Is 5 days enough in Georgia?

Hello my vibrant birdies… Welcoming you all in the year 2023…

It’s been a long time since I have written any travel posts, so I thought of dedicating my 1st blog of 2023 to a Travel post. Before summing up my recent travel experience in Georgia, I hope you all had a fantastic new year celebration. I visited Georgia in 1st week of December 2022 and here is some brief information about this country. This post is going to be on-point capturing all the important things which will help you in planning the trip. 

Georgia is a country situated at the intersection of Europe and Asia, is a former Soviet republic that’s home to Caucasus Mountain villages and Black Sea beaches. It’s famous for Vardzia, a sprawling cave monastery dating to the 12th century, and the ancient wine-growing region Kakheti. The capital, Tbilisi, is known for its diverse architecture and mazelike, cobblestone streets of its old town. The country is 3.30 hours away from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. If you are a resident of the UAE or hold an Indian passport you are eligible for evisa which is pretty quick and simple.

Though the country is small but it has a lot to offer in terms of sightseeing and has an amazing sight life. As we traveled on the 1st week of December it was almost the start of snow. Kazbegi, Gadauri and a wine tour to the Kakheti region need to be on your list no matter whichever season you travel. You will come across the amazing breathtaking view which will be remembered forever.

Below are the must visit places which everyone should cover no matter in which season you are planning trip to Georgia –

1. Tbilisi- Tsminda Sameba Cathedral, Cable tour, Bridge of peace, TV tower broadcast & try their Thermal spa. 
2. Wine tour to Kakheti, City of Love and lunch with local people. 
3. Mtskheta-  UNESCO World Heritage Site,6th-century Jvari Church, Chronicles of Georgia & Uplistsikhe cave town.
4. Gadauri & Kazbegi- Ananuri Fortified Castle Ensemble, Jinvali Water Reservoir, the Russian Georgian Friendship Monument and mountaintop Gergeti Trinity Church which is in Kazbegi.

There are various other places which are treat to your eye during spring or summer time which includes Vardzia, Borjomi national park, many fortress, Lake Toba-Varchkhili, Batumi Botanical Garden, etc. which can be planned accordingly depending on the season you are planning to visit.

Where to stay- I would suggest to stay in Tbilisi and Gadauri, especially during the snow. When in Tbilisi always prefer to stay in the center of the city in the range of 1km as you can cover most of the places by walking and there is no need for a guide tour. You can book any 4-5 star hotel based on your choice. You can plan day trips from Tbilisi as there are many small tour operators and the package will be pretty cheap rather than booking online. I will link the apps and taxi’s which will be helpful when you visit this Country. In Gudauri, try to book your stay near to lift which will take you to Ski mountain. This will save you a lot of time.

When to visit during Snow season- I would suggest if you are planning snowcation then visit in February and March as you can enjoy ski and a few other sports. When we traveled, it just started snowing so the lifts to ski mountain and Ski sports were to hault which we were not aware of and that was a huge disappointment. We ended up just chilling and lying on a little layer of snow bed.

Where to eat- In Tbilisi, there is a food street/lane near Bridge of peace where you can enjoy a variety of food. Cheese bread, eggplant walnut and momos a must try, also for vegetarians the options are limited but you will find cheese bread wherever you go. Also do try their hot wine and cinnamon ice cream.

Tip for vegetarians- always carry some snacks with you. You can look for Taj Mahal & Maharaja Hotel servivin the center of Tbilisi. 

Drinks to try- Their most famous Chacha drink needs to be on the list which is strong as hell and their homemade wines taste delicious. When you visit local homes they do have their private farms so try the organic fruits straight from the trees and trust me you will never forget the taste in your entire life.

Apps- Bolt (Taxi app), Tbilisifreewalkingtours, gotrip.ge 

Our experience with sightseeing was great and the people are very friendly and grounded in Georgia. I wish we would had a friendly guide in Georgia though we have pre-booked it from Dubai but you can’t really guarantee anyone’s nature. We did not have a good experience with our tour guide and he was a big turnoff on our entire trip. Apart from that we just enjoyed every bit of sightseeing.

Words of Caution- There are beggars wearing good clothes which you can find even inside in airport plus a pickpocketer so stay attentive. When you see any heart-shaped or beautiful decorative swing it’s a photo booth that is chargeable. The Owner of this photobooth are very smart, they hide themselves and when you assume that it is just placed their for photography they arrive out of nowhere after you have clicked pictures and asks for money. Though the amount is minimal but you feel like being cheated. In Gadauri, be aware of wild furry dogs. They don’t bite you but do follow you which will scare the shit out of you.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and don’t forget to leave comments below if you want to know more about it.

P.S- All the pictures are clicked by me.