A Night in a Svaneti Tower Village
Where to actually sleep among Svaneti's medieval stone towers: seven villages compared for access, atmosphere and what a night there really involves.
The journal
Dispatches from the ridge and the cellar.
A country of vineyards, watchtowers and high Caucasus light — told slowly, booked with care.
Orientation
Long reads and field notes from Georgia — living culture, quiet news, and the road as it actually is.
The map in miniature
Essential places
Begin with these — then wander. Each card is a doorway, not a checklist.
A Supra With Strangers
Where a traveler with no local contacts can be genuinely folded into a Georgian supra, from a Tbilisi culture factory to Kakhetian wine estates and a
Batumi at Dusk: The Black Sea Boulevard
How to spend one golden evening on Batumi's 7km Black Sea Boulevard, from the Alphabet Tower's view to the Ali and Nino statue's nightly dance.
Chasing Autumn Colour in Racha
A late-September to mid-October route through Racha's walnut forests, turning vineyards, and mirror lake, where Georgia's quietest wine region goes go
Climbing to Katskhi Pillar
What it actually takes to see Georgia's Stylite pillar in Imereti — who can climb the iron ladder, what everyone else sees from the ground, and how to
Georgia Off Season: Why November Is Underrated
November empties Georgia's wine cellars, cave cities and coastal towns of summer crowds while the lowlands stay mild — here's where the off season act
Hidden Courtyards of Old Tbilisi
Beyond Tbilisi's postcard streets lie balconied courtyards where the Old Town actually lives. A local's route to the seven worth finding, and how to l
Kazbek: The Mountain of Prometheus
Why Mount Kazbek is the Caucasus's most mythologised peak, how Georgians and Greeks both claimed it as sacred ground, and how to actually experience i
Market Morning at the Dezerter Bazaar
How to spend a morning at Tbilisi's Dezerter Bazaar: what to eat, what to buy, and how to extend the visit into the old town's markets and churches.
New Year Feasts: How Georgia Celebrates
Georgia doesn't celebrate one New Year but three in a row — secular, Orthodox Christmas, and Old New Year — each with its own feast. Here's what actua
One Perfect Day in Mtskheta
A single well-paced day through Georgia's ancient capital: Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Samtavro and Shio-Mgvime monasteries, a hilltop fortress, and Jva
Polyphony: The Song of Guria
Guria is the birthplace of krimanchuli, Georgia's UNESCO-recognized polyphonic yodel. Here's where to actually hear it, see its instruments, and under
Riding the Kukushka: The Bakuriani Train
The Borjomi–Bakuriani narrow-gauge railway has climbed the same forested gorge since 1902. Here's what the Kukushka actually shows you, stop by stop,
Sighnaghi: Walls Above the Alazani
Inside Sighnaghi's intact 18th-century ramparts: what to see along the fortress walls, why the town became Georgia's 'City of Love,' and how to spend
Snow Season: A Weekend in Gudauri
How to spend a snow-season weekend in Gudauri: one full ski day on the Sadzele line, an off-piste option for the afternoon, and a Sunday detour north
Spring Waterfalls of Samegrelo
A field guide to Samegrelo's real waterfalls in spring snowmelt — from the boat-ride drama of Martvili Canyon to the wild pools of Intsra and the mult
Stone Towers and Snow: Winter in Mestia
What actually works in Mestia between December and March: two working ski areas, snowbound museums, an inhabited tower quarter under snow, and what wi
Sulphur and Steam: Tbilisi Bath Culture
How to bathe in Tbilisi's Abanotubani sulphur baths: which bathhouse to pick, what a kisa scrub actually involves, and why this ritual founded the cit
The Amber Wines of Kakheti
What amber wine actually is, why Kakheti's qvevri method makes it, and where to taste its best expressions — from Pheasant's Tears to the Alazani Vall
The Bridge of Peace and New Tbilisi: Reading the City's Second Act
How one glass footbridge over the Mtkvari came to symbolise a new Tbilisi — and the walk that takes you from it through Rike Park, Narikala's cable ca
The Cave Monks of Davit Gareja
Inside the semi-desert cliff monastery founded by a 6th-century Assyrian hermit — where monks still live in caves they never stopped digging.
The Fortress Line: Ananuri to Khertvisi
A road trip through Georgia's great defensive strongholds, from the river fortress of Ananuri on the Georgian Military Highway to the weathered walls
The Last Ferrymen of the Rioni: A Journey Down Georgia's Longest River
From Racha's flooded valleys to the Black Sea at Poti, a journey down the Rioni River traces the bridges, ruins, and fading boat culture of Georgia's
The Qvevri Makers of Kakheti
Meet the families and cellars keeping Georgia's 8,000-year qvevri winemaking tradition alive across Kakheti, from Sighnaghi's marani to the tunnels of
The Shepherd Roads of Tusheti
Georgia's last living transhumance route: the stone tower villages, high passes, and shepherd trails of Tusheti, open only three months a year.
The Tea Hills of Guria
Guria's humid, subtropical hills once made it the Soviet Union's southernmost tea frontier. Here's where the old plantations, factories, and mountain
Twelve Dishes That Explain Georgia
From Pasanauri's khinkali to Svaneti's kubdari: twelve Georgian dishes, what each one reveals about the country, and where to eat it properly.
Ushguli: Life at 2,100 Metres
Inside Ushguli, Europe's highest inhabited village: what daily life among Svaneti's medieval towers actually looks like, what to see, and how to visit
Vardzia by Candlelight
There is no staged night tour at Vardzia — the real candlelight is the liturgy still burning inside the Church of the Dormition. Here is how to time t
Why Wine Was Born in Georgia
The archaeology, the clay, and the living tradition behind Georgia's claim to the world's oldest wine culture — and where to see it for yourself.
Best of
Rankings & shortlists
Curated, not crowded. Our editors’ orders of merit — updated with the seasons.
A Night in a Svaneti Tower Village
A Supra With Strangers
Batumi at Dusk: The Black Sea Boulevard
Chasing Autumn Colour in Racha
Climbing to Katskhi Pillar
Georgia Off Season: Why November Is Underrated
Hidden Courtyards of Old Tbilisi
Kazbek: The Mountain of Prometheus
Market Morning at the Dezerter Bazaar
New Year Feasts: How Georgia Celebrates
One Perfect Day in Mtskheta
Polyphony: The Song of Guria
Seasons & sense
Practical notes
Reviewed
Every page carries its review date and schedule.
British English
Written slowly, kept current.
Book beside it
Each piece links the wonders it names — and a bed nearby.
Atlas
See it on the map
High passes, wine roads, and the slow coast — open the national atlas and plot a generous route.
Open the atlas →
Before you pack
Questions, answered
When is the most generous time to visit?
Late spring and September–October bring harvest light, open high roads, and terrace weather. Winter is for ski villages and sulphur baths; high summer belongs to the Black Sea. Shoulder months reward the unhurried.
Do I need a visa?
Many travellers enter visa-free for a generous stay. Always confirm current entry rules for your passport before you book — then spend the saved hour on a long lunch.
How do I move between regions?
Marshrutka minibuses, comfortable coaches, a handful of trains, and hired drivers cover most ground. Mountain roads ask for daylight and patience. Build slack into every itinerary.
How does the climate pledge work?
Every booking removes 1 tonne of CO2 — no surcharge. It is included, not optional, and never an excuse to travel carelessly. Stay longer; spend locally; tread lightly on alpine meadows.
Is English widely spoken?
In cities and guesthouses, yes — and a few words of Georgian open every door. Look for the script; it is part of the landscape. Menus often arrive in three languages, like this site.
25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly