The best route in Georgia. Independent travel to Georgia

Georgia invariably attracts tourists with its historical and cultural monuments, picturesque landscapes and original cuisine. A virtual tour of the cities of this amazing country will help make your future trip to Georgia interesting, informative and independent.

Georgia is located in the central and western parts Transcaucasia. It is bounded by the Greater Caucasus ranges from the north, the Lesser Caucasus from the south, and the Black Sea from the west. The state has common borders with Russia (in the north), with Azerbaijan (in the east), with Turkey and Armenia (in the south). The capital is Tbilisi.

Other features of the country:

• state language – Georgian;
• religion – Orthodoxy;
• currency – lari (1 lari = 24.74 rubles (end of 2018 exchange rate. Tetri – Georgian “penny” 1 lari = 100 tetri);
• time in Tbilisi – Moscow + 1 hour;
• The country's population is more than 37 million people.

The Georgian language is mainly used, but all inscriptions (names of streets, shops, bus stops) that can be found in major cities, must be duplicated in Russian and English. The older generation is fluent in spoken Russian, the younger generation prefers English.

If necessary, you can always ask passers-by for help. However, to feel more confident, you can memorize the pronunciation of several of the most frequently used phrases in Georgian:

Traveling to Georgia on your own will require you to prepare the following documents:

1. international passport. It is important to check its validity period: it must be valid not only at the time of entry into the country, but also upon departure.
2. Medical insurance policy. It is not necessary to have one, but it is advisable, since calling an ambulance in Georgia is paid.
3. Visa needed only for those who plan to stay in the country for more than a year.
4. If a child is traveling, it fits into the international passport of one of the parents (necessarily with a photo).
5. Baby's birth certificate. May be necessary, although not required when crossing the border.

How to get there by public transport

There is currently no direct railway connection between the countries.

The route starting in Rostov-on-Don could be as follows:

1. Evening train No. 392C departs from the city every 4 days, traveling to Baku, and arriving at its final destination in the morning the next day.
2. In Baku you can take the daily night train from Baku to Tbilisi, departing at 21.10 and arriving at 10.25.
3. Traveling from Tbilisi to any city in Georgia is not a problem.

You can travel to Georgia independently by train or bus.

Approximate prices for the most popular tourist routes starting in Tbilisi are as follows:

• you can travel to Batumi in a seated carriage (2nd class) for 19 GEL;
• a ticket for a reserved seat carriage to Zguridi can be bought for 8.5 GEL, a compartment ticket will cost 18 GEL;
• travel in a general carriage to Kutaisi costs 9 GEL.

Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online. Children under 5 years old travel free of charge, children from 5 to 10 years old travel with a child ticket, and everyone over 10 years old will have to pay for the trip in full.

Traveling to Georgia on your own by plane is an easier and faster option. Direct flights to Tbilisi depart from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, the average price is 6 thousand rubles (round trip). From other Russian cities you will have to fly with transfers.

The only road for travel by bus is through the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint, located in the mountains, between Vladikavkaz and Kazbegi. There are buses going directly from Moscow to Tbilisi, but it is better to get to Vladikavkaz by any means, from where there is a direct minibus to Tbilisi.

You can use the following (cheaper) route:

1. Get from Vladikavkaz to Upper Lars (price – 40 rubles).
2. Take a minibus going to Stepatsmindy (crossing the border on foot is prohibited).
3. Take a bus to Tbilisi (price – 10 GEL).

In winter, snow drifts are possible in the mountains and, accordingly, problems with crossing the border.

How to get there by car

The owner of his own car will also have to go to Georgia through Upper Lars.

On the Russian side you will need to present:

1. A foreign passport valid for the entire stay in Georgia (driver and passengers).
2. Vehicle passport.
3. Driver's license (for the driver).

A green card and insurance policy are not needed. After customs checks, you must travel through neutral territory and present the listed documents on the Georgian side.

The rules of behavior on the road in Georgia are approximately the same as in Russia, but the punishment for violating them is more severe.

For example, if you cross a solid lane or exceed the speed limit, you will have to pay a fine, which in ruble equivalent will exceed 1,000 rubles.

Where to stay

Like any other country in the world, Georgia offers tourists accommodation in a wide range of prices:

1. Hotels and inns range from the most luxurious, where you can enjoy maximum comfort, to economy-class establishments with a minimum set of services.
2. Guest houses where guests will feel at home for a reasonable fee.
3. Inexpensive hostels that give travelers the opportunity to stay comfortable and save on housing.

Specific prices largely depend on the “stardom” of the establishment, its location and season. When booking a hotel or any other type of accommodation, you need to inquire about the range of services, their cost and which of them are included in the room fee.

What to visit first

Traveling to Georgia on your own should be filled as much as possible with interesting trips and excursions. To do this, it is better to decide on the route in advance. The first acquaintance with the country will most likely begin from its capital.

Tbilisi

This is one of the oldest cities in the world with a population of 1.11 million people, today occupying an area of ​​726 square meters. km. It was founded back in the 5th century AD. It is incredibly interesting for tourists for its history and culture. You can stay in an inexpensive hotel, guest house or hostel, which will be happy to provide guests with decent living conditions:

Taxi and public transport

Tbilisi has a wide variety of means of transportation.

Public transport in the city the following:

1. Metro. The cost of the trip is 50 tetri.
2. Buses. The price of one ticket is 50 tetri.
3. Minibuses. For travel, depending on the route, you have to pay from 50 to 80 tetri.
4. Cable car. You can use it for 1 GEL.
5. Taxi. Trips within the city will cost about 3-6 GEL, and a trip to the airport will cost 25 GEL.

What to see

Historical and cultural monuments, most interesting places in a city that is already one and a half millennia old, you can find it at every step.

In the center of Tbilisi you can try the following route:

1. Abanotubani. Or the bathhouse quarter, famous for its complex of bathhouses built on sulfur springs. The complex is located on the Kura embankment, you can get to it by buses 31, 44, 50, 55, 71, 80 and 102, the stop is called “Abanotubani”. Then you can walk.
   
   
2. Canyon and waterfall. The picturesque section of the Tsavkisistskali River with a waterfall flowing through the very center of the city is called the Tbilisi Canyon. The attraction is located near the botanical garden, not far from the sulfur baths.
3. Meydan Square. One of the central squares of old Tbilisi, from which, according to legend, the history of the city began. It is not difficult to reach it on foot from the baths.
4. Shardeni street. It was once a center of handicrafts, and today it is a cozy street where, after a short walk from Meydan Square, you can relax, enjoying the atmosphere of the old city and aromatic coffee.
5. Metah and Darejan. In the ancient Metakh quarter, located a few steps from Sharden Street, it is easy to find the palace of Queen Darejan, standing on the Avlabari Hills.
6. Cable car. From Darejan Palace you can go down to Europe Square. Here, next to Rike Park, is the lower cable car station. You can take the funicular and then have a short ride over the river and the old town.
7. Narikala Fortress. From the upper station of the cable car to this ancient defensive structure (more than one and a half thousand years old) is just a stone’s throw away. Having risen to the very top high point near the cross, you can admire Tbilisi spread out below.
8. Statue of Mother Georgia. You need to go by foot, to the very top of Salakak Hill - to where the majestic statue of “Mother of Kartli” stands.
   
   
9. Betlemi Stairs. Built in the mid-19th century, it starts from the statue and has 120 steps. Along it, stopping at observation platforms, you can go down to the old Sololaki district.
10. Sololaki and the Kaleidoscope house. Sololaki was once the most respectable quarter of Tbilisi. A traveler should definitely go to the Kaleidoscope house, the front door of which is decorated with amazing stained glass windows.
11. Freedom Square and Gabriadze Theater. Noisy and busy place. Here you can admire the standing monuments to the lamplighter and sculptor, and then approach the building of the Gabriadze Puppet Theater. In his tower there is a door from which an angel appears every hour to strike the bell with a hammer.
12. Bridge of Peace. The bright glass majestic structure, built quite recently, during the reign of Saakashvili, is located near the Gabriadze Theater. This pedestrian bridge provides quick access to Rike Park.
13. Rike Park. A green and cozy seating area where you can sit quietly and even take a photo with Ronald Reagan himself, peacefully sitting on a bench.
14. Mimino. Not far from the park there is the Avlabari metro station, and next to it is a monument that immortalizes the heroes of the popular film “Mimino” in Soviet times.
    
