How to relax in Georgia on your own by car. Where to go in Georgia. Independent travel, short guide. Mobile communications and Internet in Georgia

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

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

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

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

Housing

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

Tickets

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

Cards

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

Route

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

6 Tbilisi (by train from Baku)

7 Tbilisi – Sighnaghi – Tbilisi

8 Tbilisi - Batumi (night train)

9-12 Batumi + surroundings

13 Batumi - Kutaisi

14-16 Kutaisi + surroundings

17 Kutaisi - Borjomi

18 Borjomi - Bakuriani - Borjomi

19 Borjomi - Tbilisi

20 Tbilisi – Mtskheta – Tbilisi

21 Tbilisi - Kazbegi

22 Kazbegi - Tbilisi

23 Tbilisi - Akhaltsikhe - Vardzia - Akhaltsikhe - Tbilisi

24 Tbilisi - Baku (night train)

The places are marked on the map, this is the order in which we traveled to the cities of Georgia and in the same order I will tell you the most important things about them.

Tbilisi

Loud Tbilisi, captivated us as soon as we left the airport and boarded the minibus, here everyone is constantly beeping and talking and talking, and if you move away from the streets and go, for example, to the Botanical Garden, then extraneous sounds disappear and you can only hear the noise of a waterfall and the rustling of leaves, so you can get to know the quieter side of the city. It’s also a brave city – I was surprised and liked it modern architecture, for example, this pipe in the photograph is a theater.

What to see?

Narikala Fortress;
Statue of Mother Kartli;
Tbilisi Botanical Garden;
Bridge of Peace;
Shardeni Street;
Freedom Square;
Rustaveli Avenue;
Europe Square and Rike Park;
Meydan Square.

Where to stay? We lived in Popova Apartments, we do not recommend it. Nothing else fits in the room except the bed. You open the door from the bathroom and find yourself straight on the bed, there is no room on the floor. The whole room is literally two by two meters.

Pros: 5 minutes to the city center.

You can book accommodation at a favorable price on the website hotellook.com. This is a hotel aggregator that compares prices on all booking sites and shows the best one.

Where is it tasty and inexpensive? Samikitno, it is located right on Meydan Square, through which all the tourist routes lie. There is a veranda overlooking the square, prices are below average, a huge selection of a wide variety of khachapuri and khinkali (with spinach, vegetables, cottage cheese, different types meat), small khachapuri (which is actually very large) - costs 150 rubles.

Mtskheta, Jvari Monastery

Jvari Monastery- this is a famous temple on a mountain near the city of Mtskheta, tourists come here to look at the confluence of the Aragva and Kura rivers, we are no exception. True, for all its popularity, Jvari is inconvenient to visit, there is no direct public transport here, the highway is located a little to the side and it is fast, but hitchhiking is well developed here.

You can find out 10 reasons why you should visit Georgia.

Continuation of our route

Save the post for the future, share with friends on social networks and if you want to visit Georgia, write about it in the comments and make a wish for the trip to happen in the near future, and then whatever happens.

Most Russians associate Caucasian hospitality with Georgia. Everyone should visit this mountainous country with picturesque landscapes, amazing cuisine and hospitable Georgians at least once in their life. Although official language Here Georgian and Russian are understood by the majority of the adult population. That is why traveling to Georgia on your own will not be difficult.

Entry into the country

On a note! To visit Georgia, a visa is not required, but a foreign passport is required. It must not expire during the trip.

You can stay in the country for a whole year. The Georgian government has simplified entry rules, thereby increasing the flow of tourists into the country. Thanks to this, tourism has recently begun to develop rapidly.

The only difficulty may arise at the border if the passport contains notes about visiting South Ossetia or Abkhazia. Entry may be denied.

How to get there

The easiest and most popular way: direct flight from Moscow, St. Petersburg or Rostov-on-Don to Tbilisi, Kutaisi or Batumi. Moreover, a direct flight to Tbilisi will cost much less. And from there you can take a bus or train to wherever you want - it will be more profitable. You can also fly from Moscow to Vladikavkaz on Pobeda, and then by bus or minibus to Tbilisi. This is the most cheap option, if you buy tickets in advance on sale.

Airplane is the easiest way to arrive in Georgia

You can get to Georgia by land transport from Russia, Armenia or Azerbaijan. In Russia there is one checkpoint to Georgia - Upper Lars. You can get here from Vladikavkaz along the Georgian Military Road. IN summer time years there can be huge queues at the border, and in winter period The road is often closed due to bad weather conditions.

