svaneti hiking tour

• Trekking tours in Svaneti

Tours in Svaneti

About svaneti.

• Winter tours in Svaneti
• Cultural and Jeep tours
• Horse ridding tours

Trekking in Svaneti by Highlander Travel

Best selling Svaneti Trek Mestia – Ushguli 4 days

Best selling Classical Svaneti Trek Mestia – Ushguli Total duration of tour is 6 days, with 4 trekking days along picturesque mountains and alpine valleys. Price start from 295$ per person.

Epic trekking holidays in Svaneti 10 days

Trekking holidays in Svaneti is one of the best trekking opportunity in Europe, duration of tour is 10 days in total, with 7 days of trekking. Tour will be leaded by professional local guides. Average price 425$

Chalaadi glacier hiking tour from Mestia

Chalaadi glacier trek includes short jeep tour or horse ride tour is easy one day hiking destination from Mestia. Price from 25$ per person.

Shdugra waterfall hiking

Impressive Shdugra waterfalls can be accessed from Becho in one day moderate hike.

Tviberi glacier hiking

From Tviberi glacier starts Tviberi river – influx of Mulkhura river, which flows from Mulakhi community to Mestia and merges with Enguri river down in Latali. Tviberi gorge is very narrow and wild. It is off bitten trek and this hike is hardest one in one day hikes from Mestia. Tviberi glacier trek description Trek…

Koruldi lakes hiking

Koruldi lakes trek is one of the most beautiful one day trekking destination from Mestia. Price from 25$ per person.

Green pearl of Caucasus – Svaneti tour

Pearl of Caucasus Svaneti tour 5 days and 4 nights is designed to present best places in the region. It includes hikes, jeep tour and cultural tour. Price from 230$ per person.

Ski tour Svaneti

Ski tour Svaneti duration 9 days including 7 days of skiing on various slopes in Svaneti from Etseri village up to Ushguli. Package price from 500 Euro

Guides in Svaneti

Profile: trekking tours Experience: Languages: English

Profile: Trekking, Ski tours, horse tours, climbing tours Experience: 10 years Languages: English Passionate skier and climber.

Profile: Trekking, Cultural tours. Experience: 3 years Languages: English

Trekking, Ski tours, horse tours guide

Profile: trekking, ski tours Experience: 6 years. Languages: English

Mountain guide

Profile: Trekking, Cultural tours, horse tours. Experience: 12 years Languages: English The most wanted trekking and cultural guide from Svaneti. Sometimes works in other mountain regions of Georgia.

Profile: Trekking, Cultural tours, horse tours. Experience: 9 years Languages: English, Russian, Polish Also good musician and singer.

Profile: Trekking, Ski tours, horse tours, climbing. Experience: 8 years Languages: English, Russian

Profile: Trekking, Cultural tours, horse tours. Experience: 7 years. Languages: English, German, Russian

Profile: Trekking, horse tours. Experience: Languages: English, Russian

Driver-Guide

Profile: Driver-guide Experience: 10 years Languages: English

Profile: Trekking, horse tours. Guiding experience: Languages: English Owner of guesthouse Ecohouse inLakhushdi village.

Probably Svaneti is the most beautiful area in all Caucasus region. Svaneti region is located in the north-west of Georgia on the south slopes of Great Caucasus range. Magnificent snowy mountains, green forests, alpine meadows, picturesque villages, unique culture – this is incomplete list what attracts tourists in Svaneti. During past decade Svaneti had changed a lot. Now it is stunning mix of modernized town Mestia with its cozy cafes and museums  and archaic villages just in walking distance from each other.

Svaneti has a lot to offer – it is wonderful untouched nature, amazing landscapes, traditional village life, cultural heritage, folklore.

Tours which are available in Svaneti are very diverse – of course region is well known as wonderful trekking destination, besides horse lovers can enjoy horse ridding tours, who doesn’t feel well about physical activities can rent jeep with local guide and explore cultural heritage sights and beauty of nature by 4×4 car. Who is looking for rural life can book guesthouse outside of Mestia in beautiful villages and participate in traditional rural life of farmers. Who is interested in folklore can enjoy folk evening in Mestia or other villages.

Svaneti trekking

We work with good team of local guides only, very experienced team in Svaneti trekking. who know their region and history, speak English and other languages, can help you to rent horses or jeep, find proper guesthouse or hotel.

Svaneti trekking is part of Highlander travel , as we became leading company in organizing trekking tours in Svaneti, we decided to make new project for Svaneti trekking.

How to get to Mestia by public transport

Minibuses to Mestia are leaving from Tbilisi railway station square every morning at 6 AM. from Kutaisi central bus station at 8 AM. From Tbilisi is possible to get to Zugdidi by train and from Zugdidi train station minibuses are leaving very frequent.

We do NOT sell tickets for flights to Mestia. Here is link to the website of Vanilla sky – only company who operates those flights.

Hotels in Svaneti

In Mestia there are many hotels, from basic guesthouses to high mid range hotels. Our tours mostly are based in good guesthouses as there tourists have more communication with locals and participate in their life.

Except Mestia guesthouses can be found in villages Etseri, Becho has wide range of guesthouses, Latali including Lakhushdi village, Lenjeri, Mulakhi, mostly village Jabeshi, Hadishi, Tsvirmi has couple guesthouses, Kala, including Iprari and one guesthouse in Khalde and of course Ushguli.

Restaurants in Svaneti

Mestia has big number of different cafes and restaurants. During high season some of them have folk shows in the evenings.

In Ushguli also can be found couple restaurants.

In other villages only in families is possible to order lunch or dinner.

Private transfer to Svaneti

Svaneti trekking offers private transfers to Mestia from Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi and Zugdidi with comfortable vehicles.

Price list:

• Tbilisi – Mestia : 280$
• Kutaisi – Mestia : 150$
• Zugdidi – Mestia : 100$
• Batumi – Mestia : 220$

Price is given per minivan, maximum 6 PAX, one way tranvel. for other kind of transport please contact us.

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Origin Mestia Tbilisi Zugdidi Kutaisi Batumi Destination Tbilisi Zugdidi Kutaisi Batumi Mestia

+995577748793

[email protected], www.facebook.com/highlandertravel, #svanetitrekking.

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4-Day Svaneti Hiking Tour

• Air-conditioned vehicle
• Accommodation in guesthouses: 2 nights
• Entry/Admission - Mikheil Khegiani House Museum
• We can pick up from any other hotel in Batumi and Kutaisi
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
• This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
• This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• Mikheil Khegiani House Museum
• LaMaria Church
• Shkhara Glacier

Similar experiences

• petrj858 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Nice day Nice day and a pleasant hiking in the nature. Kind and friendly guide. Best period of the year for local flowers is spring. Read more Written September 12, 2023
• nicolasmD9236LQ 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Amazing tour and guide We had awesome tour with our guide Beka who was very knowledgeable and thoughtful! We enjoyed our time with the nature and georgian food. Our guide was very good at explaining Georgian culture to us, both in English and Russian. We also really appreciated his patience and slower pace with my parents in law, which are in their late 60's. The hike itself was not difficult but was very picturesque and breathtaking. Food was good and we also had coffee mid-way which was more than welcome! Read more Written June 19, 2023
• 375gvantsas 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Pleasant Experience Well planned, very attentive and friendly staff. Highly reccomend. Trip was planned according to our needs Read more Written May 27, 2023
• only_nature 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles The natural jewel of Georgia This rain forest is so vast and breathtaking that its gorgeous views and lush greens make you feel more closer to mother nature. We stayed in Batumi for a couple of days. We booked the Mtirala national park tour through Viator website. We had wonderful hosts from Viator, Mr. George and Mr. Becca, lovely individuals and our tour guides who made this trip memorable for lifetime. They took care of us all the way (comfortable transport, delicious lunch, lovely photographs) and never made us feel like outsiders. It was an ardent task of hiking on a rainy day but the lovely chitchatting and their expert guiding made it all look simple and quite adventurous. You will be amazed by the richness of flora and fauna in this lush green forest. It was our daughter's first hiking experience and we are glad to have done it in this park. We didn't try zip-lining as we felt it was a bit overpriced. But, make sure to try the home-made honey here. It is really a great delicacy. This peaceful forest is a perfect escape from the busy city life. This 8-hour tour surely made us mark Mtirala National Park as one of the must-do activities in Georgia. Read more Written April 21, 2023
• 844talian 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Amazing tour, highly recommend This guided tour and hike was the highlight of our trip to Georgia. Our tour guide was Beka, and he was extremely knowledgeable, patient, accommodating and just a pleasure. And, the views were spectacular, waterfalls and lush greenery. We couldn't recommend more highly! Read more Written April 8, 2023
• adamnR9841WM 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent trip, guide and service An excellent trip! George was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He took lovely photos of us and personalised our itinerary. Thoroughly recommended! Read more Written March 23, 2023
• Chessika1 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles 5 days in Svaneti with Giorgi The trip with Giorgi was an excellent experience 5 days in Svaneti, full of beautiful nature. Giorgi is a very good guide, with a lot of love for the sites that he gave us the opportunity to see. We made 3 treks in the Mountains and every one of them was very good chosen for our group. The trip was organized considering all our wishes. Thanks a lot, for everything! Read more Written October 9, 2022
• agnes543 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Private tour for family in machakhela Great trip with guide Salome and the driver who were very patient with our children. Interesting and impressive places and Very good lunch in a village. Georges was very helpful to choose the tour and prepare it. Thanks a lot! Read more Written August 30, 2022
• 723deepaa 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles On the road from Tbilisi to Batumi in 9! We did a 9 day trip to Georgia with our English speaking guide Salome from Pin Georgia who was with us right from our airport pick up to airport drop off. She was very well informed and full of interesting trivia and stories about the places we visited, the foods to eat and made touring around the city very informative and great fun. Shes so easy to be with and a great conversationalist! PS - Did I tell you that she speaks sparkling English and is an amazing photographer?!?! Read more Written August 21, 2022
• Rebecca S 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fantastic day trip ! This was a brilliant day. From the moment we were collected from the hotel until we were dropped off, nothing was too much trouble for Luca, our guide & driver. Firstly we were taken to a viewpoint, high in the mountains above Batumi, from where we had a geat view over the mountains & the sea. We then spent time at Gonio Fortress, where Luca filled us in on the history of the place. We visited two spectacular waterfalls in the mountains - both different from each other, one off the beaten track & one which was clearly very popular with tourists. We finished our tour at the winery, which was beautiful The setting was amazing and the food and wine were great. Luca was an excellent guide and answered our many questions patiently and with good humour ! I would absolutely recommend this tour. Read more Written August 12, 2022
• Hanan S 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Wonderful Wonderful and beautiful natural forest .you will be amazed by the view .we really enjoyed our time in this forest .It was amazing Read more Written July 19, 2022
• Mugdha K 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Don't Hesitate - Contact Pin Georgia! George was wonderful! So easy to work with, responsive, and absolutely tailored our day for what I wanted and enjoyed. Had an amazing lunch with a local Georgian family, which was one of the highlights of my ten days in Georgia. And, when I needed help to get to Tbilisi from Batumi, he came through immediately, and found someone who could help me out. Contact Pin Georgia - they are fantastic!!! Read more Written July 16, 2022
• pollushmolly 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Awesome Had a pleasure to spend the day on a hiking trip with Pin Georgia Tours! Would totally recommend them as everything went great - good pace, thoughtful guide George and amazing views from the top. This one is worth going and I will definitely join other outdoor trips this season with them :) Read more Written May 29, 2022
• livinJLM 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Book the trip before its too late. Georgie is an amazing tour guide! Me and my GF love traveling and hiking in the nature, so we were blessed having Georgie as are guide. Right from the start, even before getting to batumi he understood us perfectly and build us amazing two days full of great views, amazing hikes, wonderful people and some of the best wine we ever had. He is extremely knowledgeable and make us sees Gorgia through his eyes and it was beautiful. Book the trip before its too late!!! Read more Written May 14, 2022
• VeronicaBlagoeva 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A Day We Won’t Forget Myself and my mother went on a day trip around the waterfalls and the villages in the Machakhela region. We had a wonderful day we won’t forget. Despite the heavy rain, we insisted on going forward with the trip, we visited plenty of attractions, learnt more about Georgia and made some unforgettable memories. We ended up having lunch at a villager’s house, they showered us with hospitality and invited us to taste their own produce of organic honey, cheese, wine and spirits. George himself was a great company, kind and informative - we couldn’t recommend him and his trips more! Read more Written April 12, 2022

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4-Day Svaneti Hiking Tour provided by Pin Georgia

• Georgia Tours
• Hiking Tours
• Svaneti Hiking Tour

5-day Svaneti Hiking Tour 5 Days | Mestia, Zhabeshi, Adishi, Iprali, Ushguli

The 5-day Svaneti Hiking Tour is a great opportunity to discover the beauty of the eminent Caucasus Mountains. Following the popular hiking trail from Metsia to Ushguli, passing the villages of Adishi and Iprali, you will embark on an unforgettable journey, encompassing history, authentic culture, delicious food, warm hospitality, and jaw-dropping views. Discover the kingdom of thousand towers with our 5-day Svaneti Hiking Tour.

Tour itinerary:

• All transfers;
• Accommodation in guesthouses;
• Mountain guide;
• Separate transport to carry luggage during the hike;
• Horses for the river crossing on day 3;
• Meals: 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 4 dinners.
• Personal travel insurance;
• International flights;
• Tips are not included, but would be appreciated.

Prices per person

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Home » Tours » Trekking Svaneti

Trekking Svaneti

Information.

Svaneti is one of the most beautiful high mountainous regions of Georgia, distinguished by unique nature, architecture and local The regional center of Svaneti is Mestia which is located at 1700 m above sea level. Svaneti is 450 km away from Tbilisi and 240 km from Kutaisi airport. During the svaneti trekking tour  we see snowcapped Caucasus peaks, erected one by one, like Moun Tetnuldi, Mount  Shkhara, Ushba, etc. Svaneti is famous for its beautiful stone towers. During our trip they can be seen in all the villages of Svaneti. The Mestia State Museum we are visiting will vividly describe the rich culture and traditions of the region also the way of life of the Svans, and one of their main roles in the development of the cultural life of Georgia. Svan cuisine is very distinctive and rich, which can be tasted throughout our tour. The beautiful village Ushguli, located at the foot of the peak Shkhari and it is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Ushguli community is an exceptionally beautiful settlement and it  located at 2060 – 2200 meters above the sea level. Cultural and geographical sights of the region include, Shdugra waterfall, Koruldi lakes, chalaadi glacier, Lamaria church and also other nice panoram vews  and historical places. Trekking  Svaneti season starts from  June 15 and lasts until the end of September. Trekking Svaneti  tour we offer can be started from Tbilisi as well as from Kutaisi (if you wish). During trekking Savneti we’ll visit  the lost villages such as Mazeri, Adishi, Iphrali, Mulakhi , Ushguli also Zabeshi and etc

Itinerary Trekking Svaneti

Meet at Kutaisi international airport and departure to Svaneti in village Mazeri, from where is beautiful views on mount Ushba . The way takas 3.3 hours  from Kutaisi and from Tbilisi 7-8  also on the way we’ll stop in Zugdidi and have a dinner . Accommodation in a guesthouse in Mazeri

After breakfast, a group of tourists will meet the guide and his/her assistant ,   after the examination of hiking equipment, the group will start hiking and see marvelous views of Ushba peak and Shdugra waterfall. Then in the evening we’ll get back to the Mazeri, where we’ll be able to relax also taste delicious Georgian dishes. Overnight in vil. Mazeri. – Trekking – 12km (1 hour)

After Breakfast at 8 am we’ll travel to Mestia, we will visit temples of Latali and Lenjeri, museum of Mestia, Chalaadi glacier. In the evening, during supper, we’ll be able to taste traditional Svanetian dishes. Accommodation in Mestia in Guesthouse. – Trekking – 7km (2-3 h)

Today we’ll see wonderful Koruldi lakes and picturesque Zuruldi Mountain then get to the mountain by the cable car, from where there is an astonishing panoramic view of Svanetian Caucasus. Supper and relaxation in the evening. Overnight in Mestia. – Trekking – 13km (5-6 hours)

Early morning at 8 am we’ll begin the path, from the town of Mestia towards Mulakhi community and visit its beautiful villages. In the evening we have supper and relax. Overnight in the vil. Zhabeshi. – Trekking – 14km (6-7 h)

Early Breakfast and then, drive by minivan to Ughviri pass from where spectacular panoramic views are displayed. Later we will descend via foot-path to the Adishi and have supper.  Accommodation in Adishi. – Trekking – 7km (3-4 h)

After breakfast, we’ll go along the path towards village Iprali. Where we’ll see and enjoy the beautiful panoramic views of Adishi glacier and surroundings. We’ll meet a minivan in the Iprali, and  then driver transfer us to the Ushguli community. On the evening Supper, rest. Spending in Ushguli. – Trekking – 16km (6-7 h)

Breakfast at 9 am and then we’ll visit Ushguli community. Village Chazhashi (which belongs to Ushguli ) . In case of desire, you can visit the glacier of Georgia’s highest mountain Shkhara (5200m). Then drive from Ushguli to Mestia. In the evening we will celebrate the successful completion of the tour and  Spending a night in Mestia. – Trekking – 12km (5-6 h)

After breakfast, we will drive to Kutaisi/ Tbilisi , also on the way, we’ll have dinner Night in The hotel

Price  list for tour Trekking Svaneti:

Price trekking svaneti includes:.

• Transfer from and to the airport
• Transfer to and from Svaneti ( Tbiisi-Mestia . Mestia – Tbilisi)
• Travelling by minivan in Svaneti during the trekking ( Mestia-Ushguli- Mestia, Mazeri-Mestia, Iphrali –Ushguli,
• Horses for carrying personal baggage during the tour
• Guide service
• Overnights in tents(we provide all necessary types of equipment) or at the guesthouses in Mazeri, Mestia, Ushguli, Zabeshi,Adishi
• Meal during the tour (Breakfast, Lunch/Lunch box, Dinner
• One night in Hotel in Tbilisi or Kutaisi

Name and Surname

Email Address

Phone Number

Cat skiing and Heli skiing in Bakhmaro

+995-593-300599

+995-599-290366

[email protected]

8a Kazbegi Ave, 0116, Tbilisi, Georgia

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Private Tour- Offered in: English

• Explore Svaneti in a 6-day private guided tour
• Hike from Mestia to Ushguli
• Accommodations, luggage transportation, and meals are included
• Convenient round-trip transport with private guide and driver

Mestia Ushguli Trek in Svaneti is the most popular and beautiful trekking tours in Georgia country.  This 6-day Mestia Ushguli trek is also exceptional, it offers overnights at local guesthouses in remote villages of Svaneti. The villages in this region have a unique architectural style and are included in the UNESCO world heritage sites. With soaring mountains, gorgeous trails, and the most preserved centuries-old towers, and houses, Mestia Ushguli Trek is an exhilarating trek that lives up to the highest-class reputation. TrekGeorgia offers you a real adventure through trekking in wonderland Svaneti.

Day 1: Tbilisi- Enguri Dam -Mestia

Easy, Driving Distance 460 km, 9 Hours

In the morning we travel to Svaneti. On the way, we stop in Zugdidi and visit Dadiani palace which was a place of local lord governing the significant part of Western Georgia. Afterward, we depart for the Enguri dam which is one of the highest arch dams in the world(a height of 271.5 meters). Then we drive to the region of Upper Svaneti which is an outstanding example of an exceptional mountain landscape composed of highly preserved villages with unique defensive tower houses, examples of ecclesiastical architecture and arts of medieval origin. Overnight at a guesthouse in Mestia

Day 2: Mestia – Zhabeshi

Moderate, Walking distance 16 km, 6 hours

In the morning, we will start the actual trekking. We will hike to the Mulakhi community of Zhabeshi village. The route is easy, follows an off-road car and well-marked trail. Overnight at a guesthouse in Zhabeshi with shared facilities.

