Georgia has incredible places and many hidden gems suited for every type of traveller.
Are you adventurous and enjoy hiking? Georgia is a favourite for big and beautiful hikes in the mountains.
Are you someone who enjoys luxury holidays? Georgia has plenty of fancy hotels all around the country.
Are you someone who travels on a budget? Georgia is an incredibly cheap country to travel in.
Whether you are familiar with the country or not, I have compiled a list of the hidden gems you probably didn’t know about.
1. Svaneti
Svaneti is one of the most stunning and culturally fascinating places in Georgia, which is what makes it number one on the list of hidden gems. This part of Georgia is very different from the rest of the country. Going here, you almost feel like you are in a different country – the food is different, the people are also different, and the nature is extraordinary.
Where to stay?
The best way to explore Svaneti is to stay at a local hotel/guest house where you can immerse yourself with the nature. We stayed in a guesthouse called Keti Margiani which we booked on Booking.com – it had views overlooking all of the Svan castles and breakfast was out of this world! It was the most incredible breakfast I have ever eaten. If you are a breakfast person, or if you just want to try the most authentic home made local food, I would recommend booking this place.
However, if you are looking for a proper hotel, I would recommend Hotel Banguriani for £56 a night. It is a decent hotel with very good prices and will guarantee you a comfortable stay.
What to do?
In Svaneti there is a lot to see and do. Mestia is the capital and you can explore the surroundings by hiking around. We also took a day trip to Ushguli, which is the highest populated village in Europe at 2,500 meters. Be prepared to possibly get altitude sickness!
This is a very fascinating place to visit, even just to see how people live here. There is also a very beautiful view of the glacier from the village, which makes for a very beautiful picture.
2. Vardzia
Vardzia is probably one of the hidden gems which never fail to wow anyone. This impressive cave monastery was ordered to be built by Queen Tamara back in the 12th century. It was used as a habitation for around 2,000 monks, until a major earthquake ruined a lot of the caves. The Persian invasion caused this place to also become a refuge , but today, it remains an incredibly fascinating place to explore.
Where to stay?
Vardzia Resort is a very good hotel in Vardzia. It has an infinity pool and very nice hotel rooms and breakfast.
However, if you wish to save money and see more of Georgia along the way, it is not worth staying in Vardzia. Nearby big cities which you can see include Borjomi and Akhalcikhe, which are an hour drive away.
What to do?
You will need around 2-3 hours to explore Vardzia. Here you will visit the caves, explore the historical monasteries and learn more about the history of the place.
The entrance fee is 7 GEL, but if you want to get an audio guide that will cost an extra 10 GEL. I would recommend getting the audio guide to learn as much information as you can as the history is very interesting.
3. Tusheti
Tusheti is another fascinating place in Georgia. Located in the northeast of Georgia and bordering Chechnya and Dagestan in neighbouring Russia, Tusheti is one of Georgia’s most picturesque and pristine high-mountain regions, but a trip there is not for the faint hearted!
The roads to get to Tusheti are some of the most dangerous roads in the world! Let me tell you why: the roads are unpaved and pass over 2900m deep fall. What’s more, the drive there can only be done in a 4WD from around late May to mid-October. For this reason I would recommend hiring an experienced driver who can take you there and back. This will cost you approximately 50 GEL per person.
Because of the bad roads, the travel speed is liited to 50km and it may take up to 4-5 hours to get to Omalo.
Where to stay?
Similarly to Svaneti, there are many cute guesthouses offered by the locals, as well as standard hotels. The guesthouses are incredibly cheap, starting from £9 a night!
Most of them offer breakfast and dinner options, so if you want to try the local cuisine, then eating at the guesthouse is the best option.
What to do?
There are endless hikes that you can do in Tusheti. If you don’t have a tent, there are many day trips that you can do to explore the beautiful spots in Omalo.
You can also hire a horse for the day which is a popular thing to do here. A horse for one person costs 50GEL, and if you want a tour guide with it, it will cost another 50-70 GEL.
4. Borjomi
If you have heard of Borjomi water, then this name will sound very familiar to you.
Borjomi is a resort town in Georgia known for its mineral water industry. Many people with health problems come here because of the curative powers of the area’s mineral springs. Borjomi also has the biggest ecologically-themed amusement park in the Caucausus, making it a fascinating place to visit!
Where to stay?
Borjomi has some very nice hotels. One of them in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, which is also a spa and wellness center. It is only £65 a night on average and offers very nice hotel rooms and a tasteful design. You will feel like you are somewhere else in Europe!
What to do?
Visit the natural water park! Here you can taste the famous Borjomi water and relax in the beautiful surroundings. You can also take the cable car up to enjoy the views of the city from above.
There are also many castles and monasteries around that are worth a visit. For example, Gogia’s Castle and Peter’s Castle are both medieval and beautiful castles with a lot of history behind them.
5. Kakheti
Georgia, as the oldest producer of wine in the world, is very famous for its wine. Therefore, a hidden gems list of Georgia would not be complete without a mention of wine. If you like wine, Kakheti is where you should be going.
Where to stay?
Kakheti is great because it is close enough to Tbilisi that you can go there for a day trip.
However, if you really want to stay overight, I would recommend driving one more hour to get to Lopota. Lopota has recently become popular with its Lopota Lake Resort – check it out here. It offers the most spectacular views of the lake, and it really feels like a getwaway.
What to do?
As I mentioned before, Kakheti is the place to do wine tasting. There are also other activities you can enjoy at the same time, such as Shotis puri (the Georgia bread) making in the furnace and making churchxela ( Georgian snack made with walnuts and grape juice).
Which one of these would you like to visit the most? Let me know in the comments below!
