Svaneti

Reaching Svaneti from Tbilisi

There are several options to travel from Tbilisi to Svaneti, including private buses, private cars, train or public transport. As we enjoy immersing ourselves in local culture, we chose to take the public bus, also known as Marshrutka (remember this name for when you ask around - it's the Russian word for bus). 

If you have limited time, I would recommend considering a private bus directly to Svaneti or the train to Zugdidi and then a bus to Mestia. The public bus can take a long time to reach Svaneti  - it took us more than a day to get there. If you get the train to Zugdidi you will reach Zugdidi in approx. 3h instead of 8h, but make sure to reserve your train several weeks in advance, as it's common that they sell out fast. 

Moreover, public buses are minibusses that operate on a first-come, first-served basis, so we had to push our way onto the bus. Overall, the ride was uncomfortable because our buses were always full and the roads were very bumpy (at least when we went there in August 2022 and especially going from Zugdidi up to Svaneti). However, during our journey on the bus, we noticed that the Georgian government has partnered with Chinese construction systems to construct a new highway, which may change the situation quite rapidly. Despite the crowded, hot, bumpy ride, I must say I quite enjoy this experience. 

Hopping on a Marshrutka

If you are venturing on an adventure in Marshrutka, you can find the timetable and prices of buses leaving Tbilisi on this website. We did not find any other informative websites for other departure sites and we found that the price can vary a lot. For instance, the prices of the buses go up significantly as you approach more touristic areas. For instance, going to Zugdidi from Kutaisi costs us 15GEL, but going to Mestia from Zugdidi 35GEL and going to Ushguli from Mestia 50GEL, despite the last trips being significantly shorter.

Zugdidi

In Zugdidi, we had dinner at Cafe City Bar (food was average/low quality) and went for a walk in the city, and then looked for accommodation online. We found a family homestay called Cozy House (see photo below) where we stayed for the night. The family was very nice, and we met a girl from Ukraine who was staying in the room across from us.

Mestia

The following day, we caught an early morning bus to Mestia and arrived at 1pm. After dropping off our belongings at the guesthouse, we planned to hike but realized the intended 1000m elevation would take too long to complete. Instead, we opted for the cable car (20GEL pp) which took us to the top and we enjoyed a shorter hike with breathtaking views of the valley and mountains. We observed pollinating insects and butterflies but had to end the hike early to catch the last cable car at 17h. Later, we explored the village and admired the charming houses, many of which had farm animals. 

Mestia is known for its distinctive medieval towers. These towers were constructed between the 9th and 12th centuries and served as a place of refuge for families during conflicts and invasions from nearby towns. The towers were typically constructed out of stone and featured several floors, with the lower levels used to house animals and storage, while the upper floors served as living quarters for families.  Each tower was designed to be self-sufficient, with its own water supply and food storage, and the high walls and narrow windows made them difficult to penetrate. The towers were also built to serve as a symbol of status, with wealthy families constructing taller and more elaborate towers to demonstrate their power and influence. Today, you can visit the towers and climb up to their roofs (3 GEL pp).  

After climbing to the tower, we savored delicious BBQ at a recommended restaurant before returning to our guesthouse for the night.

Ushguli

The following day, we had trouble securing transport to Ushguli, with prices rising from 35 GEL pp to 100 GEL for a bus, and we ended up paying 150 GEL for private transport. The price you should expect is around 50GEL, however, the area is remote and there is only one monopolizing company organizing buses at the bus station once per day in the morning (this might change as the area gets more visitors, but was the situation in 2022). Therefore, I advise you to plan ahead and explore transportation options in this remote area just as you arrive in Mestia. 

The road to Ushguli was rough, with some cars lacking air in their wheels to prevent them from bursting due to bad road conditions and gravel. Upon reaching Ushguli, one of Europe's highest villages at 2,100m, we saw fewer towers than in Mestia. 45 families reside in the village, with most working in tourism, farming, or government jobs. 

After we left our luggage at the guesthouse, we went hiking to the Shktara Glacier. The trail was mostly flat and next to the river. Once we reached the glacier, we saw approached first the older moraines with vegetation and newer, more rocky moraines, which were extensive and approximately 20 years old, which indicated that the glacier was rapidly retreating. While admiring the glacier, we witnessed an avalanche, but its thick and flat top prevented the snow from sliding down to where we were. As the glacier melts in summer, stones continuously fell from the top. A cold river with glacier water flowed rapidly from the glacier towards Ushguli. On our way back, we were caught by a thunderstorm that drenched us, including our non-waterproof hiking trousers. The river and ponds on the way swelled, soaking our feet. Luckily, the storm cleared and we were greeted with a rainbow. A happy dog accompanied us on our hike back to the guesthouse, and we walked past cows.

In the guesthouse, our hosts cooked two types of salads, slices of zucchini, Kubdari, Khachapuri and watermelon as a dessert for dinner. We enjoyed the meal with a fellow Dutch traveler who was also staying in the guesthouse and reached Ushguli after a 3-day hike.

The following day, we hiked up to the fortress which offered splendid views of Ushguli and the mountains in the distance. Although the path up was not an official hiking trail, we followed it through plants and spiderwebs and managed to reach the top quickly as it was quite steep. I highly recommend the hike up to the fortress for the incredible views of Ushguli and the glacier behind.

Afterward, we asked for a bus back to Mestia and went back to the guesthouse to collect our belongings. While retrieving our bags from the guesthouse, we stumbled upon a museum nearby. However, I would not recommend visiting this museum as it was a bizarre and irrelevant collection of random items, including some preserved animals that made it quite eerie. Moreover, when we tried to leave, they demanded payment despite advertising the "museum" (it was just a random house) as "free." There is a legit museum nearby, so check Google reviews to choose the correct museum!

We then took the bus back to Mestia and immediately went to eat at one of the BBQ places as we were starving. We had a delicious meal there the day before and highly recommend it.

Following lunch, we explored Mestia and looked for a place to sleep for the night. Fortunately, we met an elderly lady who offered us a room with a beautiful balcony overlooking Mestia. In the evening, we went to a nearby restaurant where we indulged in Sulgumi cheese, Katchapuri, Kubdari, and local wine.

The next day, we traveled to Batumi by bus for 50 GEL. The driver was quite reckless, and we were grateful not to have been seated in the front to witness his dangerous driving on the winding road at the cliff's edge. Unfortunately, our dinner from the previous night caused us to feel sick and it turned out that we had food poisoning from the Khachapuri at Mestia. Although our dinner from the previous night had caused us to feel unwell, we were undeterred and ready to explore the beautiful city of Batumi.