Day 3: Zhabeshi – Adishi

Moderate, Walking distance 10 km, 6 Hours

After breakfast, we start our journey into the wilderness. We hike up to the slopes of Tetnuldi mountain, pass ski resort and descend into the forests of birch trees and rhododendron bushes. After passing a mountainous small river, the alpine meadows will be in front of us. Here is located Adishi village which consists of stone towers and houses built several centuries ago. Its beautiful location, just below Tetnuldi mountain, on the right bank of the roaring mountainous river and between the high mountains with local architecture makes this village so special and picturesque. Overnight at a local guesthouse with shared facilities.

Day 4 – Adishi – Iprali

Hard, Walking Distance 17km, 8 Hours

In the early morning, we will start our Svaneti Adventure. Here we follow upstream to the river. After one hour of pleasant walking across the river, we need to cross the roaring Adishi river. For our safety, we will get on horseback and cross the river. Afterward, we will climb up to the Chkhunderi pass (2655m). From here you can enjoy majestic panoramic views of the picturesque Adishi Glacier. After having lunch on the top of the ridge and enjoying with views, we will descend into the valley of the Khaldechala river. After two hours of easy walk, we reach Khalde village which was destroyed in the 19th century by the Russian soldiers. From here our pass will follow an off-road to Iprali village. Overnight at a local guesthouse with shared facilities in Iprali.

Day 5– Iprali -Ushguli-Mestia

Moderate, Walking Distance 10 km, 5 Hours

In the morning, we trek through traditional Svani villages. After passing by Kala and Davberi villages, we are trekking through forest and reach Ushguli from above. Ushguli is located at the foot of mount Shkara and at the confluence of the rivers Enguri and Kvishiri. The highest permanent settlement in Europe (2200 m) with the outstanding mixture of the mountainous landscapes and the medieval-type towers and churches will astonish visitors. Here you will visit the Ushguli Ethnographic museum located in the 12th-century old Svanetian tower-house. We also visit a medieval Lamaria church ( of the assumption of the Mother of God).   Overnight at a guesthouse with private facilities in Mestia

Day 6 – Mestia-Tbilisi

Easy, Walking Distance 5 km, 2 Hours, Driving 8 Hours 

In the early morning we will visit Chalaadi glacier. We will follow upstream of Mestiachala river and after 1,5 km, we reach our finish, a place where the river is born. Afterward, we go back to Mestia, and then travel to Tbilisi.

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Accommodation

We overnight at the guesthouses. Guesthouses in Mazeri and Mestia have rooms with private bathrooms, while guesthouses in Zhabeshi, Adishi and Iprali have rooms with shared bathrooms.

The typical guesthouses in Mazeri and Mestia

The typical guesthouses in Zhabeshi, Adishi and Iprali

Tour Prices

Price includes.

✅ 6-Day Expert Leadership from experienced adventure guides

✅ Transportation by comfortable vehicle

✅ Fuel Surcharge

✅ Luggage transportation by a car for each day

✅ 2 overnight at a guesthouse with private facilities in Mestia

✅ 1 overnight at a guesthouse with shared facilities in Zhabeshi

✅ 1 overnight at a guesthouse with shared facilities in Adishi

✅ 1 overnight at a guesthouse with shared facilities in Iprali

✅ Breakfast, Lunch boxes and Dinner for 4 Days

Price Does not Include

✘ Travel Insurance

✘ Trekking gear

✘ Overnight in Tbilisi for the last night

• Testimonials
• Cooperation

• Information
• Book this tour

SVANETI TREKKING TOUR

Again, we took a well-established trek – Svaneti Trekking Tour, extended it and improved it as much as possible. In this case, even the “basic material” is more than solid – “Mestia to Ushguli” is the most famous Georgian trek, and for a good reason. It offers excellent views, passes through several traditional Svan villages and doesn´t involve any complicated logistics. Svaneti trekking tour can be the best and most suited option for most of our guests.

Svaneti Trekking Tour

So what was improved? Most importantly, day 4. While the classic trail follows a river valley, we will take an alternative, virtually unknown route through the mountains and cross another 3000+ pass right beneath Mt. Shkhara (if you wish so, there is also an option 2 ). Also, while many people after reaching Ushguli make a short stroll around a village and hurry back to Mestia, we think it would be a crime not to spend a night here. So we added one more day – you can use it to climb Svaneti or Chubedishi ridge so you can enjoy the whole panorama of Greater Caucasus.

Svaneti Trekking Tour Group Dates:

Quick booking, full name phone email number of people tour name choose tour date 26. 06. - 30. 06. 2023 03. 07. - 07. 07. 2023 10. 07. - 14. 07. 2023 17. 07. - 21. 07. 2023 24. 07. - 28. 07. 2023 31. 07. - 04. 08. 2023 09. 08. - 13. 08. 2023 14. 08. - 18. 08. 2023 21. 08. - 25. 08. 2023 28. 08. - 01. 09. 2023 04. 09. - 08. 09. 2023 11. 09. - 15. 09. 2023 17. 09. - 21. 09. 2023 request custom tour dates, if neither of dates above fits:.

This tour can be organized also privately for any group of hikers outside of the dates listed above. In this case, the itinerary can be adjusted according to your wishes and group size limitation doesn’t apply. However, there are two differences compared to the tour described here.

1. The route on day 4  – the alternative route through Lagem pass is still little-known and in Svaneti, there are very few guides familiar with it. Therefore, on custom dates, we usually offer classic Mestia – Ushguli route with sleepover in Iprali. Of course, if yoiu are interested in Lagem pass variant, len us know and we will do our best.

2. The transport of luggage  – in case of a small group, the costs of a car and driver for 5 days can greatly increase the costs per participant. Therefore, in a default offer for a custom dates, we don´t include the luggage transport into the price calculations unless client specifically request so. Hikers usually don’t need it anyway – if they have heavy stuff, they leave it in Mestia and then hike only with a daypack.

SVANETI TREKKING TOUR DIFFICULTY:

This is a trek of a moderate difficulty. The basic Mestia – Ushguli trek is not hard but we will use a more scenic (and difficult) alternative. Therefore, you need to be fit and used to hiking – you should be able to walk 6-7 hours a day for a several days.

On some days, you will have to cover significant elevation difference, like 1000m up and down – nothing a fit tourist wouldn’t handle, but someone without training might struggle. You also should be used to some steep uphill walking and have good hiking shoes. If you are not sure if this trek is for you, please contact us and we will try to find out 🙂

• Departure MESTIA

From Our Gallery

Photo Highlight of the trip is beautiful Chkhutnieri glacier as well as Ushguli and Adishi villages.

Day 1 - From Mestia to Zhabeshi

First day of the trek mostly follows the dirt track which snakes through the pastures and slowly climbs onto forested Chkhuti ridge. Then it descends into Mulkhura valley, passes several beautiful villages, crosses the river and ends in Zhabeshi. Night at the Zhabeshi guesthouse.

Day 2 - From Zhabeshi to Adishi

Before noon, steep climb towards the Tetnuldi resort. Then, a walk through the alpine pastures will take you to the Adishi village, hidden at the bottom of Adischala valley.

Day 3 - From Adishi to Khalde

Trek deeper into the valley, towards Adishi glacier. Crossing of Adischala river with the assinsance of a horse and climb towards Chkhunderi pass (2600m). Descent to Khaldechala valley. Night at the Khalde guesthouse.

Day 4 - From Khalde to Ushguli

Today, we will be joined one more guide and our group splits into two - it will be up to you which route you would like to take. If you are up for a challenge, you will cross Khaldechala river and climb Lagem pass. From here, you will enjoy great views of Mt. Shkhara, the highest Georgian mountain. Then you will descend to the Inguri valley and reach Ushguli. Night at the Ushguli guesthouse.

If you want to take it easy, you can also follow the classic route to Ushguli which follows the Enguri river. Both groups will rejoin in the afternoon at Ushguli, where you will explore the village and then have dinner at cozy local guesthouse.

Day 5 - Trip to Svaneti range

After breakfast, you will get an opportunity to climb one of viewpoints around the village. The most popular trail heads south, towards the Gorvashi pass, but there will be also an option to climb Chubedishi viewpoint northeast of the village. From here, you can enjoy the wonderful mountain panorama of the Greater Caucasus. After a short hike on the ridge, return to Ushguli.

Alternatively, since this is a roundtrip, this walk is not mandatory and you can also make your own program. For example, if you are interested in horse trip to Shkhara glacier or Zagar pass, our guide will help you to find providers of the service and negotiate it. Or you can just stay chilling in the village if you are really tired after previous four days. Either way, you will meet all again around 3 pm and be transported back to Mestia.

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Number of People

Choose tour date 26. 06. - 30. 06. 2023 03. 07. - 07. 07. 2023 10. 07. - 14. 07. 2023 17. 07. - 21. 07. 2023 24. 07. - 28. 07. 2023 31. 07. - 04. 08. 2023 09. 08. - 13. 08. 2023 14. 08. - 18. 08. 2023 21. 08. - 25. 08. 2023 28. 08. - 01. 09. 2023 04. 09. - 08. 09. 2023 11. 09. - 15. 09. 2023 17. 09. - 21. 09. 2023 Request Custom Tour Dates

Group tours and hikes in Georgia and Armenia

Svaneti Hiking Adventure (Guli Pass, Mazeri to Etseri, Shdugra Waterfall)

Duration :   4 days 3 nights.

Try our Svaneti hiking adventure. Stunning views of the Greater Caucasus guaranteed.

Seasons: June, July, August, September, October Duration: 4 days/3 nights Driving distance:  800 km Trip difficulty: Moderate; it’s a perfect tour for advanced hikers with experience in long-distance hikes at high altitude. Accommodation: shared twin/double rooms in local guesthouses

Trail parameters:

Hike at Guli Pass – 16 km / 5 hrs / moderate level / min. elevation 2400 m.a.s.l./ max. elevation 2944 m.a.s.l. Shdugra waterfall – 6 km / 4 hrs / moderate level / min. elevation 1600 m.a.s.l./ max. elevation 2100 m.a.s.l. Mazeri to Etseri – 18 km / 6 hrs / moderate level / min. elevation 1500 m.a.s.l./ max. elevation 2400 m.a.s.l.

Day 1 Tbilisi – Zugdidi – Enguri Dam – Mestia Early in the morning, we will depart Tbilisi and head to Svaneti. On the way, we will stop to visit the beautiful Dadiani Palace and Enguri Dam, one of the largest construction of this type in the World. Upon arrival in Mestia, we will visit the Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography and the Mikhail Khergiani House Museum. In the evening, we will watch a critically-acclaimed movie, “Dede,” in a local café. Overnight in Mestia.

Day 2 Mestia – Koruldi Lakes – Guli Pass – Mazeri village In the morning, we will drive along a stunning mountain road to the famous Koruldi Lakes at 2740 m.a.s.l. Once we stop admiring the lakes, we will head to the beginning of today’s hike. Our trail will take us up the Guli Pass (2944 m.a.s.l.) Expect unforgettable views that will make every drop of sweat worthwhile. From the pass, we will descend to the picturesque Mazeri village. Dinner and overnight in Mazeri.

Day 3 Mazeri village – Mezir lake – Etseri village We will depart Mazeri and hike through forests and alpine meadows to the picturesque Mezir Lake. On the way, we will see a charming medieval Church of the Meziri Archangels standing 2285 m.a.s.l. In good weather, from the church, you can enjoy beautiful views of Ushba, Tetnuldi, and Laila. Eventually, we will reach the Beki Pass and descend towards Etseri village. In Etseri, we will meet our drivers and head to our guesthouse. Dinner and overnight in Mazeri.

Day 4 Mazeri village – Shdugra waterfall – Tbilisi After breakfast, we will hike to Shdugra – the tallest (160 m!) waterfall in Georgia. On the way, we will enjoy a beautiful pine forest, views of Mount Ushba, and a spectacular river gorge. Around mid-day, we will head back to Tbilisi. The road will be long, so we will make sure to stop on the way. Return to Tbilisi at night. The end of the tour.

Inclusions:

• Transfers, including 4WD to Koruldi Lakes
• Sightseeing/hiking itinerary with an English-speaking guide
• Accommodation in shared twin/ doubd rooms in a local guesthouse (please contact us for other room arrangment options)
• Breakfast on Days 2, 3, 4
• Dinner on Day 2 and Day 3

Note: Please check Terms and Conditions for our cancellation and insurance policy.

All activities, dates, accommodation, etc. can be trimmed to your needs.

• Museum visit

Got a Question?

• Closer to the tour departure date you will receive an email with trip updates. Meanwhile, feel free to E-mail or WhatApp us:
• +955 599 80 39 35 for English or Polish and +955 577 68 79 65 for English or Georgian
• [email protected]

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The Complete Svaneti Georgia Travel Guide – 21 Things to do in the Wild Heart of the Caucasus Mountains

Here’s the complete traveler’s guide to Svaneti, one of Georgia’s most beautiful regions. In this guide, you will find a detailed explanation about how to get to Svaneti Georgia, the top things to do and see in the wild heart of the Caucasus, how to get around, and an insight into the unique Svanetian culture, history, and cuisine!

Georgia is located in the Caucasus region, at the crossroad between Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Even though it’s a tiny country, it has a unique diversity in landscapes, nature, culture, traditions, and folklore.

Georgia is famous for its oldest wine and honey-making traditions, it has one of the oldest languages still spoken and a unique alphabet, and it’s home to Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited villages.

The ancient mountain regions in Georgia, such as Khevsureti, Tusheti and Svaneti, have best preserved Georgia’s culture, customs and art. Among all those, the region of Svaneti was best spared from the destruction of invaders thanks to its remote location.

Discover Georgia’s Highlights or go on a unique Georgia Trekking Adventure to Tusheti , Racha , Vardzia , Katskhi and Chiatura on one of my Georgia Adventure Tours !

Svaneti is a paradise for lovers of ancient culture and history, folklore, food, nature and adventure. The entire region of Svaneti is almost like an open-air museum for visitors.

I’ve visited Svaneti twice now and I keep loving it. Although some things have changed since my first visit in 2016 as it became more touristic, I still love the energy of this remote region in Georgia.

This travel guide will help you plan your trip to Svaneti Georgia so you can get the most out of your visit. You’ll find out how to get to Svaneti by public transport, where to stay, and what you can do in this region, including an overview of the best day hikes and places to visit in the region.

Disclaimer: This posts might contain affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. Thank you for helping to support this website!

Plan your trip to Georgia

• 19 important things to know before traveling to Georgia
• 15 Best Places to visit in Georgia
• 3 Fantastic Georgia Travel Itineraries
• Tours & Experiences: Adventure Tours in Georgia – Georgia City Tours
• Rent a car in Georgia
• Travel insurance for Georgia
• Book your stay in Georgia

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Where is Svaneti Georgia

Svaneti is located in northwestern Georgia, locked in the heart of the Caucasus mountains and surrounded by mountain peaks from 3000 to 5000 meters high. It’s where you can find the highest mountain in Georgia, Mount Shkhara, standing high and mighty at 5,201 meters altitude.

Svaneti is one of the highest inhabited areas in the Caucasus and is home to the Svans, also known as the bravest of the Georgian people as they’re historically famous for being exceptionally fearless warriors and people of honor, pride, and traditions.

The Svaneti region consists of Lower and Upper Svaneti. Small villages are scattered on the snow-covered mountain slopes and surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of alpine meadows.

Walking around in the picturesque villages, which are dominated by tower-houses, gives you the feeling that you are thrown back in time into the European Middle Ages.

Upper Svaneti, which has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list since 1996, is one huge open-air museum, “whereas the tourists who come here resemble Hollywood comedy characters, around whom the exhibits come to life” states Alex Chigvinadze in his article on Svaneti .

The administrative center of Svaneti is Mestia, a highland town with a population of fewer than 2000 people. It’s located at an altitude of 1500 meters and 670 km from Tbilisi , the capital of Georgia. 

Reading Tip: The 15 most beautiful places to visit in Georgia

2. An insight into the interesting history and culture of Svaneti

No ruler was able to tame the ancient land of svaneti and its people.

Svaneti is known for its old history. According to several historical sources, the Svans have been living in this area since at least the 3rd millennium BC. They were known as fierce highland warriors and gatekeepers of the mountain passes. Their inflatable war banner was named Lemi (Lion).

Svaneti survived the waves of invasions and battles between the Ottoman Turks and Persians for centuries thanks to its remote location. The marauding Mongols were never even able to reach the region and, for a time, Svaneti became a cultural safe house.

This is why the finest Georgian churches, icons, and works of art can be found in Svaneti. The Svans protected them fiercely and a thief would get the death penalty.

It’s only since the mid-2000’s that Svaneti became accessible to tourists.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, some villages were completely abandoned and the area was feared as outlaw territory where bandits and criminal gangs took refuge.

Nowadays it’s completely safe to visit Svaneti. The Svans might only show their fierce nature if you would refuse their hospitality with the typical Georgian tradition of offering you a glass of home-made wine or chacha (a very strong spirit drink) and a large meal of the provincial cuisine (bread, cheese, stewed beef and more cheese).

Meet the Svans, brave highland warriors who practiced blood law.

Known as the bravest Georgians, the Svans were exceptionally fearless warriors, mountain people who preserved the oldest Georgian traditions, customs, folklore, and art with their own blood and sweat (no tears, as they were tough). 

They were tough survivors who were able to withstand long harsh winters and defend themselves against the invasions of foreign empires and other Caucasian tribes. They’re not the type of people you want to get into a fight with!

The Svans were ruled by a king and a council of 300 elders, capable of fielding an army of 200,000 men. They have always been a pillar of the land of Georgia, sharing the fate of the country and distinguished by their boundless devotion to their motherland.

The Svans and its nobles played a special role in the history of Georgia, especially during the Golden Era (the reign of David the Builder and King Tamar during the 11th and 12th centuries AC).

They are people of honor and pride and they still have the tradition of making a vow on an Icon. If a Svan swears to God or a Saint and makes a vow, he/she would rather give his/her life than break the promise. 

The Svans were also known for their blood feuds, the “Svanetian Vendetta”. These feuds were strictly regulated by the local rules which nobody could disobey.

The victim’s family was obliged to give the offender(s) some time to collect himself and decide his future actions. Only after 2 to 3 months, the family could meet the offender to ask if he felt guilty and if he was ready to leave the community.

If the offender refused to leave, there was no mercy and his punishment would be death. I’m mentioning “he” as women would never be a victim of a blood feud.

Before the actual revenge would take place, the ruler of the village or community would serve as a mediator between the parties. He would do all within his power to negotiate and convince the feuded families to reconcile. That’s why a blood feud could sometimes last 20 to 30 years.

The historical purpose of the Svan Towers

The Svans traditionally lived in tightly clustered mountain villages and each household was a fortress.

The villages were too scattered to be encircled with a protective wall so each individual house built a stone tower – called koshki – that offered protection to the family and their livestock during natural disasters, attacks, and blood feuds.

The Svan towers also served as shelters for the most valuable possessions of every family and were a metric for measuring the influence and wealth of the family. The higher the tower and the better view, the more powerful and wealthy the family was. 

Nowadays these towers don’t really have a purpose anymore. Some remain open for tourists to visit and a local I spoke with, joked that the only use of the towers nowadays is for spying on the neighbors.

