Where you NEED to go on your next winter getaway.
Need a little spark of adventure to make your winter a little brighter? Look no further than the country of GEORGIA!
While many of my friends have traveled and raved about Georgia in the summer, with its green mountain sides and lively city centers, I decided to experience this country in the winter. Now before you read on, just know, I am NOT a winter person! Never have been, never will be. I can probably handle about 48 hours of cold a year, then I need to be rushed back into the heat and sunshine. With that being said, my January in Georgia was the perfect winter fix for me, and could be for you too!
Some information you should know about Georgia
I actually had no idea about this until I landed in my first city in Georgia, but the country has recently applied to be a part of the European Union and they EU has established their eligibility to become a member. So if they are not yet official members of the EU, they are well on their way, which you can also see from the recognizable blue flag with yellow stars scattered around the country. And now we know! Georgia is a part of the Caucasus region, which also includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, and parts of southern Russia. Parts of northern Turkey also boarder Georgia as well as the Black Sea on the left and the Caspian Sea on the right. It is a fairly small country in terms of land size and the total population is around 3.7 million people.
Now the information my mom always asks for. Is Georgia safe?
The Georgian Lori is the currency of the country and it converts to about 0.37 USD or 1.37 AED if you are coming from the UAE like I did. You probably already know this from your high school math days, but for quick conversions I just get on my phone calculator and type the amount in the new currency (so let's say 9 Lori x 0.37 = 3.33 USD). Easy, I know, but it always makes me feel better knowing the conversions.
What about the foooood?
The whole Caucasus region is known for their meat, dough, and cheese heavy cuisine. There are similar dishes across this region and each country has their own take. Specifically in Georgia, some of the more popular dishes include Khachpuri, essentially a thick cheese pizza without the sauce, and Khinkali, meat dumplings doused in creamy cheese. Now I should mention here that I am not much of a meat person either. If you stop reading this guide because of this, I will understand. When I am traveling though, I do my best to immerse myself as much as possible into the culture and the life of the place I am visiting and food is an important part of the culture and experience. So I tried a few different dishes, even the Khinkali, but I have to say I wasn't much of a fan. HOWEVER, all of the restaurants I visited had a wide selection of huge, crisp, fresh salads that I was definitely a fan of. Long story short, try the food, don't be scared, if anything you can just get a salad and some incredible coffee!
And the wineee?
The wine in Georgia deserves its own paragraph here. According to the internet, Georgia has been in wine production since around 6000 BC, making it one of the earliest known locations of wine making. Every restaurant and bar of course has its own extensive wine list and many of the places have their "house wine" or "homemade wine." It can be very cheap, for example, in one restaurant I got a few glasses for 9 Lori each, which would be a little over 3 USD. AND it's delicious of course. So definitely try the wine and the beer, also cheap and delicious. In Tbilisi I found a few areas with a big outdoor eating vibe, even in January, offering shisha and live music as well. If you are into that sort of thing, you can make a whole night of it!
Now the locations
As I mentioned, I traveled from Abu Dhabi to Kutaisi, Georgia. If you live in the UAE, you probably know that Wizz Air offers a lot of great budget flights to close(ish) locations and they operate out of Abu Dhabi. (Which, by the way, Abu Dhabi just opened their new international terminal and I am obsessed with it and have been telling everyone about it) I have had some great and not so great experiences with Wizz Air so you kind of just have to be flexible with them. Also bring your own entertainment and snacks, because there's no way we are paying for that on the flight.
Kutaisi, Georgia
I only flew into Kutaisi because it was cheaper from Abu Dhabi than to go to Tbilisi. I knew nothing about Kutaisi and what I should expect, so I only scheduled one day for this city. The city center is about 30 minutes from the airport, but you basically drive through farm areas and then like mechanical areas (?) then into the city. You have to take a taxi from the airport because the bus is only offered around 2 times a day and I missed it. The taxi was around 35 Lori, but that was because I went directly through the taxi stand at the airport. If you do anything to prepare for your Georgia trip, download the BOLT app, Georgia's version of Uber. This will save you so much time and money on transportation.
