Georgia (country)

In Greek mythology, western coasts of Georgia were home to the famous Golden Fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts. Incorporation of the Golden Fleece into Greek mythology was influenced by an ancient Georgian practice of using fleeces to sift gold dust from the mountain rivers. In addition to ties to ancient Greeks, various early Georgian kingdoms were client states and allies of the Roman Empire for centuries. In the 4th century, a Greek-speaking Roman woman named Saint Nino - who was a relative of Saint George - began preaching Christianity in Georgia, leading to the eventual conversion of this previously pagan kingdom.

By the 10th century, various Georgian-speaking states converged to form the Kingdom of Georgia, which became a potent regional power in the 12th and 13th centuries, also known as the Georgian Golden Age. This period of revival was inaugurated by King David IV of Georgia, son of George II and Queen Helena, who succeeded in driving out the Turks. During this time, Georgia's influence spanned from the south of Ukraine in Eastern Europe to the northern gates of Persia. Like its ally Greece, Georgia was in some sense Europe's gatekeeper throughout the Middle Ages - being a peripheral country, much of the Islamic invasions hit Georgia first.

By the end of the Middle Ages, Georgia began to gradually decline and fracture due to persistent incursions of Mongols and other nomadic peoples. The Mongols were expelled by George V the Brilliant, but various Muslim conquerors followed, not giving the realm enough time to fully recover. Georgia's geopolitical situation further worsened after the Fall of Constantinople, which meant that Georgia was now an isolated enclave, surrounded by hostile Turco-Iranic neighbors with whom it had nothing in common. Under pressure, Georgia soon disintegrated, allowing Ottoman Turkey and Persia to subjugate western and eastern regions of Georgia, respectively.

See also: Russian Empire

Since the mid-15th century, rulers in both western and eastern Georgian kingdoms repeatedly sought aid from major European powers but to no avail. King Vakhtang VI of Eastern Georgia sent his emissary, Saba Orbeliani, to France and the Papal States in order to secure assistance for Georgia, but nothing tangible could be secured. Lack of Western European assistance left Georgia exposed - pushed by the invading Ottoman Army, both Vakhtang and Orbeliani were eventually forced to accept the offer of protection from Peter the Great and escaped to Russia. In modern-day Georgia, Orbeliani's diplomatic mission to France would become an allegory of how the West neglects Georgian appeals for assistance.

Left with no good options, in 1783 Eastern Georgia signed the controversial Treaty of Georgievsk with the Russian Empire. Recognizing the bond of Orthodox Christianity between the two nations, the treaty established Georgia as a protectorate of Russia, while guaranteeing Georgia's territorial integrity and the continuation of its reigning dynasty. Despite the promises, however, Russia did not hold its end of the bargain: it failed to immediately render assistance against foreign incursions and instead began to absorb Georgia piece by piece against the spirit of the original agreement. Russia downgraded the Georgian Orthodox Church to the status of a local Russian archdiocese, while also downgrading the Georgian royalty to the level of Russian nobility, all of which offended many Georgians. The country quickly turned into a resort for the Russian Imperial Family, some members of which had respiratory problems and cherished Georgia's clean, alpine climate.

See also: Soviet Union

Having lived more than a century under the Russian Empire, in 1918 Georgia established its first-ever modern republic with German and British military support. Russia, however, soon cajoled Georgia into becoming a neutral state, which resulted in British troops leaving the country. Once Germany and Britain were out of the equation, just several months later Russia invaded and forcibly incorporated Georgia into the Soviet Union. This unfortunate turn of events would become one of the reasons why in the 21st century, military neutrality is an unpopular concept in Georgia and can end political careers.

During the Soviet era, Georgia suffered terrible repressions at the hands of its own son Joseph Stalin, who had tens of thousands purged and executed. But this period also came with major changes. Georgia turned into one of the more prosperous Soviet republics renowned for its spas, resorts, cuisine and wine. Upon the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia reclaimed its independence but at a heavy price. Pro-Russian separatists in Abkhazia and South Ossetia waged secessionist wars, dragging the country into chaos for most of the 1990s, and those areas were ethnically cleansed of their Georgian populations.

Georgia's turbulent period started to come to an end following the peaceful Rose Revolution of 2003, when the country implemented a series of major democratic and economic reforms aimed at integration with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and various European institutions. Georgia became the most loyal American ally in the region, much to Russia's chagrin. The Georgian military attempted to reclaim South Ossetia in 2008, which went disastrously as they were quickly overwhelmed by Russian forces that had been sent to back the separatists, with the Russian military eventually overrunning much of Georgia proper. Following a ceasefire, Russia formally recognised the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and pulled its forces back into those regions, citing Western support for Kosovo's independence from Serbia as a precedent, while Georgia in turn left the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). As of 2016, Georgia's ties to NATO and the European Union continue to gradually deepen in the face of strong Russian opposition. Due to continuing political disagreements, Russia and Georgia still have no formal diplomatic relations and are represented by the embassies of Switzerland.

According to Transparency International, Georgia is the least corrupt country in the Black Sea region, including all of its immediate neighbors, as well as nearby European Union countries. Georgia is a member of the Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as Eurocontrol; since 2014, it has also been part of the European Union's Free Trade Area. Although Georgia has never petitioned the EU for membership, in 2014 the European Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of a resolution, which established that Georgia, along with Moldova and Ukraine, are eligible to become members of the Union, provided they meet requisite democratic standards.