    
15. Tsminda Sameba Cathedral(Church of the Holy Trinity) It is interesting both for its external architecture and interior decoration. On its territory you can have a snack at the Lagidze water cafe and enjoy Adjarian khachapuri, which will be a worthy finale to the excursion.

Mtskheta

The capital of the Mkhtseta-Mtianeti region, Mtskheta, is located north of Tbilisi, its population is 10 thousand people. Today this small town is a holy place for the inhabitants of the country and is very interesting for tourists, and inexpensive accommodation here is represented by guest houses, hostels, and hotels.

For example:

What to see

The abundance of hotels and hostels in a small town already says in itself: there is something to see here, and this is true.

You can start your tour of Mtskheta by visiting the following neighborhoods of the city:

Kakheti

Kakheti is a historical region in the eastern part of Georgia, near the upper reaches of the Alazani and Iori rivers. A picturesque region with rich centuries-old history is a real paradise for tourists, so the first thing you need to do is look for housing. Prices for hostels, guest houses and hotels in Kakheti are quite reasonable, although if you wish, you can stay in a luxurious, expensive hotel.

Several options in different price categories:

What to see

The most striking sights of Kakheti and how to get to them:

1. Telavi. The small town, which is the historical capital of Kakheti, was known as a large trading center located on the route of caravans coming from the East. Outlandish temples and monuments are at every turn here, but the main advantage is the cleanest, healing air. You can get to Telavi by bus, the distance from Tbilisi is 95 km.
   
   
2. Chateau Mere. A wine hotel located near Telavi in ​​the village of Vardisubani. This is a 3-story palace built in the ancient Georgian style. At guests' disposal are wine cellars filled with delicious wines of Kakheti. The hotel is located 7.3 km from the city center, and a walker can get here in an hour and a half.
3. Shuamta. A complex of monasteries located near Telavi on the Tbilisi side. Directly from the highway you can see the New Shuamata Monastery, where a dirt road leads. If you drive along it a little further, you can visit the Old Shuamata monastery.
4. Tsinandali. A legendary village in Kakheti, located 10 km from Telavi. Here was the estate of Alexander Chavchavadze and the ruins of the church in which his daughter Nina and Griboyedov were married are still preserved. You can take a taxi or walk, admiring the breathtaking scenery.
5. Shumi Factory. Produces the best Kakheti wines, located right there in Tsinandali. You can visit the factory museum, where samples of ancient winemaking equipment are collected.
6. Ikalto. A monastery complex consisting of three churches, located in the village of the same name, which is located 10 km from Telavi. You can get there by minibus, taxi, or on foot.
7. Alaverdi. Monastery and cathedral located in the vicinity of Akhmeta. The monastery is located right next to the highway connecting Telavi and Akhmeta, and the cathedral is 9 km away from it. You can get there by hitchhiking or by car; buses run very rarely and irregularly.
8. Gremi. The fortress, which was once the royal residence, is located in the village of the same name, located near Kvareli. It is located near the Telavi-Kvareli highway, and you can get to it by any minibus going in this direction.
   
   
9. Lake Lopota. The picturesque reservoir, located in the village of Naparuli (Telavi district), is surrounded by forests and mountains. There is a hotel near it, you can ride horses or rent a boat, and in the summer enjoy swimming in cleanest water.
10. Nekresi. The monastery complex, standing above the Alazani Valley, is located near Kvareli. Those wishing to get to Nekresi must walk or drive 7 km from Kvareli towards Gremi to the road sign. Further, along a steep mountain road, there is a special bus.
11. Kvareli. A small town located 150 km from the capital, in eastern Georgia. An ideal place for those who like peace and quiet, who love walking along mountain trails and who will not refuse a glass of fine wine.
12. Graneli Factory. It produces exclusive wines designed for VIP buyers; they are sold only on the territory of the plant. Wine lovers are also offered a tour of the plant and wine tasting. The plant is located just 2.5 km from Kvareli. You need to drive along the highway in a southerly direction, turn off at the Wine Route sign and drive about another 700 m.
13. Sighnaghi. A tiny ancient town located in a picturesque mountain valley 100 km from Tbilisi, which can be walked around in a day. Around the town there are vineyards, temples, fortresses, monasteries, which can be reached on foot or by car.
    
    
14. Bodbe. monastery, which stands 2 km from Sighnaghi. Famous for the fact that the tomb of St. Nino is located here. The holy spring and font are located below the monastery, at a distance of 5 km from Sighnaghi.
15. David Gareja. The unique mountain monastery complex, which includes 9 cave monasteries, is located 60 km from Tbilisi, on the border with Azerbaijan and stretches 25 km along the Gareji Ridge. You can get here along the route Tbilisi - the city of Sagarejo - the village of Udabno. From the village there is an asphalt road along which you will have to cover 13 km.

Kutaisi

The second largest city in the country, located on the Rioni River, can be reached from Tbilisi by car, train, plane, or minibus. There are plenty of tourists here at any time of the year, so it is better to book a hotel or hostel in advance.

What to see

The most popular tourist places in Kutaisi are:

Svaneti

Traveling to this corner of Georgia has become available for independent exploration by tourists. Svaneti is often called a lost world because its pristine beauty has been preserved here. Mestia is considered a tourist center - a town with a population of 2.5 thousand people, where most hotels of different star levels are located.

What to see

The most famous tourist sites of Svaneti are:

Batumi

The city, located on the Black Sea coast, is a popular resort, economic and cultural center Georgia, and is very attractive for tourists. Accommodation in Batumi is represented by hostels, guest houses, hotels of all levels of comfort.

What to see

Diversify beach holiday You can visit the following outstanding places of the city:

Main excursions

Traveling to Georgia on your own doesn’t always work out, and if you don’t have enough imagination, develop a tourist route, you can use the services of the TRIPSTER tour desk.

It offers the following routes in Georgia:

Pros and cons of holidays in Georgia

Unfortunately, such a holiday has its drawbacks:

1. In hotels and hotels, “surprises” may lie in wait in the form of a lack of water, electricity, and cold radiators.
2. Many architectural monuments are in deplorable condition.
3. Mountain walks are not always possible due to bad weather.
4. Many are surprised and frightened by the hot Georgian temperament of local drivers.
5. Non-smokers may not like the widespread smoking practice here.
6. The disadvantage can be considered the noisiness and some extravagance of Georgians.

As for the advantages of traveling to Georgia, everything is obvious: the opportunity to learn a lot of new things, enjoy independent hiking, unforgettable impressions of fabulous beauty.

Article format: Lozinsky Oleg

Video about traveling to Georgia on your own

15 rules for a good trip to Georgia:

You can get to Georgia either by your own car or rent it on the spot.Which is better? I made approximatecalculations per person

The introductory information is as follows: a trip around Georgia will take 7 days, there are 3 people in the car who share the costs.

* in total for the round trip it will cost about 2400 rubles per car. The transponder will cost 1000 rubles, but it will respond immediately. But it can be used on everyone toll roads Russia.
** Compulsory car insurance was introduced in Georgia in 2018. Costs from 50 GEL per car
*** You will have to spend the night in Rostov. I included about 1000 rubles for an overnight stay and 1000 rubles for food per person.

Costs for housing, food and wine in Georgia will be common in both columns - on a budget you can keep it at 40 GEL per day per person for everything (guesthouses, homemade wine), comfortably - from 50 to 100 GEL (wineries, good guesthouses/hotels. On average, it is very difficult to spend more than 100 GEL - there are few hotels of the level of Radisson Tsinandali and Rooms Kazbegi in Georgia, food is cheap everywhere, and expensive wine is not always better than cheap: wine 100 GEL per bottle in Chateau Zegaani is not a fact that it is better than Khvanchkara for 30 GEL in Aleksandrauli winery.

In total, if you consider only transportation costs, then traveling by car from Moscow will cost on average $90-140 cheaper. The difference depends on what kind of air tickets you can buy if you decide to rent a car on the spot.

The main disadvantage of driving your own car is the time wasted. 2 days on the way there, crossing the border twice (from 3 to 18 hours) and 2 days back. This is if you don’t stop along the way for sightseeing in Russia (although from along the Moscow-Rostov-Vladikavkaz highway it’s not that much). Actually driving your own car adds 5 days on the road to your vacation. If you have time and true love drive, then maybe it's worth it.

Another disadvantage is that you will always enter Georgia along the Georgian Military Road. She is very beautiful, but already during your second trip to Georgia you will get bored with her.

