Georgia Travel FAQ

Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) are ideal — warm weather, green landscapes, harvest festivals. Summer is hot in Tbilisi but perfect for mountain hiking. Winter is great for skiing at Gudauri.

Citizens of 98 countries can enter Georgia visa-free for up to 365 days, including the USA, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, Japan, and more. Other nationalities can apply for an e-visa at evisa.gov.ge.

The Georgian Lari (GEL) is the national currency. ATMs are widely available in cities. USD and EUR are easily exchanged. Avoid exchanging at the airport — better rates are found at exchange kiosks in city centres.

Tipping is appreciated but not mandatory. In restaurants, 10% is customary if service charge is not included. Tips for drivers and guides are appreciated. Round up taxi fares. Keep small GEL bills for tips.

Georgia is generally very safe for tourists. Violent crime is rare. Petty theft can occur in crowded areas like Tbilisi's old town. Avoid the occupied territories (South Ossetia, Abkhazia). Driving in mountains requires caution.

Yes — Georgia has fast 4G/LTE coverage in cities and most tourist areas. SIM cards from Magti, Geocell, or Beeline are cheap and available at airports and shops. Wi-Fi is widespread in hotels, cafes, and restaurants.

Georgia uses 220V / 50Hz with European-style Type C and Type F (Schuko) sockets. US and UK appliances will need a plug adapter, and US devices may need a voltage converter.

Marshrutkas (shared minibuses) connect most towns cheaply. Tbilisi has a metro, buses, and taxis. For remote areas (Svaneti, Tusheti), a 4WD is essential. Bolt and Yandex work for city taxis. Trains run Tbilisi–Batumi–Kutaisi.

Georgian (Kartuli) is the official language with its unique script. Russian is widely understood, especially among older generations. English is increasingly spoken in Tbilisi, tourist areas, and by younger Georgians.

Must-try dishes: khinkali (soup dumplings), khachapuri (cheese bread), mtsvadi (BBQ), badrijani nigvzit (eggplant with walnut paste), chakapuli (lamb stew), and lobiani (bean bread). Georgian cuisine is rich, hearty, and unforgettable.

No — Abkhazia is an occupied territory closed to entry from Georgian-controlled territory. Entering from Russia is possible but illegal under Georgian law and risks a permanent ban on future entry to Georgia. The territory has been under Russian military control since 2008, following the war that displaced roughly 250,000 ethnic Georgians.

Georgia is challenging for travellers with mobility limitations. Tbilisi's Old Town has steep cobblestone streets, steps at most restaurants and churches, and limited wheelchair infrastructure. New Tbilisi and Batumi are more manageable. Mountain destinations like Svaneti, Kazbegi, and Tusheti are largely inaccessible without significant assistance.

Adjara's signature dish is the Adjaruli khachapuri — a boat-shaped bread filled with melted sulguni, egg, and butter. Beyond that, the region is known for kaymaghi clotted cream, borano butter cheese, Black Sea mullet and anchovy, and Ottoman-influenced dairy traditions unique to Georgia's Black Sea coast.

Georgian amber wine is white wine made with extended skin contact — a method Georgia has practiced for 8,000 years. The skins give the wine a deep amber colour, tannin, and complexity. Light Imeretian styles use 2–4 weeks of contact; full Kakhetian qvevri wines stay on skins for up to six months, producing copper-amber wines with serious structure.

Autumn (September–November) is Georgia's most rewarding season. The rtveli grape harvest transforms Kakheti from early September through October. Tbilisoba festival fills the capital in October. Temperatures drop to 13–21°C in Tbilisi. Mountain roads stay open through late October. It's the best time for wine-country visits and the most colourful landscapes of the year.

Kvemo Kartli is known for two things above all: Dmanisi, where 1.8-million-year-old Homo fossils — the oldest human remains found outside Africa — were excavated, and Marneuli, Georgia's largest Azerbaijani-majority town. The region is 40 minutes south of Tbilisi and offers an authentic encounter with Shia Islam and Azerbaijani tea-house culture rarely seen on tourist itineraries.

