Two nights in the mountains of Svaneti, Georgia
Svaneti is a remote region in northern Georgia. It's home to some of the highest and still populated settlements in the world. The area is known for the Svan towers, rich history, and natural beauty of course.
This plan serves as an introduction to the area, a way to get a taste of it. We went there in early August, in dry weather, which made our journey safe. However, when it’s raining, mudflows aren’t uncommon, and in winter some roads don’t exist because of metres of snow on top.
You can easily spend more than 2 nights in the area, especially if you are ready to walk (or even climb) a lot and camp, but I’ll focus on great places that you can reach by car or easily by foot without much hassle.
The link to the Google Maps with all places marked:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/p9LhhPHfxxeh8Ry26
Day 1 - Getting there
Mestia is the capital of Svaneti and the most developed and accessible town, so it makes sense to base yourself there. There’s no regular public transport that would get you to Mestia though, so the best option is to rent a car and drive. As a bonus, you will be able to stop whenever you like to admire the scenery and explore places beyond the main road.
We started from Batumi and it's a 5-6 hours drive from there to Mestia. From Tbilisi the drive is significantly longer and it's more convenient to go from there to a closer mountain area called Kazbegi.
If you don’t want to drive, then you can fly into the Mestia airport. However, it will limit your flexibility and you will have to rely on local taxis - more on this later.
On your way to Mestia, you will drive through winding roads, pass little villages, small waterfalls, old bridges - many opportunities to have a stop. But be conscious of time as you wouldn’t like driving through these rally-level curves at night.
However, there’s one place that may be worth a detour - the Enguri dam. It’s one of the world’s highest dams and holds the majestic turquoise water of the Enguri river. There’s a small entrance fee and it’s about a 10-15 minute walk from the parking lot.
The goal for the day is to reach Mestia before it gets dark and settle in an accommodation. When we were there we were greeted by our host with exceptional warmth, and it's not uncommon in the area and in Georgia in general, as people there are known for their hospitality.
If you need to buy anything or have dinner - the capital got you covered. It’s a small town, but it has everything you may need - pharmacies, groceries, souvenir shops, restaurants, coffee shops and even a couple of examples of curious modern architecture.
Day 2 - Mestia
Start the day by exploring the Svan towers. The two official house-museums are Margiani's House Museum and Mikhail Khergiani House Museum. But you may also encounter locals offering tours of their family houses. You will learn how these towers were used to protect residents from hostile outsiders and neighbours.
If you have time, you can learn even more at the Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography on the southern bank of the river.
Don’t spend too much time in museums though, as further south you will find the Hatsvali Cable Car. Use it to get to the top of the mountain for stunning views. There’s a small circular hike at the top with multiple viewpoints in all directions.
The cable car ride itself is also a great experience. It consists of two parts. The higher one uses closed cabins, while the lower one uses open chairs and takes you between treetops - you will feel like a bird.
There are many ways to spend the rest of the day. You can hike a longer route near the top station of the cable car (note the time of the last departure down though), explore more of Mestia, or have a steep hike to The Cross - a viewpoint that is directly to the north from the city.
Alternatively, you can drive or take a taxi to Mazeri - a town to the north-west. From there you can have an unobstructed view of Mount Ushba - one of the highest and most difficult to climb mountains of the Caucasus range. It's also the most recognisable thanks to its double summit that looks like ears.
You will probably notice these ubiquitous narrow vans that are the most popular transport in the area and, among other cars, are used by guides and taxi drivers.
If you need a taxi, you can find one in the central square of Mestia. You can also ask your host to help you find a taxi.
Day 3 - Ushguli
Up to this point, you can be fine without SUV. But to get to Ushguli you need to have at least a crossover or hire a taxi. For the most part the road is fine but there’s one long piece that is completely unpaved at the moment with several streams you will have to cross. That piece took us about half an hour to pass at a low speed.
On the way to Ushguli make sure to stop at a pretty viewpoint with the Nakipari village and Enguri river flowing below. There are many other alluring views on the way as well, but be patient as you will get the most amazing ones when you reach the final destination.
Ushguli is a community of several villages, most of which maintain their ancient look and are recognized as the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wander through the streets, go up to the 12th-century Lamaria religious complex, and climb another hill with the tower of the Queen Tamar. And if you have time and energy you can do a steep hike to the top of the mountain to the south of the villages where there’s another tower associated with the famous Georgian Queen.
When finished with the villages, proceed to the north into a magnificent valley. You can do a long hike or drive further along the river.
From the point where the car road ends, there's an easy hike further to a vantage point where, if you are lucky to get a clear sky, you can see the summit of Mount Shkhara (the highest point in the country) and massive glaciers feeding the river.
It's easy to lose track of time amidst the beauty, that's why people stay in Ushguli for a night or two. But we left early to get back to Mestia before dusk.
Day 4 - Leaving Svaneti
On your way out of Svaneti you will have more time as you will definitely leave difficult roads before dusk.
Stop at all the beautiful places and viewpoints you spotted along the road on the first day, like curves of rivers, tiny waterfalls and cascades flowing down from mountains.
There are a few old and new bridges branching from the main road. Some of them are quite scenic and worth a stop.
If you liked it there - and how not to like the nature that is no less beautiful than the Alps but way more affordable than Switzerland or Italy - you will probably leave with a good list of things to do and to see for your next time. It might be even in winter, especially if you are into winter sports, as Mestia is also a popular ski resort.
Tips
Language
Tourism in the Svaneti region is rapidly growing and stimulates infrastructure and new jobs, so you won’t encounter significant issues if you only speak English. Some people there, especially older ones, also speak Russian. However, it’s always good to learn basic phrases in Georgian, out of respect and just to break the ice.
Money
You won’t have any issues paying with your card in Mestia and in restaurants in the area. However, it would be wise to have a decent amount of cash as well in case you buy handmade goods from locals, like Svan salt or honey, or visit smaller cafes or use taxi services.
Maps
Google Maps are fine to use for the most part of driving, but hiking trails and smaller roads, like the one leading to the glacier past Ushguli, are not marked there, so look for alternative solutions. I’m using Maps.me, but it comes with a caveat - it has too much information. For example, some trails marked there are just not suitable for hiking, so always use common sense and don’t trust any map blindly.
I hope this itinerary will help you plan your journey to this area. Feel free to ask questions or provide any feedback in the comments below. Thank you, and see you on another adventure!
