Places to Visit in Georgia: Tbilisi, Kazbegi, Batumi and Beyond

The short answer: Georgia packs mountains, a wine region and a Black Sea coast into a country smaller than the UAE. Tbilisi is the base, with its old town, sulphur baths and cable car; Kazbegi (about 150–165 km north, roughly 3 hours) and Gudauri (about 120 km, 2 hours) sit on the Georgian Military Highway; Batumi on the coast is the furthest major stop, around 340 km and 4.5 hours by road. flydubai flies non-stop from Dubai to Tbilisi and Air Arabia from Sharjah, in about 3 hours 15 minutes. Our National Day package covers the Georgia highlights over 6 days and 5 nights from AED 2,999, departing 2 December 2026.

This guide is a reference, not a day-by-day plan: it lists the places people search for when deciding where to go in Georgia, grouped by region, with how far each one is from Tbilisi, what it costs to get in, and when to go. If you already have a Georgia trip booked and want a day-by-day route, see our Georgia trip from Dubai guide instead; this one is for picking the places first.

Georgia at a glance

	Georgia from Dubai
Flight time	About 3 hours 15 minutes, non-stop to Tbilisi on flydubai from Dubai or Air Arabia from Sharjah
Visa	Most UAE residents enter visa-free; others need an e-visa – see our Georgia visa guide
Best months	May–June and September–October for most of the country; December–March for Gudauri's ski season
Currency	Georgian lari (GEL)
Getting around	Shared minibuses (marshrutkas) from Tbilisi's Didube station reach most places on this list; a hired car or driver is faster and easier for a one- or two-day loop
Our package	6D/5N from AED 2,999 per person, departing 2 December 2026

Where to go in Georgia: the main places

Place	Region	From Tbilisi	Best for
Tbilisi Old Town	Tbilisi	–	A first day; sulphur baths, Narikala, the Bridge of Peace
Mtskheta	Mtskheta-Mtianeti	20–25 km, 20–40 min	Georgia's two most important churches, as a half day
Ananuri Fortress	Mtskheta-Mtianeti	About 70 km, 1–1.25 hours	A short stop on the way north
Gudauri	Mtskheta-Mtianeti	About 120 km, 2 hours	Skiing, December–April; mountain views year-round
Kazbegi / Stepantsminda	Mtskheta-Mtianeti	About 150–165 km, 3 hours	Gergeti Trinity Church below Mount Kazbek
Sighnaghi & Kakheti	Kakheti	About 110 km, 1.5–2.5 hours	Wine tasting and a walled hill town
Kutaisi & Prometheus Cave	Imereti	About 215–230 km, 3–4.5 hours	A cave system and Georgia's third city
Martvili Canyon	Samegrelo	About 280 km, 4–4.5 hours	A short boat ride through a green gorge
Borjomi	Samtskhe-Javakheti	About 155–160 km, 2–2.5 hours	A spa park and free mineral water
Vardzia	Samtskhe-Javakheti	About 225–250 km, 4–5 hours	A cliffside cave monastery
Uplistsikhe	Shida Kartli	About 80 km, 1.5–2 hours	A smaller, closer cave town near Gori
Batumi	Adjara (coast)	About 340 km, 4.5 hours by car	The Black Sea coast and a seafront boulevard
Mestia / Svaneti	Samegrelo-Svaneti	About 460–480 km, 8–9 hours by road or about 1 hour by air	Stone defensive towers and the high Caucasus

Tbilisi: old town, baths and the new city

Tbilisi Old Town, Narikala and the Bridge of Peace

The old town fills the gorge below Narikala Fortress, a hilltop ruin reached on foot or by a cable car from Rike Park (about 2.5 GEL one way, paid with a refundable Metromoney card rather than cash). Entry to the fortress itself is free; the cable car pauses in strong wind. Below it, the Bridge of Peace, a glass-and-steel footbridge, crosses the Mtkvari River into Rike Park, and the lanes around it hold Tbilisi's balconied old houses, small galleries and cafes. Allow a full morning or afternoon on foot, and go in spring or autumn: Tbilisi's summer afternoons run hot for walking, and its winters are cold enough that an evening stroll wants a proper coat.