• Georgia Travel website

Nationals of the following countries and territories may visit Georgia without a visa for a year (unless otherwise noted): All citizens of the European Union (may also enter using ID card), Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile (90 days), China (30 days), Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Honduras, Hong Kong (30 days), Iceland, Iran (45 days), Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Qatar, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland (may also enter using ID card), Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey (may also enter using ID card), Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay (90 days), Uzbekistan, Vatican City

Visa exemption also applies to:

• Georgian diaspora members who are citizens of countries that otherwise require a visa – for stays not exceeding 30 days
• United Nations laissez-passer holders for one year
• Persons with refugee status in Georgia
• Holders of diplomatic or official/service passports of China, Egypt, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran and Peru.
• Holders of visas or residence permits of EU/EFTA/Gulf Cooperation Council countries, territories of EU countries, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea or Israel. Do not require a visa for max 90 days in a 180-day period, though apparently only when arriving by air. The visa/residence permit must be valid on arrival to Georgia.

If you are not from one of the above countries, you can obtain a visa using the e-Visa portal online without a visit to the Georgian diplomatic mission or consulate. The standard fee for a 90-day, single-entry "ordinary" visa, which covers tourism, is 60 lari or its equivalent. Double-entry 90-day visas (only available at consulates) are 90 lari.

Hong Kong and Macau SAR passport holders are also eligible to apply for an eVisa. They should choose “China” in Citizenship/Country section of the e-visa application.

Visas are also issued at the official road and air (but not rail or sea) entry points into Georgia. Issuing procedures are pretty straightforward and can normally be completed in a matter of minutes at entry points to Georgia, although consulates require a few days for processing.

Nationals of Nauru, Nicaragua, Syria and Venezuela are not eligible for an online visa, and should visit a Georgian embassy or consulate instead. However if holding a visa or residence permit of certain countries (see above), they do not need a visa for a stay of max 90 days in a 180-day period, provided showing their visa/residence permit at the border.

Georgia’s international entry and exit points are as follows. Visas, for those who need them, are available at the road and air entry points only.

The crossings from Russia into South Ossetia (the Roki Tunnel) and Abkhazia (Psou River between Gantiadi and Adler) are considered illegal by Georgia. Some travellers who continued on into Georgia after entering South Ossetia or Abkhazia from Russia have been fined or jailed. Others have got away without problems.

Visiting Abkhazia from Georgia is possible, but it is not possible to visit South Ossetia from Georgia.

Overland/sea borders to Georgia have re-opened to all approved countries: EU countries, Swiss Confederation, United Kingdom, Kingdom of Norway, United States of America, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, State of Qatar, Kingdom of Bahrain and State of Israel, Turkey, Ukraine, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Armenia, the Russian Federation, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the People’s Republic of China, Japan, Canada, the State of Kuwait, Republic of Moldova, Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Korea. PCR tests are mandatory for all of these border crossings, even if you are vaccinated.

All persons crossing the border must fill in registration form before entering the country. Medical insurance to enter via any borders is not mandatory.

Up-to-date information and rules about entering the country may be found at the official website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

There are flights to Tbilisi from a number of European and Gulf cities, including London Gatwick, Amsterdam Schiphol, Vienna, Kyiv, Prague (Georgian Airways), Munich (Lufthansa), Warsaw (LOT Airlines), Athens (Aegean Airlines), Riga (airBaltic), Istanbul IST (Turkish Airlines), Minsk (Belavia).

Kutaisi has numerous flights with Wizzair from many European destinations, including London Luton, Berlin Schönefeld, Milan Malpensa, Budapest, Prague, and Brussels Charleroi. There are also flights to Kutaisi from Moscow Domodedovo with Ural Airlines and S7 Airlines.

Ryanair flies to Tbilisi and Kutaisi, from 4 destinations: Cologne, Milan, Marseille, and Bologna.

Turkish Airlines fly every day between Batumi and Istanbul. Other destinations served by the Batumi airport include Kyiv (Yanair) and Minsk (twice per week with Belavia).

There are direct bus services from Istanbul, Turkey, which stop at various places en route and terminate in Tbilisi. Metro Georgia has bus services from Batumi to Istanbul, Antalya, Izmir and Ankara. MetroTurizm has buses from Istanbul to near the Georgian border, such as at Hopa. There are also several non-stop bus services between Tbilisi and Baku, Azerbaijan. There are direct buses connecting Tbilisi to Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece, which both have Georgian expat communities. There are also buses from Russia, with companies such as Hayreniq Tour providing journeys from Moscow (and other Russian cities) to Tbilisi.

Entering with a car is no major problem. It is recommended to carry a power of attorney with you if you are not the car owner. In the past, the International Insurance Card was not valid for Georgia, purchasing insurance at the entry point was necessary (even though the amount covered to be ridiculously low). Only the driver may enter the control area with the car, anyone else in the car has to use the pedestrians' lane.

Georgian Railways are the national rail operator in Georgia, and offer trains around the country.

Passenger rail service to/from Baku, Azerbaijan, ended in early 2020 as a result of the Covid pandemic. No passenger trains operate between the two countries as of May 2023, and it is unclear when any sort of service is due to resume.

There is a sleeper service every other day (daily in the summer) from Yerevan, Armenia operated by South Caucasus Railaways (timetable here, passenger transport on the left). It takes quite a bit longer than a minibus, but the ride is very comfortable, and you will share the compartment with strangers which are usually happy to share a drink and a good story.

The long-delayed rail link between Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan opened on 30 Oct 2017, for freight only. Passenger service on this line is yet to start, however, and there is no clear timeline on this as of 2023.

There is a ferry from Burgas to Batumi, operated by Navbul as well as services to Batumi and Poti from Istanbul. The Turkish Black Sea port of Trabzon is closed to passenger services. The Georgian port of Sukhumi also is closed for passenger boats. All vessels going to Sukhumi must undergo border check with Georgian coast guard in the nearby port of Poti.