Svanuri, An endangered language

Because of their geographical isolation, the Svans have their own unwritten language called Svan, an ancient language that belongs to the Georgian (Kartveluri) language family, together with the Megruli and Lazuri languages.

The Svan language retained many archaic features of the ancient Georgian language, sounds, postpositions, verb forms and other language patterns that are now lost in modern Georgian.

Unfortunately, fewer people from the younger generation show interest in the archaic language that worries the older generation. That’s why UNESCO designated Svan as an endangered language .

will the wild heart of the Caucasus finally be tamed?

For a long time, the villages in Svaneti stayed preserved from today’s fast-changing world. The people were self-sufficient and lived in harmony with nature.

Some of the villages, like Ushguli – which is, by the way, one of the highest and most remote villages of Europe (2200m above sea level), were completely closed off from the rest of the world during the long and harsh winters.

The medieval and remote times of Svaneti are now slowly coming to an end. Svaneti has seen more changes in the last decade than in a whole millennium.

The rough and bumpy roads that link the villages of Svaneti are getting paved, even all the way to Ushguli. There is now even an airport terminal that offers daily flights from and to Tbilisi.

Guest houses and hyper-modern government buildings are popping up like weeds, especially in Mestia.

It’s quite ironic that the stone towers which were used to keep outsiders at a distance are now attracting tourists from all over the world.

While these changes might be unsettling for some, the Svans are hopeful. Years ago, the younger Svan generation had to leave their home in search of work in the big cities of Georgia.

Now that number of tourists is growing, the number of youngsters returning to the Svanetian highlands is growing as well, now that there are jobs and more opportunities for them. So maybe it isn’t such a bad thing that the wild heart of the Caucasus is getting tamed instead of becoming lost?

3. When is the best time to visit Svaneti Georgia

Svaneti is spectacular at any time of the year and can be visited all year round, depending on what you like to do there.

The most popular time to visit Svaneti is summer, between the months of June and September, as it’s the warmest time and ideal for camping and going on hikes. Due to its altitude, you should still bring some warm clothes as the nights in Mestia can be quite chilly, even in the month of August.

Spring (May/early June) is also a beautiful time as the trees are blooming and the alpine meadows are covered in flowers, just like Autumn (late September/October) when the color of the leaves are changing.

Spring and autumn would actually be the best time to visit if you don’t mind the gray weather at times, as it’s low season so you’ll be able to enjoy the lowest prices and have most of the sites for yourself.

You might not be able to go on multiple-day treks but both seasons are a good time to chill, enjoy the landscapes and the delicious amazing Svanetian cuisine, visit museums and get familiar with the daily life of the locals.

Svaneti is becoming a popular winter sports destination so if you want to go skiing or snowboarding, you should go between the months of December to March. And imagine how beautiful the Svan towers will look when they’re covered in snow!

Reading Tip: Skiing in Georgia: The Complete Guide to all the best ski resorts in Georgia

4. How to get to Svaneti (Mestia)

The road to Mestia is well-paved and accessible all year. Once in a while, the road can be blocked by a landslide but it’s rare and the Roads Department of Georgia reacts in a timely manner. You can always check the road conditions here .

4.1 How to get from Tbilisi to Mestia by plane

The fastest way to get from Tbilisi to Mestia is by plane (45 minutes). Flights leave from Natakhtari, a 20-minute drive from Tbilisi, and operate every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Tickets can be booked 3 months in advance and it costs 90 Gel (about 30 USD) for a one-way ticket from Natakhtari (Tbilisi) to Mestia. You can book your tickets here . The plane is small so tickets sell quickly.

There are also flights available from Kutaisi and Batumi.

Keep in mind that the flight can be delayed or canceled due to weather conditions, so it’s always good to have a Plan B.

4.2 How to get from Tbilisi to Svaneti (Mestia) by minibus

You can travel by marshrutka (a minibus with up to 20 seats) from Tbilisi straight to Mestia.

The marshrutka from Tbilisi to Mestia leaves daily at 7 am from Samgori Bus Station and Station Square and costs 40 Gel per person.

The trip takes 8 to 10 hours so give it a full day as the road is long and tiring. The driver usually makes a few stops along the way, one on the Rikoti pass for snacks and a toilet break, one in Zugdidi to get more passengers if needed, and the last one between Zugdidi and Mestia.

4.3 How to get from Tbilisi to Mestia by train

You can also take the train from Tbilisi to Zugdidi and catch a marshrutka from there to Mestia.

The train departs from Tbilisi at 8.30 am and arrives in Zugdidi at 14.35. The travel time from Zugdidi to Mestia by mashrutka takes another 3,5 hours (see below 4.4 How to get from Zugdidi to Mestia).

There’s also a night train from Tbilisi to Zugdidi during the high season (summer).

You can check the train schedule and buy tickets online as the schedule tends to change during summer and winter times.

4.4 How to get from Zugdidi to Mestia

In the high season, there are multiple marshrutkas waiting for passengers at the train station in Zugdidi to drive to Mestia, so most likely you won’t have to go to the bus station.

If you are traveling during the winter months, head to the only Svan tower in Zugdidi, which is visible from nearly every spot in the town. There you will find a marshrutka to Mestia which, according to the driver, starts getting filled from 10 am and leaves at about 12.00. 

During summer there’s also a marshrutka from Zugdidi to Mestia at 4 pm.

It takes 3.30 hours to get from Zugdidi to Mestia by minibus and a ticket costs 25 Gel.

 Tip : The exact time of the departure can vary depending on the demand\number of passengers. And if there aren’t enough people, the car won’t go. This is why it is really important to be in touch with a driver. Mevludi Margvelani (+995 599228550) is one of the drivers and speaks Georgian and Russian. He’s happy to answer your questions regarding traveling to Mestia from Zugdidi.

If you have time and can afford a one-night stay in Zugdidi, then half a day is just enough to:

• explore Dadiani palace , the only royal palace  preserved in Georgia,
• pay a visit to Zugdidi Botanical Garden and pamper yourself with one of the richest and most delicious  Megrelian cuisines
• walk around the local bazaar and see the beautiful and photogenic faces of the locals.

4.5 How to get from Kutaisi to Mestia

Marshrutkas from Kutaisi to Mestia leave daily at 8 am from the bus stop next to the McDonalds . A ticket costs 30 Gel and it takes around 5 hours to get from Kutaisi to Mestia.

4.6 How to get from Batumi to Mestia

There are direct marshrutkas from the bus station in Batumi to Mestia from June to mid or late September. They leave daily at 9 am and a ticket costs 35 Gel. The journey takes around 6 hours.

During the low season, you’ll first have to travel from the bus station in Batumi to Zugdidi and catch the marshrutka to Mestia from there (see above 4.4 How to get from Zugdidi to Mestia).

The Batumi-Zugdidi marshrutkas leave from 9 am to 6 pm, potentially every hour but the frequency depends on the number of passengers. A ticket from Batumi to Zugdidi costs 15 Gel and the journey takes around 2.30 hours.

5. How to get from Svaneti (Mestia) to Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Zugdidi

Mestia has its own little central bus station (it’s more of a bus stop) from where you can take a mashrutka to Tbilisi, Kutaisi or Zugdidi.

Tickets can be bought at the ticket office near the bus stop :

• From Mestia to Tbilisi: 8.00 am – 40 Gel 
• From Mestia to Kutaisi: 8.00 am – 30 Gel
• From Mestia to Zugdidi: 8.00 am – 25 Gel 

6. Visit Svaneti Georgia: a few things to know before you go

6.1 is svaneti safe.

While there used to be a time when traveling to Svaneti was dangerous for outsiders, it is nowadays very safe to visit Svaneti!

The Svan people are warm, kind, and hospitable. They are mountain people who survived living in harsh conditions. Some can be more conservative than f.eg. the people living in Tbilisi , but this is how they preserved their unique culture and traditions for centuries.

Did you know that some of the folk songs they still sing date back 5000 years? They have huge respect for their customs and traditions.

The Svan, and Georgians in general, have the tendency to offer you more than what you’re asking. It’s a local custom, and it doesn’t mean you can’t say no. Some foreigners find it hard to say no to more hospitality, more food, and especially more drinks… Don’t feel awkward to kindly refuse another refill.

Reading Tip: Oh Georgia, sweet mother of wine!

You also don’t have to worry about thieves or walking the streets alone at night.

The only thing I would urge you to be careful about is when you want to go hiking alone in the mountains. Mountainous areas are treacherous and you shouldn’t wander off by yourself. Look for a hiking buddy at your guesthouse or hotel and always let your host know about your plans!

6.2 In case of emergency

Mestia has its own police station and a small but modern hospital. In case of emergency, you can call 122, it’s the Georgian version of 911. Choose the English language and the operator will give you further assistance.

There are also a couple of pharmacies in Mestia that are usually open between 9 am and 9 pm (working hours depend on the season).

Reading Tip: What is the best budget-friendly travel insurance for backpackers? The 3 Best Travel Insurance Companies compared

6.3 Internet in Svaneti

The internet coverage is surprisingly good in Svaneti. Free Wi-fi is offered in hotels and guesthouses but it can be slow at times.

If you need internet when visiting Svaneti, I recommend purchasing a Georgian sim card beforehand. You can buy a sim card at the airport on arrival. Magti and Geocel (Silknet) have the best coverage.

Read more about buying a sim card and other practical travel tips for Georgia in 1 9 useful things to know before traveling to Georgia

6.4 Organizing money in Svaneti

There are several ATMs on Seti Square in Mestia where you can withdraw money. You can also exchange money at the Liberty bank branch on Tamar Mepe Street.

You can pay by card at bigger restaurants and hotels, but if their POS terminal is broken, Mestia is too far away from every other city to be quickly replaced.

It’s in general highly recommended to bring cash when traveling to Svaneti, especially when visiting the small villages where there are no banks or ATMs.

6.5 Gas stations in Svaneti

If you’re renting a car in Georgia or traveling with your own vehicle, there is a gas station in Mestia selling petrol and Diesel. The quality of the fuel isn’t the best but it will get your vehicle moving.

7. Top Things to do in Svaneti

7.1 5 great hikes and treks in svaneti.

There are a large number of hiking and trekking options available in Svaneti. There are plenty of day hikes but also multiple-day treks up to 10 days long.

1) Mestia to Ushguli Trek

The hike from Mestia to Ushguli is the most famous trek and it’s a relatively easy route that you can cover in 2 to 4 days. The trail is about 60 km long with a minimum elevation of 1411 meters and a maximum elevation of 2737 meters.

You can either camp or stay in guesthouses on the way. Typically, the village of Jabeshi is the first stop, and the next day people aim to get from Jabeshi to Adishi. The third stop would be Iprali village in the Kala community and the last stop is Ushguli, from where you can hike to Shkhara glacier.

The best time for hiking from Mestia to Ushguli is from the beginning of June till late October.

Read the full description and itinerary of this hike here .

2) Day hike from Mestia to the Koruldi Lakes

The hike to the Koruldi lakes from Mestia and back takes around 7 hours and covers a 20 km distance. The trail is moderate, although the first part can be challenging for some. The elevation change is 1400m up and down.

The lakes themselves are pretty tiny and can get even smaller during a hot summer, but the landscapes and views won’t leave you disappointed.

Most of the distance can also be covered by car. Renting a car/driver can cost anything between 80 to 150 Gel. You can always negotiate on price.

Read a full description of the trail to the Koruldi Lakes here .

3) HALF-DAY HIKE FROM MESTIA TO CHALAADI GLACIER

The Chalaadi Glacier is the easiest glacier to visit in Svaneti. You can start the hike to Chalaadi Glacier from Mestia or cover the first part of the route – which is along a dusty road – by car/ taxi/hitchhiking.

If you start hiking from Mestia, you’ll need about 6 hours to get to the glacier and back. If you’re covering the first part by car and start the trail at the hanging bridge, you’ll need about 3 hours for a round-trip.

The trail is easy and indicated on maps.me . Be careful at the glacier as there might be falling rocks that have already injured (and killed) hikers in the past.

4) Day hike from Mazeri to Shdugra Waterfall

The Shdugra waterfall, located 20 km from Mestia at the end of the Shikhra valley in the Becho community, is a wonderful destination for a day hike.

The trail starts in the Shikhra valley at the Travelers Café. It’s best to arrange a taxi from Mestia to the village of Mazeri to get to the trailhead.

The distance of this hike is 7km one-way with a minimum elevation of 1600 meters and a maximum elevation of 2200 meters. You can find the trail on Maps.me .

If you are a hardcore hiker, you can carry on from the Shdugra waterfall to the Ushba glacier, which is one of the hardest treks in Svaneti. A steep 500 meters elevation on a very rocky trail offers amazing views of the Ushba, Shkhelda, Mazeri and Svaneti mountain range.

For your own safety, please consider this trail only in good weather conditions. Read more about this trek here .

5) Day hike from Ushguli to Shkhara Glacier

The Shkhara Glacier is a popular and easy day hike that starts in Ushguli village. It takes about 5 hours to hike to the glacier and back with a minimum elevation of 2122 meters and a maximum elevation of 2430 meters.

The majority of the trail is a dirt road but the views of the glacier and surrounding landscapes are worth it!

You can find the map and a detailed description of the hike here .

6) other hiking and trekking options in Svaneti

There are of course many more beautiful day hikes and multiple-day treks in Svaneti. A great resource for hiking in Svaneti – and hiking in Georgia in general – is Caucasus Trekking . Here’s his detailed overview of all the hikes and treks in Svaneti.

You can also opt for a guided multiple-day trekking tour in Svaneti. The following trekking tours include the best hikes and treks in Svaneti:

Reading Tip: 7 beautiful off-the-beaten-path hikes in Georgia

7.2 7 Best things to do in Mestia

Mestia is a townlet and the administrative center of Svaneti.

It consists of an old part where you’ll find the famous Svan towers and 4 museums and a modern center with a theater, small cute cafes and restaurants, a small lovely park next to the noteworthy police station, small shops, pharmacies and the tourist information center where you can buy maps of the region.

1) Walk around Mestia

It’s a cliché but the best way to visit Mestia is just to walk around the townlet. It’s small so you can easily get everywhere on foot. During the two times I visited Mestia, I always enjoyed walking on the cobbled streets in the old part of the townlet.

This is where you’ll be able to visit the ancient houses with the Svan towers and imagine how the people used to live here not so long ago. Just be aware that the hills in the village are quite steep to hike up.

I’d also recommend walking around the townlet at night to admire the illuminated Svan towers.

2) Visit the MArghiani House Museum

The Marghiani House Museum in Lanchvali Street is run by Svetlana and Murad Marghiani. It’s a Svan tower house that belongs to the family and has preserved the environment in which the Svans used to live for many centuries until the 1950s.

You can climb to the top of the tower (be careful on the dodgy wooden stairs) and see spectacular views over Mestia.

You can visit the museum from Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Monday) from 10 am until 6 pm. It’s a family-run museum so in case it’s closed, you can call the host (+991579805599). The entrance fee is 10 Gel.

3) Learn more about Svaneti in the Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography

This museum was founded in 1939 and renewed in 2013. It has 6 permanent exposition halls.

Some halls are dedicated to Christian treasures, where visitors have the opportunity to see IX-XVIII century masterpieces of world importance such as the Icon of the Forty Sebastian Martyrs, the Embroidered Byzantine Icon, the Venetian Cross, a jug donated by Queen Tamar, the earliest remaining sample of the illustrated manuscript of the Adishi Gospels (897), etc.

The last exhibition hall in the museum is dedicated to the exponents of Georgian Ethnography.

The Svaneti Museum is op from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm and the entrance fee is 10 Gel.

4) Visit the Mikheil Khergiani Home Museum

This home museum is dedicated to the legendary Georgian alpinist Mikheil Khergiani (1932-1969).

Mikhail climbed numerous peaks in the mountains of the Caucasus, Pamir, Tien-Shan, and the Alps where he died at the age of 39.

You can visit the museum daily, except on Mondays, from 10 am to 6 pm. The entrance fee is 3 Gel.

5) Watch The Movie Dede at Dede Pub and Cinema

Mestia has one cinema and it plays one movie: Dede . This award-winning movie is set in the mountains of Svaneti during the early 90s and it tells the story of a woman who struggles with the local traditions and her search for happiness.

Mariam Khatchvani, the film director and screenwriter, was born and raised in Ushguli. Almost all the roles are played by local people who didn’t have previous acting experience. It’s a must-watch!

6) Enjoy the panoramic view on the observation deck near Mestia Cross

When you arrive in Mestia, you might spot the small cross high up the hill overlooking the townlet. There’s an observation deck near this cross that gives you a fantastic panoramic view of Mestia and the surrounding area.

However, getting to this observation deck isn’t a walk in the park. The hike up is steep (ascending 700 meters over a distance of 1,4 km…) and the trail isn’t the most pleasant one. But once you’re up there, the views make the effort worth it!

If you still have energy left, you can continue hiking toward the Koruldi lakes (see 6.1 Best day hikes in Svaneti).

You can also skip the hiking part and get to the cross and observation deck if you have a car or by taxi.

7)Take the cable car to Hatsvali

Hatsvali is becoming a popular ski resort in winter but it’s also a beautiful place to visit during spring, summer, and autumn.

You can take the chair lift, which is open all year round, to the observation deck at Hatsvali and have a coffee or a meal at restaurant Zuruldi – the highest restaurant in Georgia at 2340 meters altitude – while enjoying the panoramic views. On a clear day, you even get to see Mount Ushba.

You can hike (about 15 minutes), drive, or take a taxi from Mestia to the lower station of the cable car. The cable car consists of 2 lifts and it costs 15 Gel to get all the way to the top. Once you’re at the top, you can hike to the Zuruldi Ridge (read the trail description here ).

2022 Update: When I was in Mestia in May 2022, the cable car was closed for construction. There is currently no info on when it will open again.

7.3 5 Best things to do in Ushguli Village

Ushguli is a remote community that consists of four small villages tucked away in the Caucasus mountains. It’s famous for its Svan towers, cobbled streets and beautiful landscapes and, in my opinion, one of the highlights of Svaneti.

There used to be 300 Svan towers in Ushguli but nowadays only 30 remain fully intact. This is still the highest concentration of towers in the region.

Ushguli used to be the highest continuously inhabited settlement in Europe but Bochorna in Tusheti took this title in 2014.

How to get from Mestia to UShguli

There is no public transport within Svaneti and locals rely heavily on their private cars to get around.

There is only 1 marshrutka between Mestia and Ushguli that operates once a week and even that one is not certain, it always depends on the road conditions, especially in winter.

So unless you travel by car, whether a rental one or your own, you will have to book your transportation with a local driver.

Also, keep in mind that you need a 4×4 to get from Mestia to Ushguli. The road is mainly paved except for the last 10 kilometers. I tried to get there in May 2022 with a normal car and got stuck. So as long as the road isn’t been fully paved yet, you’ll need a 4×4 vehicle to get to Ushguli.

You can also hike from Mestia to Ushguli as mentioned above in 6.1 Best hikes in Svaneti.

Almost every family in Mestia has a 4×4 car and offers transportation. The best way is to talk to your host at the hotel or guesthouse, as they usually offer the service too.

The average price for transport with a 4×4 Delica is 250 Gel (about 85 USD) and the car accommodates 4 to 6 people.

If you want to explore other villages such as Adishi on the way to Ushguli, it will be an extra 20 to 40 USD, depending on the location.

If you travel alone, try to find other travelers to share the ride with. Solo travelers or couples are often looking for more people to fill the car so be open to asking around as someone might be looking for you too.

Another option is to book a guided tour to Ushguli. The advantage of booking such tour is that transportation is included and you get to visit all the places of interest in and around Ushguli with a knowledgeable guide who’ll share lots of interesting info and stories.