You can find a travel companion on blablacar or sail by water on a comet from Sochi to Batumi.

What money to take

The national currency of Georgia is the lari. It is not profitable to change rubles, so it is advisable to exchange them for dollars or euros in Russia, and then exchange the latter for lari on vacation.

Where to stay

In Georgia, as in any country with actively developing tourism, you can rent housing to suit every taste and budget. There are both expensive hotels, and budget guest houses. Private owners rent out rooms for a small fee. Here, in addition to everything else, you can feel unforgettable hospitable hospitality and taste home-made Georgian cuisine. In provincial towns there are also inexpensive hostels with several beds.

It is better to look for accommodation and book in advance: this way you can save money, because accommodation on site will cost more than, for example, through booking.

On a note! You shouldn’t trust reviews; it’s better to trust acquaintances and friends who have already been there. Very often tourists leave laudatory reviews for not so comfortable and good rooms simply as a token of gratitude to the owners for their kindness and warm hospitality.

In small towns, housing can be found locally: usually there are signs and signs on the streets, like on our Black Sea coast.

How to get around

The most ideal option for traveling around Georgia is a rented or your own car. Especially for a large company or family with children. This way you can get to any point, even to places you don’t go to. public transport. You can rent either a passenger car or a small jeep. Tourist roads to the main attractions are in good condition.

The average price for renting a passenger car per day is 1.5 thousand rubles, an SUV - 2.5 thousand.

Public transport is also available here.

By train you can get to any city or resort quite quickly. There are usually daytime seated trains, but there are also night reserved seat trains.

Buses run frequently, so you can comfortably get from one tourist route to another.

Minibus taxis are not as comfortable as buses, so they are suitable for short distance travel. Interestingly, they do not depart according to a schedule, but when they are full.

A taxi can be ordered anywhere: many locals earn extra money as a cab driver, and also, if they’re lucky, can spend private tour. They know everything about their country.

What to see in Georgia?

There are a lot of interesting places that are worth watching. You can make your own in advance a tourist route, based on the number of days of rest. In a couple of weeks you will be able to see the main key attractions and surrounding areas of the main cities.

Georgia is rich in picturesque views, indescribable beauty and antiquity, Orthodox churches and monasteries, fortresses. There is a beach and ski resort s. It seems that a lifetime is not enough to explore and visit all the interesting places of this hospitable country.

Usually, getting to know Georgia begins with Tbilisi. To get around the old and new town two days is enough.

What to do in Tbilisi?

Visit cable car and admire the views of the city from the observation deck.
Monument to Mother Kartli (meaning Mother Georgia) on Sololaki Hill, which also overlooks the city. The mother is a woman holding a jug of wine in one hand (to welcome guests) and a sword in the other (to repel the attack of enemies).
Visit the Botanical Garden.
Ride the Ferris wheel and see night city from high.
Visit the pantheon on Mount Mtatsminda.
Wash in the sulfur baths (Abanotubani).
It is better to start your walk around the city from the Avlabari metro station, which is located in the center. Here you can also see the monument to Mimino.
Visit the Tsminda Sameba Church on St. Elijah Hill, 5 minutes from Avlabari.
See the Armenian Church of Etchmiadzin, built in the 18th century.
Visit the Metekhi area with the church standing on the banks of the Kura River and admire the picturesque views from there. The Mekheti Temple has a very interesting history, dating back centuries.
Take a walk in Europe Square and Rike Park.
Go glass bridge Mira, which was built in 2010 by an Italian architect and a French designer by order of the then President of Georgia.
See the presidential palace in the city center.
Take the funicular up or walk down the streets of the old city to the 1,500-year-old Narikala fortress. It was damaged many times, the worst was during the earthquake in 1827. The fortress is considered the main attraction of Tbilisi.
Walk to the Tabori Church (it can be seen from anywhere in the city).

One day is enough to explore all these places. On the second day, if finances allow, you can attend excursions:

By museums by architectural monuments.
Sightseeing tours of the city and surrounding areas.
Gastronomic excursions, where they taste chacha, wines, cheeses and learn the peculiarities of production.

Attention! The most important thing that distinguishes holidays in Georgia from other countries and thanks to which tourists return from there inspired and full is Caucasian hospitality and cordiality. Therefore, in order to feel the atmosphere of Georgia, you need to talk to people. Ask for directions to the desired place and learn a lot of interesting things.