Georgia is an excellent place for hiking and trekking, providing many interesting trails. Tusheti, Kazbegi, or Borjomi, just to name some destinations. However, due to the often remote nature of these trails, it is important that you are well prepared and have a proper and reliable map with you. In addition, using GPS adds an extra layer of safety, both in cities as well as the countryside.

For reliable maps, GPS navigation, comprehensive trails and map information, consult OpenStreetMap, which is also used by this travel guide and by many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz. Or just download the according GPX or KML files for trails on OpenStreetMap through Waymarked Trails. (Note, you just need to change the OpenStreetMap relation ID of the trail to download its GPX or KML files through the same link.)

Buses are mostly used to ride inside or between big cities or on international routes. Several commercial companies provide bus connections to airports, timed specifically to international flights to/from Georgia, for example from Kutaisi Airport to Tbilisi and Batumi.

For schedules and tickets, see for example GeorgianBus and OmniBus.

A marshrutka (from Russian: маршрутка, plural marshrutki; Georgian: მარშუტკა or მარშრუტკა), which essentially is a minibus, is the most common way to travel and operate on established routes. After finding out the number of your route, flag down a marshrutka on the street by holding out your hand, palm facing down.

There are also marshrutkas routes between cities. Their routes end usually at bus stations and city markets. Their destination is written in Georgian, on a sign in the front window. Ask marshrutka drivers if you cannot find the minibus you are looking for.

Start early, because marshrutkas mostly run in the morning and become sparse in the afternoon. After 16:00 it can be hard to catch a marshrutka to/from smaller destinations. Larger cities have connections up to 19:00.

Often, it is better to head to the exit of a city and catch marshrutkas there instead of hoping to get one at the bus station. This way you can even try by thumb if necessary.

Georgian Railway (GR) has an extensive network of trains in Georgia. There are two types of trains: fast (with limited places, almost always modern) or local (slow and old but very cheap with unlimited places).

One of the most popular routes is the Tbilisi-Batumi train, which takes passengers through the scenic Georgian countryside and offers stunning views of the Black Sea coast. The journey takes approximately 10 hours, and the train offers comfortable seating and sleeping options for passengers. There are also trains that connect Tbilisi with other Georgian cities such as Kutaisi, Zugdidi, and Gori. These trains are typically affordable and offer a comfortable and convenient way to travel around the country. There are also night trains available, between Zugdidi or Batumi and Tbilisi, and Tbilisi and Yerevan or Baku.

The train is generally not cheaper than marshrutkas, instead sometimes twice as expensive. But of course it is far more comfortable than being squeezed into a minibus.

There are several ways to buy ticket:

• railway.ge (the official website). Needs registration. Has a dedicated app. See instructions (languages: GE, EN, RU) 
• tkt.ge. The most convenient and easy to use website of all 4 (languages: GE, EN) 
• biletebi.ge. (languages: GE, EN, RU) 
• matarebeli.ge. Has a dedicated app (languages: GE, EN) 

Hitchhiking is the best thing to do in Georgia. It is often called autostop and a great way to get to know locals like nothing else. Specifically mentioning "autostop" will let people know, you are not looking for a taxi or paid ride.

Generally, Georgians do not use the thumb but just stand by the road and are occasionally be picked up by cars. However, since its opening to the west, Georgia has changed a lot and nowadays many people, especially younger folks, understand the meaning of the thumb and due to the ever improving English of the population are happy to take tourists along the way for a chat or even a lunch together to show their hospitality.

Also for longer distances, it is better to hitchhike. Marshrutkas usually do detours into towns and often stop for breaks, so you easily waste 1 hr on a 5 hr ride. Better to go with a local that just wants to arrive.

Taxis in Georgia are a convenient method of travel, and they are relatively cheap. Trips within Tbilisi start from 3 lari and will barely exceed 20 lari. It is advised to negotiate a price before getting into a taxi. There is no official "taxi-meter", despite websites claiming otherwise.

At the Tbilisi airport you can find an official airport taxi (in fact, you will be accosted in the arrivals terminal by numerous taxi drivers). The prices are relatively high, but fixed. It is also possible to order a taxi at the airport via one of the following apps. The fixed official rate is 60-70 lari (2023) depending on destination, which is about double the fare on the Bolt app.

The ride hailing services Bolt (in Batumi, Kutaisi, Tbilisi), Maxim (Batumi, Gori, Kobuleti, Kutaisi, Poti, Rustavi, Tbilisi, Zestafoni, Zugdidi), Yandex.Taxi and gg taxi are very popular and convenient in cities. Using them spares you from negotiations and language barriers with potential taxi drivers, and the rating system ensures some form of quality control. Taxis of Bolt are all non-smoking and are considered the best quality. It is also possible to book a longer Bolt (or other app) trip outside of the cities and sometimes even across borders, but you should be prepared to explain what you want to the driver in Russian or Georgian (with the exception of GoTrip - see below).

Everywhere besides the airport, most taxi drivers speak no English. Knowing a little bit of Russian or Georgian is therefore required to state where you want to go, how to get there, and to establish the price.

GoTrip is a website where you can book a driver for an intercity trip (or multi-city trip) for a full day including unlimited stops (but not re-routings). Some drivers act as de-facto tour guides if you're lucky. You choose the driver in advance, with the chance to read reviews and filter by ability to speak English (or Russian). It is quite expensive by Georgia standards, but is very convenient. For example, a trip from Tbilisi to Kazbegi cost US$107 (GEL 280) in 2023. You provide your phone number when booking, and the driver will quickly contact you via WhatsApp.

As the country is relatively mountainous, you should consider a mountain bike. Many roads remain unpaved. But by bike allows you to reach more remote regions. You can rent mountain bikes in bigger towns.