And there are still big ones risks if the cross pass is suddenly closed. The condition of the pass can be found on this website. In 2019, the pass was closed on May 4/5 due to mudflows. And even without closure at this time (May), the average time to cross the border was 10 hours.

Rental on site

For car rental, I recommend the MyRentacar service (I rented a car through them in 2019 - expect a guide update soon), which works with 40+ car rental companies in the country. Rentals are carefully selected, and the aggregator has a very good service support.

Prices start at $18 per day if booked long term. You can check the availability of cars for the duration of your trip using this search form:

Route

So, you decided to go on your own. Just like I did the first time this time (the next two times I already rented on the spot - it’s a pity for the time to travel).

From Moscow to Tbilisi we drove along the M4-Don toll highway. Every 20-40 km there are payment terminals that charge from 35 to 150 rubles. Travel at night is cheaper, and with a contactless transponder it is 20% cheaper, and you won’t have to wait to pay. The terminals accept both cash and cards. There were no more than three cars to pay for at any window. The terminals cost approximately up to 500 kilometers, then the road is free. For the entire time, moving during the day, we paid 655 rubles one way (upd. in 2019 this is a little more than 1,200 rubles).

The road to Rostov is densely clogged with cars, traveling to Sochi. But the road is very good and wide, so it’s easy to maintain an average speed of 100 km/h. Rostov is an ideal place for your first overnight stay.

After turning towards Sochi, there are significantly fewer cars. With the exception of short sections with repairs, the track is very good.

Before we had time to arrive in Vladikavkaz, the Ministry of Emergency Situations sent a schedule for the opening of the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint, saying that the average waiting time was 8 hours.

View of the hotel in front of the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint, from the Russian side.

The toilet here is very clean and costs 20 rubles, but the shower is very dirty and they want 150 rubles for it. There for 150 rubles. you can wash things.

We arrived at the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint at 18:30, literally right after closing. We were about the twentieth car in the queue. Don’t let the multi-kilometer queue of trucks bother you: for passenger cars another line.

Chronology of checkpoint passage:

• 3:17 - we were woken up by a knock on the glass
• 3:20-3:28 we passed Russian customs very quickly
• 4.15 arrived at Georgian customs
• 4:58 Passengers walked through Georgian customs with their feet. There is no queue to walk through, there is a toilet both before and after passport control.
• 5:09 The car with the driver passed control - we are officially in Georgia.

Kazbegi - Mtskheta

The first couple of kilometers after the border the roads are very broken, but then there will be normal asphalt. Sometimes the police stop oncoming traffic.

Insurance. From March 1, 2018, when entering Georgia, you will need to purchase insurance if you intend to stay in the country for at least 15 days. Read more.

Russians do not need a visa. You can stay in Georgia for up to a year. If you want more, you need to either get a visa or leave for a couple of days and return. The easiest way to apply for a visa run is to Turkey.

In Georgia, everything is generally easy: buy real estate, open a bank account.

We didn't stop once along the way. There are a lot of radars, literally on every bridge.

The first is almost the largest cave in Europe. According to the guidebook, it is the most diverse and there are many places where you can walk. The temperature inside is constant at +14, like in most other caves, so don't go there in a T-shirt and shorts. This time I didn’t go there, I left it for the next visit.

Sataplia has dinosaur tracks and a good viewpoint overlooking the mountains.

Further on there are two canyons: Okatse Canyon and Martvili.

We went to the first one, using the instructions from Maps.me, since this region is poorly represented on Google maps. On the one hand, this was a big mistake, on the other hand, I haven’t spent such a fun day in a long time.

In a nutshell, the normal road to both canyons passes through the city of Khoni and nothing else.
And although the short road from Prometheus Cave actually exists, it looks very radical and I’m not sure that in the rain it’s even possible to travel by car. When there is no rain, you can use a Nissan Note class car to scrape the suspension. You need to be able to drive well, there is no asphalt. It takes an hour or even two to drive 10 kilometers. But you can take a lot of photos. For example, how do you like the bridge over the river?

1 of 2

With the help of a couple of locals who were miraculously passing by, we folded our mirrors and crossed the bridge, marked on the maps.me map as a normal bridge across the river. We parked and went for a swim in the river. Apart from us, there were only a couple of locals from a neighboring village, sunbathing in the shadow of the bridge.
The water is cool, but very pleasant. Incredibly pure - you can drink it.

Next, we faced several climbs along a steep gravel road, pigs running across the road, and then a ford of the river. Not deep, but a little scary. Frankly, cars rarely pass there, and the river is quite fast.

Do you see the stripe to the left of the tree? This is the beginning of this beautiful road.
If you are confident in yourself and want adventure and beautiful views— you can go if it’s dry.
It’s better to cut at least through Gelaveri, there’s a little less tin there.

So, next stop, Okatse Canyon.

I didn't like it there. Yes, there is a beautiful park with trees covered with moss. It’s cool, but the attraction itself is a long iron staircase down, then a long iron corridor at a great height above the canyon (there is no descent to the water), then a sticking out hanging tongue for selfies ala “troll tongue”, then an even longer iron staircase back.

1 of 2

Made very “conveniently”. You arrive, park near the Visitor Center, and walk downhill through the park for 2.5 km. You discover an “observation deck” and the entrance to the canyon itself, where you need what? That's right, show your ticket. Which one is sold where? That's right at the Visitor Center. There is a camera aimed at the door, so you can’t negotiate past the cash register even if you wanted to. Nobody resells tickets. Bummer.

It’s good that at least taxi drivers in SUVs hang out on this site (the road is really tough, I would categorically not recommend driving the last 2.5 km in your own car). We asked the taxi driver to bring a ticket, which, by the way, costs 7 lari. About 40 minutes later he returned with a ticket and we went to see the canyon.

I rode back with this taxi driver, also as a sign of gratitude, since he didn’t take a penny extra for the ticket, and said that he was a taxi driver, not a huckster. Taking a taxi back was a good idea. Firstly, it’s very beautiful, and secondly, it’s very uphill.
Price - 20 GEL per car. The drive is 3.5 km somewhere, but the time is about 20 minutes - the road is very broken, huge stones, sharp climbs.

In general, now if I have a choice, I will go straight to Martvili, it should be much better and more beautiful there, but you are sailing on a boat along the river in the canyon.

If you get carried away towards the Okatse canyon, be sure to visit the Kinchkha waterfall
(Kinchkha Waterfall). Judging by the photos on Google, it is beautiful and much steeper than the canyon itself. And you can swim in it. Located a few kilometers uphill by car. It’s a pity that I found out about him when I had to leave.

Kobuleti

After the canyon, we set out for Batumi, but miscalculated the time a little and stopped in the Kobuleti area. The city itself is just brutal. Like Patong Beach in Phuket but without the trannies.

It’s nasty, very loud, everything is jammed, a traffic jam on the only road along the beach, people in only swimming trunks crossing the road sideways at night, dragging a towel behind them, a lot of all sorts of traffic on the beach, with a strong feeling of the USSR. As I was told, the place is quite young and people come there to hang out. Definitely refuse.

But a kilometer to the south there are many beautiful houses, it’s quiet, calm and there’s absolutely no one on the beach.
And there is housing for every income, and everything is dotted with fruit trees.

Something interesting is that in Adjara, instead of voicing their price for accommodation, they ask “how much do you pay?” For the same 20 GEL per person there are quite good options.

The owner of the house where we stayed has his own excellent garden. The kindest people, they told us everything and showed us everything, took us to a shop and a cafe, and gave us a whole bag of nuts for the road.

Not far from there, at the level of the main Kobuleti, there are a lot of tea plantations left over from the times of the Union. Now, unfortunately, they are being cut down and fruit trees are being planted, since the tea is expensive due to completely manual processing, but the quality is ordinary, so they have no chance to compete with China.

Another interesting point in those parts is located in the Ureki area - Magnetiti. The infrastructure is very, very Soviet, but there is a curious beach covered with magnetic black sand, which, like any Georgian mineral water, cures all ailments.

It works like this: you bury yourself entirely in this sand and lie there until you get tired of it. Very interesting sensations. Deprivation of tactile sensations causes slight glitches on this basis, and the fact that the sand is black turns it all into a light bathhouse.

Batumi

Next stop is Batumi. Dream city, Georgian Las Vegas. Outlandish buildings, casinos, all the pretentious hotels in incredibly cool buildings, the embankment with coniferous trees, in the shade of which it is so great to walk, inhaling the aromas of pine needles.

Excellent restaurants, a beach with large pebbles, a subtropical climate, palm trees and the Black Sea.

