressive from the Ferris wheel.

Coordinates: 41.83887, 41.77516.

Transfers to Adjara

Sights of Adjara

Adjara is a land of countless attractions and, if you are interested not only in relaxing on the beach, I recommend turning your attention to National parks, ancient arched bridges, picturesque mountain roads and much more, located “in the depths” of the region, in its mountainous part.

Trans-Ajar route

Trans-Ajar route(18) is a highway through the Goderdzi pass, connecting Batumi with the capital of the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, the city of Akhaltsikhe.

Almost along its entire length, the road is literally “stuffed” with the most interesting sights (waterfalls, ancient arched bridges, picturesque villages, wine cellars, etc.), so you can drive these 160 km for a very, very long time.

Queen Tamara Bridge in Makhuntseti

Machakhela National Park (19)

Not long ago, an excellent asphalt road was laid along the Machakhela River almost to the border with Turkey, thereby turning the picturesque gorge into one of the most interesting and easily accessible places in Adjara.

Fairytale forest in Mirveti

Mtirala National Park

Mtirala(number 20 on the map) is a picturesque national park, spread over six thousand hectares 25 kilometers east of the Adjarian village of Chakvi.

Public transport does not go to the national park, but taxi drivers in Chakvi will gladly take you there for 40-50 GEL (the price includes a round trip and 3 hours of waiting).

Kakheti

Kakheti is a land of stunning scenery and a prime region Georgian winemaking. It is located east of Tbilisi and is known primarily for the “granary of Georgia” - the Alazani Valley.

Alazani Valley

It is here that the grapes for most of the famous brands of wine in Eastern Georgia are grown, such as Kindzmarauli, Saperavi, Kvareli. And here there are several large wineries where you can come with. In addition, in the fall you can personally participate in the grape harvest.

To get to know Kakheti you need at least 2-3 days with overnight stays in Sighnaghi and/or Telavi.

Author's excursions to Kakheti from Tbilisi

The most convenient and educational way to get to know Kakheti (IMHO) is a private excursion from Tbilisi. In this case, you will be driven all day in a comfortable car in the most interesting places, tell stories, legends, and in some places even toasts (without this, there is nowhere in Kakheti). By the way, about toasts - as a participant in the excursion, you can forget about the fact that you are driving and enjoy excellent wines in tasting rooms the best Kakheti wineries.

Sighnaghi (Sighnaghi 23)

The main tourist “magnet” of Kakheti, the “Georgian San Marino”, the “city of love” is all Sighnaghi (number 23 on the map of Georgia). The small town is located on the top of a ridge - and for this reason, never in its long history has it been conquered or destroyed by anyone.

Monument to the doctor Benjamin from the film “Don’t Cry!” Georgiy Danelia

Due to its perfect preservation, during the presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili, Sighnaghi was chosen as the main tourist “brand” of Eastern Georgia. Some things were restored, others were built from scratch - for example, the Wedding Palace, which is open around the clock and “combines” everyone without an appointment - it is to this that Sighnaghi owes one of its unofficial names: “the city of love”.

Coordinates: 41.61098, 45.92718.

Telavi (24)

The capital of Kakheti and at the same time a quiet and cozy town, which became famous in the vastness of the former USSR after the release of the film “Mimino”. Many tourists use the city only as a base for traveling to mountainous Tusheti - but in vain, there is also something to see in Telavi itself.

Monument to King Irakli II in Telavi

Coordinates: 41.92092, 45.4791.

David Gareji Monastery (25)

One of the main Orthodox shrines of Georgia is a cave monastery founded by Saint David of Gareji after he decided to leave the hustle and bustle of Tbilisi and retire into the wilderness.

In addition to the complex of natural and man-made caves that make up the David Gareji monastery, this place is notable for the fact that the monastery is located on the slopes of a ridge, along the crest of which runs state border Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Coordinates: 41.4471, 45.37662.

Alaverdi Cathedral (26)

Alaverdi Cathedral is the first and most important temple of Kakheti, the second highest in Georgia (for a long time it was the first, but after the construction of the Tsminda Sameba temple in Tbilisi Alaverdi gave it primacy), and one of the four most revered Christian churches countries - the so-called “Great Cathedrals”.

Coordinates: N42.03248, E45.3772.

Gremi Castle (27)

Medieval castle Gremi- this is all that remains of the former capital of Kakheti, the city of Gremi, destroyed by the Persian Shah Abbas. Along with the castle located on the Georgian Military Road, Gremi is the most famous object of this kind in Georgia. Both castles are easily accessible from a logistics point of view - they literally rise above the highway passing at their foot.

Coordinates: 42.00161, 45.66099.

Nekresi Monastery (28)

Nekresi is an ancient and very “atmospheric” monastery located on a mountain above the Alazani Valley. Once upon a time, at the foot of that mountain there was a whole city with the same name, but only the foundations of a few buildings have survived to this day. And, if the ruins of the city are not of particular interest, then the Nekresi monastery soaring high in the mountains is rightfully considered one of the brightest attractions of Kakheti.

Coordinates: 41.97249, 45.76027 (parking under the monastery).

Ikalto Monastery (29)

Ikalto- the oldest Orthodox monastery in Georgia. The monastery was founded by the Assyrian father Zenon of Ikalta in the 6th century. In the “golden” age of David the Builder for Georgia, an Academy appeared on the territory of the monastery, where Shota Rustaveli subsequently studied.

