4 Days In Georgia

Georgia (or Sakartvelo) is located in the Caucasus region bordering Eastern Europe and Western Asia but does it come in Europe or Asia? That’s a question even Google couldn’t answer. Nevertheless, Georgia’s rich history, beautiful mountains, welcoming locals and delicious food were reasons enough for me to explore this country.

In recent years, Georgia has opened it’s borders with visa-free entry to citizens (even residents) of most parts of the world, those who do require a visa (or e-Visa) can obtain it fairly easily. In my case, I would’ve required an e-Visa but since Georgia allows Visa-free travel to almost all citizens holding a valid residency of the United Arab Emirates, they stamped my passport no questions asked. Naturally that makes Georgia, quite a popular holiday destination from Dubai, one which I have gravely underestimated.

March of 2019, I finally decided to visit Georgia, booked my flight with 2 friends to the capital, Tbilisi, and embarked on another adventure.

Where to stay in Tbilisi?

Two words, FABRIKA HOSTEL, an old soviet sewing factory transformed into a multifunctional space famous among locals and travellers alike. This hostel is hands down one of the coolest places I’ve ever stayed anywhere around the world and it’s not because of its comfortable rooms, but because of their courtyard. The building itself is a gigantic canvas of graffiti, combine it with the industrial style décor and you have a gold mine for instagram. Fabrika is a local hotspot for youngsters and home to many unique shops, lively bars and restaurants where you can easily make new Georgian and International friends. Every evening, I was in a constant dilemma, whether to go out and explore the city or stay in and enjoy Fabrika.

The hostel itself is perfect, it’s clean, comfortable and the staff is very helpful. The dorms and private rooms are pretty spacious and there is no lack of showers or toilets, so I never had to wait for my turn. Their breakfast is a must try, I personally love my morning meals and Fabrika Hostel surprised me with a lavish hotel-style buffet, full of in house baked goods and live stations for eggs and pancakes.

• 

• 

• 

Where to stay in Kazbegi?

You could go super fancy and stay at the luxurious ROOMS HOTEL in Kazbegi or experience the authentic hospitality of a Georgian Family. We stayed in a guesthouse called ‘HOMESTAY LELA AND MARI’, best decision ever. The guesthouse was modern, clean, surrounded by mountains and walking distance from the center, close to a supermarket, an ATM and a pharmacy, what more could one ask for. Lela and her family were incredibly amazing hosts, she spoilt us with finger licking good home cooked meals and her husband and son showed us around Kazbegi. The dinner was a communal dinner with the rest of the guests where we met a really lovely Ukranian couple who got married in Kazbegi that very day.

What to do in Georgia?

Day 1

After a super early flight and a solid sleep in our new beds we headed to the old part of Tbilisi to check off the thing I’ve been looking forward to the most, Georgian Food (checkout my post Must Try Food In Georgia). Our first place to eat, MACHAHKELA, a famous chain of restaurants serving Georgian food, located right in the middle of the old town. It was not the best local food we had (at a restaurant) but a great start indeed, also it’s open 24/7.

After a quick stroll around the old town we met up with the guys from Fellini Travels who were going to show us a bit of Georgia on a walking tour in Tbilisi and Mtskheta, then feed us some khinkali (more on that later). We began our walking tour at St. Trinity Cathedral, strolling through the picturesque alleys of Shardeni Street, Meidan Bazaar and Abanotubani Sulphur Baths, absorbing all the history till what it is today, watched the puppet show at the clock tower and then moved up through the old town to the Narikala Fortress where the Mother Of Georgia awaited us with an epic view of the sunset. Check out my post Most Instagrammable Places in Tbilisi for some creative clicks.

One of the things that I loved most about Georgia is the strong faith the local Christians shared whilst being so welcoming to other religions with open arms. You literally have a Church and a Mosque side by side in Tbilisi and everyone is totally cool with it, the world definitely needs to learn a thing or two from Georgia. After a selfie from one of the highest points of the city we took the cable car down to Rike Park and headed to the holy city of Mtskheta. Here are some of the photos I took during this day.