Kutaisi is a nice little city to explore with a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars around. Also, apparently, it is known for its caves and you can take tours of these caves. (I will provide the name of a tour company at the end of the guide that you can get in touch with for all your adventuring needs!) There are some historical sites and monuments to see, but it seemed a little quiet, which makes sense because of the whole middle of winter thing. I think if you are planning a short Georgia trip, you probably don't need to visit Kutaisi. There are more winter activity heavy places to visit around the country.
Tbilisi, Georgia
Tbilisi is the capital city of Georgia and is home to about a third of the population. The city is actually fairly big with an old side and a new side. I stayed in the old part of Tbilisi near the Kura River in a small place called Tekla Palace. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Tbilisi, the room was great, location was perfect, and the staff was very helpful. It was also walking distance to everything I wanted to see and there were a lot of restaurants and night life around to enjoy. I mostly wandered the city for two days, some of the spots I had picked out to visit, and then everything else was very spontaneous.
Spots in Tbilisi to check out:
*Bridge of Peace and walk over to Rike Park
*In Rike Park there is a cable car that takes you up over the city to the Mother of Georgia statue and the Botanical Garden (around 7 Lori for cable car)
*You can walk around the Botanical Gardens and there is even a zipline through the gardens as well
*Right along the Kura River there are many, many restaurants and bars, markets, cathedrals, museums, etc. It's nice to just wander this area, see what you can find.
*Check out the street Erekle II Turn where there are outdoor eating restaurants and bars with live music.
*There are nice side streets near the Clock Tower with markets, food, and old architecture.
*Also some very nice coffee can be found in Tbilisi. One I recommend is Daily Grind close to Liberty Square
*The MOMA Tbilisi was pretty cool with a large exhibition of contemporary art if you are into that sort of thing. A good place to escape the cold for a bit. (There were more museums nearby as well like the National Gallery, Georgian National Museum, and the government buildings.
*If you go to Georgia around Christmas time, there are also Christmas markets scattered around the city as well.
*I found a lot of enamel art shops as well. After a little research, it looks like Cloisonné enamel is a traditional art practice in Georgia going back to ancient times. There were many little galleries and shops showcasing different pieces of this ancient art practice including jewelry, trays, cups, and other trinkets. These would make great souvenirs from your travels if you are feeling generous!
Gudauri, Georgia
To be honest, I have never seen anything like Gudauri. This place is why you might travel to Georgia in the winter. It's straight out of a movie, with its massive snow covered mountains, rustic looking accommodations, and professional skiers walking around everywhere. I had nothing planned for Gudauri except maybe think about trying to ski. (Which I have only done once like 12 years ago, you know).
There are a few different ways that you might experience Gudauri. If you really want to ski, you could stay for a few days. I went from Tbilisi to Gudauri (more on that later) and that was about a two hour drive. Accommodation is, understandably, more expensive than Tbilisi or Kutaisi, I think for me it was double, but so worth it! If you are staying to ski, you can rent all of your gear at any number of rental shops there on the mountain. It is very reasonable and you might have to book your gear in advance, depending on the shop. There are also different areas of Gudauri that you might ski at. While the town is not big at all, it is not walkable, especially in the snow. I stayed in an apartment style building called Nomad Gudauri Twins right on Road to Gondola Lift. This area is a little more up the mountain but there are restaurants, a grocery store, and other things you might need when you are there. It is also right next to where most of the skiers were doing their thing. You could also stay in Gudauri and enjoy the other activities it has to offer. The ski lift is open to everyone and you can go up the mountain and have a beer and people watch. Also, apparently, you can paraglide as well, even in the winter, which I learned because I almost did it with a group of people I met randomly on a bench lol. There are different things you can do if you are not sure about skiing, you won't be bored.
