Georgia / საქართველო – Let’s explore here

Georgia is a transcontinental country – it is located both in Europe and in Asia. Because of this, the information on the country is located both in our European and in our Asian travel destination sections. Don’t worry though, all the information for this amazing country is captured on this page.

Georgia is a stunning, mainly mountainous country that is part of the Caucasus. The highest point is Mount Shkhara in the north of the country, at 17,070 ft (5,203 m) above sea level.

Its neighbours include Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. There are several disputed regions in the North – Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It also operates a digital nomad visa scheme, which you may find of interest.

Current travels

On our current road trip we travelled from Turkey into Batumi, on the Black Sea coast, travelling up to Mestia before moving on to Kutaisi and Tbilisi. The weather was cold, wet and miserable almost the whole time we were in Georgia first time around, and the mountains were full of snow. We then travelled South into Armenia.

Our best places in Georgia

Batumi

Located on the Black Sea coast, Batumi is often the first city that overlanders from Europe visit. As the second largest city in Georgia, after the capital Tbilisi, it has a population of c. 183,000 (2024). Because of the casinos, it is nicknamed “The Las Vegas of the Black Sea”.

Khobi

Kutaisi

Kutaisi is a small city west of central Georgia; its population is c. 126,000 (2024). It is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

The road to Sadakhlo

Sadakhlo is one of the border points with Armenia. It links the two capitals Tbilisi and Yerevan. The two countries are separated by mountains, providing some great views.

Tbilisi

Tbilisi is the capital and largest city in Georgia; its population is c. 1.25 million people (2024). Its is an amazing city with some incredible restaurants. People are very friendly and value for money is good.

What currency do they use in Georgia?

In Georgia they use the Georgian Lari. Use of cash is still prevalent outside of the cities. The use of credit / debit cards is now widespread in then capital, Tbilisi, although not elsewhere. Traveller’s cheques are not accepted in general. There are lots of ATMs. 

You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.

What language do they speak in Georgia?

They speak many languages in Georgia, the main one being Georgian. People speak many other languages including English, Russian, Assyrian, Svan, and Urum, among other languages.

What time zone is Georgia in?

Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.

Do I need a visa to visit Georgia?

We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!

What’s it like to drive in Georgia?

Driving in Georgia is a very hectic affair. In the main, Georgian driving is extremely poor. The state of cars on the roads is also very poor, with many cars having no bumpers at all, for example. Georgian driving is also very aggressive, in particular in all of the cities and larger towns. Whilst many of the major roads are in good condition, in the villages and towns and more remote areas, the roads can be in an appalling state, with lots of large potholes or no remaining road at all. That said, we never found any roads that required a 4×4 vehicle, rather it’s ground clearance that is required.

There are also many, many police cars. We were stopped four times in four hours one day! In our view the police are passively aggressive and actively looking to give out traffic infringement fines for little to no reason.

We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂

Is wild camping legal in Georgia?

Yes, wild camping is fine in Georgia, although you should avoid national parks and natural reserves.

Is it safe to drink water in Georgia?

Yes, it is safe to drink tap water in Georgia, although in our experience much of it has an unusual taste. Bottled water is readily available across the country. There are also many natural springs throughout the mountains that can also provide water – most of these springs have road signs indicating their locality.

Georgia Sim card

If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know! 

And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!