Georgia is one of the first countries to adopt Christianity and that can be very much seen almost every city of this country. That brings us to the city of Mtskheta, just 20 kilometers away from the capital, this beautiful city is home to some of the most significant cultural monuments in the region including a very elaborate souvenir market. This is also the place where we tried the Georgian traditional candy, Churchkhela, basically nuts threaded into a string and covered with thickened grape (or another fruit) juice.

All the walking and the sightseeing built up a real appetite and I’m glad the day tour with Fellini was ending with food. Back in the old town of Tbilisi, our local guests took us to PASANAURI, another chain of Georgian restaurants quite popular among the locals. This place is where we had the best Georgian food and the only place we repeated in our trip. If you only have time for one meal in Tbilisi, this is where you should go. Check out my post Must Try Food In Georgia to know what to order.

The “food-tasting” turned into a night of stuffing our faces with Khinkali. Tkemali’ sauce, chacha (Georgian vodka), non-stop laughter with our new Georgian friends and Joseph showing us what a Georgian ‘tamada’ looks like.

A massive shout out to Anastasia, Mate and Joseph from Fellini Travels for their brilliant hospitality and great sense of humor. If you ever decide to go to Georgia, give them a call and let them know you were referred by me for extra perks and discounts. They are a brilliant bunch of young knowledgably Georgians who will show you around their country and make you laugh throughout the day.

Summary:

• Brunch at Machakela
• Tbilisi walking tour with Fellini Travels
• Mtskheta City Tour with Fellini Travels
• Dinner at Passanauri

Day 2

In the early hours of our second day in Georgia after witnessing a beautiful sunrise, our driver picked us up to get out of the city and into the mountains towards the region of Kazbegi (aka Stepansminda). To get to Kazbegi, you could either take the ‘marshrutka’ (sharing minivans) for as low as 10 GEL (4 USD) per person or hire a driver who will take you to some cool spots on the way which you would miss on the marshrutka.

First stop, ZHINVALI DAM, just a photo-stop and then moving on to ANANURI FORTRESS COMPLEX, a place that bore witness to many battles in the past, now stands tall with a castle on the Aragvi River in the midst of the mountains, you’ve got to stop by here for some clicks.

Our next stop was the famous GUDAURI SKI RESORT which as the name suggests, is famous for skiing and snowboarding. However, those are not the only activities here, you could enjoy a ride on the snowmobile, jump off the mountain and paraglide amongst the snowcapped mountains or just sip on a hot chocolate and enjoy the magical whiteness around you.

The adrenaline rush I was looking forward to at Gudauri was paragliding. We did it with ‘XGudauri’ who took us up the mountain and brought us down on a parachute in about 45 mins, quite efficient I must say, especially after my last paragliding experience in Nepal which took about 2-3 hours, you can read about my trip to Nepal on my post 5 days in Nepal. XGudauri is a team of professionals which specialize in many activities at Gudauri, they charged 250 GEL for paragliding including a Gopro Video. Paragliding in Gudauri, done and dusted.

After a drink at Time Out Hotel in Gudauri, we continued our journey and made a final stop at the RUSSIA-GEORGIA FRIENDSHIP MONUMENT on the Georgian Military Highway. A massive monument built in 1983 to mark the friendship between these two neighboring countries. This is a large stone structure with a huge mural overlooking the Devil’s valley of the Caucasus Mountains.

 It was about 3pm when we reached our guesthouse and our hosts offered to show us the famous GERGETI TRINITY CHURCH until dinner was served. One could either hike up the mountain to the church or hire a taxi for 30 GEL to drive up there, due to the snow we were only left with the second option. Gergeti Trinity Church is something from a storybook, surrounded by mountains, overlooking the main town, a post card click is guaranteed. Spend a few minutes here, sit back and enjoy the landscape.