1) Visit the Love Tower near Kala, on the way from Mestia to Ushguli

To be honest, the first time I saw this tower, I didn’t really know what the fuss was about. I saw groups of tourists stopping at an old tower near the river but it wasn’t such a spectacular sight. Only afterward did I learn why this tower is so popular.

I have heard many different versions of this legend, but all of them have this in common:

A young Svan woman falls in love with a young man. In some legends, the man goes missing, in other legends, the man dies tragically. The woman leaves her house and resides near the river, at the place where she and her lover used to meet.

The father or brother (depending on the legend) of the woman builds the tower for her there and the woman spends the rest of her life inside the tower, reminiscing about her lost love (in the legends where he died) or hoping to see her lover back one day.

2) Walk around Ushguli

The highlight of visiting Ushguli would definitely be walking around the villages. While the majority of the houses are being converted into homestays and guesthouses, you’ll still get an impression of the remote lifestyle in this region, even more so than in Mestia.

Some villagers will pass you on horseback while pigs, cows and dogs walk alongside you on the cobbled streets.

The villages aren’t that big so if you’re visiting Ushguli on a day trip from Mestia, you’ll only need a couple of hours to walk around and get a real sense of the place.

3)Visit the ethnographic museum

Ushguli’s ethnographic museum is located in a 12th-century house, one of the oldest standing in Ushguli, and it displays items and devices from the past centuries. A visit to this museum will help you imagine and understand what life in Ushguli used to be like.

The owner of the house is an archaeologist who was born there and he’ll guide you around the museum, explaining the interesting history of Ushguli.

4) Visit Lamaria Church

The Lamaria Church, also known as the Ushguli Church of the Mother of God, is one of the most important and highly cultural-historical monuments of Svaneti.

Lamaria, built around the 9th or 10th century, is dedicated to the Dormition of Mother Mary. The church is still functional and houses a collection of various historical church items.

5) Hike up to Tamar’s Castle

According to legends, King Tamar- the first female king of Georgia – used to be so fond of Svaneti that she built a summer residence in Ushguli in the form of a castle (she was a king after all…).

There’s not much left of this castle except for a lonely ruined tower standing on a hill about 200 meters above Ushguli. It’s a nice and relatively easy walk to get up there (4 km roundtrip, total climb of 230 meters) and when you see the nice panoramic view, you’ll understand why King Tamar wanted to build her castle there.

Reading Tip: Learn more about the important role King Tamar played in Georgian history in Vardzia, Georgia’s a n c i e n t c a v e c i t y .

7.4 4 More things to do in Svaneti

1) go paragliding in svaneti.

Svaneti is a beautiful region to go on a paragliding adventure! Imagine how it will feel to fly like a bird over the stunning Caucasian mountains!

You can book a duo flight with one of the instructors at Highlander Travel . If you’re an experienced pilot, you can book a trip with XC Georgia.

2) Go on a horseriding trip in Svaneti

While the region is more popular for trekking, it’s also possible to visit the highlights in Svaneti on horseback.

Svaneti Spirit offers day trips and multi-day horseriding tours from Svaneti to several beautiful locations. You can check out the options and horse riding itineraries here .

3)visit the small villages in Svaneti

Mestia and Ushguli are the most popular places to visit in Svaneti but if you want to go off the beaten path and get a more authentic experience, you can visit the other villages in Upper Svaneti, like Adishi, Iprari, Tsvirmi, Leli, Mazeri, etc.

If you have your own car or a rental one (4×4) , you can easily visit these villages independently. You can also hire a car with driver for the day at one of the transport companies in Mestia (or ask at your guesthouse/ hotel for options).

4) Skiing in Svaneti

Svaneti has two ski resorts but, in its current state, skiing in Svaneti is better suited for intermediate to expert skiers, as decent English-speaking instructors are hard to find and beginners’ areas are not well developed.

The Hatsvali Ski Resort is about 8 km from Mestia and it’s pretty easy to drive up or take a taxi in the center of Mestia to the ski lifts.

Hatsvali has 5 ski tracks and the overall length is 7 km. The longest descent is 3 km. There are different kinds of ski tracks: from intermediate to advanced, professional skiers and extremists who will be able to get experience on the steep slopes in the woods.

Hatsvali Ski Resort sometimes sets up colorful lights at night, offering the opportunity to go night skiing. The area is covered with pine forest, decreasing the chances of avalanches and making the environment the safest and best place for freeriding.

Tetnuldi Ski Resort in Svaneti is the second largest ski resort in Georgia, after Gudauri. The maximum elevation of ski tracks is 3165 meters, and the minimum elevation is 2260 meters. Tetnuldi is about 15 km away from Mestia.

The length of the Tetnuldi ski tracks is the longest in the South Caucasus – 9,5 km – and it has the biggest vertical drop – 1,7 km. The overall length of ski tracks is 30 km. Tetnuldi ski resort has 4 ski lifts. The development of ski tracks and ski lifts is a continuous process.

The winter season is from December to April and the best time for skiing is in January and February. Tetnuldi stands out from other ski resorts because it has the longest winter season in Georgia.

Here’s an overview of the prices for skiing in Svaneti .

Aside from skiing and snowboarding, Tetnuldi also offers other kinds of winter activities such as paragliding, horse riding, heli-skiing, and ski touring.

Reading Tip: A g u i d e t o s kiing in Georgia with an overview of the best ski resorts in the country

8. Svaneti Tours

You might find it easier to visit Svaneti as part of an (adventure) tour. Lots of local travel companies organize multi-day tours to Svaneti. You’ll mainly find them in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi.

You can go to the local office and see what tours they offer or you could search online for good t o u r deals .

Below I listed 3 interesting tours to Svaneti, organized by local travel companies, that are worth checking out:

9. Where to stay in Svaneti

9.1 where to stay in mestia.

There are nowadays many guesthouses and hotels in Mestia .

The price per room in a guesthouse starts from 9 USD and goes up to 20 to 25USD. Some guesthouses serve breakfast and/or dinner for an additional $5 to $10 per person.

If guesthouses are not your cup of tea, you can find budget hotels for 30$ per night and luxurious hotels for around $ 80 to120$ a night.

If you travel with a group of friends or are planning a romantic getaway, you can rent an entire chalet in the mountains near Mestia. Starting from $90 per night you can get a cozy and comfortable hut just a couple of kilometers away from Mestia.

Here are my recommendations:

best guesthouses in Mestia (budget):

• Travel Inn House Mestia
• Eka’s Guesthouse
• Nino Ratiani’s Guesthouse

Best hotels in Mestia (from mid-range to high-end):

• Hotel Elite-House Mestia
• Hotel Old House Mestia
• Beko’s Garden Inn

Best chalets and cabins in Mestia (from mid-range to high-end) :

• Cottage Woodside
• Wooden Huts
• Winterfell Mestia

9.2 Where to stay in Ushguli

There are nowadays also many homestays and guesthouses in Ushguli. You can book a room online or arrive, wander around and inquire about prices and availability.

Prices start from $10 per person per night and most guesthouses will offer breakfast and dinner at an additional price.

Here are my top 3 recommendations for homestays and guesthouses in Ushguli:

• Nizhar a dze’s Tower
• Old Tower Ushguli

If you prefer to stay in a chalet, you can check out the prices and availability of Ushguli Cabins .

10. What and where to eat in Svaneti

10.1 top dishes to try in svaneti.

Svaneti doesn’t only have a unique history and culture, it also has a unique and outstanding cuisine! Unfortunately, many traditional Svanetian dishes are getting lost.

Here are some known Svanetian dishes that you can find all around Georgia:

• Kubdari : bread filled with beef, seasoned with salt, pepper and local herbs
• Chvishtari : cornbread with cheese
• Tashmidjabi : mashed potato with cheese

The following dishes are some rare and outstanding examples of the Svanetian cuisine that you can hardly find anywhere but in Svaneti:

• Ziskhora : blood sausage made of pork and stuffed with onions, garlic, and traditional spices. This dish was often served as food for the middle class or hard-working people as the better parts of the pig were kept for the rich and wealthy.
• Petvraali (Petvi in Georgian) : millet, the main ingredient of this dish, was widespread in Svaneti. Mixed with warm milk, freshly-made cheese, dough, and yeast and baked in the oven, this dish was very nutritious and beneficial for the health.
• Narchvi: this Svanetian cheese has been awarded the UNESCO cultural heritage status. There are only a few villages left in upper Svaneti where this rare cheese is still being made. The cheese is pressed and left in special barrels for at least 15 days and sometimes up to several months.
• Svanetian salt : salt mixed with local endemic herbs used for seasoning salads. This salt can be used with basically any dish to which you’d add salt. Buy some Svanetian salt from the locals when you’re in Svaneti!

Reading Tip: T h e 1 0 b e s t d i s h e s f r o m t h e G eorgian Cuisine that you absolutely have to try!

10.2 The best restaurants in Mestia

There are several restaurants and cafes in Mestia:

This cute cafe is located across from the main park (Seti) in the center of Mestia. It’s usually crowded during high season but the quality of food and service is excellent.

The only downside is that if it’s too busy, it can get a little noisy, so don’t expect a quiet romantic dinner but rather a party with Georgian music and dances. They often make a bonfire in the evening (during summer) and let the guests prepare their own barbeque.

• Chalet Mestia Restaurant

This restaurant, located on the main road near the police station, has a really nice atmosphere and offers typical Svan soups and dishes.

• Cafe Panorama

Cafe Panorama, located in the center of Mestia, offers a terrace with a view of the Svan Towers. It’s a great place to sit, relax and enjoy the view and Georgian cuisine.

This cafe is good if you’re on a budget. It’s the least “luxurious” among those I’ve mentioned above, but the food is delicious.

• Turkish Restaurant Ritur Georgia

It might not be your first choice, to eat Turkish food while in Georgia. During my second visit to Mestia, I was so hungry and the garden of this restaurant, located near Cinema Dede, looked so appealing that I went in and enjoyed a typical Turkish meal. The owners of the restaurant were incredibly sweet and the food was so good that I went back the day after.

• However, the best place for a delicious Georgian meal in Mestia (and in all of Svaneti) is at your guesthouse (if you’re staying in one) where your host will cook and serve you a traditional homemade meal!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this guide to Svaneti and I wish you a lovely time in one of my favorite regions in Georgia!

If you’d have more questions, please feel free to contact me or ask your question in the comments below as it might help other travelers too! You’re also always welcome to share your experiences and recommendations in the comments below!

More Georgia Travel resources

• Guide to Tbilisi , Georgia’s capital city
• Visit the 15 most beautiful and unique places in Georgia
• Plan your trip with these 3 awesome Georgia travel itineraries
• Discover the Chronicle of Georgia , Tbilisi’s hidden gem
• Guide to Batumi, Georgia’s most quirky beach city
• Hiking in Georgia: 7 beautiful off-the-beaten path hikes
• Visiting ghosts of the past in Chiatura, the cable car city of Georgia
• Visit Katskhi Pillar , the most incredible cliff church in the world
• Travel Guide to Vardzia , the ancient cave city of Georgia
• Visit Svaneti , the wild heart of Georgia
• Visit Tusheti , Georgia’s most remote region
• Visit these 10 beautiful historical places in Georgia
• Everything you need to know about skiing in Georgia
• 10 Georgian dishes you absolutely have to try
• Georgia, motherland of wine
• From Past to Present, a guide to Georgian Tea

Related posts

How to visit Tusheti National Park in 2024, Georgia’s most beautiful and remote region

Georgia Itinerary – 3 Great Travel Itineraries to see the best of Georgia (country) in 2024

How to get to the Chronicles of Georgia in Tbilisi

15 Amazing and Unique Places to Visit in Georgia

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31 thoughts on “the complete svaneti georgia travel guide – 21 things to do in the wild heart of the caucasus mountains”.

Thank you very much for this article. It helped a lot planning the trip in the Svan region. One question about the food, especially the cheese. Are they pasteurized? In fact I will be in my second trimester when I travel so I should avoid food like raw meat and unpasteurized dairy product. It would be very helpful if you have some insight on that part. Thank you!

Hi Yingzhi, firstly, congratulations with your pregnancy! Most of the fresh cheese are pasteurized but it will be good to double-check when you’re there. Have a great trip!

Hi, thanks for your write up. Just one thing I was confused about. The emergency number should be 112, not 022? Just thought thats an important thing to have correct.

Hi Chloe, thanks so much for noticing my typo!! So sorry about that; changing it right now!

Hi, i saw your YouTube About the glacier you visited with the Israelian family. I want to visit iT to. Do you remeber the name of the glacier and how to het there?

Thanks Neta

Hi Neta, the name of the glacier is Chaladi Glacier. Here’s a great article on how to hike to this glacier: https://www.caucasus-trekking.com/treks/chalaadi

Enjoy your travels in Svaneti!

Nice write up! It is a gorgeous region but seriously, like you say, it is a real tourist trap.

Some of the villages between Ushguly and Mestia have now terrace-bars with super loud music and sooooo many backpackers, like there was no place to sit. It was a lot of fun to get tipsy in the mountains but this is not what people come for when y0u visit a traditional village.

In our guest house, there were more than 12 guests and most guest houses were actually full. The owners didn’t really care about the guests but just the money… They got spoiled too quickly, much more than anywhere else I have been to. As per the photos, I can see that you came out of season, right? That’s what I would recommend to people, to come in June or September. We also took an alternative route and, for the first 2 days, we barely saw anyone.

We were there indeed during low season. I’ve heard that it’s becoming so touristic there now, very sad to hear 🙁 There are a lot of other traditional villages in Svaneti, less known than Ushguli so if you have the means to go off-the-beaten-path, you’ll probably have a better experience there. Yeah, I feel very double about the topic – the growing tourism is helping the economy but it’s also destroying the authenticity of the hospitality and the place. I just don’t understand why backpackers would go there to get drunk…

So nice article. I really relate of what you both say. I’m from the dolomites, the italian parts. My Country is living from tourism. One the one side tourism is important, on the other it can be really too much. We have Valleys with so many tourists, that I can feel anymore the Soul of this place and of this People. Everybody is working for tourists and for Money and it becames a trap. That hurts. In my experience the autenticity of the local People can only be preseverd when the locals have a good comunity life and the tourists are not more than the locals. I will come to Georgia and to Svaneti to find this. You have any Suggestion where to go and to stay?

Hi Priska, I think you can definitely relate to what’s happening in Svaneti. The growing popularity of the place is economically seen very good for the locals but at the same time, Svaneti is losing its magic. However, most people go to Mestia and Ushguli and there are still many little villages in Svaneti that aren’t so popular among tourists (yet). If you have your own car, you can easily reach them on your own. You can also choose to hike less popular treks in the mountains (this is a brilliant website for it: https://www.caucasus-trekking.com/ ). Hope this helps and feel free to let me know if you have more questions! If you like to stay in Mestia, I can recommend Jilieta (budget hostel) or Bapsha Guesthouse . Wishing you all the best!!

…when I say bump, I don’t mean literally

Beautiful photos Cynthia. Hopefully we’ll bump into you on the road somewhere and you can have a lift in Burt!

Thank you Katie! It would be great to get a ride with you! 🙂

Sounds like you had super fun there. Love the beautiful landscapes out there. We always love mountains especially the fresh air with nature all round makes it worthwhile.

The nature in this region is very pristine. If you love mountains, you will love hiking in the Caucasus!!!

Wow – what a place! The landscapes are incredible.It’s a tough one because your post has made me want to go but as you said, you don’t want to contribute to the ruination of a place. Hopefully they will be able to keep a balance as the tourist industry develops there.

It’s definitely worthwhile to visit Svaneti! We also really hope that they can find a balance. Economically it would do the region and the country well but we hope they can keep their authenticity in the midst of it all!

Love this. The landscapes are insane…with the snow capped mountains and unbelievable weather it looks like! I love how you added those huge friendly dogs. Nice to see a place where they aren’t emaciated and covered in dirt!

Thanks Tatum! Most dogs live in the streets but the people feed them and look after them. It’s indeed really nice to see that! The landscapes really took our breath away. If you love mountains and nature, you would love Svaneti (and Georgia)!

Very interesting post – I didn’t know about the bad-ass Svans and their history. I would definitely consider visiting this untamed region but, hopefully, the remaining residents will find a balance between keeping their traditions alive while adapting to more modern conveniences (such as tourism). The scenery is beautiful!

Thank you Lydia. We also hope they will find a balance. The tourism would do their financial situation well but we really hope the area will keep it’s authenticity!

I must admit that caucasus so far has not really been a place for us to seriously think about to travel to, but your post somehow really changed that. Your pics are absolutely great and give somehow a very good understanding of these places and I like the raw peacefulness in them. What really fascinates me here is the pureness of the place, something untouched. We had something similar in Iceland, even though its already super touristic. But this here seems to be very different, very special. Thank you for this inspiration, glad to have stumbled upon this. Cheers Hendrik

Thank you so much for your kind words Hendrik! This is a very special place indeed, there is something really special about the energy here. We hope that the tourism won’t spoil it, that Svaneti can keep its unique identity. We’ve never been to Iceland but we would love to go there one day! Can you see the effects of tourism there? I would definitely recommend a visit to the Caucasus, there are still many areas in this mountain range that we haven’t discovered yet. I hope you’ll come this way one day, you won’t be disappointed!

Love how you are exploring places where languages were only spoken and not written. I feel like in places like these. History might never be know other than for what remains. Thanks for documenting and expressing what you saw in a language understood by many! Nice work on your Youtube channel!

Thank you!! We love exploring and discovering areas like this. We hope that Svans will and can keep their unique language and culture. Their history is very fascinating, so different from any other place.

It’s great that you included so many pics. The wild wild west of Georgia. That’s a very interesting looking toilet!

It was a very interesting toilet to use as well 😉

what an amazing article, amazing pictures and, above all an amazing story. The caucasus is so high on my list really. They are offering very cheap flights to Georgia at the moment and it’s been itching in my fingers since a year. but your pictures wow…i so wanna go!

Hi Norman, Thank you for your kind words! It’s a pleasure to inspire you to go and visit Georgia. It’s a real beautiful and interesting country. Svaneti is just a little part of this, there are so many stunning areas to discover and if you’re a wine-lover, you’ll definitely have a blast here 🙂 When would you like to travel to Georgia?

I dunno. I don’t seem to find the time to do anything. Probbaly next autumn.

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Adventures in Destinations Unknown

Svaneti Georgia: Hiking and Travel Guide

Last modified on July 14th, 2023 at 19:41

Isolated and wild, Svaneti Georgia is a land of enchantment that sits high in the Caucasus Mountains.

Geographically cut off from the rest of the country and seemingly stuck in time, the little slice of heaven soars miles above the clouds.

In Svaneti, picturesque settlements—characterized by their UNESCO-recognized Svan towers—lie sprinkled about dramatic mountains that are laced with hiking trails.

It is the Georgia of glossy travel brochures, yet it is so inaccessible that very few travelers make their way to its doorstep.

Table of Contents

SVANETI REGION OF GEORGIA

Svaneti is divided into two regions: Upper (Zemo) Svaneti and Lower (Kvemo) Svaneti. A mountain range bisects the region, cutting off its northern half and sandwiching it between lofty peaks.

Upper Svaneti encompasses Mestia and the villages of Ushguli. It is a true unspoiled paradise.

Any mention of Svaneti in this blog post refers solely to the UNESCO-recognized Upper Svaneti region.

Svaneti is so remote and isolated that it was never conquered by invaders. Its inhabitants, the fiercely independent Svan people, have been the gatekeepers of northern Georgia’s mountain passes for centuries. They are proud warriors; the ultimate survivors.