Video – Tbilisi

Georgian Military Road

Today it is calm mountain track, only the name remains from the “past life”. The 208 km road connects Vladikavkaz and Tbilisi. If you go to Georgia along this route, then everything Beautiful places You can see along the way: fortresses, a monument to the friendship of peoples, a reservoir and the Cross Pass. The road and inspection will take the whole day. You can stay overnight in the village of Kazbegi.

Mtskheta

It was about this place that Lermontov wrote his famous work “Mtsyri”. Ancient city located 20 km from Tbilisi. Here it is main temple country - the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, as well as fortresses and churches on the hill, from which you can see the confluence of the Aragva and the Kura.

Gudauri

Winter ski resort. In summer there are few tourists here, although there are tourist walking routes over the mountains. You can also take the lift to a height of 3300 m and admire the beautiful scenery: the lifts are open all year round.

Kazbegi and Gergeti

Picturesque villages at the foot of Mount Kazbek. There is a Trinity Church here that is worth a visit, but you can only get to it by jeep or on foot.

Kakheti

Eastern region of Georgia with grape valleys and wine factories. The grape harvest begins in early September and lasts until mid-October.

Here they taste wines, visit the sights of the Alazani Valley: monasteries, castles and fortresses, as well as cave monasteries (David Gareji) near the border with Azerbaijan.

You can stay overnight in Telavi - the main center of Kakheti or Sighnaghi - the city of love.

Tusheti

Northeastern region of Georgia with beautiful scenery. The road is closed most of the year. It's not really tourist place might be interesting.

You can travel from Tbilisi to Batumi, seeing some places along the way:

Gori, where Stalin's house-museum is located.
Uplistsikhe cave monasteries nearby.

Borjomi

Recuperation place with mineral springs, sanatoriums and outdoor hydrogen sulfide pools.

On the way to Batumi you will also meet the fortresses of Rabat, Khertvisi and the cave monastery of Vardzia.

Kutaisi

It makes sense to stay for a couple of days to explore the main attractions of the city and surrounding area. Visit the cable car, Prometheus Cave, temples and monasteries, Okatse Canyon, Kinchkha waterfalls.

Svaneti

Region in northwestern Georgia. Two days will be enough to do walking or horseback riding. Glaciers and lakes add special beauty to the area. You can visit the high-mountain villages of the Svans and see their life with your own eyes.

Attention! From November the weather deteriorates: rains and fogs begin, so it is better to plan your route before autumn.

Adjara

Region beach resorts and national parks.

Most main resort- Batumi. Located nearby small towns. There's more clean beaches, water and a relaxing holiday, which is suitable for romantic couples and families with children.

Beach holidays can be alternated with exploring the surrounding area: visiting nature reserves and National parks, monasteries and temples, fortresses, neighboring resort villages with beaches.

What time is best to go

Despite the fact that Georgia is small country, thanks to his mountainous terrain it has different weather at the same time in its different parts.

Therefore, it is important to understand where and for what purpose the trip is planned, and based on this, choose the time.

It makes sense to plan a beach holiday in Batumi at the beginning of summer or the first half of September. In July and August the heat here is unbearably hot. September will please velvet season- clear warm days, warm water, cool nights.
It is better to plan mountain excursions from the beginning of summer to the end of September, while the weather is warm. In winter, the roads will be closed, and in spring and autumn the weather is not conducive to this kind of walks.
The ski resorts of Gudauri, Bakuriani, Khatsvali would be ideal to visit with late autumn until early spring. Here you can ride alpine skiing or snowboarding.

Should I take insurance?

It is better to purchase travel insurance. Usually nothing bad happens, but it's better to be safe. What you should be wary of is the local drivers: they have a very aggressive driving style, as if everyone has several lives in reserve.

Safety

There is an opinion that it is dangerous for girls to travel alone in Georgia. These are unsubstantiated arguments. If girls behave appropriately and dress decently, then there is nothing to worry about. Georgians, like other peoples of the Caucasus, revere women, old people and children. The attitude towards well-mannered girls is more than respectful.

Video – Trip to Georgia

What to bring from Georgia

Finally, every tourist asks the question: what to bring home from Georgia? What souvenirs should friends and family take? You will bring back a lot of impressions and photographs that will remind you of this amazingly hospitable country for the rest of your life. Traditionally, local delicacies, cheeses, churchkhela and wines are taken as gifts. Georgia will not leave anyone indifferent.

Hospitable, hot, passionate and alluring - this is exactly how Georgia is known to both experienced tourists and those who have only seen Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi satellite maps. But the most important difficulty when visiting this attractive country is the price. After all, the cost of a tourist package with all tickets, guides, accommodation and documentation reaches more than one thousand hryvnia. Therefore, an excellent option for saving money and a unique program is an independent trip around Georgia. Organizing it is not difficult, you just need to know a few tricks and create the right route.