Georgia has domestic flights, though they're seldom convenient. Georgian Airways fly once a week between Tbilisi International Airport TBS and Batumi. There are other flights, in rinky-dinky light aircraft, to the mountain resorts of Mestia and Ambrolauri, from Natakhtari airfield on the northern edge of Tbilisi and from Batumi. Tickets for internal flights are done by Vanilla Sky.

Roads connecting Tbilisi and other major cities are typically smooth and in good condition, but country roads are often in disrepair. Though traffic laws are enforced, driving can still be very chaotic. In rural areas, cattle and animals may occasionally slow traffic. A car is a convenient way to tour the countryside, but with the abundance of taxis, buses, and minibuses, most visitors may be better off in the passenger's seat.

Be very careful when driving in Georgia. The driver license exam in Georgia is quite lenient: locals only have to pass theory and driving test on a polygon, without a real test on streets. So, Georgians learn how to drive only after getting their driver license or even years before getting one. Also, overtaking without any visibility is a common practice. A 6-yo child sitting on a parent's lap and driving a car on a serpentine road is not that uncommon. So be extremely careful when driving in sophisticated places.

Many of the international rental companies like Budget, SIXT, Dollar, and AVIS are present in Georgia. However, their prices are as high as in Western Europe.

Instead, you can use a local rental company, which have rates from 60 lari (Tbilisi) or 100 lari (Kutaisi) per day with full cover. You won't even have to put down a deposit or have your credit card blocked. Ask your accommodation if they have any contact.

Furthermore, especially in Tbilisi many private people rent their second car to strangers.

There are vast hiking opportunities and to see the Caucasus mountains. A lot of information and up-to-date advices can also be found on Georgia's official Agency of Protected Areas website. For hiking maps and routes remember to use offline maps and GPS–see #On foot and navigation.

The following destinations are worth while mentioning:

• Mt. Chakvistavi near Batumi
• Mestia is a hiking paradise with numerous trails like to Ushguli
• Tusheti offers far less touristy hiking opportunities, but you will need to hire a 4WD or local guide
• Northwestern Georgia offers equally remote destination, but is easier to reach from Zugdidi
• Borjomi Kharagauli National Park Georgia's largest national park, with a diversity of physical, geographical and especially climatic conditions set the stage for a wide variety of flora and fauna
• Lagodekhi Nature Reserve, a managed nature reserve close to the Russian and Azeri border with two serviced huts along the trails

The national currency is the Georgian lari (ISO currency code: GEL), denoted by the official symbol "₾" or sometimes by letter "ლ" /l/. It is divided into 100 tetri. Banknotes are issued in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 lari, and the rarely-used 200 and 500 lari. Coins are issued in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 tetri, 1 and 2 lari.

There are two issues of the 20-, 50- and 100-lari notes: from 2004 and (in stronger colours and updated security features) from 2016. Both are valid, and no date has yet been announced for withdrawal of the older notes, but you obviously don't want to leave the country with these. Indeed it's difficult to redeem any form of Georgian currency outside of Europe.

Always have small money with you. 50- or 100-lari notes or so might be difficult to use for payment, especially with taxi drivers. But the latter is often just an excuse not to give change, just ask ahead if the taxi driver has change.

Many Georgians are not very good with numbers and money. Don't bother paying amounts of money, so you get back an even amount, like 10.75 if you owe 7.75. That will confuse them infinitely, and you will never get your desired change.

Exchange kiosks in Tbilisi and Kutaisi generally have only a 1% spread between "buy" and "sell" for US dollars or euros, but could be as little as 0.25%. Rates for other currencies like Turkish lira or ruble, or outside of cities, usually is much worse. The kiosk may ask for your ID, but usually they won't for routine amounts.

ATMs are available countrywide, and it is generally good to have a card from providers like Visa or MasterCard. In smaller towns or villages ATMs become more sparse.

Lari:

If withdrawing lari (GEL), never accept on-site currency conversion at ATMs, always let your home bank do the conversion–ATM rates can be off 7% or more. Your foreign bank is usually 1-3% off, in addition to some potential fixed fee. Here are ATM fees of local banks for lari withdrawals:

• TBC – No fee; max 400 lari
• VTB – No fee; max 200 lari
• BasisBank – No fee
• HalykBank – No fee
• Bank of Georgia – 3 lari per withdrawal
• ProCreditBank – €8 per withdrawal

US dollars:

Almost all banks allow their ATMs to withdraw US dollars (except for VTB bank, which allows it only to their customers).

• BasisBank – No fee
• CartuBank – No fee
• HalykBank – No fee
• ZiraatBank – No fee
• Bank of Georgia – US$1 fee
• Terabank – US$1 fee
• Liberty – 2% fee
• TBC bank

• US$100–200: Fee US$5
• US$300–500: Fee US$10
• US$600–1,000: Fee US$20

Euros:

Very few banks and ATMs allow withdrawing euros (€) with foreign bank cards. There are only 2 banks (as of November 2020):

• ProCredit Bank have 24/7 working places that have a special ATM to withdraw USD/EUR: 4 in Tbilisi and one in Batumi, Kutaisi and Zugdidi. Maximum amount of withdrawal is €500 and the fee is €8 (as of November 2020).
• TBC bank has higher withdrawal fees, but much wider network — 8 ATMs in Tbilisi and one ATM in each big city: Kutaisi, Batumi, Gori, Zugdidi, and Poti (see "Cash withdrawal and deposit" section here) (as of November 2020)

