The Ultimate Georgia Itinerary Guide

From coast to mountaintop, Georgia has very quickly become a spectacular hidden gem for travellers who are looking for a European adventure without all the cheesy tourist trappings. It’s a country that blends gorgeous river and coastal scenes and boasts some fascinating theological history, coupled with a truly tempting array of vineyards, making it a must-visit for wine fanatics.

What’s more, Georgia is quickly making its way onto lists of the best cheap destinations worldwide for sheer value vs. money invested. Ultimately, it’s a highly memorable vacation spot that’s easy to get around and which offers a nice balance of experiences you’ll want to share with everybody (while you’re away and as soon as you get back!).

In this guide, we’ll break down what you’ll need to include in the perfect Georgia country itinerary, how long to travel for, and which sights to priortise first. Whether or not you already have flights and accommodation booked, here’s what you need to know.

Georgia itinerary overview

A quick word of advice for this itinerary guide before we get started - the landmarks, cities, and itinerary template suggestions we break down here aren’t put together as standardised “must-dos” - you can explore the country in whatever way and order you wish! However, it is always good to have an idea of what to include in your itinerary before you go, and that’s precisely why we’ve put this walkthrough together.

So, whether you stick to a rough Georgia country itinerary listed in this guide, or build one of your own from scratch, here’s what we recommend you keep in mind.

• Head to Tbilisi first - it has an accessible airport and is where you’ll be able to plan most of your transportation across your trip. For that reason, we also recommend looking for accommodation in the city over all other areas.
• In fact, we recommend spending most of your time in Tbilisi, then heading out for short day trips and dedicating a day to the wine region.
• Don’t overshoot your stay. There’s plenty to see and do here, but of the SIMOVO team who have visited Georgia in recent times, the advice is generally to look at between a week to 14 days, maximum. 
• Always check that you have the right entry documents to hand before you travel - it usually takes a few days for a visa into Georgia to process, for example.
• Pack for coastal travel and for mountain trekking! That means supportive, comfortable footwear, and ensuring you have some thermal clothing for colder months (it gets impressively warm here in the summer, mind!).
• Take up an eSIM for Europe before you go, so you always have a fall-back plan for mobile data if you need to access GPS or find restaurants and sights of interest.

Top places to visit in Georgia

According to the Georgia travellers among the SIMOVO team, you should always make a point of visiting Tbilisi, Kazbegi, Kakheti, and Batumi if you’re sticking to an itinerary. In fact, as mentioned, we recommend basing much of your trip around Tbilisi itself and then dipping in and out of other regions while you have the time!

Regardless of what order you visit them in, let’s break down the top four places to visit as part of your Georgia country itinerary.

Tbilisi

Once you’ve made your base in Tbilisi, we recommend exploring the city up and down - there are walking tours across the gorgeous city if you want to take it all in on foot, but do also remember that there are several public transport links and cable cars. In fact, the cable cars will give you an incredible view of the city’s best bits, provided you’re comfortable with going up high for a little while.

In fact, the cable cars will take you all the way up to fortress ruins, meaning it’s a fascinating trip up if you want to dive into European history. 

From the quaintness of Old Town to the ornate balconies, you’ll also be able to take in Tbilisi via boat tours, before wandering around sampling souvenir shops and cafes. Be warned, however, this can be quite a steep city to traverse on foot, so always make sure you take regular breaks.

Kazbegi

The incredible mountains up in the town of Kazbegi, known officially as Stepantsminda, is absolutely the main reason why travellers flock here so regularly. Thankfully, you don’t have to go mountaineering to get to the top, as there are road tours leading up to the peaks.

Around the area, you’ll spot incredible natural sights such as the Dariali Gorge, which is absolutely bursting with water features your phone camera was built to capture. For culture and history fans, too, there are museums and festival scenes, too.

Kakheti

We promised you wine, and so you shall receive it! All you need to do is head out on a day trip to the gorgeous Georgian region of Kakheti, which has been home to vineyards for longer than anyone can remember.

Kakheti’s wine vessels are truly unique, meaning if you think you’ve seen wine being made before, you really need to give this a try! Of course, you can spend all the time you like exploring the different cellars here, and even trying a glass or two of wine along the way.

You’ll also have access to some stunning, snowy landscapes across the mountains here, with a must-see being the fabulous Lagodekhi National Park.

Batumi

Batumi is another must-see city that’s seen some turbulence over the centuries, but which is currently in a promising developmental shape. Full of fascinating outdoor artworks, buildings, and a nice coastal scene, it’s a gentle alternative to the main metropolis of Tbilisi. 

That said, after a certain time, the main Piazza really livens up! Be sure to plan trips to restaurants and bars here if you’re filling up your itinerary.

Georgia itinerary for 7 days

We generally recommend sticking to a seven-day plan for Georgia if you’re visiting here for the first time. Here’s an example of how you might lay out a week there, keeping Tbilisi as the base:

• Days 1-2: Land in and explore Tbilisi
• Day 3: Book a day trip to Kakheti and the vineyards
• Day 4: Explore the landscapes around Kazbegi
• Days 5-6: Either take two trips out or book alternative accommodation to enjoy Batumi
• Day 7: Head back to Tbilisi for a final night around the city

Georgia itinerary for 10 days

• Days 1-3: Land in and explore Tbilisi
• Days 4-6: Explore Batumi (book overnight here)
• Days 5-7: Take a couple of day trips out to Kazbegi (book overnight again in Batumi or Tbilisi)
• Days 8-9: Day trips, again, around Kakheti and the vineyards (overnight wherever you wish)
• Day 10: Spend your final night in your favourite spot!

Georgia itinerary for 14 days

• Days 1-3: Set a base in Tbilisi for a few days
• Days 4-5: Take a few day trips to Kakheti (and book here or Tbilisi)
• Days 6-8: Book overnight and explore Batumi
• Days 9-11: Voyage into Kazbegi (and book overnight here if you wish
• Days 12-14: Explore everything left over in Tbilisi you’ve yet to enjoy!

Best time to visit Georgia

The best time of year to visit Georgia, according to our resident experts, is easily the summer. That’s especially true if you want to make the most of the amazing walking trails and fancy yourself as a mountaineer!

However, we also recommend that you check out the cities in calmer, milder months where possible. September time, for example, is usually fairly peaceful and not too sweltering!

Now you have more than a taste of what to expect from gorgeous Georgia, book those tickets and grab that eSIM - bon voyage!