In Batumi, for the first time, we were faced with the fact that parking on the main streets is paid. There are two different offices - Batumi Parking and C.T. Parking. Which one is which is clear from the additional signs under the parking icon. If a yellow, barely visible path is drawn, this is the first option, if it says C.T. - second.

Parking is cheap and can be purchased for a day, a week or a month. It can be bought at payment terminals for everything and anything, which are found here at every step, or at a bank branch. There are still many things you can pay through terminals, including fines. It works like this: when paying, enter the car number and the system uses the number to check whether this car has a parking subscription included. You can register on the website and see when things expire and how many fines have accumulated. I couldn't pay with a card, I had to pay in cash.

Be careful, in some terminals there may be a commission from 0.5 to 1 GEL, so if you pay one GEL for one day, in fact you still pay an additional 1 GEL of commission. There is no need to put the receipt anywhere - everything is according to the number in the electronic database.

The second option is that some courtyards are fenced off, locals sit at the entrance and collect 2 GEL per day of parking. Take the phone from them, the guard may go out for coffee and you will have to wait for quite a long time.

Among the must-sees in Batumi, I would say the observation deck/bar/restaurant on the roof of the Hilton Hotel.

From there you have a very cool view in all directions, and you can just go up there for free, hang around and leave, or you can eat a wonderful dinner or drink a glass of wine. Expensive by Georgian standards, but very tasty!

From there you can use binoculars to watch a show with dolphins in the neighboring dolphinarium. You only need to bring binoculars with you.

Housing in Batumi, as elsewhere in Georgia, is excellent. Everything is for rent. But everything that is in Booking costs at least twice as much and is packed, often tightly packed.

Therefore, the algorithm is this: you go to the area where you want to live and start asking everyone on the street/in shops/in houses if they know where there is a good inexpensive room/apartment. A maximum of half an hour and a place will be found for the price you want (out of season you can even get a little impudent).

For example, we found a two-room apartment in the very center for 75 lari, with a landlady who also fed us. And it's actually expensive. Despite the fact that a double room in a nearby mediocre hotel cost 120, and there were no places available.

When you are looking in the private sector, it is enough to get hooked in one place and until all your sons-in-law/in-laws/daughters-in-law/second cousins ​​are interviewed, they will not let you go. If you are not satisfied with something, feel free to bargain. Below 20 GEL per person in reality good location and in a separate room, it’s better not to let it go - they might pass it, but they’ll be offended. Just past the season, the price can be anything, especially for a good person.

Don’t be afraid to go into yards that seem scary at first glance. There could be an absolutely wonderful apartment inside with a nice courtyard and cats, where the neighbor will talk at night interesting stories from the life of the city.

The beaches in Batumi are quite densely packed, there are sunbeds/umbrellas, but you will have to lie either far from the water or “touching your shoulders.” But no one is stopping you from driving towards the airport - there is no one on the beaches there.

I highly recommend going to the Heart Of Batumi restaurant. They cook amazingly! My favorite there is eggplant with suluguni. There are not many people during the day; in the evening it is better to book in advance.

What can you see/visit around Batumi? There are not many options: Botanical Garden, Sulfur Baths, Waterfall, Trout farm/restaurant.

Somewhere along the road there will be a “wine house”, large and beautiful. You can take photos there, but there is nothing else to do there. Wine is expensive.

An alternative to an entertaining route to the mountains could be a trip along the beaches to the south, all the way to Sarpi, a city on the border with Turkey (Sarpi, Georgia). There are plenty of beautiful and relatively deserted beaches along the way. Quite beautiful in Kvariati (Kvariati, Georgia). And for those who like to spend a day in nature and wander around nature reserves, Mtirala National Park is definitely recommended for visiting (Mtirala National Park, Adjara, Georgia).

There are a lot of different pets on the roads in Georgia. Most of all there are cows; there are also horses and donkeys. As a rule, they stand in the most unfortunate way, closer to the middle of the road. They also love to hang out on bridges. They don't seem to care at all about passing cars.

For a long time I could not understand what was wrong with them. Why is it so weird to get up? And then one of the locals said that it was all about the flies. Passing cars blow them away, and the breeze from the cars is pleasant. And since the cow is a Buddhist by vocation, the possibility of being run over does not bother her at all. She knows there are many more lives ahead. Very soon you stop noticing them and drive around as if there was another car there.

Svaneti

I've been wanting to come here for a long time. Last year I couldn’t because of the snow (I didn’t have warm clothes with me and had to spend the winter in Tbilisi).

This time there was only enough time to visit the most popular city - Mestia. The region's calling card: the ancient towers in which the highlanders hid when the invaders came.

The road to Svaneti is very picturesque and runs past the Enguri reservoir and dam, where you definitely need to stop. There are two roads to Svaneti: the main one, through Zugdidi, and there is a second one, on the map on the other side. You don’t need to go to the second one, it’s very uncomfortable even in a jeep.

From Zugdidi without stops to Mestia is just over two hours. The first time, most likely, there will be 4 or more, since the road is very beautiful and you want to photograph everything.

On the road to Svaneti there are plenty of places where you can climb, take pictures and swim in a waterfall. I advise you to set aside a whole day for this segment so that you can slowly enjoy the beauty.

Mestia

Arriving in Mestia, they traditionally began to look for housing by interviewing those around them. There was nothing for rent in the first house, but the woman didn’t want to let us go without housing, so she called, it seems, all her relatives and friends. Everyone was busy and we went to ask further, while the hostess firmly said that if we didn’t find anything, we could stay with them, although they didn’t rent out rooms, “we’ll figure something out.”

A couple more full-time homestays and here it was, a life-saving souvenir shop, the owner of which immediately found where we could stay for our budget. It turned out very nice: a slightly unfinished one-room suite with its own toilet and a huge separate room with a common room.

The next morning we went to explore the famous Svan towers. There are a lot of them here, but only two are allowed inside, and if you want, you can even climb onto the roof.

In one of the turrets, access to the roof is official and even slightly fenced off with a stick, while in the other it is at your own peril and risk. Locals do not advise getting out, the roof is flimsy. But it survived us.

The first tower is Khergiani Tower, next to the Old House Hotel. Entrance costs 2 lari, you can also climb into the basement.

The second one is higher up the mountain along the same path and to the right. It’s free, so all taxis take you there. The manholes are quite narrow, the stairs are very flimsy.

Everything is unclear with food in Mestia. On the one hand, there are a lot of nice cafes where they serve very tasty food for about the same money as in Batumi (more expensive than the average price tag in Georgia, but acceptable), and on the other hand, the shops are complete trash. The food looks and smells like it was found expired in a supermarket trash bin. There are no fruits, the vegetables are rotten. Sour milk is almost everywhere last days expiration date. And all this is twice as expensive. The climax for us was the owner of the store, who walked around the refrigerators and sprayed air freshener so that it would not stink.

I liked the Koshki cafe, the portions are huge, say hi to the chef and waitress (from Australia!) if you stop by.

From Mestia you can go to a local ski resort and take the ski lift to the very top. The drive to the lower station is about 6 km, a walk of almost two hours. Or you can go trekking to the cross, lakes and further to the glacier.

In addition, a very popular place is the village of Ushguli. It takes about two hours to get there by car. If you don’t have your own transport, minibuses and taxis go from the main square. They say it is very beautiful there.
But we decided to leave it all for next time. I no longer wanted to rush, so two days were devoted to exploring Mestia.

Here we have found a natural source of lightly carbonated, very tasty mineral water. After Borjomi, which smells like sewage for the first couple of hours, this one was incredibly cool!

Back to Tbilisi

From Svaneti we headed straight to Tbilisi. The drive back is much faster, so after 7 hours we were already in Mtskheta, where we all stayed in the same hospitable house near Tsyra. We had to get the car in order (the wheels turned out to be bent and slightly flat), buy souvenirs and food for Moscow and walk around Tbilisi a little.

What to buy?

There are several main shopping spots in Tbilisi. For those who want to stock up on brands - Tbilisi Mall. It is difficult to get there on foot - you need to take a special minibus from Didube station. There is nothing special to do there, except maybe stock up on store-bought wine and cheese at the Carrefour grocery supermarket (there is a smaller one in the center of Tbilisi). It is better not to buy all kinds of nuts here. It's about 30-40% more expensive here, but the quality is very high. It’s convenient to drive here by car, there are good turns off the highway and a large parking lot. This is an ideal place to buy food “on the go” towards Russia, without stopping in Tbilisi.

