Places to discover

Best places to visit in Georgia

Georgia is a top-quality destination: it is at once personal and spared from mass tourism, at once incredibly beautiful and boasting extremely diverse scenery in a limited area. It is home to the Caucasus mountain peaks, valleys filled with vineyards, a subtropical coast by the Black Sea, high plateaus and half-deserts...

Georgia has the attraction of an ancient and original culture which has left behind a colossal heritage. Medieval churches perched in impossible locations, fortresses with a very Oriental aspect, thermal baths, authentic villages... Not to mention Tbilissi, the charming, lively capital, overflowing with art and history, boasting dozens of churches, mosques, museums, sulphur baths and beautiful houses, typically surrounded by large balconies which allow residents to appreciate the southern climate and to laze about, Georgia-style.

Any visitor to Georgia will without doubt feel themselves succumbing to the charming hospitality of the inhabitants, which is just as the myths would have it. Fans of wine, dancing and polyphonic chanting, and proud of their delicious cuisine, the Georgians know how to entertain. They know how to share their traditions in a friendly way, such as that of banqueting, where the host is considered holy.

On the country's roads, you can bathe yourself in the Black Sea at port Batoumi, stroll around the old town of Sighnaghi, with its Tuscan ambiance, or wonder at the treasures of the spiritual capital, Mtskhéta. You can enjoy horse riding on the shepherds' highlands at Tusheti, climb up to the defence towers of Ushguli, in the high mountains of Svaneti, wind your way through the remote villages of Khevsureti. You can hike in the verdant nature park of Bordjomi-Kharagaouli, take part in the wine harvests at Kakhéti or check out the steppe at Vachlovani. Or choose to marvel at the amazing cave sites of Vardzia , Uplistsikhe and David Garedja !

Situated 10km to the west of Kakheti's capital, Telavi, the Ikalto Monastery (or Ikalto Academy) is an interesting site in a beautiful setting.
A little village in the heart of the Kakheti vines, near Telavi. Made up of houses surrounded with green gardens covered with arbours, it's a nice place to stay if you want to visit Kakheti.
Zovata or Tsovata is one of four communes in Tusheti. Abandoned by its inhabitants, its a 'ghost' valley boasting stunning scenery and home to fascinating ruins left by the Batsav, the Chechens' Tusheti forefathers.
Lost in the mountains of Tusheti, Gogrulta is a traditional, picturesque village, inhabited during summer by Tusheti shepherds.
Girevi is the last village of the Pirikiti valley. Remote and close to the Chechen border (Russian Federation), it exudes beauty, harshness and austerity. Above the village is a picturesque group of defensive towers.
Mountainous, archaic, and remote, the embodiment of the "Wild Caucasus", Khevsureti still fascinates Georgians and foreigners. A vast region of high mountains that is sparsely populated, with amazing medieval tower village ruins.
A defensive village of the North Caucasus, with perfectly preserved mediaeval tower-houses in a wild and remote mountain site.
Andaki is a valley, a pass and a village, respectively, constituting one of the historical areas of Khevsureti. Practically uninhabited, with wild and beautiful historic ruins, Andaki is an ideal place for a long mountain trek.
At 3431 metres of altitude, Azuta Pass is one of the highest foot passes in Georgia. It separates the two highest regions of the east of the Georgian Caucasus: Tusheti and Khevsoureti, in the heart of wild mountains.
Parsma enjoys being on a magnificent site, on a hill which looks over the Pirikiti valley, itself surrounded by high mountains. The shadows of its defensive towers spread out along the crest is one of the most characteristic sights in the valley.
Djvari may be Georgia's most beautiful historical and natural site. It is Georgia's shrine to its conversion to Christianity and a major architectural achievement, and one of the country's must see monuments.
Nestled in the heart of the Kakheti wine region, the Alaverdi Monastery is one of the most beautiful religious buildings in the country.
Black Mountain is one of the summits of the Vashlovani National Park, an amazing concentration of steppes and mountainous semi-deserts, formed by extremely tormented and wild sandstones. An adventurous destination south of Georgia
A dusty mining town at the gateway to the southern Kakheti steppe. Not too interesting in and of itself, it provides access to Vachlovani National Park and the beautiful archaeological site of Khornaboudji.
A mountain chain marking the border between Russia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, the Greater Caucasus contains some of the highest peaks in Europe and has some quite wonderful scenery to offer.
Diklo is a town at the edge of Tusheti's Tchaghma region and sits on the border with Dagestan (Russian Federation). It's dotted with ruins of defensive towers and boasts shepherds' houses built from dry stone.
Chesho, with Dartlo, is the village with the most inhabitants in Pirikiti. Dynamic, with several renovated houses and some turned into guest houses, it's the ideal place to stay in Pirikiti. The ruined fortress is photogenic.
The valley of the Pirikitis Alazani, a powerful and fast flowing high mountain stream, is the most famous in the Tusheti region. With its pastoral landscapes and ancient villages, it offers the ideal environment for hiking and horse trekking.
Nekresi monastery is one of the most beautiful monastic sites in Georgia, and one of the oldest. It has magnificent medieval churches, perched on a hill, nestling at the foot of high mountains.
Chabano is a small village in the Tianeti area, in the Sagami valley, on the southern foothills of the Great Caucasus.