And throughout history, their independence has allowed them to retain a distinct language and culture that still thrives today.

The towns and villages of Svaneti Georgia have a unique architecture that reflects the region’s independent spirit. These communities often contain small collections of houses, each equipped with stone lookout towers that were constructed to protect against invading armies and natural disasters.

These stone towers are a symbol of Svaneti’s distinct regional identity.

MESTIA GEORGIA: GATEWAY TO SVANETI

Mestia is the ‘capital’ of Upper Svaneti and the de-facto transportation hub of the region. A sprawling conglomeration of at least ten hamlets, it sits in a verdant Svan-tower-dotted valley.

Despite its small size, Mestia is an important cultural center. The town feels downright bustling compared to the region’s more remote villages.

Mestia provides a great base for hiking in Svaneti.

With a half day in Mestia before we headed to Ushguli, we decided to hike the first few miles of the Mestia-Ushguli trail.

Unfortunately, Dan and I weren’t able to properly take advantage of the town’s wealth of hiking trails. Our hike only gave us a tiny taste of the stunning scenery that lies at the town’s fingertips.

USHGULI GEORGIA: THE JEWEL OF UPPER SVANETI

Beyond Mestia lies the tinier, higher and more remote smattering of villages known collectively as Ushguli. The five small hamlets— Zhibiani,  Chvibiani,  Chazhashi,  Murqmeli, and  Lamjurishi—sit nestled under the shadow of the towering Mount Shkhara.

Set in the topmost reaches of the Enguri valley beneath the snow-covered dome of Georgia’s highest peak, Ushguli is an unbelievably picturesque spot and one of the most beautiful places in Georgia.

Many of the travelers we met in Svaneti chose to visit Ushguli as a day trip from Mestia.

But the road from Mestia to Ushguli is mostly washed-out gravel, meaning that the 47km journey can take upwards of three hours. Even though we visited in the height of summer, the road was in terrible shape due to recent rainfall. Our driver had to dodge potholes, weave around landslides and even ford a small river.

Needless to say, considering the effort it took us to get to Ushguli, I’m glad we stuck around for a few days.

TOP HIKES IN SVANETI GEORGIA

Svaneti Georgia is a hiker’s wonderland.

Whether you’re looking to undertake multi-day backpacking trips or half-day adventures, hiking in Svaneti provides no shortage of breathtaking views.

POPULAR HIKES IN MESTIA

Mestia is Svaneti’s tourism hub and the place from which most of Svaneti’s marked hiking trails depart.

Though Dan and I only had the time to do a half-day of hiking in Mestia, we immediately realized that we would need at least three full days to do the area justice (with an additional four for the full Mestia-Ushguli trail).

CHALADI GLACEIR

The Chalaadi Glacier lies about 12km outside of Mestia. The glacial tongue, about 6km long, follows the Chaladi River Gorge before emptying out near the Mestiachala River. It is one of the most easily accessible glaciers in the Caucasus and a popular day hike destination from Mestia.  

The Chaladi Glacier hike takes about 4-5 hours roundtrip.

KORULDI LAKES

The 10km Koruldi Lakes trail is another one of Mestia’s most popular hikes.

A classic Svaneti hike, it leads to a group of alpine lakes that lie at the foot of Mt Ushba. Trails from the Koruldi Lakes continue onward, along the spectacular Koruldi Ridge.

The lakes are also accessible by car. If you’re hoping to cover more ground and savor views from the ridge, you can catch a ride to the lakes and begin your hike from there.

THE MESTIA TO USHGULI TRAIL

The 37.4 mile point-to-point trail between Mestia and Ushguli is one of the best hikes in Svaneti. It takes 3-4 days to complete and is popular among backpackers.

Dan and I didn’t have time in our itinerary to dedicate to the full trekking route.

So heeding advice from the visitor’s center in town, we set out in the direction of Ushguli and then turned back after the first few miles.

The trek from Mestia to Ushguli follows a well-marked path that leads past several rural hamlets. It overlooks the river, passes through cow-studded pastures and provides mind-blowing 360 degree panoramas of the surrounding mountains.

Of course, with only a few hours to explore, Dan and I were merely able to get a taste of the popular trekking route before turning back.

Still, we relished the views and ogled at the drama of Svaneti’s wilderness.

TOP USHGULI HIKES

At 2,100 meters above sea level, Ushguli is Europe’s highest permanently inhabited settlement and an undeniable highlight of travel to Georgia .

Aside from the Shkhara Glacier hike, there aren’t many well-marked trails in Ushguli. And since the town is too small to offer a visitor’s center, we consulted our trusty * maps.me  app for hiking suggestions.

TAMAR’S CASTLE

The atmospheric ruins of Tamar’s Castle sit on top of a hill in Chazhashi. They once consisted of four defensive towers and a church, though just one tower and the ruins of the church can be seen today.

The short hike to Queen Tamar’s Castle is among the most popular in Ushguli.

SHKHARA GLACIER HIKE

The Mount Shkhara’s glacier hike follows the Patara Enguri river as it winds between grassy mountainsides and past verdant pastures.

The hike takes roughly six hours to complete. The entire trek follows the river along the valley floor. It is a leisurely alternative to the more strenuous hikes in the area.

As we followed the river, we witnessed cows grazing in the pastures and young boys on horseback tending to their sheep.

All the while, the snowcapped massif of Mount Shkhara expanded before us.

MOUNT GVARI TRAIL

On our second day in Ushguli, we settled on a trail that would give us 360 degree panoramas of the mountains and birds-eye views of town. The trail leading up Mount Gvari is well-marked, though certainly off the beaten path. It follows the river to the west of town and then veers up a mountainside behind the village of Murkmeli.

It took us nearly three hours to hike to the summit of Gvari Peak. Perhaps it was due to the high altitude, or perhaps Dan and I were just embarrassingly out of shape, but we found the hike to be exhausting. It seemed we could only take a few steps, before needing to catch our breaths.

But the views from the top of the Mount Gvari were jaw-dropping.

And better yet, we were able to enjoy the entire mountain paradise without another soul in sight.

WHERE TO STAY IN SVANETI

Svaneti isn’t a mainstream tourism destination, so you won’t find popular international hotel and resort chains.

Instead, Svaneti’s accommodations mostly consists of guesthouses, homestays, and rustic hotels.

We spent two nights in a local homestay during our visit to Ushguli and enjoyed the basic yet comfortable experience.

The property we stayed at is no longer bookable online and I’m not sure if they’re still accepting guests, but there are several other similar accommodations that receive positive reviews. Among them are the Nizharadze’s Tower and Chazhashi Guesthouse .

If you’re looking for a more hotel-like place to stay, you might want to consider the Agra Ushguli .

Mestia has the largest assortment of hotels in Svaneti. As the region’s tourism hub, it caters to a variety of different budgets and travel styles.

We stayed at Hotel Elite House (formerly known as Marina’s Guesthouse) during our short visit to Mestia. The accommodation was superb—centrally located, clean and affordable.

For budget travelers, the Ecohouse Svaneti boasts ski-to-door rooms at an unbeatable price. Though it lies a few miles from town, it is a great option if you have your own transportation.

For a mid-range option, the Paliani Hotel features clean modern rooms and a central location.

And if you’re looking for a quiet cabin retreat within easy reach of town, the WinterFell Mestia offers two-story A-frames with balconies and mountain views.

GETTING TO SVANETI

In order to reach Svaneti from Tbilisi , we took an overnight train to Kutaisi, followed by a three hour  mashrutka  journey to the provincial capital of Mestia.

Most travelers will find themselves transiting through Zugdidi to reach Mestia. During Georgia’s low season, when there are no direct vans from Tbilisi/Kutaisi/Batumi, you’ll probably have to change in Zugdidi.

While it’s possible to self-drive to Svaneti, I don’t recommend it unless you are very experienced with rough washed-out roads. Weather conditions in the mountains change fast. Landslides occur every year, and the road often gets damaged by heavy rain.

The road from Mestia to Ushguli is downright scary and best left to experienced drivers who make the journey daily. Most car rentals won’t even let you take rentals into the remote reaches of Upper Svaneti.

BEST TIME TO VISIT SVANETI

In the summer months of July and August, the weather can be unbearably hot in the Caucasus capitals of Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku .

But up in the remote northern mountains of Georgia, summer is the best time to visit.

Mestia has a few ski resorts that are open during winter months, but travel to Ushguli will probably be a no-go come November.

In colder months, snow and ice makes the mountain villages inaccessible.

Hiking in Svaneti Georgia provides no shortage of spectacular views. And Ushguli—the collection of rustic postcard-perfect towns at the base of Mount Shkhara—is its ultimate unexplored frontier.

Unlike the equally stunning Kazbeghi region along Georgia’s Military Highway, a visit to Svaneti cannot be accomplished in a day.

Travel in the region–especially around the remote outpost of Ushguli– is more challenging than in the rest of Georgia. The roads are bad. Food options are limited. Wifi is slow. Electricity is sporadic. And inclement weather can make the villages unreachable, even in the height of summer.

But truth be told, with scenery so beautiful in every direction, the lack of amenities should be the last thing on your mind.

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DID YOU ENJOY THIS GUIDE TO HIKING IN SVANETI GEORGIA? PIN IT!

Svaneti Trekking

• Discover the best trails in the Caucasus
• Marvel at stunning mountain views, waterfalls, glaciers, lakes and historic towers
• Visit Mestia & Ushguli, UNESCO sites, and meet the locals. Immerse in their culture
• Enjoy a hassle-free experience with no need to carry personal belongings

Embark on a journey to the stunning region of Svaneti in Georgia, starting from the bustling city of Kutaisi. Svaneti, surrounded by 5000 m majestic peaks, boasts breathtaking landscapes and natural beauty. Visit glaciers, waterfalls, lakes, historic churches, museums, and UNESCO-listed Ushguli & Mestia villages, surrounded by ancient Svanetian communities.

Stay in cozy family-run hotels and guesthouses, relish in delicious local cuisine, and enjoy a worry-free experience with lunch and snacks provided for your day trips. Let us take care of your luggage while you immerse in the beauty of Svaneti.

Leave rejuvenated, with a refreshed body, mind, and soul. Book your tour now for an unforgettable experience in the heart of the Caucasus, surrounded by awe-inspiring peaks!

• 1 Welcome to Georgia
• 2 Svanetian Lake Meziri
• 3 Discovering the Beauty of Shdgura Waterfall
• 4 Majestic Koruldi Lakes at the Foot of Mount Ushba
• 5 Discovering the Chalaadi Glacier
• 6 Adishi Village: Exploring Svanetian Old Towers
• 7 Historic Villages of Khalde and Iprari
• 8 Explore Ushguli: Europe's highest village & UNESCO heritage
• 9 The end of the tour

Welcome to Georgia

After gathering at the airport, we will embark on an excursion to the stunning high mountain region of Svaneti in Georgia. During our journey, you will be treated to breathtaking views of alpine meadows and dense forests. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to see one of the largest dams in Europe. After a satisfying meal surrounded by glaciers and towering mountains, we will make our way to the village of Mazeri, which sits at an elevation of 1660 meters above sea level. We will spend the night in Mazeri.

Visited Attractions *

Svanetian Lake Meziri

On our second day, we will visit the picturesque Meziri Lake, situated 1660 meters above sea level. You will be able to admire the stunning view of Mount Ushba and the entire Great Caucasus mountain range. You will also have the opportunity to learn about the rich history and tradition associated with this lake. After that, we will take a leisurely walk through the mountains of Svaneti before returning to Mazeri. We will spend another night in Mazeri.

Discovering the Beauty of Shdgura Waterfall

On our third day, we will embark on a hike to the Shdgura waterfall, one of the most impressive and abundant waterfalls in Georgia. We will start our journey from the village of Mazeri and make the initial part of the trip by 4x4 vehicles. Afterward, we will continue on a trek, crossing a forest, until we reach the waterfall. At the end of the day, we will return to Mestia using the same 4x4 vehicles. We will spend the night in Mestia.

Majestic Koruldi Lakes at the Foot of Mount Ushba

Today, we will embark on an exploration of the renowned Koruldi Lakes, which are located at the base of Mount Ushba and are comprised of stunning alpine lakes. We will depart from Mestia and hike along the slopes of the iconic mountain. Upon reaching the lakes, you will be treated to a magnificent panoramic view at an altitude of 2850 meters above sea level. The peaks of the surrounding mountains, reflected in the mirror-like surface of the lakes, will leave a lasting and unforgettable impression. As we descend the mountain, the pull of gravity will take over, making you feel as though you are running down. We will have dinner in Mestia and spend the night there.

Discovering the Chalaadi Glacier

On this day, let's hike to the renowned Chalaadi glacier located in the Svanetian mountains. During this, brief trek, we will traverse picturesque valleys and dense forests until we reach the magnificent viewpoint near the towering mountain. You will be treated to a truly unforgettable vista that will be forever etched in your memory. After this enchanting experience, we will make our way down to Mestia, where you will have the opportunity to gain insight into the rich cultural heritage of the Svanetian people by visiting the town's ethnographic museum. We will spend the night in Mestia.

Adishi Village: Exploring Svanetian Old Towers

Our journey takes us to the village of Adishi, where only a few families remain, residing together amongst the ancient Svanetian towers. The first portion of the trip will be completed by 4x4 vehicles to reach the Ughviri Pass, located at an altitude of 2480 meters. Afterwards, we will cross expansive valleys with stunning views of the Svanetian mountains. We will spend the evening at a local family's home, observing their daily way of life. Overnight stay will be in Adishi.

Historic Villages of Khalde and Iprari

Today is an important day as we head towards the historic village of Khalde. The initial part of the journey will be relatively easy. After that, we will reach the Chkhutnieri Pass and the Adishi Glacier, a significant landmark and an awe-inspiring sight. It is crucial to cross the Adyshistskali River as early as possible when the water level is low. In case the water level rises, we will utilize horses to cross the river. We will be treated to breathtaking panoramic views of Ushba, Tetnuldi, Shkhara, and the Adishi Glacier. Our journey will then lead us to the oldest village of Iprari, home to a 11th-century church. Dinner and overnight stay will be in Iprari.

Explore Ushguli: Europe's highest village & UNESCO heritage

Today our journey begins in the village of Iprari and leads us to Ushguli. We will pass through the village of Davberi and take a short walk through a beautiful forest to reach Ushguli, a mountain community known as the highest inhabited village in Europe, at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level. The unique beauty of Ushguli has earned it protection by UNESCO. After visiting Ushguli, we will take a leisurely walk to explore the Svan towers in the village of Zhibiani, the temple of Lamaria (Virgin Mary), the Church of St. George, and the Church of the Savior. Overnight stay will be in Ushguli.

The end of the tour

Our journey in the magnificent Svanetian Mountains has come to an end, and it's time to say goodbye to this stunning region. Although we will depart from this breathtaking landscape, the essence of Svaneti will always remain within us. On our way to the Kutaisi airport, we will hold onto the charm and wonder of this incredible place. Our tour has come to a close.

Our tour program's list of attractions is a guide, not exhaustive. Unlisted sites may be visited, and listed ones might be viewed from a distance. Conditions like operating hours, weather, or local rules may affect access. Thank you for your understanding.

5 nights — Comfortable accommodation, private WC & shower

3 nights — Twin or double room, shared WC & shower on the floor

8 breakfasts, 7 lunch, 4 dinners.

8 days — Full day,

Hiking: ~94 km, Private car: ~455 km. *

Hiking: ~39 hours. *

Entrance fees to all sites according to the programm, English speaking guide, Breakfast, lunch, (dinner in guesthouses).

Plane tickets, Personal expenses and tips, Travel insurance.

The provided measures of total kilometers for transport, duration of guide services, and activities in our tour program are approximate and may vary depending on the program flow and terrain conditions. While we strive to ensure the accuracy of these numbers, please note that they are intended as estimates. We make every effort to provide the most precise information possible to give you an idea of the overall tour experience.

Hiking time depends on the steepness, the condition of the trail, the physical condition of the group and other factors. Guide services can be provided in different languages, depending on the preferences of the group. Please note that the indicated price is based on a group size of 8 participants. If the group size is smaller, the price can be adjusted accordingly. If you're interested in extending the tour for more days, please let us know, and we'll be happy to provide options and prices upon request.

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Svaneti Hiking Tour 4 Days

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4 days 3 nights

Our company offers you a 4 day hiking tour in Svaneti. Breathtakingly wild and mysterious, Svaneti is an ancient place, landlocked in the Caucasus, so remote that it was never tamed by any ruler. Uniquely picturesque villages and snow-covered, 4000m-plus peaks rise above flower-strewn alpine meadows, providing a superb backdrop to the many walking trails. Svaneti’s emblem is the Koski: a defensive stone tower. Around 175 ‘ koshkebi’,  from the 9th and 13th centuries, still survive here today.

Not so long ago, Svaneti was still well off the beaten track. But recent tourism development has brought ski resorts, flights from Tbilisi, a paved road from Zugdidi, and a huge increase in accommodation options. To the point where Mestia, Svaneti’s only town, can get pretty busy in summer. Svaneti’s mystique and beauty, however, are in no danger of wearing thin.

Svaneti Hiking Tour 4 Days

On this tour, you will first visit Mestia, the administrative center of Svaneti. Tucked among high mountains and glaciers, this city stands proudly with tall medieval towers. They look like soldiers ready to have one more battle against the enemy. On this day, we will also visit the  Renewed Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography .

On the next day we will hike around the Ushba Waterfall. It is the most affluent waterfall in Georgia, located near Mazera village.

On the third day, we will visit one of the highest villages in Europe – Ushguli. Here you will have a light hike to the footstep of the highest mount of Georgia – Shkhara. As a bonus, we will take you to the village Tsvirmi, which has preserved the spirit of Svaneti’s past to this day.

On our last day, we will have a short trek to the Chalaadi glacier. And finally we will drive back to Tbilisi.

For more offers please visit  hiking ,  trekking ,  jeep , and  horse-riding  tours in Georgia. Upon your request, it is possible to plan individual tours, specially made for you.

Day 1: Tbilisi- Enguri Dam -Mestia

Day 2: hiking on ushba waterfalls, day 3: mestia-ushguli-mestia, day 4: mestia- chalaadi glacier -tbilisi, included/excluded.

• Transportation with an English or Russian speaking guide
• Guesthouse in Mestia with meals as it is described in the itinerary
• Museum entrance tickets
• Gift: One 🍾 of Georgian wine
• Price for souvenirs
• Price for horse riding upon your request
• Price for restaurants
• All other additional costs

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• GENERAL INFO
• TREKS AND HIKES

Soanes are foremost in courage and power. They are masters of the peoples around them, and hold possession of the heights of the Caucasus above Dioscurias. They have a king and a council of three hundred men; and they assemble an army of two hundred thousand, for the whole of the people are a fighting force. It is said that in their country gold is carried down by the mountain-torrents, and that the barbarians obtain it by means of perforated sheep skins, and that this is the origin of the myth of the Golden fleece.

Svaneti is probably the most beautiful region of Georgia and the essence of what country can offer to the foreign tourists. All those stunning photos of historical stone villages, lush green valleys and snow-covered mountains.... the most of them were made here.

But mountains of Svaneti are also much more than catches the eye, not just glaciers, towers and instagrammable (oh, how I hate this word!) locations. First and foremost, for thousands of years they've been a homeland of Svans, a very distinctive ethnic group related to Georgians. Therefore, I don't want to limit this guide to the usual "how to get there and what to eat" fare. I would like to provide also an insight into history, traditions and challenges Svaneti has to face today to help you better understand this very interesting place.