Now about where you need to buy EVERYTHING. This is the area around the railway station. To buy everything edible there is Deserter(on the map). Here you can find any food for a very reasonable price: homemade wine (you can try it), nuts, spices, churchkhela, cheese. Vegetables and fruits here cost around one and a half lari per kilogram. Nuts - 22-25 (they sell for 20) for Georgian ones walnuts. They are a little larger and lighter than the Ukrainian ones and you need to buy them. Spices - 1 GEL per glass. They refused to take money from us when they found out that we were from Moscow, under the pretext that they loved Moscow very much.

Svan salt- amazing stuff. You can cook anything with it. It turns out very tasty. I fry zucchini and eggplants with her and add them to scrambled eggs. Just make sure you don’t wake up, you can’t get rid of the smell.

Svan salt

Fruits. On the main streets the sellers are quite arrogant. For a rubber churchkhela, they can ask for 5 lari and more (at the market 2 lari). The situation with fruits is even worse - for a kilogram of figs they asked for 12-15 lari, depending on the variety. This is 10 times more expensive than the market price. So we don’t buy anything on tourist streets. Either we retreat deeper, or we go to the market. You can also buy it in stores, but it’s still expensive and the quality of fruits and vegetables is quite mediocre.

Cheese. The softer the cheese is to the touch, the less salty it is. If you can’t press the cheese with your finger, you won’t be able to eat it, but it will easily last a week on the windowsill. Homemade cheese costs about 4 GEL per wheel (~0.5 kg). It is very tasty. In addition to regular cheese, there is also smoked suluguni. This is a separate issue; when I see him, I lose my will.

Wine. You can officially transport three liters across the border, that is, four bottles. Well, and unofficially a couple more. There are also people at the border and, unless you get impudent, they don’t pay attention to such trifles.

You can buy wine at a winery (cheap, tasty, far away), in a supermarket (it’s not clear, they let you try some varieties, inexpensive), or in wine cellars. There are many of them here and they are all different. Tasting is usually free and often allows you to try really worthy varieties. Supermarkets sell alcohol 24 hours a day.

My choice is the historical cellar Vinoground. With no less historical sommelier Arthur. He seems to know everything about wine. Until you try 10 varieties, you won’t let go. The prices are high, but the wines are also elite. So if you want to give a gift to a connoisseur, go to the cellar. In Russia, these wines are many times more expensive.

Minankari. For lovers of all kinds of jewelry, the calling card of Georgia and Tbilisi is Minankari, “jewelry made of silver with cloisonné enamel.” It's like FreyWille, only with thousands of options and a fraction of the price. They are sold everywhere, but the best prices and large assortment were found at the gold market in Tbilisi. The market is located in the basement of the main station. It's open strictly until seven, so it's better to come during the day.

The largest permanent flea market is market near the Dry Bridge.
Everything is there. For lovers of rare vintage pieces - heaven. But everything is expensive. However, they trade very well and with desire and persistence you can get a really good price.
Open every day, closes at sunset.. Points, descriptions, GPS logs.

Finally, guys, the final article on our week-long independent travel vacation in Georgia. Regular readers already know, this means that today I will briefly but to the point outline such main points as: our route with a map, costs for the entire trip, prices, and we will also talk about transport, housing and other useful nuances.

Total budget for a holiday in Georgia.

And as always, let's start with how we got to Georgia. The trip to Georgia was planned for the beginning of June, unfortunately, at that time the airlines did not have any promotions, so I had to scour the Internet. One of the most inexpensive options seemed to me to be the plane + bus (or hitchhiking) option. I have already mentioned that this is not my first time in Georgia, and several times I had to cross the border with this country on foot. You have experience, so you can try. I bought a cheap flight from Pobeda Airlines to the city of Vladikavkaz, closest to the border with Georgia. And then it was planned to cross the border by land (by bus or hitchhiking). Read more about this in the articles below.

And now briefly about the costs:

1. Days in the country – 7 days
2. Financial expenses for two:
   - transport Kirov – Moscow and back – 7300 rubles.
   - air tickets Moscow – Vladikavkaz and back – 14,200 rubles.
   - expenses in Moscow – 0 rub.
   - expenses in Vladikavkaz – 0 rub.
   - expenses in Georgia for everything – 432.3 lari (~12,700 rubles)
   - total for two– 34,200 rub.
3. We were unlucky with the weather at the beginning of June; it was too unusual even for Georgia - mostly rainy, cloudy days, only 1-2 sunny days. Unfortunately, we weren’t even able to swim. However, I repeat, this is anomalous for Georgia; at this time of year you can safely lie on the beaches.

Current air tickets Tbilisi

Current air tickets Vladikavkaz

Timezone.

UTC+4 (1 hour ahead of Moscow).

Language.

Locals speak Georgian; there are three dialects in Georgia, which differ from each other and Georgians, for example from Svaneti, no longer understand Mingrelian at all. There are fewer and fewer inscriptions in Russian every year, as well as people who know our native language. This is mainly the Soviet generation; young people already speak either Georgian or English. “Americanization” is doing its dirty work.

Religion.

My tongue will soon get tired of repeating that Georgia is one of the first countries to adopt Christianity (after Armenia). There are no Muslims there, nope (even if there are, it is such an insignificant part that they can be ignored)!

Visa.

For Russians, a visa is not required for 90 days.

Money and exchangers.

The currency in Georgia is called lari(GEL), equals 100 tetri.

It is very convenient that Georgia accepts rubles for exchange. Moreover, there are exchangers in almost every city and they can be recognized by the corresponding bright electronic display. The exchange rate in banks will be worse than in street exchange offices. Be sure to check if there is a commission. A nuance: if you ask the exchange office what the exchange rate is for the ruble, they often say the rate is not for 1 ruble, but for 1000 rubles. At first I was very confused about this. Personally, I noticed the most favorable rate in Kutaisi (possibly in Tbilisi, if you visit several exchange offices).

The exchange rate at the airport is not very favorable; it is better to exchange small amounts there. In many places you can pay in rubles credit cards. They say that in hotels in Georgia it is forbidden to pay in non-local currency, and you will be fined for this. I always paid only in lari, so I can’t say anything about the reliability of the information. I’m not specifically writing anything about the current exchange rate; it’s better to check its relevance using an online converter (if you’re interested, at the time of travel, 1 lari was approximately equal to 32 rubles).

Transport and hitchhiking in Georgia.

This is not the first time I have visited this country, and I have managed to ride on almost all types of available transport. In Georgia, like everywhere else, there are trains, planes, buses and taxis. However, the country is not large enough to choose anything larger than a bus or minibus.

Minibuses. Yes, minibuses are perhaps the most common, fast and not too expensive form of transport. To a greater extent, tourists move within one region (and even beyond it) precisely on them. True, drivers of this type of transport really like to drive, as a result of which they often violate traffic rules, and in Georgia even bus drivers can easily (and more than once) be stopped by the police and issued a fine.

What I DO NOT like about minibuses is the lack of any schedule (with the exception of some directions from Tbilisi), the car leaves the bus station as the bus fills up. This is precisely what becomes a problem in particularly distant regions (for example, Svaneti), which can only be easily reached by this type of transport.

But it also has its advantages. It's easy to bargain with minibus drivers. They are more willing to give a discount when they understand that you are from Russia or simply speak Russian; you can easily knock off a few lari from the standard price, and in some cases even travel for free, since Georgians are very warm-hearted people.

When pricing minibuses, they follow the rule of 1.5 rubles per kilometer, which means you can travel 20 km for about 1 lari. It is logical that prices have their own error for some areas where there is no alternative transport or, due to the distance from the central part, gasoline is more expensive, then the cost of travel for the same distance will be higher. The cost of buses and minibuses around the city is approximately 0.5 GEL.

Metro. The Tbilisi metro has two lines and operates from 6.00 to 23.00. Convenient because it connects historical Center town with a railway station and both bus stations (Ortachala and Didube). All inscriptions are duplicated on English language, as well as station announcements inside the cars.

Entrance to the metro is carried out using plastic cards purchased at the ticket office. The price of the card is 2 lari, you can deposit the amount of money for any number of trips, and if you have not used all the money, you can get a refund at the box office using a check or passport. The fare is 50 tetri (0.5 lari). The same card is used to pay for travel on the cable car (1 lari), in the capital's city buses (50 tetri) and large yellow city minibuses (80 tetri).