Yes — Bagrationi 1882 is Georgia's oldest sparkling wine house, producing méthode traditionnelle wines since 1882 for the imperial Russian court. The cellar tour visits vaulted underground riddling galleries where bottles age for nine months or more. Expect €10–€15 for a guided tasting and an experience unlike any other winery visit in the country.

Yes, especially for families and beginners. Bakuriani has Georgia's best ski school, 30+ km of piste across three areas, and a genuine town atmosphere with restaurants and non-ski activities. Day pass costs 50–100 GEL. Gudauri has more terrain for advanced skiers.

Getting in requires passing a face-control interview at the door — dress non-touristy, arrive after 2am, and don't look drunk. Rejected once means banned. Russian passport holders are frequently turned away. Doors open around midnight, last entry is about 10am, and — counter-intuitively — the peak is the morning.

Yes — the Black Sea at Batumi is swimmable June through September, water temperature reaching 24–26°C in July–August. The beach is grey pebble rather than sand, and central beach gets crowded. New Boulevard and Gonio (15km south) are cleaner and quieter alternatives.

Batumi nightlife is seasonal and beachside — open-air clubs on the Boulevard peak July–August, casino resorts operate year-round, and the scene is more tourist-friendly than Tbilisi. There's no equivalent to Bassiani; the vibe is cocktail bars, casino floors, and summer outdoor parties.

Yes — Batumi is one of Georgia's most family-friendly destinations. The Boulevard has playgrounds, a cable car, and a dolphinarium; the Botanical Garden is a full half-day out. Pebble beaches suit older kids better than toddlers. Most hotels have family rooms and the city is flat and walkable.

Kazbegi (Gergeti Trinity Church) is the most dramatic. Kakheti wine country offers the richest food-and-wine experience. Mtskheta–Gori–Uplistsikhe is the best cultural circuit. Borjomi–Vardzia cave city rewards the long drive south.

Top picks: Prometheus Cave (illuminated underground river, all ages), Martvili Canyon boat ride, Mtatsminda funicular and amusement park in Tbilisi, Batumi dolphinarium, and Kobuleti beach. Dinosaur footprints at Sataplia Reserve delight younger children. Georgia is safe, affordable, and exceptionally welcoming toward families.

The Kazbegi area (Gergeti, Truso Valley, Juta to Roshka) and Svaneti (Mestia to Ushguli, Koruldi Lakes, Chalaadi Glacier) offer the finest mountain hiking. The best season is June through September.

The Georgian National Museum on Rustaveli Avenue leads the list — its Gold Fund displays Colchis gold from 3000 BCE and is worth 1–2 hours alone. The Open Air Ethnographic Museum in Vake reconstructs traditional houses from every region. Gori's Stalin Museum is the most controversial, combining genuine Soviet-era artefacts with unreformed hagiography. Entry fees range 5–25 GEL.

Gudauri is the best all-rounder — 1,200m vertical, modern lifts, and reliable snow December to April. Tetnuldi suits advanced freeriders above Mestia at 3,165m. Bakuriani is ideal for families and beginners. Goderdzi receives the most snowfall but requires cat-ski or private transfer to access.

Tbilisi's Abanotubani sulfur baths are the most famous — natural 37–43°C water, private rooms from 30 GEL/hour. Tskaltubo offers Soviet-era marble pools with radon-rich water. Borjomi has outdoor mineral pools. Remote options include Sno Valley hot springs near Kazbegi and Zugdidi district thermal pools.

Wine tasting in Kakheti, hiking to Gergeti Trinity in Kazbegi, sulfur baths in Tbilisi Old Town, the Svaneti tower villages of Mestia and Ushguli, Martvili canyon boat rides, and a Georgian supra feast with polyphonic singing top every traveler's list.

May–June and September–October are ideal for most visitors: mild temperatures, lower crowds, wildflowers or harvest atmosphere. July–August is peak season with the best beach weather. Winter is great for skiing at Gudauri.