Georgia: The Ultimate Outdoor Hiking Paradise and Wushu’s Hometown
The most worthwhile country in the Caucasus is "Georgia"!
Adjacent to Russia and Turkey, it’s one of the few places where your visa doesn’t expire while you’re still deciding between a hefty meal or a cheeky wine — and trust me, it’s a glorious dilemma. Georgia is easily my top pick for the Caucasus; if it were a sandwich, it would be stacked high with the finest ingredients!
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Outdoor hiking paradise Kazbek and Mestia will make you want to lace up those hiking boots and channel your inner mountain goat. Mtskheta, the thousand-year-old ancient capital, has enough history to make your head spin faster than a Georgian spin-off on “Dancing with the Stars.” And let's not forget Batumi by the shimmering shores of the Black Sea and Kutaisi, where Greek mythology takes a pit stop for brunch! Add in some Georgian wine — yes, even the French come here to sip the nectar of the gods🍷 — and you’ve got yourself the perfect travel cocktail (shaken, not stirred).
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💶Currency: Lari (exchange rate folks, it's around 0.3644 USD - perfect for all the wine tasting you’ll do)
📞Phone Card: If you're wondering about data roaming charges making you weep, fret not! You can snag a 14-day unlimited data card in urban areas for just 20 lari. Need a data refill? Just stumble upon a roadside machine — they’re everywhere — it’s like finding pop-up shops but for your smartphone!
✈️Transportation:
Arrival: Grab a minibus from Yerevan for 8,000 drams — it's an adventure unto itself.
Depart: Tbilisi, where the charm will sweep you off your feet quicker than Cha-Cha at a wedding.
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📋Itinerary recommendations:
𝖣𝖺𝗒1: Yerevan - Tbilisi - Night Climb 𝖭𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗄𝖺𝗅𝖺 Fortress to see the city night view that will make even the stars a little jealous - Freedom Square was made for picturesque snap-happy moments!
𝖣𝖺𝗒2: [Tbilisi citywalk] Dry Bridge Market - Puppet Bell Tower (they won't judge you if you talk back) - Holy Trinity Church — don’t forget a small offering of gratitude for your Georgian adventures - Watch the sunset from the Fortress via fancy cable car that makes you feel like royalty without the million-dollar estate!
𝖣𝖺𝗒3: [One-day trip to Kazbek] Tbilisi—𝖠𝗇𝖺𝗇𝗎𝗋𝗂 Fortress—Russian-Russian Friendship Monument (it's more friend-shippy than you might think!)—Kazbek Holy Trinity Church—Tbilisi
(𝗉.𝗌. Kazbek one-day tour is about 40 lari — totally worth it for the selfies with glaciers, not including church tickets. For outdoor hiking enthusiasts, staying longer in Kazbek is like adding chocolate chips to cookie dough — highly recommended to enjoy 𝖦𝖾𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗂 glaciers and seriously epic 𝖩𝖴𝖳𝖠 hikes!)
𝖣𝖺𝗒4: [One-day trip to Sighnaghi Town] Tbilisi - skip over to Sighnaghi Town - sip red wine in a winery (yes, the fermented grape juice flows like water here) - Red wine ice cream for the adventurous palate - Climb the Great Wall like you’re in a superhero movie, gazing out at snow-capped mountains - Tbilisi
𝖣𝖺𝗒5: [One-day trip to Mtskheta] Detour from Tbilisi - dive into Mtskheta for the Pillar of Life Cathedral - Jvari Monastery (perfect for peaceful pondering) - St. Nino Convent - Tbilisi
𝖣𝖺𝗒6: [Tbilisi to Batumi] Arrival in Batumi - catch the sunset over the Black Sea and experience bliss as you sip a cocktail that will make all of your friends on social media envious!
𝖣𝖺𝗒7: [Batumi Citywalk] Our Lady’s Cathedral—Batumi Square—Orthodox Church (they really know how to add a touch of divine design)—Chacha Tower—Ali & Nino Sculpture (a romantic tale frozen in time)—European Square (you’re in Europe and Asia at once — mind blown!).
𝖣𝖺𝗒8: [Transfer from Batumi to Zugdidi to Mestia] Arrive in Mestia - eat in the town and enjoy the sunset like it’s your best friend.
𝖣𝖺𝗒9: [One-day tour to Wushu’s hometown] Bus to and from Mestia where magic happens!
(𝗉.𝗌. The bus round trip to Wushu’s hometown is only 50 lari. For the intrepid adventurer, you can also spend three glorious days hiking from Mestia to Wushu’s hometown — because who doesn’t want to get a work-out while soaking in breathtaking scenery?)
𝖣𝖺𝗒10: [Mestia to Kutaisi] Arrive at Kutaisi—𝖦𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂 Monastery—𝖡𝖺𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗂 Cathedral (oh, the Instagram potential!).
𝖣𝖺𝗒11: [Kutaisi to Gori and back to Tbilisi] Arrival in Gori — Stalin’s Former Residence and Museum (fascinating yet weirdly compelling)—Tbilisi awaits!
𝖣𝖺𝗏𝖽𝗮𝗒12: Tbilisi - where you bid farewell, but only after contemplating what your next adventure could possibly be.
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