Coordinates: 41.93707, 45.38026.

Monasteries Old and New Shuamta (30)

Despite its proximity to Telavi, Shuamta is not a popular attraction in Kakheti. Thanks to this, the unique atmosphere of an ancient monastery has still been preserved here, where you can easily find yourself alone with centuries of history and your thoughts.

Coordinates of the New Shuamta monastery: 41.91253, 45.39015.
Coordinates of the Old Shuamta monastery: 41.90973, 45.40571.

Transfers to Kakheti

Imereti

Imereti- the largest and historically significant region of Georgia with a population of more than half a million people. Imereti is located in the Rioni River basin, the largest in Georgia. Even against the background of very hospitable Tbilisi residents, Imeretians stand out for their hospitality and friendliness. The capital of the region - the city of Kutaisi - during the reign of King David the Builder (Agmashenebeli) was the capital of all Georgia and at this time there was a period of its heyday.

Kutaisi

Kutaisi(number 31 on the map of Georgia) has been “challenging the primacy” of Tbilisi since ancient times and today is unofficially considered the second capital of Georgia. To confirm this status, in 2012 the Parliament of Georgia moved to Kutaisi from Tbilisi. Since then, this bizarre configuration of power has been legislated in the country’s Constitution: the president and government are in Tbilisi, the parliament is in Kutaisi.

Bagrati Temple in Kutaisi

Gelati Monastery (32)

Located 5 km from Kutaisi towards Tkibuli on a hilltop above the valley of the Tskhalitsitela River. One of the most revered Orthodox monasteries in Georgia, Gelati was founded by King David the Builder and the king was later buried in it - according to the will of the great monarch, his remains rest under a slab at the entrance to the monastery complex, right under the feet of the parishioners.

Coordinates: 42.29489, 42.76848.

Motsameta Monastery (33)

Motsameta Monastery dedicated to the holy prince-martyrs David and Constantine, located near Gelati, closer to Kutaisi.

Coordinates: 42.28226, 42.75909.

Tskaltubo (34)

Once a sanatorium and resort center of all-Union importance, it fell into decay in the 90s and is now gradually being revived. I recommend combining his examination with a visit Prometheus caves And Sataplia Park.

By the way, it was in Tskaltubo that we came across the most delicious khinkali in Georgia.

Coordinates: 42.32834, 42.60124.

Prometheus Cave (35)

The largest of all known caves in Georgia is located near Tskhaltubo. The cave is stunningly picturesque and very skillfully illuminated - you can see this by looking at the photographs in the article about.

Coordinates: 42.37664, 42.60082.

Sataplia Nature Reserve (36)

The reserve, located on a mountain above the Rioni River, is famous for the dinosaur tracks found on its territory. The name "Sataplia" means "honey place", and wild bees used to be found in abundance in this area.

Coordinates: 42.31257, 42.67384.

Pillar of Katskhi (37)

One of the relatively “new” religious attractions of Georgia, but it has already become one of its symbols.

A stunningly picturesque rock-pillar, on top of which there is a house of a hermit monk.

Coordinates: 42.28759, 43.21569.

Okatse Canyon (38)

A natural attraction of Imereti, gradually becoming one of the most popular. The fact is that picturesque canyon Okatse River (length 3 km, depth 50 m) is equipped with a suspended cantilever bridge, which is an amazing observation deck.

Coordinates: 42.45547, 42.52772.

Kinchkha Waterfall (39)

One of the most interesting attractions of Imereti is a complex of picturesque waterfalls (among which the highest in the country).

Coordinates: 42.49489, 42.55054.

Martvili Canyon (40) and Martvili Monastery (41)

Strictly speaking, Martvili is located not in Imereti, but in Megrelia, but it is more convenient to get there from Kutaisi. A very picturesque canyon that arose thanks to the waters of the Abasha River, which made their way through the rocks. I recommend combining a tour of the canyon with a visit Martvili Monastery Chkondidi- the main Christian monastery of Megrelia - and Salkhino (42), summer palace Mingrelian princes Dadiani.

Coordinates of the monastery: 42.40558, 42.37771, canyon: 42.45743, 42.37712.

Racha-Lechkhumi

“Georgian Switzerland”, “Mountain Imereti” and one of the main wine-making regions of the country - for example, the legendary “Khvanchkara” is made right here, in the village of the same name not far from the town Ambrolauri (43).

Some call Racha mountain Imereti (by analogy with “mountain Kakheti” - Tusheti, and “mountain Megrelia” - Svaneti). Racha is famous for its landscapes and excellent wine - you can get to the center of Lower Racha, the town of Ambrolauri, from Kutaisi by an ordinary passenger car in 2-3 hours; the cities are connected by an excellent asphalt road. The main thing is to go back to Kutaisi along it, and not try to drive through the village of Khvanchkara - this path is only for off-road vehicles.

Ambrolauri coordinates: 42.51449, 43.14576.

Transfers to Imereti and Racha

Svaneti

Of the three highland regions of Georgia, Svaneti, located in the north-west of the country, is the most popular among tourists - thanks to its stunning nature, well-preserved Svan towers and the original Svan culture, which has survived to this day with minimal distortion due to the isolation of this region from the rest of Georgia. A normal asphalt-concrete road from Zugdidi to the capital of Svaneti was built only recently - and before that, with the onset of winter, snow covered the passes and tightly blocked Svaneti and the Svans.