Active holidays in Georgia - from the capital to the mountains

Geographically, we know Georgia precisely from the Caucasus and its landscapes. But it’s better to start your trip from Tbilisi, and leave Batumi for another vacation.

Duration: up to 5 days.

Your route: Tbilisi - Cross Pass - Mount Kazbek - Sighnaghi.

Along the way, many adventures and exciting places await you.

It goes without saying that the status of the capital obliges you to examine everything inside and out. In Tbilisi, as in Batumi, it is best to relax for several days in a row. But it all depends on your time frame. Familiarize yourself with the capital at the beginning, because after mountain peaks and there will simply be no strength left for the beauty of mosques, castles, museums and public gardens.

Having rested and been a little drawn into the atmosphere of Georgia, go to the Cross Pass, which is located not far from the resort of Gudauri. By the way, on ski slope you can choose your route for the coming season. At the pass, the beauty and scale of nature will take your breath away! But it's time to move on.

The next stop is the village of Kazbegi, next to which Mount Kazbek rises. Daredevils try to climb the mountain (which we do not recommend), and those who like photo sessions stay at the foot and look into the Gergeti Monastery.

Mountains in Georgia are not the only thing you can do to entertain yourself. From Kazbegi the route runs to the city of Sighnaghi. It is here that you can enjoy the picturesque view of the Alazani Valley, the one about which there are many legends. And also feel like the king of life and have a hearty dinner in a restaurant on a small observation deck.

After this rest, you can take the bus and return.

Hotels

Accommodation in hotels in Tbilisi costs different amounts, it all depends on the season and the level of the hotel. Basically, prices in hostels and cheap hotels start from 45 GEL per day, and rise to an acceptable limit.

In the village of Kazbegi, despite the small number local residents, there are small hotels where you can stay overnight. But it is advisable to book a room in advance, because they are extremely common in this area. The prices here are a bit steep, they charge about $120 per night, but there is no point in staying longer than a day.

Traveling around Georgia - from Batumi to Prometheus

Often travelers fly to Batumi, so you can start your trip in this city.

Duration: 7 – 9 days.

Your route: starts in Batumi - Kutaisi - Tskhaltubo, with a visit to the Prometheus Cave - Mestia - ends in Batumi.

In Batumi there are more than a dozen must-see attractions. This city is the main one tourist centre country, there are several gorgeous beaches open here, and at night a completely different world comes to life. You should spend more than one day to explore all of Batumi.

The list of must-see places includes: the Orta Jame Mosque, the tomb of the Apostle Matthew, the Nobel and Stalin Museums. There are also many castles, museums, churches and parks.

The next destination where the route takes you is the city of Kutaisi. It is also important in the country’s infrastructure, so it’s worth taking a little longer to look around here. Numerous temples, churches, museums. And several more attractions that are protected by UNESCO. This also applies to the Gelati Monastery of the Virgin Mary.

The city of Tskhaltubo is an ancient tourist spot where citizens of the Soviet Union came to relax and improve their health. But, to tell the truth, there are no outstanding attractions here today. It will be enough to just walk through the parks, breathe in the clean fresh air and, perhaps, stop for the night. Get enough sleep, have breakfast at a local cafe with a portion of khachapuri and go further on your own.

It is difficult to explore the entire region of Svaneti in one visit. mountainous country. Major historical and natural attractions of Georgia are concentrated for the most part here. Therefore, for a short tour, the capital of the region - the city of Mestia - will be enough.

It’s better to stay for a couple of days to see the local mosques in all their glory, stroll through the city parks and, of course, walk along the plains. From them, and from the balconies of some hotels, a unique view of the mountain range, the heart of not only Svaneti, but the whole of Georgia!

You can stay in Mestia for a maximum of two days, because there is nothing really to see here for a long time. The main convenience is that there is a well-developed tourism infrastructure– hotels, restaurants, cafes, points with free access to wireless Internet. There are also many souvenir shops and stalls. But nothing more.

At the foot of Mount Kazbek, tent camps are often set up, where experienced tourists share their experiences. Both climbers and simply onlookers, lovers of the beauty of nature, settle here. A great option is to move in with them and explore the situation.

Next is the Chalaad glacier, which is located under the Ushba rock at an altitude of 1900 meters. Don't be afraid if you've never been to
mountains - you have to walk along a fairly well-trodden path for only 6 kilometers. But the landscape and beauty around are definitely worth it.

