Is it worth to go on vacation in Georgia and how much does it cost?
Is it worth to go on vacation in Georgia and how much does it cost to go? How much it costs to eat in a cafe or restaurant in Georgia, and what are the prices for food? What to see, where to go, and how much do the excursions cost? We are talking in details about personal experience of holidaymakers in Georgia!
Georgia is a beautiful, colorful and hospitable country which is so pleasant to travel in (photo by Vladimir Varfolomeev @ flickr.com)
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Opinions about vacationing in Georgia are many and most of them are positive, from “After Georgia you want to hug everyone” and “Georgia won my heart!” to “A great vacation for pennies.” In our article on the Tour-Calendar we will try to figure out the pros and cons of vacationing in Georgia, and calculate how much the trip can cost.
Where is Georgia?
Georgia is located 2100 kilometers from Moscow in the western part of the Caucasus, at the junction of the continental plateau of South Asia and the Aral-Caspian Basin. The country borders Russia to the north and east, Turkey and Armenia to the south, and Azerbaijan to the southeast.
Georgia is located in the eastern part of the Black Sea (indicated with a red arrow) Photo: advise-where-to-go-holiday.rf
Why Tourists Choose Georgia
The most important qualities of Georgia are the hospitality of its people, the beautiful nature of the mountains, the national colors and the excellent cuisine. Add to this a relatively low cost and the proximity to Russia, and you get a very attractive destination for tourists from Russia.
Georgia – the land of temples, sun, wine, unreachable peaks and beautiful people!
My image of Georgia was associated only with delicious khachapuri, wine and appetizing shashlik! But it is a very one-sided image of such a diverse country as Georgia. Now the main association is hospitality! Georgia is small but such a colorful and interesting country, we will definitely come back again!
Best time to go on vacation
In Georgia tourists love to vacation at any time of year, and each of the periods will have both pluses and minuses. In our opinion the best time for a beach holiday is the second half of June and the first half of September (the prices are lower, it’s not hot, there are less holidaymakers).
For excursions or a trip by car would be better in late spring (April-May) or early fall (September-October).
But this is not a must – many tourists come here in the low season and have a great time, besides the vacation is not very expensive!
Is it worth to rest in Georgia in the off-season? Not about skiing.
In general, if we talk about the weather, the ideal time to go would be April, May, September, October. In fact, in summer months it is too hot, and in winter the weather is around zero in Tbilisi, in the mountainous areas it is colder, in Batumi a little warmer. But we went in February and we didn’t regret it!!! The air tickets are cheaper, food, hotels etc. are also cheaper. Also in winter different interesting people come to Georgia to live – it is interesting! Another plus – in cold weather to get to some places just a kayf, such as Borjomi with hot springs, you can swim!!! From the minuses – it’s quite cold, there is nothing to do in Batumi in winter. We went to the mountains too, so we took both warm winter and spring clothes, and almost summer clothes. Thought the suitcase was bursting, weighed 20 kg ))
Another advantage of the off-season is ski resorts in Georgia, working just from November to April, the peak ski season is from December to March. The local winter climate is mild and temperatures are usually only -1. -3°C, which is great for sports.
By plane, train or car? Let’s do the math!
To get to Georgia you can travel by plane, train or car. And you can travel in Georgia by your car and also by rented car.
Each option has its pros and cons. So if you’re traveling by your own or rented car, then you will be able to see more of the real Georgia. But the trip by plane is the most comfortable and fastest, and the train is probably the safest.
Here are the approximate costs for vacationing in Georgia in different ways. To all of the ways it is worth adding spending on food and hotels, we will talk about them later in the article.
So, how much does it cost to get to/from Georgia for three people for 7 days:
- Airfare – 15000-20000 rubles. * 3 = 45000 rubles.
- Travel time to Georgia. ~ 5 hours by plane in both directions
- Car rent per person – from 2700 rubles per day * 7 days = 19000 rubles.
- Car insurance: included
- Petrol in Georgia: 5000 rubles.
In total about 65000 rubles.
At the time of writing there are no direct trains from Moscow to Georgia, but you can get to Tbilisi from Vladikavkaz (total 200 km). From Moscow to Vladikavkaz train takes about two days, so this is not the most convenient option.
- The prices of tickets for the train at the time of writing, is not available, you need to specify
- Travel time to Georgia is about 5 days each way
- Car rent per person – from 2700 rubles per day * 7 days = 19000 rubles.
- Car insurance: included
- Petrol in Georgia: 5000 rubles.
- Toll road from Moscow to Rostov: 1000 rubles.