Rustaveli Avenue, the Dry Bridge Market and Fabrika

Rustaveli Avenue is Tbilisi's main boulevard, lined with the opera house, the parliament building and the National Museum; it is free to walk and the natural spine of a city day. The Dry Bridge Market, a short walk or taxi ride away, is an open-air flea market for Soviet memorabilia, carpets and old photographs – browsing is free, and bargaining is normal. Fabrika, a former sewing factory turned courtyard of cafes, bars and a hostel, is Tbilisi's answer to a creative district, and a good spot for an evening once the sights close. None of the three charges admission; budget an afternoon and an evening between them.

North on the Georgian Military Highway

These four sit on or near the single road that climbs from Tbilisi to the Russian border, and work well as one long day trip or as stops on the way further north.

Mtskheta: Jvari and Svetitskhoveli

Georgia's former capital and spiritual centre, about 20–25 km from Tbilisi and 20 to 40 minutes by marshrutka or taxi. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, in the town centre, and Jvari Monastery, on a hilltop 4 km further out with the classic view down over the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, are both UNESCO-listed and both reported as free to enter, though a handful of sources mention a small cathedral fee, so carry a few lari just in case. Women should cover their head and shoulders at both sites; scarves are provided at the entrance. Half a day covers both comfortably.

Ananuri Fortress

A walled complex of churches and a watchtower on the Aragvi River, about 70 km from Tbilisi and a little over an hour's drive on the way to Gudauri and Kazbegi. Entry is free, with a possible small parking charge for a private car. Forty-five minutes to an hour is enough, which makes this a stop on the way north rather than a destination on its own.

Gudauri

A ski resort about 120 km north of Tbilisi, roughly 2 hours by road, with runs for beginners through to off-piste terrain and wide views over the Aragvi valley even outside ski season. The season generally runs from late December to mid-April, snow depending; check the resort's current dates before you book lift passes, since they shift by a few weeks each year. Just north of the village, the Soviet-era Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument, a round mosaic-covered viewpoint, is a free stop with one of the best panoramas on the whole highway.

Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) and Gergeti Trinity Church

The highway's main destination, about 150–165 km and roughly 3 hours from Tbilisi, ending in the small town of Stepantsminda under Mount Kazbek. Gergeti Trinity Church, a 14th-century church on a ridge above the town, is reached by a 30 to 40-minute uphill walk or by hired 4x4 (reported at roughly GEL 25 per person, or GEL 70–100 for the whole car). In winter the approach gets harder: the highway itself usually stays open, with avalanche shelters built for exactly this, but can close for a day or two at a time in heavy snow, and the walking path up to the church can be snowed over, so a 4x4 is the sensible option from December to March. Check road status on georoad.ge before you set off in winter.

East: Kakheti's wine country

Sighnaghi and the vineyards

Kakheti, Georgia's main wine region, is about 110 km east of Tbilisi, 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on whether you drive or take a shared minibus from Samgori station. Sighnaghi itself, a walled hill town above the vineyards, is the usual base for a day or overnight: wander its pastel-coloured lanes, then taste at one of the family wineries on the plain below, many of which still ferment in the traditional buried clay qvevri. September and October, during the harvest, are the liveliest months to visit; a day covers the town and one winery, two days if you want to visit several.

West: Imereti, Samtskhe-Javakheti and the coast

These sit further out, mostly west and south-west of Tbilisi, and work best as a two- or three-day loop rather than single day trips.

Kutaisi and the Prometheus Cave

Georgia's third city, about 215–230 km from Tbilisi, a 3 to 4.5-hour drive depending on traffic over the Rikoti Pass (reports differ on whether recent road works there have finished, so build in extra time). Kutaisi itself has its own cathedral and a lively market; most visitors combine it with the Prometheus Cave, 20 km further on, where lit limestone chambers and an optional 20-minute boat ride are the draw. The Agency of Protected Areas' published tariff lists entry at GEL 25 for foreign visitors and GEL 20 for the boat add-on, with tickets non-refundable once bought. Allow a full day from Tbilisi, or stay overnight and treat Kutaisi as a base for Martvili Canyon the next day.