PRACTICAL INFO

• 1. Getting around
• 2. When to visit
• 3. Where to stay
• 4. What to eat
• 5. Money, internet, etc
• 6. Things to do
• 7. Itineraries

UNDERSTAND SVANETI

• 8. History of Svaneti
• 9. Svan language
• 10. Svan festivals
• 11. Local issues

1. GETTING AROUND SVANETI

Svaneti region is situated in the northwestern Georgia along the southern slopes of Greater Caucasus mountains. It consists of two parts - Upper (Zemo) Svaneti and Lower (Kvemo) Svaneti . Upper Svaneti lies in the watershed of Enguri river. Surrounded by highest Georgian mountains, it is a popular tourist destination. Whenever you read in some foreign magazine about "Svaneti", the author actually means Upper Svaneti.

Lower (Kvemo) Svaneti lies in valley of Tskhenistskali river , separated from Upper Svaneti by the Svaneti mountain range. It feels like completely different world . It also has beautiful mountains, but simply pales in comparison to its northern neighbour. There are no towers and the villages overall don´t look so exotic or "medieval". Because of this, Lower Svaneti managed to retain lots of its original atmosphere. As a downside, tourist infrastructure leaves much to be desired.

Tsana village in the Lower Svaneti

The main road connecting Svaneti with the rest of Georgia runs along the Enguri river. Not so long ago, it used to be a dirt track full of potholes but the Georgian government had it rebuilt in an effort to boost the tourism in the region. The nowadays road is far from perfect, but is still used by absolute majority of travellers heading to Svaneti. Their destination is usually Mestia, the regional capital and a transport hub.

How to get to Mestia (click to expand)

From Zugdidi to Mestia: Marshrutkas to Mestia leave from Zugdidi every day, there is at least one in late morning and one in the afternoon. Morning marshrutka departs from the bus station situated by the bridge around 10 am (or even later if not full). Afternoon marshrutka waits for passengers of morning train from Tbilisi, which arrives around 14:30. Therefore, they wait in front of the Zugdidi train station . There might be some odd marshrutka in-between on you might get lucky and board marshrutka stopping at Zugdidi along its route to Mestia, but that cannot be guaranteed. Either way, the price of the ride is 40 GEL and the trip takes almost 4 hours, mostly due to a rather large pause these buses tend to make around Khaishi. If you get lucky or travel in a larger group, it could make more sense to secure your spot at shared taxi that depart from the station by the bridge (and in the afternoon from train station as well). The price tends to be 200 GEL per the whole car (50 GEL pp if the taxi is full), but varies depending on the situation. Trip is faster since any break is optional, takes 3 hours or so.

From Tbilisi to Mestia: Few years ago, the best option used to be the overnight train to Zugdidi. However, it was cancelled in 2020 due to covid and there are no signs that it's going to be restored anytime soon. The only viable replacement used to be a long-distance night bus , which could also save you a lots of time, but won't be as comfortable as that cancelled sleeper train. Unfortunately, it seems that right now (summer 2023), they are not running them either, only bus leaving around noon, but it might be worth checking out Omnibus website to see if they were reinstated. Currently, I would recommend the day train. It departs from Tbilisi at 8:20 and makes it to Zugdidi at 14:31 , just in time to catch some of the last marshrutkas to Svaneti. The price of the ride starts at 16 GEL, which is less than 5 EUR. Tickets can be bought in advance at matarebeli.ge website (the official web is railway.ge , but that never worked for me). Just one important thing - tickets are released for the online sale only some 15 days in advance, but it's not explained anywhere. So don´t freak out if you can´t buy your ticket online because of the "no tickets available", "trains not found" or some similar error. Just try later :) If you fail to secure the spot on the train, you may be forced to take a direct marshrutka - two minibuses depart at 7:00 from the area in front of Main Railway Station, come at least 30 minutes earlier to catch a spot. Another one departs at 8:00 from Samgori railway station and there should be something from Didube as well. The price is 40 GEL, so it´s quite cheap, but I can´t recommend it since this uncomfortable journey takes grueling 9-10 hours - basically, it's just slower, marginally cheaper and much less comfortable alternative for the day train. If the are not travelling alone and don't mind spending some extra bucks, you might prefer a direct taxi . Those can be either arranged at bus stations or prebooked - looking at the prices of one of the most popular Georgian transport website, gotrip.ge, prices for the private transfer from Tbilisi to Mestia start at 650 GEL (230 EUR) for the group of 4. The last option you could consider is flight - there are 4 flights a week from Natakhtari airport near Tbilisi, operated by VanillaSky company . You would see Caucasus from a completely different perspective and for 90 GEL it´s quite a bargain. On the downside, they occassionally get canceled because of the weather and during the summer, you should book at least month in advance since they get booked up pretty fast. For more info, pls check this excellent post about the flight (covers also flight from Kutaisi).

From Kutaisi to Mestia: This depends on whether you want to get to Mestia from the city or from the Kutaisi airport. In the first case, your best options is the direct minibus (the price is 40 GEL) departing from the station behind McDonalds . There is a fixed departure between 9:00 and 10:00 am, but if you want to secure your spot, better get there at 8:00-8:30 since it's popular among tourists and will depart much sooner if full. According to locals, if this marshrutka gets full and leaves before 9:00 am, they will send another one. If it gets full later, they might not. There may be also others during the day if there are enough tourists, but I wouldn´t rely on that. If you miss them and there is none other direct bus available, look for a marshrutka to Zugdidi (price 10 GEL) - it's the same way and you can find there transport to Mestia more easily (especially if you notify your driver in Kutaisi that you need to continue to Mestia). If you are travelling directly from the airport , you also have some options. If you are travelling alone, you can arrange a transfer to Kutaisi at Georgian bus stand (5 GEL or so) and take marshrutka from there. Or, if you are willing to spend extra money and save time, find someone to share taxi with. It's actually pretty easy - do you see any people with hiking backpacks? If yes, there is a pretty high chance they are heading to Svaneti so this is a great chance to save some money and get to know some people. If you are not alone and travel straight from the airport, you might want to book your taxi in advance. In this case, at gotrip.ge, prices of the transfer from the Kutaisi airport to Mestia start at 340 GEL, which is actually pretty solid. If you haggle with taxi drivers loitering around the airport and don't look to desperate, you might get a better price, but not by much.

From Batumi to Mestia: Marshrutka is the only option, it departs from the main bus station . Since you will have switch the bus in Zugdidi (you may have to wait for several hours there), this ride takes a better part of the day. The first bus departs at 8:00 am, then there should be another one at 9:30 am.

The road along the Inguri river is not the only one connecting Svaneti with the outside world . Another road heads from Kutaisi to Lentekhi, capital of the Lower Svaneti. Here, it turns to the east and at the Mele village turns into an unpaved track - this is also the farthest point where you can get by the public transport. The road then continues to Ushguli in the Upper Svaneti (you actually have two available routes, through Zagar or Latpari pass), but is in a terrible condition so 4x4 car is recommended. In theory, one can hire a taxi for this route, but it rarely happens since the drivers are reluctant to drive it and ask a lots of money. Therefore, it´s mostly used by locals, tourists riding rented jeeps or bikers.

Getting around Svaneti

Getting around Svaneti can be both easy and complicated, depending on where you need to get. The road to Mestia (and further to Ushguli) sees a decent amount of traffic so have a good chance to catch some marshrutka, shared taxi or to hitch a ride. Things get more complicated if you plan some smaller villages lying deeper in the side valleys such as Chuberi, Mazeri or Nakra. There is no public transport and little traffic in smaller side valleys so to get there, you may need a taxi. There are many taxi drivers in Mestia, but they are already quite spoiled so it´s recommended to ask several of them for a price. Below are the approximate (tourist) prices of taxi from Mestia to surrounding villages.

The another option is to ride by marshrutka (which travels only on the Enguri valley) as close to your destination as possible and then walk. Also, if you tell the driver where you need to get, he may be willing to make a detour for some extra cash.

How to leave Mestia (click to expand)

The first marshrutkas to Zugdidi, Batumi and Tbilisi depart early in morning, around 7 am. every day in the morning at (these should be booked one day in advance). There are more during the day, depending on the demand. There should be also some marshrutkas departing in the afternoon to Zugdidi, just in time to catch the evening train to Tbilisi which departs at 17:25. However, since marshrutka schedules are not 100% fixed, better visit station in advance to confirm this and book tickets. For exact timetables and booking of the tickets, visit the travel offices at the station. Just keep in mind that there are several offices and don't buy tickets too far in advance. We met tourists who entered the first office, bought there tickets for the next bus which departed in 2 hours and then had to wait even though there were several other marshrutkas (operated by another offices). If you can't find a suitable tickets and are not under a time pressure, I recommend just to grab a beer at the bar by the station, sit on the terrace and check the situation once in a while - sooner or later, some driver driver will show up. If you prefer to have everything pre-planned, you might book a taxi in advance, especiallly if you are not travelling alone. The cost of prebookeded private transfer from Mestia to Tbilisi starts at 550 GEL. Of course, you might get an even better price if haggling with local drivers, it all depends on who you stumble upon. Svan drivers are often quite reckless - if you don't like the driving style of your driver, don't be shy and say so.

Svaneti, Georgia

2. WHEN TO VISIT SVANETI

Svaneti can be visited all year round but the majority of tourists come during summer (for hiking) and during winter (for skiing). Here is the brief overview of the individual periods:

Skiing season (December - mid April)

Spring season (april - may), early summer (late may - june), high season (july - august), autumn season (september - mid october), late autumn (late october - november).

3. WHERE TO STAY

Most of the tourists stay in Mestia - this city alone has more hotels, guesthouses and homestays than the rest of Svaneti combined. I won't get into much detail here, I already wrote a longer post about accommodation in Mestia . The offer in the smaller villages is more limited. With the exception of Mazeri and villages lying on the Mestia - Ushguli trail, you will find only one or two guesthouses per villages, if any at all. If there is none, just ask around. Georgians are masters of improvization and should be able to come with some solution. There is also one more thing you should know, especially if you are using online booking portals. The price you pay (especially in villages) is often higher than the one advertised . That is because while you see only a price of the room while booking, landlords often assume that you will want also full board, prepare it and charge you (even if you don´t ask for it). To avoid misunderstanding, I recommend to ask in advance about prices of these meals and if you don't want full board, announce it beforehand.

Looking for a place to stay in Mestia before the trek? These are my favorite guesthouses

4. WHERE TO EAT

In Svaneti, there are basically two kinds of places where you can get a warm meal - restaurants and guesthouses . Restaurants can be found in Mestia, Ushguli and along the Zugdidi - Mestia road. They work like everywhere else - you order the food, get what you asked for and pay for it. But, to be honest, I am not a big fan. In Svaneti, I´ve tried many restaurants but all of them ranged between "below average" (mostly because of service ) and "just ok" . I have some places which I visit without qualms when around, but I have yet to find a place which would stand above the rest and where I would return year after year. I still visit restaurants to get a few beers, fries and so on, but when I need a proper dinner, I order it at my guesthouse .

If you are staying at the guesthouse, you usually can order breakfast and dinner (and on Mestia - Ushguli trail also a lunchbox). Breakfast usually costs 10 GEL, the dinner 20 GEL . That´s much more than a price of a single dish in a restaurant but when you consider that you get also a soup, can pick from several meals and salads and don´t have to pay for a drink, it´s suddenly not expensive at all . Also, I think the food at homestays with good cuisine has higher quality and is more varied when compared to any restaurant in Svaneti.

Dinner for two at one of those better guesthouses

Also, since this section is about food, let´s briefly mention some typical Svan dishes. Because of the natural conditions, Svan cuisine is not as varied and refined as a cuisine of Georgians living in the lowlands . It is simple, hearty and filling. The signature Svan dish is kubdari - flatbread filled by ground meat, onions and herbs (basically, it is a khachapuri with meat). Another popular meal is chvishtari , small crispy loaves of cornbread filled with cheese. And last but not least is tashmijabi , which is essentially a potato puree with cheese. Staple ingredient of Svan cuisine is also Svan salt ( svanuri marili ), a popular seasoning mix (and also a great souvenir). It is a mixture of sea salt, dried garlic, fenugreek, coriander, chili pepper, dill and several other herbs. It goes nicely with roasted potatoes or chicken meat.

Svan kubdari

5. MONEY, INTERNET, MEDICINE

Internet connection, hospital & pharmacies, 6. what to do in svaneti, trekking and hiking, mountaineering.

Are you into ski-touring? You may want to check out our Svaneti skitouring tour

Mountain biking

Horse riding

Admiring old churches.

Mkheri church above Latali

Going to movies

Sightseeing

7. itineraries.

A few ideas how to spend your time in Svaneti. Some itineraries are made for "tourists" - people who don´t come to Svaneti primarily to hike but are willing to stretch their legs a bit if it gets them to some nice places. These provide enough extra time for breaks, beer and eating. Other itineraries are for "hikers" who are fit and willing to hike a lot (but didn´t bring their camping gear).

5 days (dayhikes, using Mestia as a base)

5 days (village-to-village hiking), 8 days (village-to-village hiking).

8. HISTORY OF SVANETI

Svans inhabited the Caucasus mountains since the antiquity but first were mentioned only by Greek Geographer Strabo in 7. B.C. Their lands originally belonged to the Kingdom of Colchis, known from the Greek mythology as "The Land of the Golden Fleece" . After dissolution of Colchis, it became a part of a Roman province Lazica but kept a great degree of independence. In the 6th century AD, the whole province was a subject of bitter wars between Byzance and Sasanid empire. In the 9th century, Svaneti joined the Kingdom of Abkhazia and together with it was in the 11th century incorporated into the Kingdom of Georgia.

The Golden Age of the Georgian Kingdom in the 12th century brought prosperity also to Svaneti - from this period originate the most beautiful churches and works of art. Svans still have great respect for Georgian queen Tamar , who fell in love with the province and regularly visited it.

Once the kingdom collapsed in the 15th century, Svans of Upper Svaneti formed so-called Free Svaneti , a loose confederation of self-governing communities. There were ruled by local councils comprised of adult men and women. Still, feuds were quite common - that’s why each clan built towers Svaneti is nowadays famous for. Blood feuds were usually regulated by mediators according to the traditions, but towers were still necessary when things got out of control.

Those times of freedom/anarchy ended in the 19th century when the region got conquered by Russia . There were several unsuccessful revolts - the most famous of them occurred in 1876 and was ended by the destruction of Khalde village.

Svaneti in 1875

The most important event under the Soviet rule was a series of avalanches in the winter of 1986-1987 which killed more than 80 people. As a result, almost ten thousands of Svans were evacuated, mostly to the semi-deserts near the Azerbaijani border.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Georgia fell into chaos and Svans temporarily gained de-facto an autonomy. Svaneti got quite dangerous at this period - since there was virtually no police, some Svans turned to banditry and kidnappings . Only in 2004, the Georgian government sent an army to the area, busting the worst troublemakers. And the rest quickly learned that there are other, more peaceful and sustainable strategies to get the tourist money.

Hatsvali, the first skiing resort in Svaneti

Unfortunately, the result is in some cases debatable , with the capital od Svaneti, Mestia, being the prime example. The center of the city was rebuilt into something resembling Swiss village. Same with the new church of St. Nicholas which sticks out like a sore thumb since it wasn´t built in a traditional Svan style but in the one typical for the lowlands. And if you want to make a Svan mad, start singing the praise of the new Queen Tamar statue at the central square. While made by a famous sculptor, it´s simply too artsy for the liking of the locals so the government rather decided to install it overnight.

In 2004 started another era in the history of Svaneti. The government of Mikhail Saakashvili pledged to turn it into “Switzerland in the Caucasus”, world´s premium tourist destination and spent millions of dollars on the infrastructure and promotion. A new airport was opened in 2010. The road connecting Mestia, with lowlands was rebuilt and currently, it´s being prolonged all the way to Ushguli. Two brand new ski resorts, Hatsvali and Tetnuldi sprung up in the vicinity of Mestia. And there are talks of the tunnel connecting Mestia with Lentekhi to the south.

Still, for nature lovers, there are still enough places to see "unchanged" Svaneti. Most tourists are concentrated in Mestia, many make day trips by jeeps to Ushguli but most of them are not interested in serious trekking. The trail from Mestia to Ushguli is the most popular Georgian trek, but still only a little frequented by Western standards.

9. SVAN LANGUAGE

Svan ( lushnu nin ) belongs to the family of three Kartvelian languages (the other being Georgian and Mingrelian). It was the first language to split from proto-Kartvelian language family some 5000 years ago and nowadays is incomprehensible to the Georgian speakers. Yes, it is often incorrectly considered to be a dialect of Georgian.

Nowadays, it has about 20 000 speakers and belongs to the endangered languages (as all other local languages in the Caucasus). The knowledge of the Svan declines , generation by generation - even though the older generation usually speaks Svan well, younger people who often work and marry with Georgians have fewer opportunities to use Svan in their daily communication and fewer reasons to teach it to their children.

Georgian government also looked at Svan language with suspicion . Being heavily hit by the separatist movements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, there were unspoken fears that promoting Svan and elevating it to the standalone language could have political consequences. The situation partially improved in the past few years but Svan is still not taught at schools and receives no funding. Also, this policy has the support of the Georgian church which strongly opposed the translation of the New Testament into Svan.

If you plan to visit Svaneti, I recommend to learn a few basic Svan phrases - it is a very simple yet effective way to show locals that you care about the place you are visiting. Probably the most useful phrase is " ivasu khari " - in Svan, it means "thank you". Another widely known phrase is " khocha ladagh ", a Svan greeting - but I don´t use it too often since I might raise unrealistic expectations from the other side. I use it only to greet people who know that my Svan vocabulary is limited to like 10 words :)

10. SVAN FESTIVALS

Svans never struggled to find a reason to celebrate. Before the Second World War, 160 festivals were annually held in Svaneti and several dozens of them survived till the present days. Some of them are celebrated in whole Svaneti, others are limited to the certain village or area. A few of the most important ones are:

Preparations for the festival are as important as the event itself. The whole house must be scrubbed and cleaned - spirits won´t enter the dirty home. Then, on 18th January, the head of the family goes to the western entrance of the church and prays so his ancestors can leave the heavens. Then, he guides them home, where the rest of the family prepared them a feasting table with food and wine. Also, a special wooden pole is placed by the stove where the spirits can sit and warm themselves. Then starts a feast, during which the family raise toasts to their ancestors and promise to remember them. Svans believe that spirits could affect the fates of the living ones for the next year and during this festival, they discuss and plot their future.

On the next day, villagers slaughter pigs and bake special meat pies. Then, on the last day of the week, Svans raise the last toasts to their ancestors and see them off to the door so they can return to the heavens.

During the celebration, the members of wider families meet at the cemeteries by the graves of their relatives. Here, they lit torches made of a bitch food, feast, and sing. There are also various wrestling and drinking contests taking place.

Apart from a morning mass, the festival doesn´t have a fixed schedule. Like many other Georgian festivals, it´s mainly a great gathering of locals, where the unprepared tourist may fell a bit inappropriately. While it is a Christian festival, it adopted also some pagan elements one usually doesn´t see in Europe such as ritual animal sacrifices or weightlifting contents.

11. LOCAL ISSUES

It may seem otherwise, but not everything in Svaneti is a bed of roses. There are several pressing issue which either bother the local population or could affect Svaneti in a negative way. Some of the most obvious of them are:

Construction of hydropower dams

The most controversial hydropower dams planned in Svaneti are Nenskra and Khudoni dam . 280 MW Nenskra dam is currently being built at the upper part of the Nenskra river. It will feature a 130 meters high concrete wall and upon completion, it will flood several hundred hectares of the forested valley. Also, in order to fill it up with water, Nakra river running in the adjacent valley will be almost completely drained and redirected by the underground tunnel. Khudoni project is even more ambitious. This dam will be 200 meters high and have an energy output of 700 MW, increasing the electricity production of Georgia by 20%. However, there is also a high price to pay - the project will require flooding of large swathes of Enguri valley and resettlement of 2000 people from 14 affected villages.

