Georgia Road trip guide: 10 must-see highlights for your itinerary
The ultimate guide to discover Georgia off-the-beaten-path (by van, 4×4, motorbike or cycling)
Located at the crossroads between Asia and Europe, Georgia is a mountainous country of wild and stunning beauty. Monasteries, fortresses and watchtowers, dotted along scenic roads, stand as testimony to its tumultuous
past. Surrounded by the snowy peaks of the Greater Caucasus and lying on the coast of the Black Sea, the country is a must-see destination on the Silk Road.
In this article, we give you some travel tips and practical information to organize your Georgia road trip, from the historical city of Tbilisi to the Caucasus mountains!
- If you are planning a trip to Georgia by van, 4×4, motorbike or bicycle, our book EXPLORE GEORGIA will be of great help to you!
- If you want to rent a car in Georgia (a van, a 4×4, a motorbike or a bike), you will find our recommendations here.
Hello! We're Olivia & Victor, authors of the OunTravela guides.
Over the years, our passion for adventure has led us to create original travel guides sold in over 70 countries worldwide. Our mission is to spread a travel philosophy based on adventure, freedom, improvisation and exploration. Our guides inspire travelers to explore the world's forgotten paths, encountering wilderness and civilizations.
We hope you find this article, based on our own experience, useful.
Happy reading!
Why travel to Georgia?
Georgia is a country well known to itinerant travellers along the Silk Road. Situated on the borders of Europe and Asia, the country stands out for the diversity of its landscapes as well as for its rich cultural and historical heritage. This small mountainous country, surrounded by snow-capped peaks of over 5,000m, has vast wilderness areas that are still preserved from mass tourism. Its medieval fortresses, megalithic sites and picturesque valleys will take you back in time.
Georgia is a paradise for those who like to travel off the beaten path, on small dirt tracks or on impressive mountain roads! From the volcanic plateaus of the central part of the country to the mountain passes of the Greater Caucasus, the driving is sometimes meditative, sometimes challenging. No visa is required to travel to this small Caucasian country. It is also easily accessible from Turkey: you can import your vehicle for 3 months free of charge. For those who wish to travel by plane, flight tickets are very cheap from Europe and the offer of 4×4 and motorbike rental is growing every year. We have prepared a list of the best 4×4 rental agencies and motorbike rental agencies in Tbilisi and Kutaisi.
The icing on the cake is the delicious Georgian cuisine, with a wide variety of local dishes and wines! We particularly enjoyed the khachapuri, delicious breads filled with cheese, and kindzmarauli, a delicately sweet red wine. Georgians are rightly known for their hospitality and their sense of celebration! Indeed, they love to party and regularly organise large banquets to which you may be lucky enough to be invited. Be careful before you set off again, if you have drunk too much!
Our travel guide book: Explore Georgia
Our time in the country and with its inhabitants has forever left its mark on us, so much so that we decided to write a book about it! We are convinced that the hospitality of the Georgian people and the beauty of their country will leave a lasting impression on you. Designed like a roadbook, and illustrated with a multitude of maps and photos, EXPLORE GEORGIA is both a tool and guide for independent travellers who wish to discover, understand, and visit Georgia.
In the book you will find the 24 most beautiful routes in the country and more than 80 sites to discover (monasteries, fortresses, hikes, etc.). Use this guide to build a personalised itinerary of your own, but do remember to let the locals natural hospitality and any spur-of-the-moment decisions sway and tempt you. We recommend including at least one day of outdoor activities to your itinerary (hiking on foot or horseback, rock climbing, white water rafting, etc.) to turn this trip into an unforgettable adventure! 🙂
Everything you need to know before your Georgia adventure
Spoken languages
- Georgian
- Russian
- English only in major cities and tourist sites
Tip: bring a small lexicon with you.
Visa
No visa required for members of the European Union. You can stay up to 1 year in the country. A passport valid for 6 months after your arrival in the country is required.
Flight tickets
- 150-350€ round trip from Europe. There are international flights to Tbilisi and Kutaisi.
- Best season: June-September. We prefer spring for the green plains!