- Car insurance: about 300 rubles (for 15 days)
- Expenses to Georgia (food and overnight): 4500 rubles.
- Gasoline to Georgia and back (from Moscow): 10000 rubles.
- Petrol in Georgia: 5000 rubles.
- Travel time to Georgia: 5 days in both directions.
I like to go to Georgia by car
Georgia is very beautiful and beautiful scenery, mountains and sea, and the people are always extremely friendly! In general Georgia is a compact country, everything is nearby and there are so many beautiful places. In Georgia you can hardly drive fast, because the roads are mainly in the mountains and the traffic is chaotic, they do not pay much attention to traffic lights, and overtaking through a double is not a problem. Still – if you ask if it is worth traveling in Georgia by car – unequivocally yes! You will see a lot of things, it is beautiful!
Ready-made tours: If you are interested in ready-made tours to Georgia, you should read about such offers on Travelata.ru or Level.Travel. Tours for a week for three people will cost in the region of 70,000-100,000 rubles with flight and meals (pre-covid prices).
Is it safe in Georgia
It is believed among our tourists (and all the reviews only confirm this) that traveling in Georgia is absolutely safe. The main highways, central and peripheral streets of large cities are patrolled by police officers, who will help you in case of problems (if you get lost, your car gets damaged or an accident happens).
Generally reviews of friendliness and safety in Georgia are very positive (Photo © Alexx Malev / flickr.com).
People in Georgia are friendly, many speak Russian and English, so there are usually no language barriers.
I feel comfortable in Georgia.
I go to Georgia almost every year, and this year I spent April and May here. I have never felt any negativity from Georgians, including Russian license plates on cars. And my friends have never had a bad attitude either. The population has always been friendly.
Do I need a visa to travel to Georgia?
Russian citizens can stay in Georgia without any visa for one year. All they need is a valid passport and two blank pages for stamps (at the same time there should be no stamps of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, otherwise it is impossible to enter Georgia).
Is it worth to go to Georgia for the beach vacation
The ideal time for a beach vacation in summer in Georgia is the second half of June (the sea is usually already warmed up, and there are not too many tourists yet). Also an excellent time for a vacation at the sea September and the first week of October, when there are a lot of sunny days, and holidaymakers with children are usually already dispersed, there is no exhausting heat and humidity, the sea is usually still warm.
If you’re going to Georgia for a beach holiday in high season (July, August), then it makes sense to consider smaller towns and resorts:
Ureki and Magnetiti – a large village, the most popular for holidays with children. The advantage of Ureki is the beach with sand, shallow depth and shallow entrance. The disadvantages are obvious: during the peak season there are a lot of tourists.
Shekvetili is situated 10 km south of Ureki. The same black sand, coniferous forest, houses are far from the highway, it is possible to rent a house in the private sector in the woods.
What do tourists think about vacationing in Georgia?
We live in Georgia, and we like it very much in this country. How does Sakatvelo attract travelers and where is the best place to rest in different seasons? We share personal impressions, tips and reviews of tourists.
Contents:
Impressions of the country
People with different needs come to Georgian resorts, but I have not met anyone who would not like a vacation in Georgia! It is very beautiful, inexpensive, warm, tasty, and safe. Bribe a special atmosphere of freedom, good-naturedness and sincerity of the locals. Probably no other nation in the world is able to receive guests the way Georgians do!
Irina Karpunina: “I just fell in love with the scenery! Especially in the fall, it seems to me, this area opens up in a special way. All I did was walk around and exclaim “what a beauty” – Gudauri, the Military Georgian Road, Kazbek”.
Anton: “People are very friendly everywhere. If my car broke down, we all helped whoever we could. The food and wine is very good. The mountains are a fairy tale. We were driving to Shatili. Stayed in old Tbilisi. Choose hotels on the mountain next to Narikala fortress – divine views”.
Friendship Arch on the Georgian Military Road. Photo: unsplash.com / @jairph.
Where to vacation
Beach Holiday . Most tourists come to Georgia for vacation in summer. We stayed in Batumi and consider this Georgian resort the best place for a beach vacation on the Black Sea. According to tourist reviews from last year, it’s nice to vacation in Georgia on the magnetic sands of Ureki and Shekvetili, in the pretty villages of Gonio, Chakvi, Kvariati and Sarpi. We were happy to see the cozy resort of Kobuleti. With its neat hotels and pine trees on the shore, the small town looks like a Baltic resort.
Excursion and eco-tourism . Georgia has a huge cultural and natural potential. In different parts of this country have survived the ancient temples, fortresses and monasteries. The tradition of wine and cheese-making in Georgia has about 8000 years, so tourists are popular wine and gastronomic tours in Kakheti and Adjara.