If you need to use the metro once, you can simply ask any passing Georgian to use the card and give him the amount spent in cash. That's what we did.

Trains. In my opinion, trains are only beneficial if you need to travel more than 300 km (for example, Tbilisi-Batumi) and preferably by night train, in order to kill two birds with one stone: do not spend money on accommodation and travel a long distance. However, again, not all regions can be reached by train, especially in mountainous areas such as Svaneti.

The cost of a train ticket depends on the class of carriage, just like in Russia: from 8 to 40 lari. There is one inconvenience - all the information on the ticket is in Georgian, but when you buy a ticket, the girl at the operator will tell you everything and, if necessary, even write with a pen on the same ticket. It is better to ask the conductor for linen in a reserved seat, otherwise you may not get it. But I was greatly amused by the linen in the compartment when they brought us packaged disposable sheets, which we usually give out in hospitals.

Transport links in Georgia last years gave good development, branded buses (on schedule) like geometro.ge with air conditioning, Wi-Fi and the ability to purchase tickets online began to appear. True, the destinations are still the most touristic, but let’s hope for the expansion of route lines. The same applies to trains; you can purchase a ticket online on the official website of Georgian RealWay. True, in my opinion, the site is still very weak in terms of convenience, and it’s not so easy to grab a ticket for current destinations, but everything is developing.

Hitch-hiking. Personally, I like this particular way of traveling around Georgia. Not because I’m used to freebies when traveling, but because only this method gives me more chances and opportunities to communicate with sincere Georgians. I have loved this nation since my very first trip. The people of this country get into your soul and stay there for a long time. Those who don’t believe can check for themselves. And it’s logical to assume that hitchhiking in this country is simply amazing. Literally 1-2 cars, and you are already being taken in the right direction. Sometimes hitchhiking is much faster than taking a minibus, and the people are so hospitable that they can treat you, if not with food, then at least with a trip to some unplanned attraction.

Housing in Georgia.

We didn’t bother with this issue, fortunately it’s the 21st century outside. We open the Internet, find a hotel search engine, for example RoomGuru. Then everything is according to the standard, we fill in the required dates, the desired destination and book a hotel or hostel that is favorable in price and comfort. In some cases, due to the constant change in direction of the route, it was necessary to book rooms on the fly (using a smartphone).

By personal experience I can say that if you are traveling together, then in a hostel it is easier to take not a bed, but a whole room for two. Firstly, the price will be either cheaper or the same as 2 beds in a shared room. And secondly, in Georgia, rooms even in guest houses look quite decent, almost like an economy class hotel with a separate shower, toilet, and air conditioning. For two of us, such hostel rooms cost about 27 lari (800 rubles). Moreover, if we had rented the same room on the spot, then, as it turned out, we would have paid a couple of lari more. Here, for example, is a good selection of cheap hotels in the center of Tbilisi:

Food.

Traveling around Georgia different ways, I can say the following. If you eat purely in cafes, then the dishes you actually come across are quite spicy. But if the locals treat you to homemade food, then you are unlikely to consider Georgian cuisine spicy.

What do I recommend trying first in Georgia? No, not wine. I have no attitude towards alcohol, so today we will only talk about food. Of course khachapuri! Only in Georgia can you taste real khachapuri; you won’t find such khachapuri either in Russia or even in Abkhazia! Why? Yes because it's hard to do National dish, without having national ingredients. There is one Georgian restaurant in our city, and so I tell you with 100% confidence - everything that is called khachapuri there and costs 3 times more than in Georgia is just a bun with store-bought Russian processed cheese.

In general, in Georgia it is worth pleasing your stomach with the national cuisine, and there is no point in recommending something specific, because the dishes are really tasty, made from natural products, made with soul, and also not too expensive.

Price examples:

• khinkali 1 piece – from 0.6 lari
• lobio – from 5 GEL
• kharcho – from 5 lari
• kubdari – from 4 lari
• khachapuri – from 1.5 GEL (depending on size)

On average, the two of us managed to eat in a cafe for about 10 to 15 lari.

By the way, if you, like me, do not like to bring from other countries all sorts of unnecessary trinkets collecting dust on the refrigerator or sideboard, then from Georgia you can grab khachapuri, smoked suluguni (cheese), churchkhela (nuts in grape juice) as a souvenir, wine and other sweets. Really, make sure you have good packaging, otherwise, for example, my backpack is still scented with suluguni.

Your family and friends will definitely not try this anywhere in Russia.

That's all, friends! A short but very eventful independent holiday in Georgia has come to an end. Until new routes!

It's time to tell you about Georgia . My previous articles were a preface to this chapter.

Let me remind you, to get into it from , we had to drive through Adygea, Stavropol Territory, Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia - Alania .

• Why couldn’t it be possible to drive along the Black Sea coast?
• What passports do you use to cross the border in Georgia and do you need a visa?
• Is it worth going to Georgia by car?

If you are planning a trip to Georgia and you have these and other similar questions, this article is just for you.

Georgia: instructions for use

In this article I want to talk about why tourists go to Georgia in general, how you can get to Georgia, what are the pros/cons of each method, whether a visa is needed, and also give general information: about prices, about the features of this country in terms of food, accommodation, etc. So that in the next articles, when I talk about the sights of Georgia, I will be less distracted by this.

So let's start with this: What is the most convenient way to get to Georgia?

How to get to Georgia: three legal ways and one illegal

Let's start with the legal methods. Option number one - by plane . The simplest and also the most expensive. There are most flights to Tbilisi, but there are also flight options to Batumi or Kutaisi. The cheapest way is to fly from Moscow, of course, and there are quite a lot of flights at any time of the year. A couple of airlines also fly from St. Petersburg.

The regions, as always, are less fortunate: even if there is a direct flight, the prices are such that you’ll think twice about it. From Sochi, for example, there is a direct flight to Tbilisi, but the price is about 13,000 rubles round trip! And the flight is only an hour!

The only advantage of this option is the speed of movement. But, in principle, if you just want to have a pleasant weekend in Tbilisi or Batumi, then this option is quite suitable for you. And then, perhaps, it is much easier for you to buy a ready-made package tour to Georgia. Did you know that sometimes a trip costs less than a regular flight ticket? Moreover, the price of the tour includes flights, accommodation, transfer, insurance and meals of your choice. Choose one of the ready-made options >>here<<

But if you, like us, like to see the country in detail, with feeling, sensibly, with an arrangement, then you will most likely choose option number two — travel to Georgia by car . I thought about why more and more tourists choose to travel by car in this article -. We have liked this option more and more in recent years. This is how we explored the whole .

And now the turn has come Georgia. This country was not chosen by chance:

• Russians do not need a visa to visit, they only need a valid passport;
• the climate is excellent;
• the selection of ancient monuments is rich;
• food and wine delight travelers;
• sea, mountains, ancient culture and good infrastructure.

What's not an ideal place for a vacation?

It would also be possible to get to Georgia from Sochi by sea: “comets” run from the port of Sochi to Batumi. And this option number three could be recommended, but... The cost of a trip by sea is comparable to the price of air tickets, and hanging out at sea for about 10 hours on an old boat is not a pleasant prospect. Our friends tried all the delights of this option in August - what a pleasure it was! Instead of the stated 5 hours, they sailed to Batumi for all 10! It was stormy, they say...

So we chose the option of driving our own car. The arguments in its favor, in addition to the fact that the car gives freedom of movement throughout the country, were as follows:

• Unlike a number of other CIS countries, you do not need to take out any additional car insurance to enter Georgia
• incredibly beautiful views and Trans-Ajar highway who have already won our hearts in absentia
• Although the territory of Georgia is small, if you set a goal to see as many places as possible in one trip, then you simply can’t do it without a car

The only unpleasant moment is the price of gasoline in Georgia. For some reason, it’s so expensive here - from 50 to 70 rubles per liter!

Why can’t you go to Georgia through Abkhazia? I’ve been asked this question more than once or twice... Yes, damn it, it would be ideal: leave Krasnaya Polyana in the morning, in 40 minutes be on the border with Abkhazia, another three or four hours on the territory of Abkhazia, and - voila! - after lunch we would already be in Georgia... But no, this option is still from the realm of fantasy. More precisely, you can get to Georgia this way, but only once. This is the one illegal way.

