Georgia - Food, wine and natural beauty

Time spent: 2 weeks (2024)

Population: 3.6 million

Currency: Georgian Lari (GEL)

Itinerary: Kutaisi, Laila mountains, Mestia, Zhabeshi, Adishi, Iparali, Ushguli, Shkhara Glacier, Kutaisi, Tbilisi.

If you love great food and wine, incredible scenery and friendly locals then Georgia is the place for you. Georgia has a unique alphabet which is somewhat similar to the invented writing style used in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Hobbit books.

We spent 2 weeks in Georgia in 2024, mainly visiting the northern mountain regions above Kutaisi where we hiked and stayed in homestays and cottages for the duration of the trip. We flew to Kutaisi from Bergamo (Italy) and then flew home from Tbilisi after getting a train from Kutaisi after our hiking trip.

Kutaisi, the third largest city in Georgia, is nestled in between the capital Tbilisi and the coastal metropolis of Batumi with the Caucasus mountains to the north. It is (predictably) built on a river which runs through the city centre and the beautiful Bagrati Cathedral (free entry) not too far from the pretty botanical gardens is worth a visit but the real reason you’re here is for the gateway to the Caucasus. We’d booked onto the Much Better Adventures tour around the Caucasus so our accommodation, food and travel were already arranged and paid for but to access the following itinerary; you’ll need a car and preferably a 4x4 as some of the driving involves dirt tracks.

First off, we headed north to the Enguri Dam situated on the Enguri river (3-hour drive) before continuing the route north to the Svaneti region on a bumpy road, staying the night at a farm-stay where we were treated to the first of many Georgian supra (feasts). It is tradition for Georgian family meals to last quite a while (we’re talking 8-10 hours) where hosts make toasts, dozens of dishes are served, many bottles of wine are poured and you end the night sipping Chacha, a wine-brandy-double-distilled-liquor which often hits 85% ABV. Georgian food is fantastic and no one goes hungry at the table but particular highlights which were ever-present at nearly every meal we had were Khinkali (Georgian meat-filled-steamed-dumplings) and Khachapuri (a cheese-filled-pizza-like-bread). 

The morning after, we started out on our first hike, a 15km round trip to the Ushba Waterfalls which is within 2km of the Russian boarder. The start of the hike and car park is here and the first few kilometres involve a really easy but incredibly beautiful plod along the valley where you may be joined by some friendly hogs. As you walk towards them, the continuous view of the Laila Mountain Range in the background is staggering but they somehow never seem to get any closer. You have to cross a silty, grey river a few times and climb up the steeper paths which brings you out to a meadow after 2 hours hiking or so, but the payoff final view of the Ushba Waterfalls, the mountains and the valley at the end is worth it. On the way back down, you can stop off at the Hiker’s Café and take a jump into the river off their diving platform, pay a small fee for their sauna, lie in one of the hammocks or all three. We then headed back to the car and drove to Mestia, a small village further down the valley. 

Next up was a day’s walk from Mestia to Zhabeshi (15km) passing the glorious Mulkhra Valley and Svan towers at Svaneti. There are thousands of 9th century towers littering the landscape which were family-built for protection against enemies (other families) and natural disasters and some are in better shape than others. You’ll spend the day walking towards the snow-capped peaks of the Tetnuldi, Khakiani and Gistola mountains through luscious purple, yellow and green meadows before arriving in the small village of Zhabeshi for your overnight stay. 

After waking up in Zhabeshi, you’ll spend the day hiking over the Tetnuldi Pass (12km, 2000m altitude) heading towards the village of Adishi. There is a ski resort in Tetnuldi for those interested and various small ponds and lakes to peruse. The view from the top of the pass is exceptional and the destination of Adishi is a pretty little village with enchanting, dishevelled barns and towers littering the streets and a few tiny bars and restaurants. We were treated to another phenomenal Georgian Supra where the orange wine flowed freely.

The next day involved a big 18km hike following the Adishichala River to Iparali, which included a short horse ride across the water, views of the Adishi Glacier and a climb up to the Chkhutnieri Pass (2750m). A gruelling hike up to the pass was rewarded with a tasty beer in the village of Khalde where we bunked up for the night. The next day was the final hiking day and we headed for the UNESCO world heritage site at Ushguli with the stunning view of the towers and mountains in the background and one of my favourite spots on the trip. We visited the 9th century Church of Saint Mary at Ushguli which has low ceilings and a tiny little chapel room with some very old murals on the wall (no flash photography) before hiking 10km along the glacial Enguri River to see the sadly shrinking Shkhara Glacier where we were greeted with the site of huge icebergs cracking off and being swept into the water. After the hike back, we stayed at our final homestay in the mountains before setting off the next morning via (another) gorgeous little chapel on a hill overlooking the mountains just outside Ushguli with the familiar bells.

We were then driven the long way back to Kutaisi where on route we were treated to one final incredible Georgian meal (including some excellent salted pork) before staying at a hotel and booking a train to Tbilisi for the next day (3-4 hour train ride). Tbilisi is a pretty capital city with some lovely red-roofed gothic style houses which can be seen from the top of the hill which is accessible via the cable car (£0.70) where you’ll also see the huge 20m high Mother of Georgia (Kartlis Deda) statue overlooking the city. She holds a bowl of wine for those who arrive as friends in one hand and in the other; a sword to warn of enemies. At the top of the hill there is a pretty botanical garden and waterfall (£2 entry) and some outdoor climbing walls for those not scared of heights. The Kura River running through the centre is a nice walk, Lake Lisi is a large pond with a beach to hang out on and there are lots of little wine shops to visit who offer tasting menus. The Rike park has some intriguing art installations and the Metekhi church of the Nativity of the Mother of God is a 13th century building overlooking the river. There’s also a delightful and affordable Thai restaurant for anyone craving quality eastern cuisine the way we always do after 3 weeks away! 

Georgia is a vibrant and intriguing place and has some of the best food and wine anywhere we’ve been. The people are welcoming and delighted to share their culture and customs with you and the landscape is stunning. It is also (once you’re there) affordable, so budgets stretch far here. Use our advice or not, remember: it’s what you know, not who you know.