Hiking in Georgia: the best treks and when to go

What is the best trek in Georgia?

The best trek in Georgia for a first visit is Mestia to Ushguli in Upper Svaneti: about 57 km over 4 days, sleeping in village guesthouses, with one pass at 2,655 metres. You need no tent, and in summer the route can be walked without a guide. For a single day, the climb from Stepantsminda to Gergeti Trinity Church in Kazbegi is high walking within a day’s reach of Tbilisi.

The best treks in Georgia, compared

Trekking in Georgia runs from a morning’s climb to a hilltop church to five days over a 3,520 metre pass. The figures below come from the national tourism site, the national parks agency and published route guides, checked 24 September 2026.

Hiking by region

Svaneti

Svaneti’s classic trek, Mestia to Ushguli, takes 3 to 4 days between June and October. Ushguli, in Upper Svaneti, is one of the highest continuously inhabited settlements in Europe, at about 2,100 metres, and Mestia is where the treks in the region usually begin. The villages are known for their medieval stone towers, and Upper Svaneti has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

Kazbegi

Kazbegi is high walking within easy reach of Tbilisi: Stepantsminda is about 3 hours up the Georgian Military Road, and the Gergeti church climb takes about 1.5 hours. The walking around Kazbegi starts from the town of Stepantsminda, under Mount Kazbek, where the church path climbs to 2,170 metres and a longer day continues to the Gergeti glacier at about 3,200 metres. Without a car of your own, a guided hiking day in Kazbegi is the simple way to walk up to Gergeti from Tbilisi; the glacier walk is a full day from Stepantsminda itself. The Juta and Truso valleys nearby give quieter day walks, and the season on the higher paths runs from July to mid October.

Tusheti

Tusheti is the remote one: its only road crosses the Abano pass at 2,826 metres and is closed by snow from about mid October to mid June. Omalo is the main village. The five-day walk from Omalo over the Atsunta pass to Shatili in Khevsureti runs close to the Russian border, so hikers register with the border guards at Girevi and carry a tent for the middle nights.

Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park

Borjomi-Kharagauli is the forested alternative in the Lesser Caucasus, near the spa town of Borjomi, with 12 marked trails, tourist shelters and campsites. The park asks every visitor to register before entering, at the visitor centre in Borjomi.

The Transcaucasian Trail

The Transcaucasian Trail is a long-distance hiking route being built across the Caucasus. In Georgia, its open sections include Upper Svaneti, Imereti to Racha, and Samtskhe-Javakheti.

When is the best time to hike in Georgia?

The best time to hike in Georgia is July to September, when the high passes are usually clear of snow. The hiking season is short: on the Mestia to Ushguli route it runs from early June to late October, snow can arrive on the passes in the second half of October, and our guide to the best time to visit Georgia shows how the mountain months fit the rest of a trip. June is green and wetter; September is quieter on the trails than August.

Do you need a guide to hike in Georgia?

No. The main summer routes, such as Mestia to Ushguli and the Gergeti church climb, are marked and well trodden, and you can walk them on your own. A guide earns their fee early or late in the season, on remote routes such as Tusheti to Khevsureti, and when you want the river crossings, guesthouses and transfers handled.

Are Georgian mountain guides certified?

Certification for tourist guides in Georgia is voluntary under the Law on Tourism, so ask a guide which certificate they hold rather than assume. The national tourism administration runs a certification register that covers mountain, alpine and ski guides. Ask any guide whether they are certified, and for which kind of terrain.

Permits, safety and rescue

Do you need a permit to hike in Georgia?

No, not for most routes. The exception is the border zone: routes that run close to the Russian border, such as Omalo to Shatili, need registration with the Border Police, and the Truso valley has border checkpoints. Carry your passport on any route near the border.

Registering your route and calling for help

The emergency number in Georgia is 112, for police, ambulance and rescue. Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park asks every visitor to register before entering, and the Border Police register hikers at posts such as Girevi. Outside Tbilisi, ambulances and first responders are thin on the ground, so leave your route with your guesthouse.

Shepherd dogs, rivers and weather

Shepherd dogs guard flocks on the high pastures: walk on calmly, without sudden movements, and they usually back off once you are away from the herd. Glacier rivers rise through the day, so cross in the morning, and never cross water whose depth you cannot see. Caucasus storms arrive fast, with lightning and often hail, so be ready to drop lower.

Where do you sleep on a trek in Georgia?

On the main treks in Georgia you sleep in village guesthouses, which serve breakfast and dinner, so you carry no tent or stove. That is true of Mestia to Ushguli and the Kazbegi valleys. Borjomi-Kharagauli has park shelters and campsites, and the Atsunta pass route between Tusheti and Khevsureti needs a tent for the nights between villages.

Getting to the trailheads

Mestia, the start in Svaneti, is about 3 hours by road from Zugdidi, which is about 6 hours from Tbilisi on the day train. Small planes also fly to Mestia from Natakhtari near Tbilisi when the weather allows. Stepantsminda is about 3 hours from Tbilisi by minibus or shared taxi, and Tusheti is reached by four-wheel drive over the Abano pass in summer only.

What to pack

• Boots with grip, because the trails get muddy and slippery.
• Poles, for the long descents from the passes.
• Rain shell: mountain storms come in fast.
• Warm layer for evenings in the guesthouses.
• Headtorch, for early starts.
• Water filter, so you can drink from streams.
• Cash (lari): on the Mestia to Ushguli route, Mestia has the last cash machine.
• Sun hat and sunscreen for the open ridges.
• Blister kit.
• Offline map, downloaded before you leave town.

Guided hiking trips in Georgia

You do not need a guide on the main routes, but if you want one arranged end to end, our page on Georgia hiking and trekking tours sets out what to check in a week-long guided trip: who runs it, the group size and what is included. Some trips move your bags by car between villages, and some do not, so check that line first.