Svaneti has everything that people go to the mountains for: stunning landscapes, clean air, picturesque villages bristling with Svan towers, mountain lakes, glaciers, amazing mountain honey and much, much more - there is even a modern ski resort! True, getting to it in winter is very difficult.

Mestia (Mestia)

Capital of Upper Svaneti (Zemo Svaneti), small town Mestia(44) is located in the mountains at an altitude of 1500 meters at the confluence of two mountain rivers.

Mestia is extremely well located in terms of scenery: the town is surrounded alpine meadows and forests, behind which rise majestic snow-capped mountains. You can get to Mestia from Zugdidi in 3-4 hours (there is a good asphalt and concrete road).

Historical center of Mestia

Coordinates: 43.03346, 42.68948.

To “experience” Svaneti to the fullest, you need to go from Mestia to remote mountain villages, such as Ushguli or Latali.

Transfers to Mestia

Ushguli (45)

A village that has preserved its traditional appearance much better than Mestia, which was subjected to merciless restoration. Ushguli is the second settlement in Europe after the Dagestan Kurush in terms of altitude and is famous for its large number of well-preserved Svan towers.

Hatsvali (46)

Ski resort on the Zuruldi ridge, located at an altitude of 2400 meters. The resort is new (opened in 2011) and is currently actively developing. From Mestia to Hatsvali, located 8 km to the south, you can take a taxi along a mountain serpentine road. Hatsvali is also popular in the summer: you can take the cable car to the top of the ridge and enjoy stunning views and breathe in the rarefied mountain air - the main thing is to be lucky with the weather.

Coordinates: 43.01755, 42.73882.

Tusheti

Tusheti(47) - an isolated highland region in the northeastern part of Georgia, administratively part of Kakheti. Get to Omalo(this village is the “capital” of Tusheti) is only possible with a good SUV - the road is a dirt mountain serpentine.

Tusheti is home to stern (but not very warlike) mountaineers, stone sakli, ancient towers (vaguely similar to the Svan ones), excellent products made from sheep’s wool, sheep’s cheese “Guda” and special local khinkali with mountain herbs.

The views in the mountains of Tusheti are stunning - and for this reason, the main occupation of the Tush people is gradually becoming the reception and service of tourists, although there are still few in number.

Coordinates of the capital of Tusheti Omalo: 42.37085, 45.63346.

Khevsureti (48)

Another distinctive mountainous region of Georgia - along with Svaneti and Tusheti. Administratively, it is part of the central region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti, but due to the inaccessibility, it is better to allocate at least a couple of days to visit Khevsureti.

The main man-made attraction of this region is defensive towers. But, unlike the Svan ones, they are not rectangular, but more reminiscent of pyramids and in this way are similar to the towers of Chechnya and Ingushetia.

The Khevsurs are mentally very little similar to the lowland Georgians, and there is a simple explanation for this. For a long time they were something like Georgian Cossacks - the Khevsurs did not pay taxes, but had to protect Georgia from invasions by mountaineers from the other side of the Caucasus ridge.

Coordinates of the capital of Khevsureti Shatili: 42.65813, 45.15457.

Georgia - from Tbilisi to Batumi

By train or bus, 300 km between two cities can be covered in 5 hours, by minibus - in 6. But it is much more interesting to go on this journey by car - your own or a rented one.

There are two ways to get from Tbilisi to Batumi by car: the first one is longer and goes through Imereti, the second is geographically shorter, but is available only in the summer, and even then only for SUVs - through Borjomi Valley and region Samtskhe-Javakheti, from where you can get to Batumi along a dirt mountain Trans-Ajar highway.

Now let's take a closer look at the attractions of each of the two options.

First route Tbilisi - Batumi

The first way is through hometown Stalin - Gori, « cave city» Uplistsikhe, past pillar of Katskhi V Kutaisi. And from Kutaisi to Batumi you can travel along the Black Sea coast through Kobuleti, visiting some of the sights of Imereti along the way - for example, monasteries Gelati And Motsameta And Prometheus cave.

Stalin Museum in Gori (49)

Gori is located 80 km west of Tbilisi and is known primarily as the place where the Father of all nations was born and spent his childhood. And currently the city has a large and very interesting museum, dedicated to Stalin.

Coordinates: 41.98694, 44.11348.

Rock city Uplistsikhe (50)

Once the main pagan cult center of ancient Iberia and the main stronghold of resistance to the Christianization of the country, Uplistsikhe is now one of the most interesting attractions located in the vicinity of Tbilisi.

Coordinates: 41.96737, 44.20724.

Second route Tbilisi - Batumi

It looks something like this: Tbilisi — Borjomi (Bakuriani) — Akhaltsikhe and Rabat fortress- cave city Vardzia, fortress Khertvisi and further to Batumi along the mountainous Trans-Ajara highway.

Borjomi (51)

Tiny resort town with a population of 15 thousand people, which has gained worldwide fame thanks to the brand of mineral water produced here.