The next day, in order to get to the Mulakhi community, you should collect enough provisions for several days and cross the pass. The duration of the hike is approximately 6 hours, the prize of which is the unique beauty local mountains. It is better to put up a tent near the village of Cholasi, although you can try your luck and ask the locals.

The Caucasus ridge is a test, both in the cool and warm periods of the year. Here the area is very windy, and the nearest settlements(villages of Zhabeshi and Adishi) are built at an altitude of approximately 2,000 meters. But, again, nature corrects everything. If you wish, you can go to the Lardaad glacier and negotiate with the locals about crossing the Adishchala.

The village of Ushguli will be a wonderful end to the journey. It is beautiful and recognized literally by the whole world - many local ensembles are under the protection of UNESCO. This place is also the second highland settlement in Europe (second only to the village of Kurush). Here you can see the Shkhara glacier, part of the Bezengi wall of Georgia. If you stay here for the night, you can literally forget yourself when you see the clear starry sky over the mountain ranges.

In the morning, after an overnight stay, a minibus will pick you up back to the regional capital, the city of Mestia. Don’t forget to check the driver’s or operator’s number and write it down in advance.

Guide to Georgia - military road

If you want to see the maximum of interesting places, architectural masterpieces and natural beauties, then go to an impromptu. You don't have to pay a guide to see everything with your own eyes. It is enough to know where to go and what to pay attention to.

There is such a thing in the country as a Georgian military road. No matter how strange it may sound, it was along this route that in ancient times they planned to transport troops and provisions. The idea itself somehow didn’t grow much, but the road remained. And it is along it that you can “walk” while getting to know Georgia.

Duration: from 5 to 7 days.

Your route: departure from Tbilisi - Mtskheta - Gudauri - Cross Pass - Truso gorge - Kazbegi village.

The length of the route is approximately 160 kilometers.

Many of these points are already known to you from the description above. Let's clarify just a few details.

The first city, Mtskheta, is definitely worth a stop. After all, this is the ancient, ancient and respected capital of Georgia. Before losing to Tbilisi, the city was majestic and gathered many famous figures under its wing. There are monuments, graves, and temples here. There will definitely be something to see.

In the 16th century, the Ananuri fortress was built, which today does not perform military functions. It is beautiful, equipped with souvenir shops and cafes. But you need to see it, this is a fact.

Not far from the Cross Pass, the Arch of Friendship of Nations was erected, which is more relevant today than ever. Well, the surrounding natural landscape is incredible.

In the Truso Gorge there are several abandoned villages that are a little scary in appearance. At the end of the last century, the inhabitants of Georgia, impoverished and crippled by the crisis, left here. Everyone scattered in all directions, but the houses remained untouched - rickety, overgrown with moss, against the backdrop of gray mountain peaks. A unique and slightly sad sight.

It is difficult to tell everything about Georgia for tourists in one blog. This country is multifaceted and certainly unique in everything. And you will have to open it again and again, on every new vacation, on every new visit. And don’t be afraid to refuse guides and clear programs.

Georgians, as freedom-loving and very hospitable people, are always ready to help guests. Just don’t get carried away with chacha before traveling around Georgia on your own. Otherwise you won’t notice and will remain there forever.

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.

Expenses 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 trip to own car adds 5 days on the road to your vacation. If you have the time and a sincere love to drive, it might be worth it.

Another disadvantage is that you will always enter Georgia by 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 support service.

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 travel around Georgia

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

From Moscow to Tbilisi you will travel 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 be confused by the many kilometers long line of trucks: there is a different line for passenger cars.

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, it 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?

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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 speaking, 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 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.

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Made very “convenient”. You arrive, park near the Visitor Center, and walk downhill through the park for 2.5 km. You discover “ 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 – Batumi. Dream city, Georgian Las Vegas. Outlandish buildings, casinos, all the pretentious hotels in incredibly cool buildings, an embankment with coniferous trees, in the shade of which it is so great to walk, inhaling the aromas of pine needles.

Wonderful 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. You can buy it at payment terminals for anything and everything, which are found here at every turn, 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 Double Room in a nearby mediocre hotel it cost 120, and there were no places.

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 sun loungers/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 popular city- Mestia. Business card region: ancient towers in which the highlanders hid when invaders came.

The road to Svaneti is very picturesque and runs past the Enguri reservoir and dam, which you definitely need to visit. 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 a little 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, and the hostess firmly said that if we didn’t find anything, we could stay with them, although they didn’t rent out rooms, but “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.

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