The whole point is that by trying to penetrate Georgia through Abkhazia, you are violating the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories. After all, it is only for us, citizens of Russia, that Abkhazia is a sovereign state. And from the point of view of Georgia, Abkhazia is a part of Georgia (by the way, radically minded citizens never tire of writing comments under each of my videos about Abkhazia...) In general, according to the laws of Georgia, as soon as you set foot on the territory of Abkhazia, The passport must have a Georgian stamp. But, as you might guess, there are no Georgian border guards on the border between Russia and Abkhazia, and there is no one to give you a Georgian stamp. Accordingly, your entry into the territory of Georgia will be considered illegal with all that it entails... Do you need such problems on vacation? Not for us.

That’s why we took this whole intricate route: Sochi - Tuapse - Maykop - Lagonaki - Pyatigorsk - Vladikavkaz. We don’t regret it at all, because we saw a bunch of different interesting places. You can read the following articles about this from me:

In this regard, our road from Sochi to Georgia lasted almost a week. Although strictly speaking, the distance between Sochi and Tbilisi - which is 960 km - can be covered in one day. But that wouldn't be interesting, would it? ;-)

In general, regarding the section of the road that passes through Russia, I can say the following:

• The roads are quite good, and from Nalchik to Vladikavkaz they are simply gorgeous!
• on the stretch between Pyatigorsk and Nalchik there are several checkpoints where almost every car is checked, especially with license plates from another region. The whole procedure boils down to opening the trunk and doors of the car and a separate check of documents at the guard booth. Here the inspectors are only interested in your documents and documents for the car. The documents are searched through the database, we were not asked any questions. The purpose of these checks, as I believe, is to suppress the illegal entry into Russia of foreign citizens and stateless persons from neighboring countries, as well as to detect the transportation of weapons, etc. How long ago did you want the Caucasus to cease to be a hot spot?

Route around Georgia for 10-12 days

Initially we planned to spend 2 weeks in Georgia. But at the end of our trip the weather worsened, and the number of days was slightly reduced. Although in general they completed their program.

So, we got this route: crossing the border to Upper Lars - Kazbegi (Stepanatsminda) - Gudauri - Tbilisi - Sighnaghi - Kvareli - Telavi - Mtskheta - Gori - Uplistsikhe - Borjomi - Akhaltsikhe - Batumi - Kobuleti - Ureki - Samtredia - Kutaisi — and departure back to Russia via .

This is based on the main milestones. There were also small towns and villages along the route. But I’ll tell you right away - there was a travel schedule too dense, in fact it was not a vacation, but a rather vigorous motor rally. Not a single day of aimlessly wandering around the city. Not a single day of lying on the beach. This probably won't suit everyone.

Crossing the border

Russians do not need a visa to visit Georgia. But you need a valid passport.

So, you can legally enter Georgia by land only through the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint, which is located 30 km from Vladikavkaz. About 100 meters before the checkpoint itself, we pulled into a line of cars: cars separately, trucks in their own lane. We stood in this line for about 15 minutes. Actually, crossing the border took us exactly an hour: first, customs and inspection of the vehicle by the Russian side, then passport control by the Georgians.

In the summer, they say, the queues are much longer, people stand for 4-5 hours. And in winter, Vekhniy Lars is often closed due to heavy snowfalls. So we went at the best time - early autumn.

Already at the entrance to the checkpoint, the landscapes outside the window looked promising.

And after crossing the border, when we drove along, the roof began to slowly move away from the indescribable beauty that I wanted to shoot with everything I could get my hands on:

So in terms of impressions, the road justified itself 100% and even more.

Only in Georgia itself we were upset by our navigator: he either shamelessly lied about how long it would take to get from point A to point B, or led us into the oncoming lane onto a one-way street, or even laid out a route through pedestrian zones or to such dead streets:

In Tbilisi, we simply got tired of getting lost based on his “tips” and simply threw him out of the car and turned him off out of harm’s way.

Myths and legends about Georgia, as well as facts

Before I talk about which of the common stereotypes about Georgia is true and which is untrue or skillful marketing, let’s figure this out.

Why do people go to Georgia at all?

Excellent movie "Love with an Accent" director Rezo Gigineishvili, released in 2012, basically shows all the top places in Georgia, for which it is actually worth going there: stunning views of the mountains around, panoramas of beauty, charming streets, parks and skyscrapers of Batumi...

In fact, this film has become the best advertisement for the tourism wealth of Georgia. And the touching love stories that are played against the backdrop of these landscapes seem to hint that ANYTHING is possible in Georgia! So is it any wonder that already in 2013, Georgia quickly became one of the top summer tourist destinations? And continues to stay on top for the fifth year in a row! So it's there Something like this , don't you think?

So, tourists usually go to Georgia to:

• see countless architectural monuments of antiquity and modernity,
• join the vibrant Georgian culture (music, dance),
• taste famous Georgian wines,
• taste dishes of no less famous Georgian cuisine,
• admire the beautiful mountain scenery,
• swim in the gentle Black Sea,
• and of course fall in love: with each other, with a stranger, with this country)

Some of this works out for them, some they don’t. Everything is individual here. In the next paragraph I will tell you which moments came true in Georgia and which did not.

Our impressions of the trip to Georgia

In general, impressions of any country largely depend on tourists’ preparedness for the trip. We prepared for the trip mentally and financially, read blogs, and studied travel sites. There was a lot of information, perhaps even too much. Part of it has been confirmed, but we are not ready to agree with part of it.

From what has been confirmed:

• responsiveness and hospitality of the local population: the solution to your problem (if it arises) involves almost everyone who you turn to: the owners of guest houses and hotels, passers-by on the street, workers at a construction site;
• the beauty of nature and architecture: Georgia can truly claim to be an open-air museum;
• a friendly attitude towards Russian tourists (and tourists in general) and an atmosphere of safety (compared to Abkhazia, for example, there was no unpleasant feeling that you were looked at as a bag of money, while some people were not averse to shaking you if possible).

What turned out to be wrong or not quite as travel bloggers and guidebooks wrote:

• many inexpensive accommodation options. Lies! If you are ready to live in strange hostels with 5 more roommates, and one shared toilet and shower, then yes, there are plenty of such options here. But even then - only in big cities like Tbilisi or Batumi. Hotels are incredibly expensive - the most modest hotel room in the middle of nowhere will cost around 2000-2500 rubles per night. Closer to the center - already 5000-6000 rubles, and this is not some kind of Marriott-Radisson-Parkinn, but an ordinary old hotel, with modest rooms and furniture.

Therefore, the most popular accommodation option in Georgia is guest houses. It's more comfortable than a hostel and cheaper than a hotel.

In this video I show what it is guest house in Georgia:

There are still options to look for private apartments for rent. But we lived in each city for no more than 2 nights, and therefore this was not suitable for us in principle.

The following statement that we often came across regarding Georgia:

• in Georgia you can eat inexpensively and very tasty ;

This was our biggest disappointment. Firstly, prices. For the most modest snack in a simple restaurant, prepare at least 1200-1500 rubles for two. It will be a salad or soup and a main course, without wine. A meal with wine will cost between 1500-2000 rubles. If it’s cheap, then who’s yelling that it’s expensive to vacation in Sochi?

And okay, to hell with them, with prices. But somehow we categorically did not like what we were offered all this time under the guise of Georgian cuisine. Almost every restaurant insistently recommended kebabs or khachapuri or khinkali to us. In short, meat, dough or dough with meat. Vegetables? Well, then look at the vegetable salad. That's all! No, I can eat shish kebab and even khinkali, but not 3 times a day, 7 days a week! Cheese? For mercy, but for the money it costs in Georgia, I’d rather buy French “stinkers”... Fish and seafood? Look on the menu, but there is no guarantee what will be available.

In short, when on the third day I got tired of chewing cucumber and tomato salads, I ordered mushroom soup. And they brought me such a boiling, fatty “batch” with a ton of greens and three floating mushrooms that I simply resigned myself to the fact that Georgian cuisine is not for me. Although, for the sake of fairness, I note that khinkali in Georgia are cheaper than in Sochi. But for me these are still banal dumplings.

No, we tried to find the places where the locals themselves eat. But, firstly, there are very few such places in Georgia (apparently all the locals prefer to eat at home), and secondly, even there the choice was between lula kebab and shawarma.

So I had to simply go shopping and cook my own food. And it's more reasonable for the money. Unless you go to small shops for groceries. The most normal option for dinner we had was this: fresh pita bread, vegetables and fruits, dessert and... a bottle of wine.

In short, there was no gastronomic holiday for us in Georgia.

About money

Yes, I almost forgot. The money in Georgia is their own, Georgian - lari. 1 lari = 25 rubles. You can travel with both dollars and euros.

