Smart Self-Managed Tours

Country guide

Georgia

A photograph of Georgia
Photograph · Alexander Roumega · CC0

Georgia holds 3.9 million people and more than a third of them live in Tbilisi, so most visits begin in the capital and radiate out. The country sits on the east coast of the Black Sea, with Russia along the north, Turkey and Armenia to the south and Azerbaijan to the southeast, and the ground rises from beach to mountain village inside a single drive. Two things meet a first-time visitor immediately: Georgian, a Kartvelian language with no relation to any other language family in the world and its own alphabet to match, and wine, since the earliest known winemaking sites anywhere are here. Christianity arrived in the early fourth century, and the churches are correspondingly old.

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Georgian
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+995
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Georgian lari (GEL)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C and F · 220 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor drinking-water statement was recorded

Planning a visit

  1. January: no seasonality data recorded
  2. February: no seasonality data recorded
  3. March: no seasonality data recorded
  4. April: no seasonality data recorded
  5. May: no seasonality data recorded
  6. June: no seasonality data recorded
  7. July: no seasonality data recorded
  8. August: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded
  10. October: no seasonality data recorded
  11. November: no seasonality data recorded
  12. December: no seasonality data recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Metekhi Church Metekhi Church
    02 30 min

    Metekhi Church

    Metekhi Church is a historic Georgian Orthodox church perched on a rocky cliff overlooking the Mtkvari River in central Tbilisi. Its dramatic position makes it one of the city's most visually striking landmarks.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Tbilisi
  2. National Gallery of Georgia National Gallery of Georgia
    03 1 hr 30 min

    National Gallery of Georgia

    The National Gallery in Tbilisi is formally named the Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery. It stands as a major art museum in Georgia's capital, housed in a purpose-built early twentieth-century building.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  3. Armaztsikhe Armaztsikhe
    04 45 min

    Armaztsikhe

    Armaztsikhe is an archaeological site near Tbilisi, Georgia, associated with the ancient kingdom of Iberia. The local name არმაზციხე-ბაგინეთი არქეოლოგიური ძეგლი identifies it as the Armaztsikhe-Bagineti archaeological monument.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  4. Mtatsminda Pantheon Mtatsminda Pantheon
    05 45 min

    Mtatsminda Pantheon

    Mtatsminda Pantheon is a burial ground and memorial complex on Mtatsminda hill in Tbilisi, Georgia. The local name is მთაწმინდის პანთეონი. It serves as a national pantheon where notable Georgian cultural and public figures are interred.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  5. Kartlis Deda
    10 45 min

    Kartlis Deda

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  6. Shavnabada
    37 45 min

    Shavnabada

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  7. Zegarda
    51 45 min

    Zegarda

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Georgia be?

Seven to ten days supports Tbilisi plus Kakheti, Kazbegi or a western city without racing across the country. Combining Svaneti, the Black Sea and the capital needs additional nights because mountain and cross-country transfers consume substantial portions of a day.

What entry documents are needed for Georgia?

Georgia’s official eVisa service explains whether advance permission applies to a particular passport. Confirm the permitted stay, entry route and documentation there, and consult current government guidance before any overland crossing rather than assuming every neighbouring border operates normally.

What is the best way to travel around Georgia?

Tbilisi and Kutaisi are useful air gateways; trains serve a limited set of major corridors, and marshrutkas or hired vehicles reach many regional towns. Mountain itineraries need weather and road checks, while Tbilisi’s metro and buses handle most urban movements.

When is a practical time to visit Georgia?

May to June and September to October are versatile for cities, wine regions and lower mountain routes. High passes may open later or close earlier, and Batumi has a wetter pattern, so one national forecast cannot settle dates for a multi-region journey.

What money and payment basics apply in Georgia?

Georgia uses the lari. Cards are common in Tbilisi, yet guesthouses, markets and mountain transport can still depend on cash; withdraw or exchange through recognised providers and confirm whether an quoted tour price includes regional transfers.

What practical safety details should I save for Georgia?

The emergency number is 112, with Type C and F sockets at 220 V. Tap-water guidance is Not recorded in this dataset; seek local confirmation, and keep official road or emergency alerts available when travelling into mountain districts.