• €100–200: Fee €5
• €300–500: Fee €10
• €600–1,000: Fee €20

• Gold & other jewellery – Gold, silver, handmade & other miscellaneous jewellery and precious stones are very cheap in Georgia and the quality of the precious stones, gold and silver is superb.
• Art & paintings – Georgian artists, such as Pirosmani, Gigo Gabashvili, David Kakabadze, Lado Gudiashvili, Korneli Sanadze, Elene Akhvlediani, Sergo Kobuladze, Simon Virsaladze, Ekaterine Baghdavadze and others, are famous for their work. In Georgia you will find many art shops, paintings and painters who sell their works on the streets. Their work is of high quality and is often very good value.
• Antiques & other miscellaneous gifts – In Georgia you will able to find many antiques not only from Georgia, but also from the Middle East, Russia, the Mediterranean and other parts of Europe.
• Georgian wine. Georgia is the cradle of wine making, and with 521 original varieties of grape you will be sure to find excellent wines. Wine can be bought in vinoteques and thise have a great choice, but in supermarkets might have some those wines for a cheaper price. Some home-made wine might be cheap and tasty, but beware buying wine that is ubelievably cheap, since, according to some locals, it might be concocted from a wine powder. The quality of wine making improved immensely following re-orientation of wine exports to EU markets.
• Cognac. Georgian cognac is unique as it is made from Georgian wine. Try Saradjishvili 'Tbilisi' cognac.
• Outside the cities, you might find hand-made carpets for sale.
• Georgians love to drink, so the country has a seemingly infinite number of beers, wines, liquors and distilled drinks. To take home, buy a bottle of chacha, a potent grape vodka somewhat similar to Lebanese arak, Italian grappa or German obstler.

• If you'd like to bring souvenir food to home, you may easily find packaged churchkhela or tklapi (Georgian: ტყლაპი), clay bottles with wines, or spices. By the way, some supermarkets are included in the tax free system, so you can contact the store administrator and apply for a tax refund on your purchases.

Georgian export commodities (especially wine and mineral water) used to be widely counterfeited in the domestic and former Soviet Union markets. For example, the Borjomi bottling plant used to produce roughly one million bottles of Borjomi per year, but there were three million bottles sold in Russia alone! In 2007, the government and business groups began a large-scale fight against counterfeit wine and mineral water so the sale of counterfeit products has almost been eliminated. However, when stocking up on bottled wine or mineral water, it is best to buy it at large supermarkets which have better control of their procurement than smaller stores.

In supermarkets, you will find all the usual food products, mainly brought from Russia, Turkey and sometimes Europe.

There are only 2 hypermarkets chains: Goodwill (გუდვილი) and Carrefour (კარფურ). An average locals frequent Carrefour; Goodwill is a bit more expensive. Smaller chains could be found in any district of any town. The most popular chains are: Nikora (ნიკორა), SPAR (სპარი), Smart (სმარტი), and Ori Nabiji (ორი ნაბიჯი). The latter is the cheapest of them. There is also a special chain of supermarkets called Europroduct (ევროპროდუქტი), that imports food from EU.

Besides mentioned supermarket chains, small no-name shops are very popular with locals. You can buy groceries there, although the choice will be much more modest. However, those shops have a friendly and homely atmosphere, because the locals are regulars; if you visit the same place for 4 or 5 times, shop vendors who are usually the owners will start to recognise you.

Travelling in Georgia is very affordable. Restaurants, street food and hotels are cheap for a Western traveller. But keep in mind not to brag around about your money or expenses, because many locals are very poor. A taxi driver in Tbilisi earns around 50 lari per day (working 8–10 hr), and monthly pensions is about 200 lari. So the next time you haggle over a trinket, it may be a good idea to yield.

A budget traveller would have no difficulties getting by (staying very well fed and exploring many of the sights) on less than 500 lari per week, even in the capital. If you visit Georgia for one week, you would have a great time if you bring US$400 (€350) with you. With this amount you will be able to stay in a good hotel, go on wonderful sightseeing tours and eat good food. If you want to travel like a king, everything beyond US$800 (€700) per week will bring you close to this goal.

Good indicators whether you are in a very touristy area or not, is the price of 1 khinkali (0.70-0.80 lari is a normal price).

Tipping is common in Western-style restaurants in the capital, but almost never expected in more traditional establishments. In many restaurants, especially in big cities, there is a 10% service charge. In some places in Tbilisi it could be even up to 15%. This is almost never explicitly mentioned and may be added to your bill without warning, so it is advisable to ask beforehand.

Also, tipping is never expected in bars.

One of the most famous dishes of the Georgian cuisine is khinkali. . These are dumplings with different fillings: minced spiced meat, mushrooms, cheese, or vegetables, served in enormous quantities. But not like what you are used to doing with dumplings. Georgian men will easily eat 15 huge dumplings, and begin by seasoning the dumplings with pepper. Then grab the dumpling however you like, from the top "handle" if it pleases you (locals often stick a fork in the side of the knot so as not to puncture the dumpling), and take a small bite out of the side to slurp up the juice. Do not let any juice fall on your plate, or you will get your chin messy. Then, still holding the khinkali, eat around the top, finishing the dumpling and then placing the twisted top on your plate—traditionally the top is not eaten. It is also nice to look with pride upon all your tops once, with practice, you get into the double digits with these dumplings. Wash them down with wine, Kazbegi beer, or a "limonati" of whichever flavour you prefer (most common flavours are lemon, pear, and estragon/tarragon—which is quite refreshing).

Few get through their first encounter with khinkali without getting meat juices splattered over their front, so dress accordingly.