Many enjoy driving through the national parks and reserves of Georgia. One of Europe’s largest bird migration corridors passes through the western part of the country, so ornithological tours and birdwatching have been actively developing in recent years.
Winter holidays . According to reviews of tourists, it is comfortable to rest in Georgia at any time of year. Fans of skiing and snowboarding come to the mountain resorts of Gudauri, Bakuriani, Tetnuldi, Goderzi and Khatsvali. The first two are large and well promoted centers of winter recreation. The youngest ski resort is Khatsvali in Svaneti, it is still just developing.
Medical tourism. Both winter and summer tourists come to Georgia to improve their health in health resorts and medical centers. At the best balneological resorts in Georgia help to get rid of many diseases. Especially popular are Borjomi, Lagodekhi, Nabeglavi, Sairme, Tskhaltubo, Bioli, Pasanauri, Amagleba and spa resort on Lake Lopota.
Active Tourism . Georgia is an ideal vacation destination for fans of extreme sports. In the Caucasus Mountains, it is possible to conduct hiking, mountain and water sports tours up to the 5th category of complexity. Climbers make ascents to Ushba, Shkhara and Kazbek. The rafting season on mountain rivers in Georgia lasts from April to late October, and paragliders fly over the slopes and valleys at any time of year.
Tina Atis: “I’ve been to Batumi several times. When the season comes around, everything starts running at full throttle, if not out of breath. Restaurants, cafes, the beach is jammed with people, there is constant traffic. If you come to Batumi, stay for a few days. For in two or three days it is simply physically impossible to see everything”.
Vadim: “For three years in a row every summer the whole family goes to Kobuleti. The prices for food, accommodation and entertainment are lower than in Russian resort cities of the Black Sea, and the weather is perfect for a vacation.
Dzhvari Monastery in Mtskheta (Photo: maxbenidze / pixabay.com) In Georgia, it is nice to rest on the magnetic sands of Ureki and Shekvetili. Photo: kurmanka / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0.
Is it expensive to vacation
Before coming to Georgia, we knew that the prices are low, but it turned out that the vacation in this country is much cheaper than the Russian south, Turkey and even more so in Europe. Judge for yourself! During high season modern apartments with kitchen in 250 meters from the sea in Batumi are rented for 50 lari – 1200 rubles per day. In low season we rented the same comfortable and spacious apartment with a kitchen and heating for just 30 lari – 720 rubles. Search for accommodation in Georgia on Hotelluk or check out the best options in our picks:
See how much hotels in Georgia cost in the summer of 2022:
| Type | Price per day (RUB) | Example |
| Guest House in Batumi | from $20 | Gonio guest house |
| Guest house in the center of Tbilisi | from $23 | Old District |
| 3* Hotel with breakfasts in the center of Tbilisi | from $50 | New Metekhi 3* |
| Hotel 3* by the sea in Batumi | from $40 | Hotel Pervaya Liniya 3* |
| Hotel 5* by the sea in Batumi | from 90 $ | JRW Welmond Hotel & Casino 5* |
You can find an expensive restaurant in any Georgian resort, but we prefer to eat in cafes and restaurants where Georgians themselves eat. The portions are huge and Georgian cuisine needs no advertising. We have never managed to pay more than 20 lari (480 rubles) for a hearty lunch for two.
Shoti puri Georgian bread costs 1 lari, khachapuri, penovani, kubdari and other tasty pies cost from 1,5 to 3 lari. Fresh fruit in season sells for 1 kg for 1,5-3 GEL. The famous suluguni cheese costs 20 GEL per 1 kg. Find out what to try in Georgia and where to eat inexpensively in Tbilisi.
Public transportation is very cheap, and cabs won’t ruin your vacation budget too much. The average price for a ride through the city is 4-5 lari (95-120 rubles).
Leylashka: You can find any kind of accommodation based on your budget. It’s possible to stay in an expensive hotel for $200 and in a guesthouse for $15 a day. Prices for normal hotels start at $30. Very profitable, if you go with a family, to rent a house – $ 30-40 dollars a day, depending on the location and number of rooms.
Doktoranna1990: “Surprisingly in Batumi the prices are 10-20% lower than in Tbilisi. About the same as in Kiev or a little lower. The prices of cabs are amazing. We drove 20-30 minutes around the city, and the maximum amount was 7-8 GEL.”