Svans are strongly opposed to both projects. In May 2018, representatives of all 17 communities of the Upper Svaneti gathered in Mestia for Lalkhor , a traditional Svan council. They came up with a joint statement in which they demand ban development of any infrastructure without prior consultations and their consent. They are especially worried about the poorly assessed environmental risks, flooding of whole villages with their cemeteries and holy sites, loss of tourism potential of the area and the complete lack of communication from both government and the investor. They feel that Svaneti as a region will only lose if the government turns its beautiful, forested valleys into huge water reservoirs. Also, let´s admit it, no one really wants to live beneath the 100 meters high dam full of water.

So far, the complaints of Svans have been ignored - government claims that the development of large dams such as Khudoni, is of the utmost strategic importance for the country. Yet the critics of the plan point out that so many hydropower plants are not needed and that this excess energy will be simply exported to Turkey - and wonder if the extra money will be worth the social and environmental costs. Either way, further conflicts can be expected in the future, especially if the government greenlights the construction of Khudoni dam and starts with the resettlement.

Enguri dam in Svaneti. Two other large dams are currently being planned

Disputed land ownership

After the state gained full control of Svaneti in 2004, it realized that there is a great difference between the land maps (which show all land as belonging to the state) and "traditions ownership". And introduced the procedure which let Svans register their lands also officially. However, many families which tried to register lands in the vicinity of tourist infrastructure or planned hydropower dams found out that the state did everything possible in order to block the process. As a result, projects such as Hatsvali skiing resort or Mestia airport were built on confiscated land and no compensations were given. This situation caused a lot of bad blood, caused several protests and is not cleared out till today.

The problem is that the mass tourism is changing Svaneti at unprecedented speed . Svans originally lived off the land but suddenly, a new, much faster way to make money has emerged. Some people adapted faster than the others, opened guesthouses and got rich. And while many tourists are attracted by "traditional way of life", the people who still live this way do not benefit from the sudden influx of tourists and are as poor as before. If nothing changes, all Svans may eventually abandon herding and agriculture , build guesthouses on their farmland and ski sloped on their pastures. This authentic, self-sufficient eco-system will become fully dependent on the tourist money and lose part of its original charm.

This also spoiled relations in many communities. The life earlier was much harder but people had to cooperate and care for each other to survive. This is no longer the case - now, they compete for tourist money.

The look of the land is not the only problem - also the attitude of people is changing . People who head to Upper Svaneti to experience authentic mountain hospitality they keep hearing about are up for a disappointment. It is natural - traditional rules of hospitality are simply not compatible with mass tourism. I am not saying that Svan hospitality doesn´t exist - it does, but it stays hidden in more secluded valleys and is hard to find at the "must-see" places.

Yet, I don´t want to suffer too much from the nostalgic optimism and complain how better were things back then. So I will end this post with a quote by my friend Vahur Lokk, who provided another perspective:

My father was a mountaineer and spent much of his summers on both sides of Main Caucasus range from late 60ies to early 80ies. Back then Svaneti was not considered a safe area, it was a very isolated community where Soviet rule barely reached. Being a guest was one thing and old customs were honored, but a group camping somewhere in the mountains was a fair game. Up to robberies. Going solo was considered highly dangerous. So let's be happy that they have learned more civilized ways to take our money and we can walk freely in this beautiful place :)

Stunning mountain village of Ushguli justly belongs to the touristic highlights of Georgia. Some people mark it as highest village in Europe. I disagree, but it really doesn´t matter - Ushguli is not the kind of place which needs such crutches to attact tourists. Ushguli lies in the Upper Inguri valley, only few miles downstream from the source of the river beneath the snow-covered massif of Mt. Shkhara, highest peak in Georgia. It is actually a conglomeration of four settlements (Murkmeli, Chazhashi, Chvibiani and Zhibiani). At the hill looking up the valley to Shkhara is 12th century Church of the Virgin Mary with defensive tower. In the village lies an ethnographic museum with great collection of golden, silver and wooden icons dating back to 12th century. However, you dont have to go to museum to see a history here, whole village feels like one big open air musem. You can find here over 200 historical defensive towers - also thanks to them is Ushguli since 1996 on the Unesco World Heritage List. With its muddy streets, pigs, cows and towers Ushguli feels like a place from medieval fairytale. Unfortunately, this beauty feels quite fragile - we can only guess how it will cope with the increased attention of tourists.

Svan towers

Together with mountains, the biggest attraction of Svaneti are its medieval house-towers. After all, there are many nice mountains and many nice towers in the world. But in Svaneti, there are both and match together very well. This exceptional combination of mountain scenery with medieval-type villages and tower-houses earned Upper Svaneti a place on the UNESCO Heritage list. Svan towers ( murkvam in Svan language, koshki in Georgian) were built between 10th and 18th century and reflect an organizational structure of Svan communities at this period. Since there was no higher power, each clan had to rely primarily on themselves. And needed protection not only against foreign invaders, but also against the warring neighbours (Svaneti was famous for "blood feuds" which could last even a decades). So, instead of a single circular fortification, Svan villages were dotten by dozens of fortified houses. The usual Svan tower is built of shales, has a square footprint and is 25 - 30 meters high. The entrance, located at the second floor is accesible only by a ladder or a wooden staircase so it can be removed at the case of emergency and very hard to access. The tower usually has four to five storeys. The upper storey beneath the roof served as a battle platform - here were located loopholes through which could the defenders shoot at anyone approaching the tower.

Svan towers (together with some houses)

Mestia museums

Mestia has three museums, all completely different and still pretty good. The "big one" is the Svaneti Museum of History and Etnography . It´s nice, modern and while quite small, contains really interesting selection of local artifacts - illuminated manuscripts, decorated crosses, icons, weapons, jewellery and so on. I must say I was surprised by the skill of the local goldsmiths and m<>etalworkers - I didn´t expect such delicate work in the remote mountain area. You can also climb onto the roof and enjoy the great views of Mestia. Admission fee is 5 GEL, the museum is closed on Mondays.

Then here is Margiani tower museum , which offers completely different, "down to earth" experience. It´s located in the old Svan house so you learn more about everyday life of locals, see how they cooked, slept or took care of their cattle. This musem doesn´t rely as much on the artifacts as on the explanation of the museum attendant the one we had spoke both English and Russian. During the tour, you will also climb to the top of Svan tower and visit their “prison cells”.

The last of the museums is devoted to the Mikhail Khergiani , a legendary Georgian alpinist. Mikhail climbed numerous peaks in Caucasus, Pamir, Tien-Shan and Alps (where he died at the age of 39). Museum is established in the house where he lived and displays his climbing equipment, photos, awards, paintings and so on. Interesting especially for those interested in mountaineering.

Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography

Tower of Love

This lonely tower lies by the river, not far behind Ipari village right by the road to Ushguli. It is linked to one of many Svan legends which involves tragic love and death by jumping into the river. In this case, Tower is open, so visitors can anytime explore its interior. However, there is not so much to explore except of the tower itself - lower floors are accesible by crude ladders, to get higher you will have to climb on stones. Still, its pretty nice example of Svan defensive architecture.

Tower of Love (by Giorgi Nikolava)

From Mestia to Ushguli

Probably the most popular multiday trek in whole Georgia and for a good reason - not too long, accesible and still provides great views and passes several traditional Svanetian villages.

• Duration: 4 Days

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From Mestia to Zuruldi

Short, simple, yet very rewarding walk in the vicinity of Mestia. It offers phenomenal views of some of the most prominent peaks of Caucasus such as Ushba, Tetnuldi, and Layla.

• Duration: 3 Hours

Trek to Tobavarchkhili lake

This trek crosses Egrisi mountains, which separate Svaneti from Samegrelo lowlands. The highlight of the trek is Tovabarchkhili lake - probably the most beautiful mountainlake in Georgia.

• Duration: 5 days

From Mestia onto Chkhuti ridge

Great day hike which climbs onto the prominent ridge lying northeast of Mestia and offer great panoramic views. Similar to Koruldi hike but better in almost every aspect.

• Duration: 1 Day

Hike to the Mkheri church

Hike to the small church tucked at the foothills of layla mountain. Often overlooked since it doesn´t start directly in Mestia, yet one of the best day walks in the area.

Trek from Mestia to Ushguli via Tsvirmi

Alternative of the most popular Georgian trek, which is by mine opinion even better than standard hike via Zhabeshi. Its main advantage are much better views on the first day, when it climbs onto Zuruldi massif.

Trek to the Laila glacier

A very nice trek climbing to the foot of Mt. Laila (4008m, in georgian known as lahili), the highest mountain of Svaneti range. Mmostly used by mountaineers, but it´s pretty interesting also from a hiker´s perspective.

• Duration: 2-3 Days

Hike to Koruldi lakes (and beyond)

Nice dayhike to the group of alpine lakes lying at the foot of Mt. Ushba (and beyond, because that's where the real fun starts)

From Khalde to Ushguli over Lagem pass

A great hike connecting some of the most beautiful valleys in Svaneti. It works the best as more demanding and scenic alternative for a day 4 of classic Mestia - Ushguli trek.

From Mestia to Chalaadi glacier

Another popular trail in the proximity of Mestia, this one is exploring the valley of Mestiachala river. Not that hard and surprisingly nice.

• Duration: 6 Hours

From Ushguli to Chubedishi viewpoint

This hike climbs from Ushguli to the top of the mountain looming above the village. At the top, you will find several stone cairns and, even more importantly terrific views of the surrounding mountains.

• Duration: 4 Hours

Mazeri to Ushba glacier

This demanding daytrip follows the Dolra valley from Mazeri village to the foot of Ushba glacier and offers breathtaking views of Ushba mountain. On the way to the glacier you will pass beautiful Shdugra waterfall, highest one in Georgia.

Mazeri to Mestia through Guli pass

A beautiful, but demanding day-long hike through the Guli pass offering superb views of Ushba mountain.

From Etseri to Mazeri through Baki pass

A pretty nice day hike connecting two valleys of Upper Svaneti. It offers great views of Mt Ushba and its glaciers as well as a nice view of Enguri valley and Svaneti ridge.

Hike from Lenjeri to Mt. Gul

An interesting alternative to the popular Guli pass hike. It climbs 2926 meters high Gul mountain south of the pass - to reach it, you will need to cross scenic high pastures of Lashkvid.

• Duration: 8 Hours

From Mestia to Tsvirmi

Amazing hike in the proximity of Mestia. It crosses Zuruldi range and offers phenomenal views on some of the most prominent peaks of Caucasus such as Ushba, Tetnuldi or Layla. Walk finishes in pictoresque Tsvirmi village.

Trek to Okrostskali lakes

Remote, difficult and spectacular - these three words best describe the trek to Okrostskali lakes. Both lakes lie in the mountains of western Svaneti, close to the border with Abkhazia. In some aspects, they resemble famous Tobavarchkhili lakes

• Duration: 3-4 Days

Ushguli to Shkhara glacier

Easy dayhike in the area of Georgia´s highest mountain to the foot of Shkhara glacier and springs of Inguri river.

From Ushguli to Chvelpi via Latpari pass

Beautiful trek from Upper to Lower Svaneti crossing Svaneti mountain range. First half of the trek offers breathtaking views of main Caucasus ridge.

Hike to the Guli glacier

This demanding hike takes you from Mazeri village to the Guli glacier. The trail is little-known by hikers, but quite popular among mountaineers since it forms an approach to a classic Gabriel Khergiani route climbing South Peak of Ushba.

Crossing of Lechkhumi range

This trek starts by the Shkedi village in the Lower Svaneti and crosses Lechkhumi ridge to the south by Kelida pass (3036m), close to the Chutkharo mountain. Then it descends into Sadmeli village in Lower Racha

• Duration: 2/3 Days

Crossing of Zagar pass

Nice walk on an old road connecting Ushguli in Upper Svaneti and Mele village in Lower Svaneti.

• Duration: 2 Days

From Chuberi to Nakra over Utviri pass

Nice trek traversing western, less-visited part of Svaneti. It connects villages in two remote, (still) pristine valleys and also offers great views from the area around Utviri pass.

• Duration: 10 Hours

From Nakra to Etseri

This trek explores non-touristy, little-visited parts of western svaneti. it follows roads and trails connecting ancient, almost abandoned svan villages lying in the hillside north of Enguri valley.

Trekking from Svaneti to Racha

This beautiful, but very demanding trek takes you to some of the most remote parts of Caucasus. It follows the old road, which once connected Zeskho village in Svaneti with Ghebi village in Racha, but fell into disrepair long time ago.

• Duration: 3 days

From Mestia to Tsvirmi by Enguri valley

Another route connecting Mestia with Tsvirmi village. This one crosses the Zuruldi massif to the Enguri valley and then follows it, passing several small, non-touristy settlements.

• Duration: 1 day

Canyons, caves and waterfalls of Askhi massif

Discover one of the most diverse regions of Georgia on foot. Canyons, caves, and waterfalls - foothills of Eastern Samegrelo have it all.

• Duration: 1-4 days

Trek to Memuli lakes

The Western Svaneti, and the vicinity of Nenskra valley in particular, is known for an abundance of beautiful glacier lakes. This trek explores some of them, situated in the remote reaches close to the Russian border.

• Duration: 2-5 days

Trek from Lebarde to Lentekhi

Virtually unknown, yet pretty spectacular 2-day trek in the Lower Svaneti, connecting balneological resort Lebarde with Lentehi.

• Duration: 2

Crossing of Nakerala-Satsalike ridge

Traverse of mountain ridges separating Lechkhumi regions from Imereti. A crazy art hut, a swinging stone, and swimming in a rather hidden mountain lake are a nice add-on which round up this slightly unusual hike.

• Duration: 2-3 days

Walk from Mazeri to Latali

This trail offers the most direct connection between villages Mazeri and Latali as well as some nice views of Ushba, Enguri valley and Svaneti range.

• Duration: 3 hours

THE BEST OF SVANETI 7-DAY TREKKING TOUR

The itinerary is moderately difficult: fit and experienced trekkers will not find it hard, while the average, reasonably fit office-worker might need more time to do the hike. However all the hikes are doable in one day, follow a tourist path and do not require hiking or climbing gear. A pair of good walking shoes plus trekking poles are all the special equipment you will need. All the overnights are in guest-houses, and there is daily transfer to the starting point of the route and back (where necessary), which means there is no need to carry a heavy bag all day. However, the elevation gain is up to 1000 vertical meters on the toughest day and the daily hikes are up to 15 km long.

7 nights / 7 hiking days

Starting location: Mestia

Finishing location: Ushguli in Svaneti and on to Kutaisi city

3 nights in Mestia, 2 nights in Becho, 2 nights in Ushguli

Distance: 8 — 15 km per day

Elevation gain on foot per day: 150 — 1000 m

Max altitude: 2830 m

Town of Mestia, Svan towers, Mestia treasury

Zuruldi ski lift and panorama of Mt. Ushba

The Svaneti Range

The 3-level village and panorama of Mt. Tetnuldi

Alpine lakes and Archangels’ churches of the Dolra valley

Frescoes of Tevdore 

UNESCO site Ushguli

Svaneti’s highest mountain pass  

Bezengi wall, the tallest section of the Great Caucasus

The glaciers of Adishi and Khalde

Mt. Shkhara and its glacier  

• 7 days / 7 nights
• 4 - 10 pax group
• Trekking Tour

Per person / In a 4 - 10 pax group

What’s included.

Overnights, meals, transfers and guiding. We’ve tried to make your tour comfortable and flexible at the same time

Fixed dates / Fixed price / 4 - 10 pax group

Join a group, € 1250 per person, any date / any number of people, book private tour, from € 1550 per person.

Day 1 Acclimatization hike. Zuruldi. Mestia.

After breakfast we set out to the ski-lift and arrive at Zuruldi viewpoint. This is the best view of Mt. Ushba and one of the loveliest scenic hikes in Svaneti. The trail is perfect for first-day acclimatization, as there is very little elevation gain, and the total walking distance is about 8-9 km. What’s more, from the viewpoint we will be able to see some of the important landmarks of Svaneti (Ushba and Tetnuldi, several communities and valleys, and even some of our trails for the next days). Return to Mestia. Brief visit to Mestia museum, the treasury of Georgian art and craft. Overnight in Mestia.

Day 2. The Svaneti Range

Today’s trail is longer, though still without dramatic elevation change. It follows the Enguri river through the folds of the Svaneti Range and takes us one after another into three small villages off the tourist track. We finish the hike in 3-level village Ipari with a splendid view of Mt. Tetnuldi near Archangel’s church of Tsvirmi. Return to Mestia by car. Overnight in Mestia.

Day 3. The Dolra valley, Meziri, Baki pass

Today we transfer to the Dolra valley and into the community of Becho, where the classic alpinist route to Mt. Ushba starts. The trail is a 6-km ascent, with an elevation gain of 730-900 m and total length of 13 km. The main goal for today is Meziri, a tine alpine lake reflecting Mt. Ushba, with a 10-century St.Michael’s church nearby. Those who feel strong enough can do an extra 150 vertical meters to reach Baki pass offering a magnificent view of Mt.Ushba sideways as well as the valley of Etseri. Return to Becho, overnight in Becho.

Day 4. Ushba

This long trail will allow us to get as close to Ushba as possible without actually climbing. The total distance is appr.15 km, elevation gain — 950 m.The path starts at river Guli, then dives into a pretty mixed forest and up to a small forest lake and some shepherds’ huts. Further on we will find ourselves in the alpine pastures (and wild raspberry bushes) right underneath the rocks of Ushba. We can venture further up along the ridge to find several more tiny alpine lakes, and greet “Grandma and Grandpa” – the rocky figures on Ushba’s southern shoulder. The ridge offers a truly Narnian view of village Becho, the Svaneti range, the summits of the Great Caucasus, the valley of river Dolra and the Shdugvra waterfalls – the most powerful waterfall system in Georgia. Return to Becho. Overnight in Becho.

Day 5. Latphari pass and legendary Ushguli

Today is a long day, however, a little less intensive than the previous one. We set out by car to the most remote and elevated part of Svaneti. On the way we will stop for pictures and drop in two amazing 9-11 century churches to admire the frescoes and ancient icons. We will do the long ascent to Latphari pass (2830 m) by car, and then hike along the ridge separating Upper and Lower Svaneti to admire the Great Caucasus from Ushba to Shkhara, the Bezengi wall, with glimpses of Mt. Elbrus (5642 m) in fine weather. We will descend into Ushguli (while the car brings our luggage to the guest house) and take a walk through the historic part of the community to top off the day. Overnight in Ushguli.

Day 6. Towards the Bezengi wall

A closer look at the splendid wall of 5000 m peaks which we saw yesterday from Latphari pass. We will approach the beginning of today’s trail by car. The hike will take us along Khaldechala river towards Khalde glacier, however we will turn aside and ascend a side-ridge (2722 m) of the Bezengi wall for the best view of Adishi glacier and the summits. The distance for today’s hike is 15 km, with an elevation gain of 1000 vertical meters, however we will be rewarded with one of the best views in Svaneti and the closest a trekker ever gets to the glittering ice of the 5-thousander. Return to Ushguli. Overnight in Ushguli.

Day 7. Shkhara and its glacier

This is our last day in Svaneti, but we will do a short hike to Shkhara glacier in the morning. After we return to Ushguli from the hike, we will drive off and over Zagaro pass along a mountain road of amazing beauty, passing on our way Soviet alpinist training camps of Zeskho and Ailama, and descending into Lower Svaneti with its milder climate and lower mountain ranges. The finishing point for today is your hotel in Kutaisi city.

