RegionOutline guide

Northwestern Georgia

Georgia

Photo: Peter Fitzgerald, :commons:User:Pmx, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Northwestern Georgia is a region of the country of Georgia.

Where to eat, drink and stay

Sleep2 places

Village Adishi Guesthouse
Elisabeth Kaldani's Guest House
Family-run guest house run by fluent English- and Russian-speaking woman. Fantastic meals. Possibility to arrange horse rental for river crossing.
Directions
Asking anyone in Adishi for Elizabeth Kaldani will get you there
Phone
+995 595 44 95 84, +995 595 13 51 87
Village Zhabeshi: Kakhiani Guesthouse (Luka)30-40 lari for room and board (3 meals)
Guesthouse run by fluent English- and Russian- speaking young Luka and an old woman. Super-friendly service, clean rooms and the by far cheapest place in town as all the others charge you for room, board and drinks.
Price
30-40 lari for room and board (3 meals)
Directions
when coming on the trail from Mestia to Zhadesi, cross the bridge over the river, walk straight in and you will find Luka and his guesthouse on the left side of the way
Phone
+995 551 077 822

Getting there and around

Getting there

By train
Night trains (8 hr) between Zugdidi and Tbilisi are co-ordinated with early morning (06:00-08:00) marshrutka departures (15 lari) from Zugdidi to Mestia, which take a bit over 3-4 hr.
By plane
Queen Tamar Airport offers flights to Mestia that are operated by Serviceair.

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Getting around

On foot
In Svaneti, hiking from town to town is possible, and considerably more exciting, There is a flagged path from Mestia to Ushguli passing through several villages, the tourist information in Mestia…
By car
There are reasonably good roads in the region with a new highway built to connect with Mestia. If you have your own transport it will be easy to get around.

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Airports and nearby hotels

Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.

David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport

Kopitnari · International · KUT

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Cities

Mestia

Mestia is a city in Upper Svaneti of Northwestern Georgia.

Zugdidi

Zugdidi (Georgian: ზუგდიდი; Mingrelian: ზუგდიდი or ზუგიდი) is the capital of Northwestern Georgia.

Anaklia and Ganmukhuri

Anaklia (Georgian: ანაკლია ) is a seaside resort on the Black Sea, about 30  km southwest of Zugdidi in Northwestern Georgia.

Jvari

Jvari is a very old settlement in Northwestern Georgia in the Tsalenjikha municipality. It sits at the foot of the Caucasus mountains, at the gateway to Mestia.

Martvili

Martvili (Georg.: მართვილი) is a district town of 4,400 people (2014) in the Mingrelia region of Northwestern Georgia. It is known for its extensive monastery complex, and for the nearby gorges, which are ideal for canyoning and rafting.

Mazeri

Mazeri (მაწერი) is a mountain village in Upper Svaneti of Northwestern Georgia.

Poti

Poti is a port city in Northwestern Georgia. The main reason to visit Poti is nearby Kolheti National Park with its wetlands and bird life.

Ushguli

Ushguli is a community of four villages in Northwestern Georgia next to the foot of Shkhara, one of the highest Caucasian summits.

Read before you go to Northwestern Georgia

Articles and travel topics about Northwestern Georgia and Georgia.

Inspiration

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Nature & adventure

Hiking in Northwestern Georgia

Northwestern Georgia provides some excellent hiking opportunities, and is a good way to experience the region.

Wikivoyage

Nature & adventure

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often on hiking trails.

Wikivoyage

Food & drink

Georgian cuisine

Georgian cuisine is very varied. In addition to its many famous meat dishes, there are also a range of vegetarian and vegan dishes, in part due to the ubiquitous presence of the Orthodox Church which prescribes frequent…

Wikivoyage

Full travel guide

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UnderstandNorthwestern Georgia coincides with the administrative regions and of Georgia. Svaneti is divided into two parts, Upper Svaneti and Lower Svaneti, separated by the tall Svaneti Mountain Range.

TalkAlthough the Georgian languages of Mingrelian in Samegrelo and the unwritten Svan in Svaneti are widespread, Georgian is the main language in the region.

Get inMarshrutkas head to Zugdidi and on to Abkhazia from the bus stations in Batumi and Kutaisi, and Tbilisi. Poti is the easiest destination to get to, and is widely served by public transport.

Get aroundThere are basic and inconvenient marshrutka services between towns, but it's generally easier to hire taxis.

SeeIn addition to the breathtaking ancient villages of Svaneti filled with imposing stone watchtowers, there are some spectacular mountain vistas of Europe's highest mountains.

DoNorthwestern Georgia provides some excellent hiking opportunities, and is a good way to see the natural scenery of the region.

EatThe food differs from region to region within Northwestern Georgia, but its Mingrelian cuisine is perhaps its most famous, which is notably spicier than most Georgian food, and is just generally delicious.

DrinkThe local wines are actually made of grapes from the Racha region, but any place is a good place to drink them! The best local wines are red, Barakoni and Khvanchkara. The latter was allegedly Stalin's favorite.

SleepThere are several homestays and guesthouses in and around Mestia and Ushguli, Svaneti.

Stay safeNorthwestern Georgia is generally a safe travel destination. The Abkhazia conflict caused some destabilization in the region, but this has largely been settled (not in Georgia's favour).

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Northwestern Georgia" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Peter Fitzgerald, :commons:User:Pmx, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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