Curl bridge in Borjomi

In addition to mineral water, Borjomi is famous for its sanatoriums, a huge park, a cable car, an outdoor swimming pool with water from hot springs and a culinary “trick”: pine cone jam.

Coordinates: 41.84119, 43.38298.

Ski resort Bakuriani (52)

In the past, it was a ski center of all-Union significance; today it is the best (IMHO) ski resort in Georgia, located 37 km from Borjomi at an altitude of 1700 meters.

Coordinates: 41.7509, 43.52839.

After Borjomi, the route from Tbilisi to Batumi lies through Akhaltsikhe, the capital of the region Samtskhe-Javakheti. The city itself is not particularly interesting, but it contains the most great fortress in Georgia - Rabat.

Rabat Fortress (53)

The former Turkish fortress Rabat, being the largest in Georgia, was recently restored and became one of the tourist attractions of Samtskhe-Javakheti.

According to popular opinion, the restorers went a little overboard: ancient fortress Now it really shines with a new-made gloss. Whether this is true or not, you can find out from the article about.

Coordinates: 41.64211, 42.97537.

Before driving further west to Batumi along the most picturesque Trans-Ajar highway, I highly recommend taking the time to stop by for half a day cave city Vardzia (Vardzia), located 60 km southeast of Akhaltsikhe (200 km southwest of Tbilisi). On the way there, about 45 km southeast of Akhaltsikhe, there will be another attraction of Samtskhe-Javakheti - Khertvisi fortress.

Khertvisi (54)

Khertvisi (54) is an extremely photogenic fortress on a rock at the confluence of the Mtkvari (Kura) and Paravani rivers. The place is extremely historical - according to legend, the first Georgian city was here in the era of Alexander the Great.

Khertvisi coordinates: 41.47947, 43.28535.

Cave city of Vardzia (55)

A unique cave city, a symbol of the struggle of Georgians against foreign invaders and a monument to the will and fortitude of people who chose life in caves over surrender to enemies.

Coordinates: 41.3812, 43.28416.

After visiting Vardzia and Khertvisi, we return to Akhaltsikhe, from which there are two options for the road to Batumi:

If it’s summer, you have a good SUV, and you are confident in yourself and in the car, you can go to Batumi along the shortest route - through the mountains along the Trans-Ajar highway. The road is dirt, very difficult in places - but the views are stunning.

The second option is for those who have an ordinary passenger car, or who simply feel sorry for killing the suspension and tires of their SUV: we drive to Batumi along an excellent highway through Borjomi, Khashuri, Kutaisi and Samtredia.

Have a nice holiday in Georgia!
Your Roman Mironenko

July 23, 2018 10:14 am Kazbegi, Telavi, Sighnaghi, Borjomi, Batumi, Kutaisi + 3 cities – Georgia June 2018

“Did you go to Georgia in June? So what? Everyone likes it, you don’t need a visa, I like the mountains, you like the sea! Traveling on your own won’t be expensive!”

We met Anya about a year ago and already managed to go to Crimea for two weeks in 2017. Then she passed the “Pedestrian weekend” test in Moscow and the “PVD-shny” test on the lake in Shchepachikha. Based on the results, she was diagnosed as “Fit to Travel” and we began planning a summer vacation.

All our friends who had already visited Georgia unanimously repeated: “Go to Georgia! It’s wonderful there!”

While Anyuta dreamily looked at pictures of sights and leafed through thematic posts, I studied sites and blogs with reports on independent travel to Georgia, must-have places to visit have been identified, accommodation has been booked, a route map has been drawn up, a budget has been calculated and the basics have been partially learned notable places and objects in the cities we were going to visit. All that remained was to accumulate the required amount and wait for “hour X”)))

When to go to Georgia

It rains in Georgia in May. In July and August it is wildly hot. Yandex's monthly forecast in Tbilisi hinted at the second half of June, because the rains had passed and the heat was still tolerable. Looking ahead, I can say that the rains really didn’t bother us, but the heat during the day was up to +38! And sometimes we felt like we were on a hot frying pan, which forced us to shorten the time we spent in certain locations, or, even better, to stay in Borjomi and keep a low profile)))

Everyone claims that September is the “golden season” in Georgia. The temperature is comfortable, the sea is warm, fruit and wine are plentiful, and there are much fewer tourists (we’ll definitely check it out). And in winter there is a haven for lovers of snow activities - ski resorts in Gudauri and Bakuriani! In short, in Georgia it’s good in any season, it’s just that in July and August from 12 to 16 it’s better to have a quiet hour in a room with air conditioning, or spend time in a park (fortunately, there are a huge number of them in Georgia and on every shady piece of land there will definitely be a bench, and somewhere nearby there will be absolutely babbling decent drinking fountain)

How to get to Georgia

We decided to go by train via Vladikavkaz. Firstly, because we are afraid to fly))). And secondly, I really wanted to drive along the Georgian Military Road and see all its beauty with my own eyes. As a result, our transfer looked like this:

There: exactly two days and 11103.00 rub. for two

Train Nizhny Novgorod— Moscow 3h48 m 2014.00 rub. for two (Swift)

Train Moscow - Vladikavkaz 1d12h 7089.00 rub. for two (compartment)

1

The schedule is like this:

June 17-18 Tbilisi; June 19-20 Kutaisi; June 21 Batumi; June 22 Borjomi; June 23 Tbilisi; June 24 Sighnaghi; June 25 Telavi; June 26-27 Tbilisi; June 28 Stepantsmida

LifeHacks:

1. It’s worth spending at least 3 days in Tbilisi, there really is beauty and attractions at every turn

2. If you are traveling during the hot season, treat yourself to two days in Borjomi - it’s cool and the air is delicious.

