Georgia travel FAQ 2026

Citizens of roughly 95 countries, including all EU states, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, get 365 days on arrival with no paperwork in advance. The clock restarts each time you enter, so long-stay visitors often leave and come back. Other nationalities usually apply online for an e-visa before flying.

Georgia asks only that your passport stays valid for the entire time you are in the country, with no fixed extra margin. Because some carriers and neighbouring states apply tighter checks, we suggest at least three months beyond your departure date and a couple of blank pages. EU and Schengen-area citizens may also enter on a national ID card.

Yes. From 1 January 2026 every foreign visitor needs a health and accident policy covering each day of the stay, with a limit of at least 30,000 GEL (about $11,000). Carry it on your phone and on paper, since check-in staff or passport control can request proof. Buy it before you travel, since you cannot pick one up at the airport.

Both Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) are occupied by Russia, and Georgian law treats entry from the Russian side as illegal. Most Western governments advise against all travel there, and ordinary insurance will not cover you. Our tours stay well away from the occupation lines.

Yes, easily. Sadakhlo, on the road from Tbilisi toward Yerevan, is the busiest crossing and open around the clock, while Guguti and Bavra serve the south. Many travellers need no Armenian visa; there is also a night train and frequent minibuses between the two capitals.

The Sarpi crossing on the Black Sea coast, about 18 km south of Batumi, is the main gateway and works day and night. Further inland, Vale near Akhaltsikhe links to Posof and Kars. Buses run from Tbilisi and Batumi to Trabzon, Istanbul and other Turkish cities.

For most foreigners, no. Azerbaijan has kept its land borders shut to entry since 2020, renewing the decree several times, so you cannot cross at Red Bridge or Lagodekhi. A Tbilisi to Baku night train restarted on 26 May 2026, but who may board it is unclear, so check before booking. The usual workaround is a one-hour flight from Tbilisi to Baku, which is how our combined tours handle it.

No registration is needed. At passport control you may be asked for your insurance, a return or onward ticket and where you are staying, so keep these handy. Hotels and guesthouses record your passport details themselves.

The Georgian lari (GEL), split into 100 tetri. In 2026 one US dollar buys roughly 2.6 to 2.8 GEL. Prices are shown and paid in lari, even when a hotel quotes you in dollars or euros.

Use a contactless Visa or Mastercard in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi, where nearly every shop, restaurant and metro gate takes it. Switch to cash in villages, mountain guesthouses, bazaars and minibuses. A sensible float is 200 to 300 GEL ($75 to $115) in small notes when you leave the cities.

Cash machines from Bank of Georgia, TBC and Liberty sit on almost every street in towns, and Stepantsminda and Mestia have them too. Many charge a withdrawal fee on foreign cards, so take out larger sums less often. When the screen offers conversion into your home currency, decline it and accept lari.

Street exchange booths, marked with rate boards, usually beat banks and the airport counters. US dollars and euros change at the narrowest margins. Count your lari at the window before walking away.

As a rough 2026 guide per person: 100 to 170 GEL ($40 to $65) for hostels, bakeries and minibuses; 250 to 450 GEL ($95 to $175) for good hotels, sit-down meals and some driving; from about 600 GEL ($230) with a private driver and boutique rooms. Mountain areas and summer weekends sit at the upper end of each band.

Approximate 2026 figures: khachapuri or a plate of khinkali at a simple cafe is 10 to 20 GEL ($4 to $8). A two-course dinner with a glass of wine in a decent Tbilisi restaurant runs 50 to 90 GEL ($19 to $35) per person. A litre of house wine in a village tavern often costs less than a cocktail in the capital.

Tipping is optional but welcome. For a private tour many travellers give about 20 to 40 GEL ($8 to $15) per day for a driver and 40 to 60 GEL ($15 to $23) per day for a guide, handed over at the end. In restaurants, first check whether the bill already includes service.

Tbilisi (TBS) has the widest choice of full-service airlines and is closest to Kazbegi and Kakheti. Kutaisi (KUT) is the hub for Wizz Air and other budget carriers and sits handy for Imereti and Svaneti. Batumi (BUS) is ideal for a coast-first trip, and an open-jaw ticket, arriving at one and leaving from another, avoids retracing your route.

Shuttle buses meet most flights and reach Tbilisi in about 4 hours. A private transfer is quicker and lets you stop on the way, for example at Gori or Uplistsikhe. If you land late, consider a night in Kutaisi, which is only about 30 minutes from the terminal.

Yes. Bolt works in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi and is the simplest way to avoid haggling, with fares shown before you book; Yandex Go is the main alternative. Street taxis rarely use meters, so agree a price before getting in. Outside the cities, ask your guesthouse to call a local driver.