ACCOMMODATION & MEALS

Local certified English-speaking guides with the best tourist reviews. The focus is on safety and guest-care.

THE COSTS ARE PER CAR

• 7 nights in guest-houses in Svaneti (twin or double-room with private bathroom)
• Breakfast and dinner daily (except the dinner of the last day in Kutaisi)
• 7 guided hikes
• All transfers on the itinerary
• Final transfer to Kutaisi
• Museum and skilift tickets

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

• Transfer to Mestia (can be arranged upon request)
• Insurance costs
• Daily snacks or lunch-boxes (can be arranged with the hosts)
• Personal expenses, souvenirs

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS

Hiking in Upper Svaneti

11 days / 10 nights, tour highlights - hiking in upper svaneti.

Hike in the beautiful mountains of the Great Caucasus region of Upper Svaneti 

Marvel at the ancient towers of Ushguli and Mestia

Visit Martvili canyons with adorable wild nature

Hike to one of the largest and charming waterfalls in Georgia

Visit UNESCO churches and fortresses in Georgia

Experience the Café culture in Tbilisi

Rates & Departures

Please contact us to get your quote, what's included.

Accommodation at hotel in DBL/Twin rooms (10 nights)

Transportation with a comfortable cars with AC

English speaking guide

Breakfast at the hotel

Entrance fees to all visited places

Airport transfers

Local taxes

Not included

Lunches and dinners

Travel insurance

Visa to Georgia (if required)

Single room supplement

Bank transfer fees

Detailed Itinerary

Arrival at Tbilisi international airport, meet with you guide and transfer to your hotel.

Overnight in Tbilisi

Today we explore the Georgian Capital – Tbilisi. We will have walking tour in old Tbilisi visiting the highlights and our tri p leads us to the historical district of Metekhi, where we visit the Assumption Church located on the picturesque hill. We reach Narikala fortress by a cable car and go down by foot to the waterfall. After the excursion to the sulfuric baths square, we reach Mtatsminda mount by funicular to enjoy the breathtaking view.

Leaving the frantic pace of the city we are heading towards Garni Pagan Temple, the only Hellenistic Temple in the Caucasus. The Pagan Temple of Garni is the only pagan temple currently standing in Armenia. Gracing the hillside the pagan temple was dedicated to the God of Sun, Mithra. It was built in 77A.D. Proceed to Geghard Monastery (UNESCO) carved out of a huge monolithic rock. Geghard is an incredible ancient Armenian monastery, partly carved out of a mountain. It is said that the Holy Lance that pierced the body of Christ was kept here. The architectural forms and the decoration of Geghard’s rock premises show that Armenian builders could not only create superb works of architecture out of stone, but also hew them in solid rock. Back to Garni village. Visiting a local house in Garni village. Traditional Armenian bread-Lavash making in tonir (underground earth-stove). 

Overnight in Yerevan

Take off to Svaneti, our first stop is the museum of Dadiani in Zugdidi. The Palace’s museum keeps exhibits of the cultural heritage of Georgia – treasure materials, Mother of God holy vesture, manuscripts from XIII-XIV centuries, miniatures, memorial relics of Dadiani dynasty, and objects connected to the emperor of Napoleon Bonaparte – brought to the palace by the husband of David Dadiani’s daughter. Later we continue to Enguri Reservoir and stop for enjoying the scenery. Continue us to Mestia – the administrative center of Upper Svaneti.  Mestia is a little town in the center of Svaneti well known as “the country of thousand towers”. Dozens of rectangular towers on the slopes of the Caucasian mountains once served as defense constructions.The whole region is known for its unique architecture, fascinating nature and wild landscapes.

Overnight in Mestia

We start our tour with the visit to Khergiani house-museum dedicated to the most famous Georgian mountain-climber Mikhail Khergiani also known as “a tiger of rock”. This alias was given by the Britain Queen Elizabeth the II, because of his braveness and flexible techniques used while climbing the rocks. Our next stop is Margiani house-museum. Here we get acquainted with the customs and traditions of Svanetian families. Continue to Svaneti Ethnography museum founded in 1936, here we explore the most important and precious treasures of the region. Most of the museum icons were made in the 11th century by Svanetian masters in a unique and distinguished style. The museum keeps also the numismatics collection from the Old World. We continue to Hatsvali ski resort, where we take an airway tramway and go up the top hill to enjoy breathtaking views.

Overnight in Mestia

After breakfast drive to Ushguli – the highest eternal settlement in Europe. On the way we stop at Love Tower standing on Enguri River shore. According to an interesting legend, the place represents the symbol of lovers. Next we visit to the church of the Virgin Lamaria. Later we will visit Ushguli ethnography museum, where is represented the interior of Svanetian house invariably.

Our first stop today is the Koruldi lakes (2850 m.).  The lakes surround the Caucasus glaciers and peaks with stunning landscapes. Later we visit to Chalaadi glacier, where we enjoy the views. Drive back to Mestia.

Drive to Becho village. Our hike will lead us to one of the largest and charming waterfalls in Georgi – Shdugra waterfalls.

Continue walking from the village Mazeri, the route leads us to adorable meadows firstly and then to needles forests and the river. 

Meals: Breakfast

Our tour for today will start with the Martvili canyons, adorable wild nature and practically untouched by humans places. Martvili canyons used to be a bathing place for Dadiani family. Now people visit this area to enjoy the scenery, its waterfalls and take a boat trip along the river of deep green color. Later we will visit Okatse Canyon and Kinchkha waterfall..Drive back to Kutaisi.

Overnight in Kutaisi

Today we will visit Sataplia – a national reserve located in amazing mountains range. Continue to Guramishvili winery, here we explore the oldest attraction of the Georgian cultural heritage – Thaddeus Guramishvili’s wine cellar. After tasting some delicious Georgian wines, we drive back to Tbilisi.

Overnight in Tbilisi

Transfer to the airport, departure.

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• Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best of Moscow by high speed train

By shuguley , February 15, 2014 in Regent Seven Seas Cruises

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Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.

Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?

My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

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If you are considering this on the 2015 June Baltic cruise on Voyager; my suggestion is don't. There is so much to do in St. Petersburg and although a train is one of my favorite ways to travel the time would be far better spent in St. P.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, this would be on the Voyager during the 2015 season but not yet sure exactly which cruise.

We did the Moscow excursion "on a different luxury line", but from your brief description it sounds very much like the same trip, so I will operate on that assumption. It is a VERY long day! We left the ship at 5:30 AM and returned at 12:30 AM. The highspeed train trip is comfortable, and while they call it "Business Class" it does not compare well to the equivalent class on say Rail Europe. When we did it in 2011, we did have highspeed both ways, and the trip back seemed much longer as the adrenaline and excitement had worn off!:D

Moscow itself is not that terribly different from any other big city in the world, but this Cold War kid never thought he would ever stand in Red Square, never mind walk the grounds of The Kremlin, or tour The Kremlin Palace, or see (but not visit) Lenin's Tomb, or visit The Armoury. But he did, and he loved every minute of it! Yes, it is a long day, and you barely scratch a scratch on the surface, but it is worth it. There is a tremendous amount to see in St. Petersburg, but every Baltic cruise goes to St. Petersburg, so you can go back if you choose to. Not every cruiseline offers you the chance to see Moscow.

I have not personally done this tour, but our last time in St Petersburg, the private guide that we hired for a day was leading the regent tour to Moscow on the high speed train the next day. He said it was way better than the previous alternative, which was flying to Moscow and back. He said that you actually got to Moscow faster because you didn't have to deal with airline checkin etc. it did seem like a very long day to me, and there is so much to see and do in st. Petersburg that I didn't consider doing it.

countflorida

We toured to Moscow from St. Petersburg via the hi-speed SAPSAN train last September, from a Baltic cruise on the Oceania Marina. You need to have a two-night, three day port call in St. Petersburg to take this tour because the tour typically leaves the ship around 5:00 - 5:30 AM and doesn't return until after midnight the next day. We didn't take the ship's tour; we made private arrangements with TravelAllRussia for three days of touring, the first and third days in St. Petersburg and the second day the tour to Moscow by train. Our cost for the private tour for three days was about the same as what the ship charged for the excursion to Moscow alone. There are a number of private tour agencies that operate in St. Petersburg and offer the Moscow train tours; we would strongly recommend them over the ship's tours.

All three days had private guides with car and driver. The second day, the driver picked us up at the ship and took us to the train, but we were alone on the train, and met in Moscow by the guide on the station platform. After our tour and dinner, we were brought back to the train and after the return train trip met by the driver and taken back to the ship. Because you are alone on the train you must have your own Russian visas.

If this is your first visit to St. Petersburg, I would agree there is much more to see there. We found Moscow somewhat a disappointment, particularly Red Square. The Kremlin and the cathedral in Red Square were also worth seeing. But the best thing we saw was the Moscow subway! I worked for the Washington Metro system back in the 1980s as it grew from 40 to 80 miles and although I was in the computer area, I learned a lot about the challenges of running a subway system. We used the Moscow system to get across the city from where we had dinner to the train station, and I was amazed at the cleanliness', speed of operation, the short headways maintained, and the courtesy of everyone involved. A very impressive experience!

We had been to St. Petersburg before, and so had the time to take a day and go to Moscow. Also, I really like trains, and the SAPSAN is a German train set running on Russian rails. Seats are like first class domestic air, spacious but not too plush or comfortable, but with enough room. Not too much recline, and almost 8 hours on the train in two shots is a lot for an old man. They come through and sell drinks, candy, etc. but the sellers don't speak English and no one around us helped, so we had just poor coffee once coming, and brought stuff with us for the trip back. Not too much to see from the train either, particularly on the return when it is night the whole way.

If you decide to go, take a private tour and avoid the overly expensive ship's tour. I'm glad we did it, but wouldn't bother to repeat the tour; we've seen Moscow.

Thanks so much to all of you for the thorough and thought insight. Yhe information you have provided is most helpful.

countflorida: Your detailed post is very helpful. We are not quite ready for a Baltic cruise but should do so within a year. Time enough to do our pre travel research, bookings and visa gathering.:) Thank you!

Emperor Norton

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.   Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?   My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

I did this on Seabourn. IMO DONT. Take Aeroflop (er Aeroflot). The train has non folding seats where you are literally knee to knee with your fellow passenger (facing each other). Further they don't believe in air conditioning. It's also the worlds slowed bullet train. I think I would have found more enjoyment wandering around the St. Petersburg and Moscow airports.

Countflorida,

This is a little off topic,, however we had planned a river cruise in Russia but decided we would rather stay on land and have booked about two weeks with Travel-All-Russia using the private guide and driver. I'm curious as to how you found them as a tour company.

The guides they provided were fine. We had a different guide each of the days in St. Petersburg, but both were flexible, pleasant, knowledgeable and spoke English very well, as did the guide in Moscow, incidentally. She was a bit aloof, distant, not too friendly, but otherwise fine. In fact, she was the one who suggested taking the Metro, which unexpectedly became one of the highlights of the Moscow excursion. If I have a complaint with AllTravelRussia, it is with their plan and its execution (more later).

I had requested emphasis on World War II (in Russia, the Great Patriotic War) sites and info. In scheduling us, they weren't careful about dates and a couple of the sites we wanted to see were scheduled on the third day, after we'd been to Moscow. But both sites were closed that day of the week, and that info was readily available, right on web sites describing them. Also, the included meals (lunches in St. Pete, dinner in Moscow) were not what we asked for: light meals with some choices, so we could avoid things we didn't like and choose things we did like. My request was ignored; we were given full Russian meals with a fixed menu, no choice. On the first day, a fish dish was the entre, but I am allergic to fish. Fortunately, I had the e-mail I'd sent with me and showed it to the guide, and she was able to change my entre to chicken, which was very good actually. But we didn't want a 3-4 course lunches or dinner (in Moscow). We had the guide drop the lunch the third day, although we never got any credit or refund. But, particularly in contrast to the ship's tours, the prices were so reasonable we didn't worry too much about it.

The people who were on the ship's tour to Moscow saw us boarding the same train for which they were forced to queue up and wait on the way back, and asked us what we had done. I was candid and open so they were not happy when I explained what we had arranged and particularly what it had cost. Also, when we returned to the ship, we found they had laid on a late supper for those who had gone to Moscow, so up we went and had something. Well, it turns out the late supper was supposed to be just for those on the ship's tour, but we and others on 'independent' tours, there were a dozen or more of us, crashed the party, actually got there first, and they didn't realize it until the larger group arrived and there weren't enough tables/places set. By that time, the 'independents' had all gotten served and were eating; what could they do?

A couple from the larger group sat down with us and asked us about our tour, and they were the ones I told about our arrangement and its cost. They turned to others who’d been with them and announced the details, loudly enough so the whole room heard, which started a lot of bitching and complaining. I gathered they weren't very happy with the ship's tour to begin with, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. We finished up and beat it out of there, but overheard later that one of the excursion staff came to check on something and ran into a real mess. I caught a cold on the trip, which forced me to bed the second day following in Tallinn, so by the time we reappeared we heard about the contretemps' but apparently no one recalled who started it, thankfully.

Because of what happened to us, I would probably not use AllTravelRussia if I were to go again, or if I did, I would be sure to get confirmation of every detail of the tour. They do have good reviews generally, and we were certainly helped by their visa department and liked the guides and drivers. Their weakness, I say now with full 20:20 hindsight, is that once the sales person who plans the tour, sells it to you and collects your money, he (or she) transfers the plan to their Russia office for implementation; there is no follow-up to make sure it gets done right. And that is where our problems arose; we paid for a custom tour but got a standard package with a few destinations switched, and no one checked them out, even to see when they were open the day we were scheduled to go. If you check every detail that’s important to you, it should be OK, but that’s a hell of a way to have to do business, in my opinion.

Thank you for the 20/20 hindsight observation on your Russian tour operator, and better priced than the ship's excursion cost.

Thanks very much for the feedback.

We had the same experience as you so far as price. We originally booked a Viking Cruise but, hearing some things about the river cruises that made us unhappy, looked into other options. T-A-R cost the same or less than a cruise and had us in hotels for 11 days. We opted for the private tour. They have three tour levels, based on hotels. We originally opted for the four star as it did not cost much more than the three star hotels. Finally we decided to throw it all in and upgraded to five star. In Moscow we will be at the newly opened Kempinsky which is two blocks from Red Square. In St. Petersburg it is the Grand Hotel Europe, one of the most vaunted luxury hotels in Russia. Location is important for us as the tours use up only part of the day so being in the center of everything for our independent touring is important. As with many other cities, the less you pay, the farther out of the center of town you are.

We have been working with our salesman in D.C. and he seems to get back to us with the changes we want. He recently returned from Russia so is up on everything. When I asked they said they paid the full TA commission if I wanted so I got my usual TA on board so he is watching our back and giving us that extra level of comfort. He also set up our air, which I know pays him little or nothing, and got us business class for much less than T-A-R wanted for economy, though it took working for a while with a consolidator. He's happy to get his 10 percent on this trip without having booked it. He also took care of the trip insurance. We've been doing a lot of research on the CC sister site Trip Advisor and will write a report there. We will, I guess, become a source of info for CC members after having spent 5 days in Moscow and 6 in SP.

• 4 months later...

scubacruiserx2

Anybody considering a day trip to Moscow from St. Petersburg on the Sapsan may want to look at our travelogue filled with pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1927687

Very informative. Thanks dor sharing. Jeff

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Moscow Free Tour

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Description

Highlights:.

• Hit the Red Square;
• Explore the nooks and crannies of Alexander Garden;
• Get a taste of the ancient Kitay Gorod;
• Learn about the tragic destiny of the Christ the Savior Cathedral;
• Roam through the heart of Moscow.

Walking Tour Itinerary:

Here are our TOP 7 things to help you start your Russian adventure or tick off before you say goodbye to Moscow.

Wander around the vast cobblestone square with rich past, gorgeous architecture, incredible GUM , bright colors of the Kremlin and swirling Saint Basil’s Cathedral .

Kitay Gorod

Walk across the Red Square to see the embankment of old Moscow river and plunge into the atmosphere of ancient Russian village where nobles preferred to settle in XV century.

Varvarka street

Walk up Varvarka street to find the landmark of Kitay Gorod - Palace of the Romanov Boyars, which was built in the XVI century and where lived the first Tsar from the Romanov dynasty.

Old English Court

Look at the Old English Court , which used to be the English Embassy in Moscow and where Ivan the Terrible confined the envoy from England, because Queen Elizabeth I refused to marry him.

Alexander Garden

Watch the solemn ceremony of the Changing of the guards , pay respect to the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier , and the stone Grotto , The huge fountain in the centre adds a sophisticated feel to the almost 200 year old garden.

Christ the Savior Cathedral

Walk to the cathedral which is of a great cultural value to Russians. Its marvelous exterior, enormous golden domes, colossal bronze doors and pristine white walls will touch your feelings.

Patriarch’s Bridge

Pause on the bridge and marvel at the Kremlin, river cruises, monument after Peter the Great and Red October Chocolate Factory , which is now a nightlife hub for youngsters.

About Moscow:

We picked up a list of article that might be useful and helpful to you during your stay in Moscow. These are things to do in Moscow, tips about Moscow, best cafes in Moscow and simply fun facts about Moscow. Enjoy reading!

Before coming to Moscow:

• Our fun guides sharing their observations about their tours and best practices:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-private-guides-on-tours-in-moscow
• What you should know about Moscow:  
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/5-things-to-know-before-you-go-to-moscow

Off the beaten path of Moscow:

• Kitay Gorod:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-must-see-fun-facts-about-kitay-gorod
• Zamoskvorechye:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-must-see-fun-facts-about-zamoskvorechye
• White City:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-off-the-beaten-path-white-city  

The best parks in Moscow:

• Muzeon Statues Park:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-off-the-beaten-path-muzeon-park
• Gorky Park: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-gorky-park
• Tsaritsino Park: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-must-see-37-reasons-to-visit-tsaritsyno
• Kolomenskoe Park:
•   https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/things-to-do-in-moscow-kolomenskoe-museum-reserve

The most historical and beautiful streets of Moscow:

• Arbat  srreet: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/things-to-do-in-moscow-arbat-street
• Tverskaya street: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-things-to-do-tverskaya-street
• Downtown of Moscow: 
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/things-to-do-moscow-streets

What to do in Moscow:

• How to have a Real Russian Experience:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/real-russian-experience
• Things to do in Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/21-things-to-do-in-moscow
• Architectural masterpieces, hidden gems of Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/things-to-do-in-moscow-off-the-beaten-path
• Top Moscow attractions:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/top-10-moscow-attractions

Budget travel:

• How to have fun in Moscow for less than $4:
• How to save money in Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/7-ways-to-save-money-while-travelling-to-moscow

Cafes & restaurants in Moscow:

• Moscow cafes with Russian breakfast:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-cafes-with-russian-breakfast
• Best Moscow restaurants:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/best-moscow-restaurants
• Best coffee shops in Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-best-coffee-shops

Moscow Metro:

• Facts about Moscow Metro:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/fun-facts-about-moscow-metro
• Myths about Moscow Metro:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/7-myths-about-moscow-metro
• Facts about Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/fun-facts-50-facts-about-moscow
• Fun Facts about Kremlin:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/33-fun-facts-from-our-kremlin-tours
• The best flea markets in Moscow:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/moscow-best-flea-markets
• Top 5 Russian souvenirs:
• https://friendlylocalguides.com/blog/top-5-russian-souvenirs

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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A History of Moscow in 13 Dishes

Featured city guides.