Another signature dish is khachapuri.  – a cheese filled bread, which more resembles cheese pie. It comes several different varieties:

• imeruli (იმერული) or imeretian: These are the most common and often come with every meal, just filled with (imeruli aka cooking) cheese. Often circular, similar to Lobiani.
• megruli (მეგრული) or mingrelian: Like imeruli but topped with additional cheese.
• acharuli (აჭარული) or adjarian: Boat-shaped like puri (break) with an open face and filled with egg in addition to cheese. This one is much more filling and a single proper dish. Use your fork to mix the egg into the cheese before you start eating it.

There also exist these less common variations:

• guruli (გურული) or gurian: This one, looking like a half moon, has cut boiled eggs as additional filling.
• p^henovani (ფენოვანი): A version made with puff pastry dough instead of normal dough.
• samepho (სამეფო): Instead of regular Imeruli cheese, the better Sulguni cheese is used.
• mkhlovana (მხლოვანა) or mtiuluri (მთიულური) : Besides the cheese also spinach is included.
• osuri: The Ossetian version, with potato added.

Lobiani. , a bean-filled bread is another notable dish and the most popular version is Rachuli Lobiani (რაჭული ლობიანი), like a Khachapuri, but with bean and bacon. Imeretian , again, is just bean-filled. One is mostly too much for one person.

Any one of these just listed dishes beyond 5 lari in a reasonably priced local restaurant is probably too much for 1 person. So, you better combine only one dish with salad and drinks for two people.

As in most traditional cuisines, there are many meat dishes. They are common in the form of stews or sauces, but also barbecued meat is popular: mtsvadi which is known as shashlik in Russia is not just a favorite at outdoor meals but at restaurants too. Pork is common, either on its own or blended with beef.

There are lots of vegetarian dishes too (mostly in western parts of Georgia) which are quite tasty and accompany most of local parties with heavy wine drinking. However, vegetarianism as such is an alien concept to Georgians, even though the Georgian Orthodox Church obliges its followers to "fast" at various times of the year including the run up to Christmas (7th January). Such fasting means abstaining from meat and fish and eating vegetables and dairy. So vegetarians will find eating much easier if they visit Georgia during one of those fasting periods

Bread plays a big role in the Georgian cuisine and (shotis) puri.  (შოთის პური) is the most regular bread found in Georgia, made of white flour, and shaped like a canoe. There is also Lavashi, which is larger.

Unfortunately, there are certain problems with milk and dairy products in Georgia. There are few cows in the country, the Georgian strains yield much less milk than in Western countries, and the government doesn't subsidize the industry. For these reasons, almost all dairy products are imported from Europe, Russia and Turkey and hence are not cheap. Strangely, despite all this home-made cheese is very popular ingredient in dishes and is sold almost everywhere.

One signature sweet of Georgia is Churchkhela.  (ჩურჩხელა), a candle-shaped candy made of grape must, nuts, and flour. 1.5-2 lari.

Chacha (ჭაჭა) is a (often) home-made fruit-based distilled clear spirit made from grape pomace (grape residue left after making wine), but can also be produced from non-ripe or non-cultured grapes and in some cases fig, tangerine, orange or mulberry.

Chacha, or just fruit spirit, is very common in close-by countries like Turkey, Albania, Italy, or the Balkans, while in Turkey the process is a little more complex and involves anis. Since each country got its specific fruit, it is usually made from that fruit. In Italy, grappa is won from the leftovers of the vine production, like in Georgia. In Bosnia, slivovitz is won overwhelmingly from fruit fly infested barrels of plum mud at many local homes in Srpska. In Albania, different fruits are used to make rakí, depending on the region, but rakí rushi (from grapes) is also common, besides rakí mani (from mulberry).

Home-made chacha is usually bottled "manually" and can be purchased in corner markets, Farmers Markets, under the table, and at some village roads throughout Georgia. 0.5 l start at 2.50 lari and generally come in regular water bottles. When bought, it is a good idea to check it right away. Sometimes it can be sour, you will note a weird taste right away. It doesn't mean though you will get blind, Georgians understand what they are doing, otherwise everyone would already be blind here. (Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to prefer a shop which looks properly frequented by locals.)

There is also commercially-made chacha that can be found in many wineries, shops and supermarkets, throughout available in Tbilisi, where you will have a hard time finding home-made one. The industrial however is much more expensive, starting at 10 lari for 0.5 l.

You can still find home-made one in Tbilis in the underground stalls near Grigol Orbeliani Square towards Freedom Square for example.

Georgia has one of the oldest wine-making traditions in the world and has been called the birthplace of wine (also as "Cradle of Wine"), due to archaeological findings which indicate wine production back to 5000 BC. Georgia produces some of the best wines in the world, and thanks to the ancient tradition of wine production and amazing climate, it holds its own with French and Italian wines. Georgian wines are quite famous. It may be true that they are little known in the West, but they certainly are famous among the roughly 280 million people in the former Soviet Union, where Georgian wines remain a welcome drink at any dining table.

Export of home-bottled wine, which is often the best type, is prohibited.

• Saperavi (საფერავი sah-peh-rah-vee)
• Mukuzani (მუკუზანი moo-k'oo-zah-nee)
• Khvanchkara (ხვანჭკარა khvahnch-k'ah-rah) - semi-sweet
• Kindzmarauli (კინძმარაული keendz-mah-rah-oo-lee) - semi-sweet

• Tsinandali (წინანდალი ts'ee-nahn-dah-lee)
• Kakheti (კახეთი k'ah-kheh-tee)
• Tbilisuri (თბილისური tbee-lee-soo-ree)
• Rkatsiteli (რქაწითელი rrkah-tsee-tellee)

Imports of Georgian wine and mineral water have been banned by the Russian government, because of the political tension between the two counties.