The dinner in our guesthouse was literally a feast of Georgian dishes. Some of which we had never heard of before, one dish in particular (Badrijai Nigvzit) we loved so much that we ended up ordering it in almost every restaurant we went, one of the must try food in Georgia. The rest of the eveningwent by socializing with our hosts and other travelers till the early hours of the morning,

Summary:

• Depart for Kazbegi
• Visit Zhinvali Dam and Ananuri Fortress
• Paragliding at Gudauri Ski Resort
• Visit the Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument
• Visit Gergeti Trinity Church
• Dinner in the guesthouse ‘Homestay Lela and Mari’

Day 3

After a good night’s sleep and a nice warm shower, Lela’s son took us out to show some more sites around town. We started with the DARIALI MONASTERY COMPLEX, saw the Russian Border and then stopped at GVELETI WATERFALL. Now this waterfall was just a short hike in the middle of the mountains, only difference is, it was in snow.

Hiking in the snow was a challenging and a very memorable adventure for all us and after dozens of slips and falls we finally made it to the waterfall to find it completely frozen. Technically I live in a desert so you could imagine how awestruck I was at this point, mother nature was seriously spoiling me.

We were back in town by lunch and this time we ate at SHORENA’S HOTEL & BAR, a cozy little place in the middle of the town which served insanely tasty food. We ordered a bunch of dishes but the thing that made us overeat was ‘Madame Bovary’, it was cheesy, it was meaty and had just the right amount of vegetables, a definite must have in kazbegi. Also the lady who works there is very sweet and really loves stuffed animals.

Now I would recommend you to catch one of marshutkas around Shorena’s Restaurant and head back to Tbilisi after lunch. In our case we spent the afternoon in Kazbegi with Netflix in Lela’s home then got stuck for another day because of the heavy snow. If you want to make the most of your trip in the least amount of time then head back to the capital on the same day. Here are some photos from the day we were stuck in Kazbegi.

Once back in Tbilisi, check-in Fabrika Hostel, relax in their beautiful courtyard with a coffee or a drink and head over to BARBARESTAN for dinner. This place is walking distance from Fabrika and has a lot of shops along the way so you will end up window shopping.

Barbarestan is recommended by many bloggers as one of the must-visit places for food, it was after reaching there I figured out why. Barbarestan is a luxurious fine dining restaurant, buzzing with locals and tourists chatting over gorgeous food and a glass in hand. It was at that moment I looked at my friend to as he stared back at me with the same thought as mine, we are definitely not dressed for this. The prices at Barbarestan are quite high for Georgian standards but you don’t come to Georgia everyday. Surprisingly, the portions weren’t as fine as I thought they would be and devoured a really tasty meal from their winter menu. On one of your evenings in Tbilisi, if you want to spoil yourself with something fancy, I would definitely recommend this place, just make sure to make a reservation beforehand.

To end the day we went bar hopping towards the old town starting with WARSAWA, a really popular bar near Freedom Square for socializing with locals and other travellers over very reasonably priced drinks and ended the night at JAZZ CAFÉ SINGER, a lively place in the old town with live music and not so reasonably priced drinks.

Summary:

• Visit Dariali Monastery Complex
• Short hike to Gveleti Waterfall
• Lunch at Shorena’s Bar
• Return to Tbilisi
• Chill at Fabrika
• Dinner at Barberestan
• Bar hopping at Warsawa and Jazz Café Singer

Day 4

If you are wine person, you are in for a treat but if you’re not, you will become one. Georgia produces some of the finest wines in the entire world, in fact some people believe that wine making started from this country. It’s geographical and climatic conditions allow the vineyards to produce some of the purest forms of wine using the traditional ‘Qvevri’ as well as the international methods of wine making. The traditional way in Georgia is to age the wine in large clay pots known as Qvevri which are buried underground for fermentation. Today we headed to the Kakheti region for a wine tour in WINERY KHAREBA.