3. There is nothing to do in Sighnaghi for more than one day (if you are an ordinary average tourist-city dweller). The city is very small, you can explore it in a day. But I recommend staying there for the night, at least to see it at night with a cafe in the suburbs on the top of the mountain

How much does housing cost in Georgia?

Sights of Georgia

In Tbilisi we walked along a beautiful hanging Bridge of Peace to the central Rike Park, rose to the majestic Cathedral and descended into an extremely authentic " Old city ", where we happily got lost among the little ones and cozy streets. The next day we went for a ride on cable car to the Narikala fortress, admired it from there Mother Georgia monument and enthusiastically walked for a couple of hours through the shady and beautiful botanical garden, where they found shade, coolness, benches, and beauty. On the same day took the funicular up to Mtatsminda, where was located big park and where it opened from best view in Tbilisi, admired the park, walked to a beautiful sculptural Pantheon and walked down again to the old city. We also managed to swim in the lake Lisi and in Tbilisi Sea, descending to his heights Kenesee Mountains, on which the majestic monument History of Georgia. Everywhere was quite clean beach and warm, excellent water. In the evening we wandered into area Sulfur baths And waterfall right there - I recommend it, a very picturesque and authentic place. We didn’t miss the striking of the clock on the tower either. Rezo Gabriadze Theater accompanied by a theatrical performance. And all this in 3.5 days in the Georgian capital!

From Gori we drove to Uplistsikhe. This is an ancient cave city. Everything here is well equipped, there are ticket offices, toilets, drinking water and lighting. It was great to wander around these ruins and look up at the mountains in the distance, as well as get to know the history of the nation.

In Kutaisi we spent the whole day visiting two canyons: Okatse and Martvili. This was the most exciting thing on our trip! In the Okatse Canyon we walked along the suspension bridge over the abyss (very thrilling), and in the Martvili Canyons we took a boat ride in the shadow of the gorge (the beauty is amazing). The road to both canyons is difficult and long. Stock up on strength and drinking water. In Okatse you will most likely get tired, so start there while you still have energy. And then you will relax in a boat on Martvilsky. And here White Bridge in Kutaisi, from which Rezo Gabriadze spat in the wonderful film “Do you know, mom, where I was?”, we were not able to visit, as it was closed for renovation.

We had very little time in Batumi, so we took a swim in the sea, walked around the center a little, took a ride on ferris wheel and admired " Ali and Nino", and also refreshed ourselves in the singing fountains. The beaches in Batumi are very clean and landscaped. There are many nice inexpensive cafes. This city is active day and night.

Borjomi has become a real paradise! It was cool here, and the air was so clean and fresh that it literally made your head spin. This small town is incredibly cozy! We immediately went towards the park to take the cable car to the observation deck. But we decided to go down along the path through the forest. Don't let the visual height scare you, there is a wide, gently sloping asphalt path that leads directly to Borjomi Park. The park is wonderful! There are a lot of benches, a river, the shade of trees, gazebos, drinking springs with mineral water, waterfall and sculpture of Prometheus, and the nature is simply fantastic! Be sure to go to the center at night - everything is lit and glowing, stunningly beautiful and cozy.

Sighnaghi looked like a fairy-tale toy town (only 2300 inhabitants). Situated at the very top of the mountain, it is surrounded ancient fortress wall, into the preserved towers of which you can climb and see from there the endlessly stretching Alazani Valley. You can easily get around the town in a couple of hours, taking photographs in every corner of it) By car you can quickly get to Bodbe in Church of St. Nino and hear his story. At night from the height of the cafe " Veranda Sighnaghi"(it is even higher above the city) you will have a view of the city and the valley, and the mountains, and the stars!

In Telavi, take a walk along the walls Batonis-Tsikhe and climb up viewpoints of Nadikvari Park, opening a mountain panorama like from a picture.

Well, in Stepantsmid, be sure to do ascent to the Gergeti Church and admire the top from there Kazbega. You can go up by renting a car and driver together, and go down on foot - there is a path straight down to the village.

Language barrier in Georgia

The older generation of Georgians speaks excellent Russian and is always happy to put it into practice. Young people hardly know Russian, but they speak English very well. This is natural, because there are a lot of tourists in Georgia and for the most part, they “speak in English”. Don’t worry, as soon as you look puzzled, Aunt Nani or Uncle Gio will definitely come up to you, find out the reason for your confusion and help you cope with the task. You will definitely be heard and understood in Russian, when turning to Georgians over 40 for help, and in English, when turning to young people.

But you will have to put up with a complete misunderstanding of writing. The Georgian alphabet is absolutely not similar to the native Russian or familiar Latin. That is, the names of stores, bus routes and information signs will not be available to you. But this is another reason to turn to Georgians for help and absorb their heartfelt kindness and incredible hospitality.

