FAQ

Citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in almost 100 countries may enter Georgia without a visa. The maximum period of stay is one full year. Citizens of Member States of the European Union may enter Georgia with a travel document, as well as with an identity card issued by a Member State of the European Union. The identity card shall contain the name, surname, date of birth and a photo of the person. 

Residents of other countries can obtain a short-term visa (less then 90 days) via “e-visa portal”. https://www.evisa.gov.ge/GeoVisa/

For detailed and up-to-date information please visit the following website:

https://www.geoconsul.gov.ge/en/aboutUs

Here is a short list of countries which don’t need a visa to enter Georgia:

EU member countries, Switzerland, Monaco, Norway, Iceland, The USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan, CIS member countries, etc. 

The answer to this question depends on the type of trip you are taking and on the region(s) you are planning to visit. The country can be visited all year-round; however certain months are more comfortable for specific activities. Here are the general guidelines:

  • Cultural Tours: April - October.
  • Trekking/Hiking: June - Mid October.
  • Winter resorts: Mid December - Mid April.
  • Botanical tours: May - July.
  • Bird watching tours: Almost all year round (depends on which species one is interested).
  • Wine tours: April - October. October is the best time because of harvest.
  • Horseback riding: June – September.

There are climatic variations in Georgia, influenced mostly by the relief, altitude, distance from the Black Sea and the wind. Much of Western Georgia lies in a humid subtropical zone. Lowlands are relatively warm throughout the year, whilst mountain regions have cool summers and snowy winters. The average temperature is 22°C in summer and 5°C in the winter. Eastern Georgia has a range of climate-types, varying from moderately humid to dry subtropical. Average summer temperature is 20 °- 24 °C and winter temperature 2 °C - 4 °C. Annual precipitation in Eastern Georgia ranges from 400–1,600 mm., with April and June being the wettest periods. Annual precipitation in Western Georgia ranges from 1,000–4,000 mm; rainfall is heaviest in the autumn and winter months. The hottest and driest months of the year in Georgia are July and August. December and January are the coldest periods. The regions that lie above 2000m freeze even during the summer months. Above 3,600 metres snow and ice are present all year-round.

Georgia Standard Time (GET) is 4 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Georgia does not observe daylight saving time.

Georgia's international airports are located in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi. Domestic flights are available between Tbilisi and Mestia.

http://www.airports.ge/index.php/en

Aegean Airlines; Air Arabia; Air Astana; airBaltic; Air France; Aircompany Armenia; AnadoluJet; Arkia Israel Airlines; Azerbaijan Airlines; Belavia; Bees Airline; Buta airways; China Southern Airlines; Eurowings; El Al; Flydubai; Georgian airways; GetJet Airlines; Gulf Air; Israir Airlines; Jazeera Airways; Kuwait Airways; LOT Polish Airlines; Lufthansa; MyWay Airlines; Pegasus Airlines; Qatar Airways; Qeshm Airs; SCAT; SkyUp; Sun d'Or; Taban Air; Turkish Airlines; Ukraine International Airlines; Uzbekistan Airways; Vanilla Sky Airlines; Wizz Air; Yanair; Zagros Airlines. 

To Tbilisi - Aktau; Almaty; Amsterdam; Athens; Astana; Baku; Cologne; Doha; Dubai; Istanbul; Kiev; Minsk; Moscow; Munich; Paris; Riga; Rome; Sharm-el-Sheikh; Tel-Aviv; Urumqi; Vienna; Warsaw.

To Kutaisi - Minsk; Kiev; Moscow, Budapest, Vilnius.

To Batumi - Istanbul.

You can enter Georgia by crossing land borders from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey or Russia. There are several border crossing points. Here is the list of borders, which are more ‘convenient’ for tourism purposes:

Armenia:

  • Bavra/Gyumri. Distance to Tbilisi 325 km. Distance to Akhaltsikhe 115 km.
  • Sadakhlo/Bagratasheni. Distance to Tbilisi 75 km.
  • Guguti/Gogavan. Distance to Tbilisi 110 km. This route is not as popular as other two.

Azerbaijan:

  • Red Bridge. Distance to Tbilisi 65 km.
  • Lagodekhi/Belokany. Distance to Tbilisi 170 km. Distance to Telavi 85 km.

Turkey:

  • Sarpi. Distance to Tbilisi 380 km. Distance to Batumi 20 km.
  • Vale/Posof. Distance to Tbilisi 225 km. Distance to Akhaltsikhe 20 km.

Russia:

  • Zemo Larsi (Kazbegi). Distance to Tbilisi - 160 km. From November to March this road can be blocked due to the weather conditions.

Public transport departs daily from/to Yrevan, Baku, Istanbul, Ankara and Trabzon and few times a week from/to Athens.  Overnight trains are available from Azerbaijan and Armenia. http://www.railway.ge/?web=0&action=0&lang=eng


You can enter Georgia by sea. The ports of Batumi and Poti provide international connections with following Black Sea harbors: Illichivsk (Ukraine), Constantza (Romania), Varna (Bulgaria), Sochi (Russia), Derince (Turkey).

www.batumiport.com

http://www.ferrylines.com/en/ferries/black-sea/

International companies such as Sixt, Europcar, Hertz, and Avis operate in Georgia. There are also local rental companies. However, one of the safest and cheapest ways to travel is to book a car with a driver. For more details please send us an email.