Georgia produces a growing number of local beers. A beer tradition has existed in Georgia since ancient times in the mountainous regions of Khevsureti and Tusheti. After independence from the Soviet Union, Georgia revived its beer production and introduced its high quality beers to the market. The first and most popular Georgian beer was Kazbegi. Today, beer production in Georgia is still growing, offering high quality beers (thanks to the high quality mountain spring waters in Georgia and to German designed beer factories). There are also many foreign beers such as Heineken, Bitburger, Lowenbrau, Guinness, etc.

• Aluda
• Argo
• Batumuri
• Bavariis Herzogi
• Kasri
• Kazbegi (ყაზბეგი q'ahz-beh-gee)
• Khevsuruli
• Lomisi
• Natakhtari
• Tushuri

Georgian mineral waters have exceptional and interesting tastes, which are very different from French and Italian varieties. The most famous Georgian mineral waters are Borjomi (ბორჯომი bohr-joh-mee), Likani (ლიკანი lee-k'ah-nee), and Nabeglavi (ნაბეღლავი nah-beh-ghlah-vee). But there is a plethora of less well-known springs located in small towns and alongside roads throughout the country that is worth sampling. Borjomi isn't just ordinary sparkling water as it has a very high fluoride content and it may take some time to get used to the taste. It is however quite popular also outside Georgia (in the former Soviet republics).

Mitrofan Lagidze (ლაღიძე lah-ghee-dzeh) is a surname of a famous Georgian businessman of the 19th century who produced very popular soft drinks in Georgia. Nowadays these waters are called “the Lagidze Waters”. Lagidze soft drinks are made only with natural fruit components, without any chemical, artificial sugars or other additives. The most popular flavours are estragon/tarragon and cream & chocolate.

In general always consider Volunteer travel.

One opportunity would be the 🌍 Temi Community, Gremi (Follow the wineroute-signs 2 km from the Gremi Cathedral into the village.), ☏ +995 591633633. 6.7 ha of organic kvevri wine produced by a community of deprived but very friendly people. There are English, German or Russian speaking volunteers most of the time. (updated Apr 2023)

Things in Tbilisi and the surrounding countryside have calmed down a lot. Although Tbilisi sometimes has been singled out for its (not always deserved) reputation for street crime, muggings are rather rare.

In the early 2000s, other crime-related hazards in Tbilisi included apartment break-ins and car-jacking, but the situation has changed dramatically, and today Georgia boasts one of the lowest crime rates in Europe.

The available evidence indicates that Kutaisi, the second largest city in Georgia, suffers from crime rates significantly higher than the national average. It is very important to exercise caution in Kutaisi after dark.

The conflict between Adjara and the central government ended with little violence, and it is now perfectly safe to travel throughout the region. The once rampant corruption should now be a rarity for foreigners. Passing through customs at the Sarpi-Hopa border crossing is now routine and uneventful for most tourists, though at certain times it may take two hours or longer, due to long queues.

While support of LGBT rights has been slowly increasing among the general public over the past several years, homosexuality is considered a major deviation from highly traditional Orthodox Christian values prevalent in the country, where public discussions of sexuality in general tend to be viewed in a highly negative light.

Georgia prohibits discrimination against all LGBT people in legislation, labor-related or otherwise (one of few former Soviet countries that does). Since 2012, Georgian law has considered crimes committed on the grounds of one's sexual orientation or gender identity an aggravating factor in prosecution.

Homosexuals are often targets of abuse and physical violence, often actively encouraged by religious leaders. LGBT persons must exercise maximal caution when showing affection towards a person of the same sex. Doing this anywhere outside the capital centre or designated spaces might result in violence.

Hugging, kissing on the cheek and touching in public between heterosexual men is pretty common and is an innate part of the Caucasian culture. Hence, such actions between partners are often unnoticed, but they are still dangerous if they show you are more than friends.

There are one or two places in the country that are safe places for LGBT people: one of them is the Bassiani club, which has a weekly LGBT night.

While encounters are rare, one might stumble upon levant blunt-nosed vipers (Macrovipera lebetina obtusa). Locals call it გიურზა (from Persian gyurza). These vipers live in desert, semi-desert and mountain-steppe areas. They are common in dry foothills and on mountain slopes overgrown with bushes, in rocky gorges with streams and springs, in river valleys. Gyurzas are also found on the outskirts of large cities, where they have the necessary shelter and a good food base in the form of rats.

In Central and Western parts of Georgia there are two types of scorpions: Euscorpius mingrelicus and Euscorpius italicus. Both types reach lengths of 4 cm. Locals assure, that these scorpion bites are not pleasant (similar to a wasp bite), but never deadly.

Take suitable measures in tick habitats. There is a small risk of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).

Stray dogs are everywhere in Georgia, about a half of which are not vaccinated. Being a vestige of the old times and outdated needs, many locals get themselves a dog not as a pet, but to guard their property. Most of the time stray dogs are not aggressive, but there are quite some cases when people get bitten by them. Georgians are very cautious and afraid of dogs, and very often aggressive towards them; dogs in their turn are quite afraid of people (especially those holding a stick) and might get aggressive out of fear as well.

Passive smoking could be a big problem, since tobacco is very cheap compared to Western countries and many men smoke, even inside taxis, bars and restaurants.

Several industrial towns like Rustavi or Kaspi have problems with air pollution. Regulation concerning air pollution entered into force only in 2020, hence it's not advised to live in these places.

Giardia is a common issue for foreign visitors. Contraction is most likely via:

• tap water
• swallowed water from lakes, rivers, pools, or jacuzzis
• raw fruits & vegetables
• unpasteurized milk or other dairy products

Drinking tap water is generally safe, but it's better to ask house owners if they drink it themselves.