• Lyrical digression: I happened to hear a couple of times from Russian mothers with careless children: " A nightmare in general, wild people, no one knows Russian!" So this is what I think about it: YOU came to a foreign country, and no one here is required to know your language. On the contrary, if you want to express yourself freely and independently, learn the language of the country you are visiting in basic phrases or international English. Don't forget that you have come to VISIT, and should respect local customs and be grateful for the kind welcome. If you think that everyone here should create conditions “a la Rus” for you, why did you even leave this very “Rus”? You would sit on your butt exactly in your comfort zone. Georgia is already the most Russified country, treating Russians with brotherly love. Is it not to see another culture and get acquainted with a different mentality? Then turn off your inner “enslaver” and behave like you’re at home, but don’t forget that you’re visiting)

In general, I advise you to learn basic phrases in Georgian, and make at least a tiny attempt to remember at least part of the Georgian alphabet. For example, already in the second week we could read destinations on minibuses and basic store signs. The Georgian alphabet has 33 letters, just like the Russian one, which means it won’t be difficult to draw an analogy.

All prices in the article are indicated at the time when for 1 lari they gave 26.65 rubles

How much does housing cost in Georgia?

Georgia has very cheap housing! If you book well in advance, you can easily get decent apartments for 60-70 lari (1600-1800 rubles for two). After last year's Crimea, these prices seemed simply ridiculous to us). We chose accommodation on booking.com. In April there were a lot of decent options with everything you need. The main criteria were proximity to the center and attractions, the presence of a washing machine, pleasant interior, air conditioning, balcony, wi-fi. The cheapest room cost us 60 lari (about 1500 rubles), and the most expensive one cost us 100 lari (about 2700 rubles). In just 13 days, we spent 866 lari (approximately 22,000 rubles) on housing.

Here is a list and brief comments about our accommodation in Georgia:

The Solo Room Apartment is also in the old town. Huge apartment with a huge balcony! The room is comfortable and modern, the owner treats you to homemade wine. Near the metro and shops. In terms of price-quality parameters, these apartments turned out to be the most optimal. Next time we decided to move in here right away.

Kutaisi: Small hotel Hotel Kutaisi Globus. 10 minutes walk to main square and a park. A 24-hour store is a minute's walk away and taxi drivers are right under the windows. The rooms are modest, but the Wi-Fi is at astronomical speed! The furnishings were simple, but everything was clean, tidy and the bathroom with air conditioning worked perfectly. The cost is very low.

Batumi: Apartment On Parnavaz Mepe 92/94 huge apartments 5 minutes from the sea. Everything around is dotted with shops and cafes. Balcony overlooking the sea, lots of furniture and storage space, kitchen, work bathroom. It's ideal to stay here for a week with your family. You'll feel right at home. For such a price it seemed like paradise to us

Borjomi: House in Borjomi is a superbly furnished guest house overlooking the bridge and mountains. Very nice atmosphere and wonderful hostess. 5 minutes to Borjomi park and bus station. One of the nicest places to stay on our trip

Sighnaghi: Nando Guest House is a large house 100 meters from the main city square. The hospitable hosts began to feed us, it seems in the first 5 seconds after our arrival) They told us a lot about the city, took us to Bodbe, gave us something to drink, fed us and generally took care of us as best we could! You feel like a close relative here, and not a visiting tourist)

Telavi: Dima’s Guesthouse is a large comfortable house 5 minutes from the city center. The owner is warm and hospitable. The room is excellent, everything is clean, modern, in good order. On the corner of the street is the Bravo cafe, which we visited as many times as we passed by)))

Stepantsmida: Veranda Guesthouse is one of the few inexpensive and decent accommodation options in Stepantsmida. Due to the influx of foreign currency tourists, everything there is twice as expensive, both housing and food. But the service does not differ in quality. But in this hotel everything was clean, tidy, everything worked and there was a great view from the veranda directly to Mount Kazbek and the Gergeti Monastery.

LifeHacks:

• 1. Renting an apartment without booking is cheaper, as the owner does not pay a commission. That is, you can simply call any guesthouse or apartment and rent a place cheaper. However, booking.com guarantees a room reservation and you will definitely not find yourself in a force majeure situation 100%. But the owners can resell the room without warning.
• 2. Don’t worry about the furnishings of your room. If you plan to walk and watch a lot, then you will only come to your room to sleep and wash. Therefore, choose a room with a clean bed and proper plumbing, and not with a beautiful chandelier and a painting above the bed. This will allow you to save

Transport in Georgia

Intercity: Minibuses go anywhere! Between major cities, the distance to which is less than 100 km, transport runs hourly. If the distance to the desired city more, go to the bus station and look for the schedule of those 3-4 flights per day that suit you. If you (like us) naively decided that you can quickly get from Batumi to Borjomi through Akhaltsikhe - no big deal) Only through the main highway and Khashuri (about 5 hours on the road). By the way, the Batumi-Borjomi minibus runs only once a day at 10:00. Then only on transfer stations

Urban: urban transport in Georgia works very well. Gazelles and large buses constantly run in all directions (and on a schedule). You buy a transport card for 2 lari (about 50 rubles), and use it to ride the metro, buses and cable cars, except for the one that goes to Mtatsminda, because it is not a “cable car”, but a “cable car”))). The fare costs 50-60 tetri (no more than 15 rubles). Transport Card, purchased in Tbilisi, is valid only in Tbilisi.