A marshrutka is a shared minibus running fixed routes between towns, leaving when full or on a loose timetable. Find the right one by the destination on the windscreen, pay the driver in cash and shout or wave when you want to get off. They are cheap but cramped, with little room for big suitcases.

Yes. The fast Stadler trains connect Tbilisi with Batumi, and other services run to Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Poti and Borjomi, plus a night train to Yerevan in Armenia. Buy tickets online on the Georgian Railway site or at the station, and book early for summer weekends on the coast line.

Renting makes sense if you drive confidently and want flexible stops in Kakheti, Imereti or the south. Expect fast overtaking, cows on the tarmac and few road markings in villages. Many visitors split the difference: self-drive in the lowlands, then hire a local driver for Svaneti, Tusheti or winter passes.

The road to Gudauri and Stepantsminda is cleared through the winter, yet the Jvari Pass shuts now and then when snowfall or avalanche danger is high, sometimes for a day or more, and chains may be compulsory. The Mestia road stays open with care. The Abano Pass to Tusheti and the Datvisjvari route to Khevsureti close completely from autumn to late spring.

Tbilisi to Batumi is about 5 to 6 hours by road, Tbilisi to Kutaisi about 3.5 hours, and Kutaisi to Mestia around 4.5 hours. Tbilisi to Stepantsminda takes roughly 3 hours and Tbilisi to Sighnaghi about 2. Build in photo stops, which add up quickly.

Magti has the strongest coverage in mountain valleys, with Silknet and Cellfie close behind in towns. Buy a SIM at an official shop in the city, not the airport kiosk, and bring your passport. A month of generous data typically costs 20 to 40 GEL ($8 to $15) in 2026.

Yes. Global eSIM apps sell Georgian data plans that you can activate before landing, which is handy if you arrive at night. Local operators also issue their own eSIMs in store. Check first that your phone is unlocked and eSIM-capable.

Mestia, Ushguli and Stepantsminda have 4G in the villages, but coverage fades on hiking trails and in side valleys. Tusheti has signal in Omalo and patchy reception elsewhere. Download offline maps and tell someone your plans before long walks.

Usually, yes. Almost every hotel, guesthouse and cafe has free wifi, and speeds in Tbilisi are fine for video calls. Remote family guesthouses may run on a single router, so keep mobile data as a backup.

Georgia is not part of the EU roaming zone, so EU and UK plans usually charge extra. Check with your provider before you go or switch roaming off on arrival. A local SIM or eSIM almost always works out cheaper for more than a day or two.

Bolt for taxis, an offline map such as Maps.me or Organic Maps for trails, Google Translate with the Georgian pack downloaded, and the official 112 app for emergencies. WhatsApp is the normal way to message drivers, guesthouses and our team.

Yes, for the vast majority of visitors. Violent crime against travellers is rare, and the biggest everyday risk is traffic. Avoid political rallies around Rustaveli Avenue and keep clear of the occupation lines.

Most residents of Tbilisi drink from the tap, and the city supply is treated. In older buildings or villages, filtered or bottled water is a safer bet for sensitive stomachs. Mountain springs are plentiful, but avoid them below villages and pastures.

Rarely, on a standard trip. Stepantsminda sits at about 1,750 m, Gudauri around 2,200 m and Ushguli near 2,100 m, heights where most people feel only a little breathless. Climbing Kazbek to 5,054 m is different: it needs acclimatisation days and a guide.

Most street dogs are tagged, vaccinated and friendly. In the mountains, big sheepdogs can be protective of flocks, so keep your distance, walk slowly and pick up a stone or stick only as a deterrent. Consider a rabies vaccine before a long trekking trip, and seek treatment the same day after any bite.

One number, 112, reaches every service, from an ambulance to a rescue team in the hills, and English-speaking staff are usually on hand. If you hike, register your route with the 112 app or the Tourist Trail registration service so rescuers know where to look.

Very. The big chains, such as PSP, Aversi and GPC, are on nearly every corner in towns, and several stay open all night in Tbilisi. Pharmacists often speak some English and can suggest over-the-counter remedies. Bring prescription medicines in their original boxes with a copy of the prescription.

Private clinics in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi are modern and used to foreign patients, but they expect payment or an insurance guarantee up front. Mountain areas have only small clinics, and serious cases are moved to a city. This is one reason the mandatory insurance should include evacuation.

Women are expected to wear a headscarf plus a skirt reaching past the knee; men go in long trousers with heads bare. Shoulders stay covered for everyone. Many monasteries keep a basket of wraps by the door, but carrying a light scarf saves the scramble.

A supra is a feast where dishes keep arriving long after the table looks full and a toastmaster, the tamada, guides the evening through a sequence of toasts. Expect a meal of three hours or more. Sample a little of everything rather than finishing the first plate.