You can also take day trips from Tbilisi to Gudauri and nearby Kazbegi. The drive through these mountains is incredible in the winter and I am sure just as incredible in the summer. There are full day trips that take care of the transportation, getting ski gear, helping with skiing, and food as well. This is also a great option if your Georgia trip is a little shorter, but you still want to experience some serious shredding. Also, I never made it to nearby Kazbegi, but I have heard good things about the town and if you have the time, it would be a great addition to your adventure. If you are visiting in the summer, there are also a lot of group camping trips in the mountains that you can join as well.
Transportation between locations
You can Google where the bus stops are in each of the cities, but I didn't find that very reliable. Also, there is no official time table for any of the buses, or none that I could find at least. I just showed up to the bus stations and paid the drivers and you wait until the bus is full, which really doesn't take long.
So let's start in Kutaisi, because that is where I started. You are looking for the Central Bus Station Kutaisi, it's right next to the McDonalds, which is perfect because WiFi! (Also pro tip: there is an ATM right across the street, you are going to need cash for these bus rides)
Kutaisi to Tbilisi was 20 Lori and a 4 hour journey so you might want to bring water and snacks also. They bus will stop about two hours in for the restroom and a leg stretch.
Once you get to Tbilisi you will end up at Didube Bus Terminal which is around 15 minutes outside of the city center. I feel like I need to prepare you for what you are about to get into at this bus station. The bus drops you off in the middle of CHAOS. There are people running every which way, drivers yelling their destinations to people, there are markets full of fruits, and vegetables, and smells, and people. Everything is on dirt roads, there is no functioning "bus terminal" that I could see and there was no WiFi. I repeat NO WIFI! I was planning to just order a taxi through the app once I got to the bus station, but couldn't because I didn't have internet, so I had to find a taxi the old fashion way and got super ripped off. (Also pro-tip: there is an ATM in the middle of the main street in this area. It is right next to the small shops. I don't think I have ever used an ATM as much as I did in Georgia so I know where all of them are now lol)
This is also where you will take the bus to Gudauri too. They have Kutaisi and cities to the west on one end of the bus station and on the opposite end they have buses to Gudauri and the north/ east. Like I said, everyone is willing to help, just shout out your location and they will get you where you need to go. Tbilisi to Gudauri was about 35 Lori, and the same price for returning as well.
When I got to Gudauri, there was not an official bus stop area so I just had the bus drop me off at the place that I was staying. When going back to Tbilisi, there were buses with the signs right out side of my accommodation so that was easy. I just said to the driver when I was ready to go "take me to Tbilisi please" and I magically made it back. (Also pro-tip: you know what this is! There is an ATM at the Spar Market right on Road to Gondola)
Let's sum this up!
If you made it to the end here, you are a legend. I really hope this was helpful and has inspired you to put Georgia on your list for an off the beaten path destination. Whether you go in the winter or another time of the year, this country has so much to offer.
I feel like this guide was a bit of a ramble so I want to list some key things out for you to remember:
*Cheap public transportation between locations is possible, just plan ahead and have cash and snacks ready!
*Try the food, don't be scared! You can always top it off with some great wine!
*You will come across some locals that will love to practice their English with you, while some conversations might be through Google Translate, just go with the flow.
*My favorite way to see a place, especially a city, is to put my walking shoes on and just go. I will save some spots to check out on the way, but after that I try to keep things spontaneous. This was a great way to explore Georgia as everything is seemingly safe and very walkable.
*It is probably a good idea to buy a sim card if you are going from city to city. You can try an e-sim through Airalo or other providers.
*Also I met a local couple who work for a tourism company providing tours all over Georgia. Their company is Visit Georgia. They were so cool, check them out!
If you found this guide helpful at all, I would love to hear from you and your experience in Georgia!
You can find me at @the_sheventures on Instagram and follow along for more guides on incredible destinations!
Thank you!!
P.S: check out the map of Georgia provided. I have added the places I stayed, restaurants, sites to see, things to do, etc.
The home for unique & authentic travel