Georgia offers hotels; hostels (in the big cities); chateaus in the wine-growing region – Kakheti; guesthouses throughout the country.

A guesthouse is a family stay. Usually, guesthouses offer home made breakfast and dinner, which are mostly included in the price. There are two types of guesthouses in Georgia:

1. The guesthouse is totally isolated from the owner’s lodgings, every room has its own bathroom.

2. The owner rents a few rooms in his/her house. There is one or more shared bathrooms.

5*

Tbilisi 

  • Marriott
  • Radisson Blu Iveria
  • Sheraton Grand Metechi Palace
  • The Biltmor (millennium hotels)
  • Wyndham Grand

Batumi

  • Best Western Premier
  • Hilton 
  • Le Meridien
  • Radisson Blu
  • Sheraton 
  • Wyndham

Borjomi

  • Crowne Plaza
  • Rixos

4*

Tbilisi 

  • Best Western Art Hotel,
  • Best Western City Center
  • Citadines Freedom Square
  • Courtyard by Marriott
  • Holiday Inn
  • ibis Styles
  • Mercure old town 
  • Moxy by Marriott
  • Ramada by Wynndham

Borjomi

  • Golden Tulip

Telavi

  • Holiday Inn

 

It's a good idea to book accommodation in advance, especially during the busy period from May to November and for winter resorts from December to April.

Georgian national currency is Lari (GEL), which is divided into 100 tetri. For exchange rate you can visit website of national Bank of Georgia.

https://www.nbg.gov.ge/index.php?m=2&lng=eng

Yes. However we suggest having cash as a standard, especially if you are planning to travel outside of the big cities. In the territory of Georgia all payments are made in GEL. Hotels and restaurants usually have Credit Card payment systems but guesthouses and small shops will only accept cash in the local currency. Banks are closed on Saturday after 2 pm, Sundays and public holidays. ATMs are widely available in the big cities, at banks and along main shopping streets. 
MasterCard ,Visa and American Express are the most accepted Credit Cards. Most ATMs operate under Cirrus/Maestro system allowing you to withdraw money directly from your home bank. Travellers cheques can be exchanged only in some banks. Bank of Georgia cashes American Express travellers cheques into the local currency for free. There are many small money exchange bureaus, which have good rates and are fast in operation. They mostly take Euro and USD.

Electricity throughout Georgia is supplied at 220 volts, 50 hertz. Power outlets accept two rounded pin plugs. For all other equipment, a converter is necessary.

There is no Malaria in Georgia and therefore no need to take medications.

There is no need for special shots if you have done your routine immunizations. Generally advised vaccination for Georgia is Hepatitis A. Other vaccines will depend on the kind of activity you are planning to do. For example if you will work in a hospital or with animals Hepatitis B and Rabies vaccination is suggested. No yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for Georgia.

What you need to consider is that some parts of Georgia are located on high or very high altitudes. Travellers, who may go into areas higher than 2,400 meters should have adequate acclimatization, in order not to get high altitude sickness (Acute Mountain Sickness).

Yes. Water in Georgia is of excellent quality. In fact, water can be taken from pipes and streams as well. However you might opt to boil the water or use water disinfectant (Hadex) for the first few days in order to get used to the bacteria that are different from your home environment. 

Almost every town in Georgia has an Internet connection. However in the remote villages you will have to survive without the World Wide Web. Generally, free Wi-FI is available in cafes in big cities. You can also visit Internet cafes, which in addition to an Internet service have printing and scanning possibilities.

There are almost no places in Georgia which can’t be reached by mobile phone.  There are three mobile communication operators, which offer mobile Internet services as well. They are: Magti, Geocell and Beeline. Their rates are more or less similar but if you are travelling in high mountains we recommend using first two options. 

Georgian national parks, Botanical gardens, lakes, Black Sea coast, semi-desert and Caucasus Mountains are ideal places to spend time with your children. Outside of the big cities they can see dozens of domestic animals freely walking in the nature. In the fields they can play football, frisbee and etc. They can also ride horses, do rafting, climbing and other outdoor activities. In addition big cities (Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi) offer a wide range of entertainment like aqua parks, attraction parks, entertainment centers, animal parks and etc.

You will find a variety of nightclubs, pubs, live performances and casinos.

As not all trails are marked in Georgia we recommend booking a guided walk.

Guidebooks: 

  • Lonely Planet. Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan (7th edition, 2022).
  • Bradt. Travel Guide Georgia (6th edition, 2018).
  • Dominicus (In Dutch) Georgië - Armenië (2020).
  • Walking in the Caucasus (2nd edition, 2013). Author: Peter Nasmyth.

Novels:

  •  Het achtste leven (voor Brilka) - (2019).  Author: Nino Haratischwili.
  • Ali & Nino (1937). Author: Kurban Said.
  • Georgia in the Mountains of Poetry (1998). Author: Peter Nasmyth.
  • Bread And Ashes: A Walk Through the Mountains of Georgia (2013). Author: Tony Anderson.

Yes. Georgian monasteries and churches do not allow people in shorts and miniskirts. Therefore, it is handy to have shorts that can be easily converted to trousers or a long scarf that can be used as a skirt. It is also custom that women cover their head while being in the church. 

The 112 is Georgia's Emergency and Operative Response Center. You can call them during any kind of emergency (fire/rescue, police patrol, medical).