Only the tamada proposes the main toasts, each with a theme such as peace, the dead, parents or friendship. Wait for the toast before you drink, and do not toast with beer. If you are handed the alaverdi, a short, sincere line about your hosts is perfect.

In Tbilisi, Batumi and anywhere popular with visitors, most people under 35 speak some English. In villages, older people are more likely to know Russian. A few words of Georgian, like gamarjoba (hello) and madloba (thank you), always earn a smile.

It varies. Some churches allow photos without flash, while others, especially working monasteries, post signs banning cameras. Never photograph a service or a priest without asking, and keep your voice low.

Ask first, especially with older villagers, shepherds and anyone at a church. Most people say yes with a smile. Avoid filming police, military sites and border posts.

Bring a small gift, such as sweets or something from your home country, and expect to be fed far more than you can eat. Refusing food outright can seem rude, so accept a little and praise the cooking. Shoes are often removed at the door; follow your hosts' lead.

For a classic first trip mixing Tbilisi, Kakheti and Kazbegi, choose between late May and June, or September through the middle of October. High-altitude Caucasus trips belong to midsummer. The coast is best from late June to mid-September.

Harvest season, from about mid-September to mid-October, is the liveliest time to visit, with grape picking and new wine in the cellars. Spring is quieter and green, and tastings run all year. Summer days in the Alazani valley can top 33 C.

Roughly mid-December to early April at Gudauri, Bakuriani, Goderdzi and Hatsvali near Mestia. January to early March has the most reliable snow. Book Gudauri early for the New Year and Orthodox Christmas holidays on 7 January.

Snow on the 2,850 m Abano Pass decides the dates: the dirt track normally opens in early June and closes again by early October. Even in summer, rain can shut it for a day, so leave slack in your plan. Only experienced local drivers in 4x4s should attempt it.

Yes. Mestia is reachable all winter by road from Zugdidi, and Ushguli usually too, though snow can close it for short spells. Days are cold and snowy, with skiing at Hatsvali and Tetnuldi and quiet villages full of towers. Multi-day treks are off until late June.

Lower trails in Borjomi or Kazbegi open from late May, but high passes stay snowy until late June. July to mid-September is the main trekking window for Svaneti, Tusheti and Khevsureti. Early autumn brings golden larches and fewer walkers.

March is still cool and damp, while April and May warm up quickly, with lowland highs of 18 to 25 C and blossom in the valleys. Mountain villages can still see snow in April. Expect showers and pack layers.

Yes, if you mainly want cities, wine and food. Kakheti cellars are full of new wine, prices are low and Tbilisi is pleasantly busy. High mountain roads may be snowy, so keep to Kazbegi, Mtskheta and the lowlands.

Send us your dates, group size and interests through the contact form or WhatsApp. We reply within one working day with a draft route and price, then adjust it with you until it fits. Once you confirm, we send a booking summary and deposit details.

Every tour is private: only your own party travels in the car, with your own driver and, if you wish, your own guide. That means the start time, pace and lunch stops are yours to decide. Some activities, such as a cooking class, may be shared with other guests.

Yes. Our published tours are starting points, and we can add a night, drop a region or swap a hike for a winery before you book. During the trip, small changes such as an extra stop are usually fine on the spot; larger ones depend on hotel availability.

We have guides for every common language: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian and many others. Tell us your language when you first write to us and we match the guide to it.

Any size, from one traveller to large groups; there is no upper limit. Solo travellers and couples ride in a sedan, families in a minivan seating up to seven, minibuses and coaches for bigger parties, and 4x4s for mountain roads. Tell us about luggage and child seats when you book.

This is a draft sample policy and may change before launch. A 20 percent deposit secures the booking, with the balance due on arrival in cash or by card. Cancel 30 or more days before the start for a full refund of the deposit, 14 to 29 days for a 50 percent refund, and under 14 days the deposit is kept.

Yes, there is no age limit on any of our tours. We plan each trip with you around your children's ages: child seats, shorter driving days, easier walks, a horse for little legs on treks, and family-friendly stops such as Borjomi park and the caves near Kutaisi.

Yes. Solo travellers book with us often, and the price simply reflects one guest. If budget matters, a driver-only option or a short city break keeps the cost down.

Yes, from Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi airports at any hour. Your driver tracks the flight, waits in arrivals with a name sign and helps with luggage. Airport transfers are included in our multi-day tours and can be added to any day trip.

Yes, we provide everything a trek needs: tents, sleeping mats, camp kitchen and cook, pack and riding horses, and hiking gear to rent. Each tour page shows what is already in the price and what can be added as an extra.