At this winery, you can have a guided tour, a session of wine tasting and take cooking classes of popular Georgian food. If you wish to take some of their wine home, it can be bought at the winery or at khareba wine shops all around Georgia, 2 of which are in Tbilisi and 1 in Mtskheta. The 2 and half hour drive was definitely worth it.

The Kakheti wine tour is a very popular day trip from Tbilisi and includes a stop in the picturesque ‘city of love’, SIGHNAGI, a city located on a steep hill, surrounded by vineyards in the heart of the Kakheti region. Its beautiful views, cobble stone streets, colorful houses and the surrounding great wall make it a great place to warm up the legs and take hundreds of pictures.

On our last evening in Georgia, we went souvenir shopping at Meidan Market and had a last Georgian feast at Pasanauri because traveling is all about the food and the people that make it.

I am in love with Georgia, there is so much to do (and eat) there that I can easily spend more time in this country, however, 4 days is a good amount of time to get an overall experience of this hidden gem.

Shout out to Eva (from Germany) who tagged along for a part of this trip. A massive congratulations to Irina and Egor (from Ukraine) who celebrated their wedding day with us. Lastly, to my friends and partners in crime Sebastian and Abhinav (from Dubai) for spending your holidays together with me. ‘Gaumarjos’ to all the good times and experiences we shared.

Other things to do in Georgia

• Explore the famous Kumistavi Cave (a.k.a. Prometheus Cave).
• Visit the modern city of Batumi.
• Take a sulfur bath, get a body scrub and a massage at one of the Sulfur baths in Tbilisi.
• Experience the nightlife at Bassiani, a popular nightclub inside a football stadium.
• Go for a lavish breakfast at the Rooms Hotel in Kazbegi.
• Try the different types of khachapuri other than Adjarian Khachapuri (cheeseboat)
• Visit the Dry Bridge Market
• Other restaurants and bars to visit:
  • Lolita Restaurant
  • Duqani Restaurant
  • Art Cafe Home

General Information for Georgia

• Georgia is generally a very safe country no matter what time of the day it is, just stay away from the “gypsy” girls in Tbilisi (you will know when you see them), they are all after your pocket.
• Shardeni Street in Tbilisi is a really picturesque area filled with instagrammable cafes and restaurants, however, it is a massive tourist trap. Everything is ridiculously overpriced so unless you are desperate to chill here, avoid the cafes. Instead, take a stroll around this pretty neighbourhood and relax in other parts of old Tbilisi. Check out my post Most Instagrammable Places in Tbilisi.
• There will always be someone approaching you in the Old Town of Tbilisi, trying to sell you something or the other. They are storybook tourist traps looking for a quick buck, I would recommend to avoid them as much as you can, they can get quite aggressive.
• The local currency is the Georgian Lari (GEL) and can be bought at the airport with US dollars to get the best rates. ATMs are almost everywhere in Tbilisi, in other parts of the country not as many, but we didn’t have troubles searching for one.
• Taxis are not hard to find and they are quite reasonable. Within Tbilisi, it will never cost you more than 8 GEL. The taxi drivers will always start with a 10 GEL rate so if you want to avoid bargaining to get a fair price just ask your accommodation to call you one. The staff of Fabrika Hostel called us a Taxi whenever needed and the rates were always the best.
• When a Georgian asks you if you want “lemonade”, it’s not exactly what you think he means. Georgian Lemonade are flavoured sodas found all around the country. They are available in a bunch of flavors and are actually quite tasty.
• The country is filled with nature so I would highly recommend getting some hiking friendly shoes.
• We didn’t have any issues with language anywhere in Tbilisi, but outside the capital it was a different story. We did manage to go about it with very little effort.
• Make sure to get travel insurance before going to Georgia, we were asked at the check in counter in Dubai and at the Georgian Immigration as well.

HAPPY TRAVELING 🙂