Everything you need to know about Georgia
Welcome to a comprehensive guide: “Everything You Need to Know about Georgia.” Whether you’re planning a visit or simply intrigued by this captivating country, I’ve put together essential information to satisfy your curiosity and help you navigate its wonders. From its rich history and vibrant culture to practical tips for travellers, continue reading if you want to discover the beauty and diversity that Georgia has to offer.
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Location
Georgia is a Eurasia country, situated at the border of the Black Sea, near Turkey. Also borders Azerbaijan and Armenia, a short trip to cross the border.
Visa
No visa is required if you’re travelling from UK or USA, travellers are allowed to enter, reside, work or study for up to 365days. To renew just exit and enter again.
Safety
Having lived in Georgia since 2019, I haven’t encountered any danger. Georgia is considered very safe and ranks 10th in the world for safest destinations. As with every country you should always be vigilant as anything can happen in any country.
Best time of year to visit
Georgia offers so much year round, during the winter months – Gudauri is a popular destination amongst travellers. Where you will find skiing and other winter activities. Christmas and new years is always a big celebration in Georgia and the city is so pretty, with every street lit up.
During the summer there’s also lots to do, food festivals, day trips and more. A trip to Batumi is always a great idea during summer, where you’ll able to enjoy the botanical gardens, Ali and nino, the Black Sea and many restaurants.
Travelling to Georgia
• Pegasus Airlines – affordable, layover in turkey
• Turkish Airlines
• Can take a Wizz air flight to Kutaisi and then get a coach to Tbilisi – cheap option
Tips
Expensive – Georgia is relatively cheap compared to other countries. And you can do a lot with your money. However, since Covid there has been an influx of expats – leading to increased accommodation prices.
Language – In Georgia, English is widely spoken, making communication easy for most visitors. However, among the older generation, they may not speak any English. While visiting major cities poses no language barriers, exploring remote or mountainous regions might present challenges due to limited English proficiency.
Essential Georgian phrases:
• hello/hi – გამარჯობა (ga-mar-jo-ba)
• Bye – ნახვამდის (nakh-vam-dis)
• Thank you – მადლობა (mad-lo-ba)
• You’re welcome – არაფრის (a-ra-pris)
• Yes – დიახ. (di-akh), კი (k’i), ჰო (ho), ხო (kho)
• No – არა (a-ra)
• Excuse me – უკაცრავად (u-k’ats-ra-vad)
• My name is _____ ჩემი სახელია ______ (che-mi sa-khe-li-a ______ )
• How much/many? – რამდენი (ram-de-ni)
• Where is – სად არის (sad a-ris)
• I do not want – არ მინდა (ar-min-da)
• Do you speak English? ინგლისური იცით? (ing-li-su-ri i-tsit?)
• I don’t understand Georgian – ქართული არ მესმის (kar-tu-li ar mes-mis)
Translation apps:
• Google translate
• Yandex translator
Travel tips
• Metro a top choice to navigate through the city efficiently and avoid traffic, however it does get busy in peak hours. At just 20 tetri , it provides unlimited travel within the hour.
• Marshrutka/bus – a good choice to travel within the city to avoid the busy city traffic as buses have dedicated bus lanes on most roads.
• Taxi’s – I used to use Yandex but personally prefer Bolt now as the cars are a lot cleaner and the drivers are better
• Rent a car – book car here.
• Train – travel to other cities
ATMs/money
• Monzo card
• Withdrawals with a charge
SIM cards
• Magti
• Silknet
Georgian cuisine
• Khachapuri
• Khinkali
• Sparkling water
• Wine – Saperavi
Restaurants
• Alfredo’s – Italian
• Brasserie buvette – European
• Melograno – Italian
• Umami – Asian fusion
• PastaChi – Italian
• My Chef – Turkish (halal)
• Elit – Turkish (halal)
• Rooms hotels The Kitchen – European
• Lolita – European
• Ribs and Puri
Cafés
• Coffee lab
• Ch’ika
• Prosperous books
• Museum cafe
• Shavi
• Pulp
• Red man cafe
Bars/drinks
• Barbar’a
• Rude boy
• Rum roof
• Weather report bar
• Lolita
• Lobby bar
• Wallaby Bar
• Wine factory (Sio) – multi-functional gastrocnemius hub
• Black dog bar
• Fabrika
• Barmaglot
Shopping
• Groceries: Carrefour, Goodwill (better quality), fruit market
• Tbilisi mall
• City Mall – better options/shops
Nails
• Nail bar 1.
Lashes/eyebrows/beauty
• Brow and lash bar
Laser
• Laser Rooms
Activities in Tbilisi:
• Visit the Tbilisi botanical gardens
• Sulphur baths
• Take a pottery class
• Ride the funicular
• Lisi lake
• Chronicles of Georgia
• Tbilisi sea
Best cities to visit
• Batumi
• Kutaisi
• Gudauri
• Telavi
• Bakuriani
• Borjomi
• Okatse
General tips
• Stray dogs – avoid touching
• Be vigilant in metros – pickpockets
• Women cover head with scarf visiting churches
• Christian country – very religious
• Majority of taxi’s don’t have working seatbelts
My favourite travel resources:
🏨 Best deals on Accommodation: Booking.com
🌳 Best activities: nice city walks, experiences and day tours. Book here.
✈️ Best deals on flights: Skyscanner.com
🚘 Pre-book private transfers: book here.
💳 Use Monzo abroad with no fee’s: sign up here.
I hope you found this helpful in planning your next trip to Georgia.
Thank you for taking the time to read! Until next time.
Kem x