Exchangers are often found in tourist places, but much less often in non-tourist places. The exchange rate at different points can vary quite significantly, by 10-20%.

The first time we changed money was already in Tbilisi, in the large shopping center “Tbilisi Mall”. The course there was normal. Then I came across a more profitable one, but it depends on your luck.

About shopping

Don't expect much good shopping in Georgia. All branded clothing and shoes are more expensive than in Russia. We were pleased only with the Turkish WAIKIKI (often bought clothes for myself and children in these stores in Turkey) and the Turkish KOTON (also clothes and shoes).

By the way, a little more about food: Georgian McDonald's turned out to be the most expensive of all the places I have ever visited.

About cellular communications

An unpleasant moment was the purchase of a local SIM card from the Beeline operator in Tbilisi. We basically only needed good internet from her, and rarely the telephone connection itself. There were no problems with communication, but the Internet worked very poorly! Even in the city centers, the Internet was slow, and we could not get directions, book a night at a hotel, etc.

Then they asked the locals why there were such problems with the Internet. They recommended taking SIM cards from Georgian operators, not international ones.

Again about traveling by car in Georgia

So, looking ahead, I will say: you can and should go to Georgia by car. Even despite the expensive gasoline. Just download a normal navigator (not Russian). And don't break traffic rules. The locals themselves periodically violate them, but the Abkhaz reckless drivers are like walking to China.

Police officers in Georgia are simply the eighth wonder of the world. They always drive with the “chandelier” on (no sound). And if they see that someone is messing up on the road (parking in the wrong place or in the wrong way, not following the lane, etc.), they will give him a warning first, rather than running happily to write out a violation report...

There are no problems with parking in Georgia either. In any, even a very popular tourist place, you can always park properly, and absolutely free. After the resorts of the Krasnodar region, such expanse is simply a balm for the soul.

Well, it seems like I told you all the main points about the trip to Georgia today. This is technical information, so to speak. For practically minded people. And in the next posts I will give you “lyrics” - about beautiful Georgian cities and amazing places. So subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss their release.

The fabulous beauty of ancient Georgia attracts tourists for good reason. Here you can swim in the clean and warm Black Sea, go down into caves, admire the landscapes of mountain peaks and valleys, and become familiar with ancient history.

The advantage of traveling by car

It would take a very long time to list all the benefits of traveling to this country. Therefore, the time limited by vacation is sorely lacking to explore at least some of these beauties. The first trip can be repeated many times, especially by curious travelers. Hikers who rely on a route to get to the right place may be disappointed by its absence.

The situation can be corrected if you go to Georgia in your own car, which significantly increases mobility and speed of movement. A car makes it possible not to depend on routes imposed by travel agencies and to choose the one that best suits the interests of a particular person. Not everyone is happy with a week-long tour, during which you won’t see even a small part of all the interesting sights.

If we highlight the most tangible advantages of road travel to Georgia, then these are:

• Freedom of movement;
• Independence from local transport schedules;
• There is no need to prepare additional documents for the car (a driver’s license valid in Russia is also valid in Georgia, no additional insurance is required).

The way to Georgia

The route will depend on the starting point, but the last city in Russia will always be . Because getting to Georgia from Russia by vehicle is possible only through one checkpoint - Upper Lars. Vladikavkaz is connected to Tbilisi by the Georgian Military Road. Just to drive along it and see the beautiful landscapes surrounding the road is worth going to Georgia by car.

Experienced motorists prepare their iron horse for a long journey in advance. It is also worth paying attention to the availability of all documents necessary for traveling across the state border.

Customs officers inspect everything while crossing the state border and do it in the most scrupulous manner. To avoid troubles, you should carefully read the current customs laws, especially regarding items prohibited for import and limited in quantity for entering the territory of Georgia.

Roads in Georgia

A country in which tourism occupies an important position in the source of income is obliged to monitor the development of infrastructure and the condition of roads. It is worth noting that almost all roads along popular tourist routes are in good condition, but in some places you can find areas of terrible quality. It is also not always possible to get to the attraction itself, due to inaccessibility.

Important: Roads in Georgia are mainly built in mountainous areas, so there are many sections with serpentines. At such points you should move with care.

Medical insurance for travel in Georgia

Officially, this document is not mandatory for purchase and is not required to be presented. However, all local residents have compulsory health insurance policies, and the provision of paid medical care can significantly hit the budget. Therefore, you can buy it, since it is not expensive, and hope that it will not be needed.

Excursions and entertainment

Even when traveling by car, you will have to include in your budget in advance expenses for excursions, museums and various entertainments. The last point is especially relevant.

Note: Most historical sites, such as castles and monasteries, admit tourists without paying.

Guides can be found near almost every tourist destination. The easiest way to plan routes for traveling around Georgia is based on your own preferences.

cellular

Parking in Georgia is not a problem, especially in popular areas. Moreover, you can park your car almost everywhere for free.

Attention: Law enforcement officers who keep order on the roads do not always immediately issue fines; for a minor offense the driver may only be lightly reprimanded.

The starting point of almost all Russian autotourists will be Tbilisi. Further routes can be built as follows:

• Mtskheta-Ananuri-Gremi-Tusheti;
• Gori-Kutaisi-Mestia-Batumi;
• Borjomi-Vadzia-Akhaltsikhe;

The construction of routes is approximate and depends on personal preferences, especially since your own car allows you to arrange them in any sequence. In the summer season, the Black Sea resorts are especially popular, where the stay can exceed five days.

Main attractions

The choice of route is influenced by specific attractions that the autotourist would like to see.

Important: Not all navigators work correctly in Georgia. It is better to download a high-quality Russified program that is not domestically developed.

An independent trip by car will allow you to go to the desired destination at a convenient time and get better acquainted with the sights. Moreover, along the way you can meet fascinating places, calmly stop and look at them.

Tbilisi

The capital of Georgia, if desired, can be explored within one day, especially the center. However, for a detailed acquaintance with the city and its ancient architecture, narrow streets characteristic of the Caucasus, you can spend more time.

Mtskheta

Traveling around Georgia is unthinkable without visiting the old capital. The second most important city, it has two special shrines for Georgia - the most ancient famous temples:

• located near the city on Mount Armazi.

• Svetitskhoveli was erected in the 11th century on the site of an ancient Christian sanctuary. The name of the temple literally translates as “Life-Giving Pillar.”

The history of both attractions is closely connected with Saint Nino, revered in Georgia.

Uplistsikhe

The very ancient history of this city, which arose at the end of the 2nd, beginning of the 1st millennium BC. e., remembers periods of prosperity and decline. In the 7th century, it was almost completely destroyed by the Arabs. Residents finally left this city in the century before last. Now it is an open-air museum. A visit to the historical landmark is paid and will cost 3 GEL. A discount may be given for a group of tourists.

Kutaisi

The main attraction in the city is considered to be built in 1003. It was originally richly decorated, but was destroyed in the 17th century. The Turks almost completely destroyed the cathedral, which was restored only in 2012. The temple is located in the city center and is visible from everywhere.

In the vicinity of Kutaisi, the most popular among tourists are the cave and monasteries.

The Motsameta Monastery, which arose earlier than Gelati, is hidden in the mountains. Here, among the centuries-old greenery, peace and quiet reigns.

Prometheus Cave

Prometheus Cave, perfectly prepared among Georgian dungeons for tourists and artificially landscaped. Equipped with amazing lighting and sound accompaniment, the natural attraction transports visitors to an enchanting world of peace and tranquility.

In the cave you can see numerous grottoes, an underground river and lakes. Various representatives of the fauna live under the vaults of the dungeon, but they rarely catch the eye of tourists.

The constant temperature in the cave is approximately 14 degrees, so it’s a good idea to take warm clothes with you. At the exit from the cave there will be a monument with a stylized Georgian and a dog.

Akhaltsikhe

The large reconstructed fortress is divided into lower and upper parts, visiting the latter is only available for a fee. The territory is landscaped, and the view from above when you get to the observation deck is mesmerizing in its beauty.

Vardzia

The city, built in ancient times, arose on the site of a fortress destroyed in 1283 by a strong earthquake. In the Middle Ages it was captured by the Turks, who were distinguished by their bloodthirstiness and intolerance towards Christians. The monastery opened here shortly after the liberation of the territory from the Turks by Russian troops and is still in operation.

The monastery, which is more ancient than Vardzia, is less known to tourists. Some underground galleries are dangerous to visit.