The best places to visit in Georgia
Tbilisi, Kazbegi, Svaneti, Kakheti, Batumi, Mtskheta, Borjomi, Kutaisi and Gonio — what each is for, how long to give it, and when to go.
How to think about a Georgian itinerary
The country divides neatly into three trips, and trying to do all three in one visit is the commonest way to enjoy none of them.
The east — Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kakheti, Kazbegi — is history, wine and the high Caucasus, all within a few hours of the capital.
The west — Batumi, Gonio, Kutaisi, Borjomi — is the Black Sea, caves, canyons and forest, and a completely different climate.
The far north-west — Svaneti — is a separate undertaking and deserves to be treated as one.
A week does the east properly. Ten days does the east plus the coast. Anything less than four days in the country is Tbilisi and one day trip, which is a perfectly good holiday if you plan it as that.
The east — Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kakheti, Kazbegi — is history, wine and the high Caucasus, all within a few hours of the capital.
The west — Batumi, Gonio, Kutaisi, Borjomi — is the Black Sea, caves, canyons and forest, and a completely different climate.
The far north-west — Svaneti — is a separate undertaking and deserves to be treated as one.
A week does the east properly. Ten days does the east plus the coast. Anything less than four days in the country is Tbilisi and one day trip, which is a perfectly good holiday if you plan it as that.
Tbilisi — two to three days
The Old Town under Narikala Fortress, the sulphur baths of Abanotubani, the cable car, Rustaveli Avenue and the balconied streets of Sololaki. The city is genuinely walkable and rewards wandering more than it rewards a list.
Give it two days at the start and one at the end if you can — you will see it differently after the mountains.
Give it two days at the start and one at the end if you can — you will see it differently after the mountains.
Kazbegi — one to two nights
Gergeti Trinity Church at 2,170 m with Mount Kazbek behind it is the image most people have of Georgia before they arrive, and it does not disappoint. The Georgian Military Highway there passes Ananuri Fortress and the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument, both worth stopping for.
Stay the night. Done as a day trip from Tbilisi it is six hours in a car for two hours on the mountain, and you will miss the light that makes the place.
Stay the night. Done as a day trip from Tbilisi it is six hours in a car for two hours on the mountain, and you will miss the light that makes the place.
Kakheti — one to two days
Georgia's wine country, and the wine here is 8,000 years old in the qvevri — the clay vessels buried in the ground, now on the UNESCO intangible heritage list. Sighnaghi sits on a ridge above the Alazani valley with the Caucasus on the horizon; Bodbe monastery and Telavi are close by.
Come in late September or October for the rtveli harvest if you can, and book the small wineries in advance.
Come in late September or October for the rtveli harvest if you can, and book the small wineries in advance.
Svaneti — three days minimum
Medieval stone defence towers below 4,000-metre peaks, in villages that were effectively unreachable for most of history. Mestia and Ushguli are the two names to know; Ushguli claims to be among the highest continuously inhabited settlements in Europe.
It is a long way from everything and that is the point. Do not attempt it as a side trip.
It is a long way from everything and that is the point. Do not attempt it as a side trip.
Batumi, Gonio, Kutaisi, Borjomi and Mtskheta
Batumi — the Black Sea city: the seaside boulevard, the botanical garden, the Ali & Nino moving statue and a skyline that looks like nowhere else in the region. Two days, and go in summer.
Gonio and Kvariati — twenty minutes south, a Roman fortress on the beach, clearer water and a far quieter stretch of coast.
Kutaisi — Bagrati Cathedral, Gelati Monastery, and the Prometheus Cave and Martvili Canyon within an hour. An excellent base for the west.
Borjomi — mineral water, a forested national park and the narrow-gauge railway. Cooler than the coast in August.
Mtskheta — twenty minutes from Tbilisi, the old capital, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Jvari Monastery on the hill above the meeting of two rivers. Half a day, and unmissable.
Gonio and Kvariati — twenty minutes south, a Roman fortress on the beach, clearer water and a far quieter stretch of coast.
Kutaisi — Bagrati Cathedral, Gelati Monastery, and the Prometheus Cave and Martvili Canyon within an hour. An excellent base for the west.
Borjomi — mineral water, a forested national park and the narrow-gauge railway. Cooler than the coast in August.
Mtskheta — twenty minutes from Tbilisi, the old capital, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Jvari Monastery on the hill above the meeting of two rivers. Half a day, and unmissable.
Common questions
How many days do I need in Georgia?
Seven days covers the east — Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kakheti and Kazbegi — comfortably. Ten adds the Black Sea coast. Svaneti needs three days of its own and should not be squeezed in.
What is the best month to visit Georgia?
September. The mountains are open, the coast is still warm, the crowds have thinned and the Kakheti harvest is beginning. May and June are the close second.
Figures checked September 2026 against Colliers Georgia, Galt & Taggart, TBC Capital and Georgian government sources. Rules change; confirm anything you are about to act on.