The menu at Samikitno restaurant in Tbilisi, which is inexpensive and popular with tourists. A cozy apartment in Tbilisi in the national style and with high ceilings for 1700 rubles per day! Here stayed during the holidays the editors of our site Alexei and Renata.
What a sea and beaches
The coastline of Georgia stretches for 308 km. The resort season lasts from late May to late October. Subtropical climate, warm sea water, lush greenery, good beaches and the famous Georgian hospitality is waiting for you.
The Black Sea is not as clean as the Mediterranean Sea, and not as lively as the Red Sea. However, according to the reviews of tourists, the beach vacation in Georgia is good. We love to swim on the pebble beaches of Sarpi and Chakvi, but it is especially nice to relax on the sandy beaches in Ureki and Shekvetili.
Keep in mind that apart from Batumi, Kobuleti and elite resort hotels by the sea, there is almost no beach infrastructure in Georgia. Most Georgian beaches are for wild recreation.
DannyHoustin33: “Batumi has a beautiful city beach, there are changing rooms, lifeguards. The advantage of this beach is that it is a pebble beach. You don’t have to wash the sand out of yourself after your vacation. There are various cafes, bicycle path and walking alley. The beach is monitored carefully and that is why there is no garbage.
Batumi has a beautiful city beach. Photo: nika9447 / unsplash.com.
What to see
Not all areas of the country are equally accessible. The sights of beautiful mountainous regions like Mestia are less often visited by tourists than the outskirts of major cities. If you are traveling to Georgia for the first time, start acquaintance with the country from Tbilisi. The Georgian capital has left a surprisingly warm and pleasant impression on us!
From Tbilisi we advise to go to Mestia, the cave town Vardzia, the village Stepantsminda near Kazbek, Kakheti and the city of love Sighnaghi. In the vicinity of Kutaisi interesting to visit Martvili and Okatse Canyons, Prometheus Cave and Gelati Monastery.
While vacationing in Batumi in 2022, take a trip to the ancient fortresses of Petra and Gonio, tour the national park “Mtirala” and look at the picturesque waterfalls in the mountains.
Tripster – unusual tours in Georgia in Russian.
Lusi K: “Adjara State Museum – I didn’t expect that it would be interesting and informative not only for me but also for my 3-year-old son. A lot of unique exhibits, and the courtyard is one love! You can take pictures.”
Vacation with Kids
Georgia is one of the countries where a vacation with kids brings only positive emotions. It is better to live by the sea with babies. Older children are interested to see the mountains, waterfalls and ancient fortresses.
In terms of food Georgia is different from exotic Asia. Stores and markets are full of fresh vegetables, fruits, delicious milk, matsuni, yogurt and cheeses, and restaurants and cafes always offer the usual dishes for a child.
Choosing a city or resort, keep in mind that the terrain can be mountainous. Not everywhere is convenient to walk with a stroller and small children.
Sofia: “The whole family spent the vacation in Batumi. We enjoyed the long boulevard with attractions for children, shops and cafes. We rented bikes a couple of times and rode around the boulevard with the whole family, I highly recommend it, especially in the evening. Riding on the Ferris wheel, the view is amazing. We had a great time at the water park. There are a lot of water slides for children and adults, and there is an open area for kids.
Dolphinarium in Batumi. Photo: W0zny / wikimedia.org / CC BY-SA 3.0.
When it’s best to go
For sightseeing and health tourism is suitable for any time of the year. There is always juicy fruit. We arrived in Tbilisi in February and were amazed at the amount of fruit in the stores and markets. In May, the first strawberries and medlars are on sale, followed by cherries, mulberries and cherries. Fresh plums, apples and pears are on the shelves from June onwards, and in July the choice of fruit is divergent!
Spring and fall are the most picturesque times in the mountains. Skiing season in Georgia begins in late November and ends in late April. The best time for skiing is from December to March.
It is comfortable to swim in the Black Sea from late May – early June until the end of October. In midsummer the water gets warm up to +26 … +27 ° C. If you can’t stand the summer heat, you can vacation at seaside resorts. It is hotter in Tbilisi in July and August than in Batumi and Kobuleti.
Irina: “In July we went to Kobuleti for the first time. It’s a very beautiful place and the weather was wonderful – not a cloud or a drop of rain for a week. The temperature was stable +26 … +28°С. Water was also warm enough for bathing.
Is it worth the trip
Since 2019 there are no direct flights between Russia and Georgia, but this is not a reason to refuse to travel! It is easy to fly to Georgia with a connection in Minsk, Belgrade or Istanbul, or come by ground transport through Upper Lars (not available during the pandemic). Tourists are welcome here, loved and welcomed as the dearest guests. Come here!