Taxi: The most popular official taxi in Georgia is “Maxim”. There are many Georgian cities, reasonable prices, fast feed. But for every square meter of Georgia there are 2 local taxi drivers))). During the off-season, they don’t charge much, as there is almost no demand. During the season, rates increase because official taxis are occupied by vacationers and there is a shortage of taxi drivers. As almost everywhere, the further you are from the center and train station, the cheaper the taxi rate. You can and should bargain with Georgian taxi drivers.

LifeHacks

• 1. Around the city: find out in the app the cost of your trip by Maxim taxi, and do not settle for nearby taxi drivers if their price is significantly higher
• 2. For attractions: Google in Yandex information about prices for the trip you are interested in, kindly provided by past travelers, knowledgeably go to the taxi drivers and say: “There are so many ladies, I won’t go more expensive!” The probability that taxi drivers will agree is 90%! Just don’t be impudent, don’t try to drive for pennies. Taxi drivers are also people with families, they also want to eat deliciously and raise their children in abundance, especially since in Georgia tourists bring the main income (there is really no other job for the mass population).

Currency exchange

Don’t even think about changing currency in banks! The most profitable exchangers are ALWAYS near bus stations and train stations. Don’t take the first exchange window you come across, go a little further, and after 20-30 meters you will see a sign with a more favorable exchange rate. You can exchange currency without any problems at any time of the day and in any city in Georgia. This is all in order here. When planning your budget, do not calculate it at today's rate. Allow at least 10% risk due to currency fluctuations.

Food prices in Georgia

There are two options for eating in Georgia: cook yourself or go to a cafe. In the first case, choose housing so that it is convenient to get to the market. Markets in Georgia are thriving! Everything is fresh, prices are low, sellers are generous! Feel free to buy all your food and drinks there, it will be cheap and fantastically delicious!

If you don’t want to bother with cooking, go to Tripadvisor.ru and choose a cafe based on reviews and your criteria.

Two people can eat for the amount:

10-15 lari (350 rubles)- a couple of huge sausages in dough or other pastries and coffee

20-25 lari (600 rubles)— a couple of salads and a drink/ a couple of khachapuri and coffee

50-60 lari (1500 rubles)— salad, main course, drinks, snacks

All amounts are indicated not for one person, but for two!!!

Personally, we have never spent even 60 GEL in a cafe, although we rolled out of them after eating barbecue, soup, salads, pastries and drinking wine or beer. Upon returning to Russia from Georgia, we began to experience the following problems: the portions seem tiny, and the prices seem huge))). We haven’t figured out how to live now)))

LifeHacks:

• 1. If you are not a three-meter, 150-kilogram man, under no circumstances take khachapuri for one person in a cafe. They are huge! One “average” Georgian khachapucha can feed 2-3 people
• 2. In general, train yourself to order not immediately “first-second-third-compote”, but a full course at a time. In Georgia, portions are very large and generous! We have seen more than once how people “roll out” of a cafe, leaving another mountain of food on the table that they could not handle.

Examples of cafes:

IN Tblisi we first went to Samikitno-Machakhela. This is a chain of cafes that can be found in different parts of the city. We ordered a large khachapuri for two, and then they brought 1.5 kg of bandura!!!))) It was inexpensive and very tasty, but it was impossible for two girls to finish it. The khinkali here were also quite decent. The prices are very low, there are many seats, a wide menu. This is a “local McDonald’s” where you can inexpensively and tasty eat standard dishes of Georgian cuisine. The cafe also turned out to have an interesting taste and filling. Salobie Bia. Cozy, small, simple menu, good cuisine, average prices and very authentic interior. Craft beer lovers will love it Black Dog Bar. There are 6 taps of very decent beer and their own cider. Nice menu snacks, very tasty burgers. The owner is just a wonderful guy. Half of the guests here are always foreigners. We came here three times to watch the World Cup and drink delicious craft beer. In the establishment Vinotheca Wine Shop You can buy absolutely any wine with any price tag and for every taste. Here you can taste the wine before buying and drink it right there at the table. Very cozy environment and wonderful staff.

IN Kutaisi we really wanted to get into Toma's Wine Cellar - this is an unusual family establishment where you will plunge into the very Georgian Georgia! There you will taste a mountain of national dishes, taste wine and learn everything about local traditions and attractions. Unfortunately, we were already full, and simply would not have eaten so much of everything, that’s the only reason we refused. But in Story House you can try unusual dishes of Georgian cuisine when you have already tried everything else. The hostess will personally tell you everything and treat you.

Batumi pleased us with two wonderful restaurants at once! First we gorged ourselves on goodies in Adjarian home on the embankment. Everything is fast, tasty, good, large portions, average prices and the restaurant itself is located on the shore of a picturesque pond. And we had dinner at Khinklis Gemo, where we were pleasantly surprised by the incredible courtesy and professionalism of the staff. There is a very large menu here, low prices and for pennies you can buy a decanter of Khvanchkara! I recommend this place from the bottom of my heart!

IN Borjomi we liked the cafe Bergi. Large portions, reasonable prices, fast service and great location.