A big health problem is high concentration of lead in air, some food, spices and water in Georgia. In 2018 several EU diplomats found out to have high concentration of lead in their blood tests. If you plan to stay beyond a short travel, be aware of possible dangers of living in old apartments with old wall paints and close to high traffic zones.

NCDC (Georgian National Center for Disease Control and Public Health) recommends vaccination against COVID19 before travelling to Georgia, but does not provide instructions on other vaccinations. But CDC recommends these vaccination to have completed:

• routine vaccinations: these include Chickenpox (Varicella), Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis, Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR), Polio, Shingles
• COVID-19
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Measles
• Flu (influenza) season (Jan-Mar) is perhaps worse in Georgia than in, say, Western Europe and vaccinations might be a consideration for the particularly vulnerable.
• Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) needs to be taken well ahead your visit

Rabies: One shot costs 18 lari (Indian vaccine). The French vaccine called Verorab costs 45 lari in a pharmacy and 70 lari in a clinic. Developing partial immunity takes more than 1 month. If you get bitten by a dog (even having being vaccinated), immediately visit one of below-mentioned state hospitals:

• 🌍 Preventive Medicine and Immunization Centre (პრევენციული მედიცინისა და იმუნიზაციის ცენტრი), Tashkenti 10a, Tbilisi, ☏ +995 32 239 21 49, centerimun@gmail.com. 24/7. (updated Nov 2020)
• 🌍 Imereti Regional Clinical Hospital (ქუთაისის რეფერალური ჰოსპიტალი), Otskheli 2, Kutaisi, ☏ +995 431 22 41 21. (updated Nov 2020)
• 🌍 Republican Clinical Hospital (რესპუბლიკური კლინიკური საავადმყოფო), 2 Javakhishvili St, Batumi, ☏ +995 422 27 68 07. (updated Nov 2020)

Georgia is home to a few separatist/nationalist movements, namely in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. There is virtually no "safe middle ground" position in these topics, so just don't bring them up. If you do, be aware that Georgians find the term "South Ossetia" offensive and prefer to refer to the region as "Samachablo".

Be very cautious when talking about Russia. Georgia and Russia have had a hostile, strained and violent history, and discussing Georgian-Russian relations can very quickly make Georgians emotional. Although most Georgians only dislike the Russian government, some Georgians take it a notch further by expressing hatred towards Russian people.

Respect Georgia's development. Historically, many Western Europeans visited Georgia because they were attracted to the country's ruins and derelict classical buildings. But as Georgia recovers from years of instability, these signs of neglect are inevitably fixed-up, painted and repaired. This causes some ruin enthusiasts to sneer at revitalized historical districts as no longer "authentic". Such comments can be rather offensive because they imply that locals are not the "real" themselves unless they are dirty, poor and living in buildings with collapsing ceilings. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many of Georgia's now-derelict buildings were glitzy aristocratic abodes.

Do not draw parallels between Georgia and neighbouring Islamic cultures. Many tourists are surprised to learn that much of the "exotic flair" in Tbilisi was imported from Europe, as opposed to Asia. Most of the "Oriental", "Moorish" and "Asian"-looking buildings were constructed by famous European architects in the 19th century during Europe's fascination with exotic styles. These landmarks are purposefully designed to look as they do. It is therefore inaccurate, not to mention clichéd, when visitors describe these elements of Georgia as "authentic" or "local"; such descriptions can irk the locals.

• Hostels and hotels usually have free Wi-Fi for their guests, even in Mestia. The same is occasionally true for cafés and restaurants.
• There is a free Wi-Fi network all over Tbilisi named "Tbilisi Loves You", including the airport. However, it frequently does not work, getting stuck on the login pages.

Georgia's country code is +995. Georgia uses GSM, 3G, and LTE for mobile phones.

Here are the operators:

• Magti — is reported to have the best coverage, but might be slightly more expensive. Tariff prices as of July 2023:
  • 30 days: Unlimited data and calls 60 lari; 3GB and calls 30 lari
  • An eSIM costs 10 lari by itself and can be installed using the MyMagti app (iPhone) before you arrive in Georgia.
  • Tethering is allowed, including on the unlimited plan.
• Beeline – a Russian company, the cheapest, but does not get the best reception in some areas. Prices as of Sep 2019: 4 weeks, 4 GB, 9 lari. 2 weeks, 10 GB, 10 lari. 3 weeks, 10 GB, 15 lari.
• Geocell — a Turkish company, does not has the best reception in some areas. Tariff prices

SIM cards are given out for free at Tbilisi airport. Each mobile operator has a desk at the airport, and offers the same deals at the airport as elsewhere.

Magti and Beeline allow tethering.

If you plan to use Georgian SIM-card outside of Georgia in the future (for example, for SMS-authorization for banking), it is impossible to receive any a service if you hadn't turned on roaming in person at an operator salon.

Communication with accommodations, airlines, drivers, restaurants, tourist information and so on, universally use WhatsApp (usually), or Viber, Facebook Messenger, or Telegram. This means you should install and activate WhatsApp before you arrive in Georgia, as you will not be able to activate WhatsApp if you can't receive SMS while roaming.

If someone asks for your phone number, it is implied they will message you on WhatsApp. If someone says "send SMS", they really mean WhatsApp. If you do not have WhatsApp it will be impossible to electronically communicate in Georgia.

Postal services in Georgia have almost ceased to exist. There are no letterboxes or home delivery. Mail does not arrive to recipients, but they are notified and have to collect mail at a post office. Postal rates are very high (it costs 4 lari to send a postcard to another country without tracking number and 14 lari to send it with a tracking number, while in neighbouring Armenia it costs ~1 lari). Postcards cost 1-2 lari throughout the country. The few post offices still maintained by Georgian Post are badly signposted and often in derelict buildings.