IN Sighnaghi we had to walk through the wilds to the cafe Veranda Sighnaghi, which is located outside the city and you need to go uphill through the forest))). The cuisine there is ordinary, normal. Prices are average. And here's the view!!! Not only is Sighnaghi located high above the Alazani Valley, but the cafe is even higher! And from its veranda the view is simply incredible. And if you come here in the evening, you will be able to see the panorama both in the light and in the dark. It's worth the long climb. Although you can get here by taxi, we walked from the city center.

IN Telavi is now our favorite restaurant in Georgia! It's called Bravo. We returned here again and again. Waiters in snow-white shirts, a beautiful flower veranda, a rich menu, delicious dishes, huge portions and all this for an affordable price! We tried salads, soups, meat and lemonades here - without exception, everything was excellent. We will definitely come back here many more times!

And here Stepantsmida We were very disappointed in terms of food. Surely there is good places, but we didn’t hit them. Food prices here are 2 times higher than in Tbilisi! This is due to the large flow of foreign currency tourists. There are literally about 10 establishments in the whole city, and finding something at an adequate price is a big problem. We didn't splurge on a luxurious dinner here since it was our last night. We went to the only affordable cafe, which was located along the road. Here a very nice man brought a menu, gave advice, served food and in general everything was pleasant... until we tried this food. Khinkali were dumpling-like, and the meat was raw and with a lot of fat.

Communications and Internet in Georgia

If you are fabulously rich, go with a Russian SIM card, use roaming and don’t think about the couple of thousand rubles that the operators charged you). If life has deprived you of ancestors with a surname like the Rothschilds or Rockefellers, immediately upon arrival you scratch for a GeoCell SIM card (about 5 GEL), throw 7 GEL into your account (about 180 rubles) and connect a 2 GB Internet package. This is quite enough for navigation, Googling objects of interest, calling a taxi and being online on social networks for 2 weeks. You will use massive resources only in Wi-Fi mode; it is available in hotels, cafes and even in parks.

Don't forget to disable automatic synchronization of Internet-consuming applications, such as GooglePhoto. I forgot, the traffic package was gone in about 20 minutes, then an expensive write-off of the balance for traffic in excess of the package began, for which I paid in the amount of about 20 GEL))) At first I scolded myself for my “ala-uluness”, and then I thought: “ Damn, it’s still cheaper than a Russian SIM card with roaming!” and calmed down)))

Is it safe in Georgia

Absolutely safe, unless you yourself are scouring your butt in search of fantastic adventures! During the entire vacation, I never turned around, did not quicken my pace when passing a dark gateway, was not afraid to walk at night, get into a taxi, was not afraid to take out my phone or flash my money. I have never felt uncomfortable communicating with Georgian men, there have never been any unpleasant hints. Everywhere in Georgia I felt complete safety and the readiness of Georgians to help in any situation. And the police reform carried out by Saakashvili has completely made Georgian cities an example of safety and tranquility for citizens.

Usually, if the police approach, expect problems, well, if you are at all crystal, we have such a collective image of representatives of this profession that when contacting the police you experience internal discomfort and a desire to quickly interrupt communication. But in Georgia it’s the other way around now. The police are like something out of movies, beautiful, slender, brave, dressed to the nines, in full uniform. They smile, know foreign languages, and try to help everyone who needs it. They will never drive past a broken down car or pass by a tourist in a difficult situation. They will definitely help. And Georgians love and respect their “new” policemen very much! The belief in law and order is so strong that locals leave their cars unlocked and don’t lock their apartment doors because they know nothing bad will happen. This seems simply incredible to me, and I hope that someday a similar “police miracle” will happen in our country)))

How much money to take to Georgia

Tickets 23,000 rubles

Housing 22,000 rubles

Daily expenses (food, travel, household needs) 47,000 rubles

Total: 95,000 rubles for two

Divide in half, it turns out: 47,500 rubles per person

Divide by 17 days, it comes out to 2795 rubles per day

2795 rubles per day including housing, food and transport. But we took taxis, ate in restaurants, and always lived in the very center! Not bad))

LifeHacks:

• 1. It was possible to reduce the amount without compromising the rest. For example:
• 2. If we chose housing costing up to 60 GEL per day, we would save about 3,000 rubles
• 3. If we had traveled in a reserved seat, we would have saved another 2,000 rubles
• 4. If you eat yourself and only have dinner in a cafe, you could save about another 5,000 rubles
• That is, you could save 10,000 without breaking even a bit on vacation, and keep within 85,000 for two. 2500 rubles per day per person.

But I don’t regret the money spent one bit. We enjoyed ourselves as much as we could, did not deny ourselves anything, and were always in abundance!

A paragraph of love for Georgia and Georgians!

And it turns out that it’s not Georgia, but Sakartvelo))) Why? — Ask Yandex))). The whole trip simply haunted me: “Why Georgia? Where did they even get this name from? Well, Georgia, well, Georgia, well, Gurgia, but it’s just not Georgia!” I found out and peace reigned in my soul again)

Kartveli (Georgians) are amazing people! Legends about Georgian hospitality and cordiality are not in vain. Georgians are always ready to help, advise, guide, feed, drink, warm, escort, meet, chat and generally do everything to make you feel like long-awaited guests or even relatives! It's in their blood! This inspires great respect! Wherever you are, you will meet Georgian “guardian angels”, people who will be very helpful and kind to you at the right time! I am happy to meet Sakartvelo and its residents! May you all be healthy and happy! We'll definitely see you again)