Martvili Canyon

A narrow green gorge about 45 km past Kutaisi (and roughly 280 km, 4 to 4.5 hours, from Tbilisi), walked along boardwalks with an optional short boat ride into the parts you cannot reach on foot. Reported entry fees range from about GEL 17 to GEL 25, with the boat an extra GEL 15–20; boats do not run in rain or snow. Unofficial sellers in the car park sometimes quote well above the real rate, so buy tickets at the official booth. One and a half to two and a half hours covers the walk and the boat.

Borjomi

A spa town about 155–160 km south-west of Tbilisi, 2 to 2.5 hours by car along a road that turns into a scenic gorge drive for the final stretch. Central Park is the reason to come: a glass pavilion over the main spring lets you fill a bottle with Borjomi's naturally carbonated mineral water for free, and a cable car (report around GEL 5–7) climbs to a viewpoint and Ferris wheel above the park. Sources disagree on whether the park itself still charges entry – it has been free at times and a small fee at others – so treat any figure online as provisional. Half a day is enough for the park and a walk along 9 April Street.

Vardzia

A cave monastery carved into a cliff face, originally housing thousands of rooms across multiple levels, about 225–250 km south of Tbilisi and 4 to 5 hours by road via Akhaltsikhe. Reported entry fees run GEL 15–20. This is a long way to go for one site, so most visitors pair it with Borjomi or Vardzia's own region as an overnight rather than a Tbilisi day trip; allow 1.5–2 hours to walk through the complex.

Uplistsikhe

A smaller, closer alternative to Vardzia: a Bronze Age cave town carved into a rock outcrop near Gori, about 80 km from Tbilisi and 1.5 to 2 hours by car (there is no direct public transport, so most people change at Gori). Reported entry fees range from about GEL 7 to GEL 15. An hour covers the site itself, which makes this an easy add-on to a Mtskheta day rather than a trip on its own.

Batumi

Georgia's main Black Sea resort, about 340 km from Tbilisi and the furthest stop on this list by road: roughly 4.5 hours by car, 5–6 hours by train or bus, or a short flight if you would rather not drive. The seafront boulevard, the Alphabetic Tower and the Ali and Nino statue (two moving steel figures that pass through each other on the waterfront, animated each evening) are the free, central sights. The Botanical Garden, on Green Cape just outside the city, charges foreign visitors GEL 20 (Georgian citizens pay GEL 10). June to September is peak beach season on the Black Sea; spring and autumn are quieter and cooler but still pleasant for the boulevard and the old town.

Svaneti: for a longer trip

Mestia and Upper Svaneti

A high mountain region of stone defensive towers and glacier views, worth the detour only if you have four or five spare days. Flying is faster: small planes leave from Natakhtari, about 20–30 minutes outside Tbilisi, several times a week in season, in around an hour, though flights operate under visual rules and are cancelled in poor weather, so build in a spare day either side. Driving from Tbilisi takes 8 to 9 hours, mostly on a good road until the final mountain stretch from Zugdidi, which can run to icy and rough in winter; a 4x4 is strongly advised from November to April. Once there, Mestia's stone towers and the villages around it are free to wander. This is one for a second Georgia trip, or for travellers who already have Tbilisi and the Military Highway behind them.

Flights and visa basics from the UAE

flydubai flies non-stop from Dubai to Tbilisi and Air Arabia from Sharjah, in about 3 hours 15 minutes; the exact time shifts a little by season, so check the airline's site for your dates. There is no non-stop UAE service to Batumi, so Tbilisi is the usual gateway even for a coast-first trip.

Emirati citizens enter Georgia visa-free for a year. Most other UAE residents enter visa-free for 90 days in any 180, as long as their UAE residence visa or Emirates ID is valid on the day they arrive and the day they leave; Pakistani, Bangladeshi and some other passports also need a multiple-entry UAE residence with at least a year left. Border officers do check. If your nationality is not covered, Georgia's e-visa is the fallback. We cover the detail, passport by passport, in our Georgia visa guide for UAE residents; if you would rather we handled the application, see Georgia visa services.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best places to visit in Georgia?

Tbilisi's old town, Kazbegi and the Georgian Military Highway, and Kakheti's wine region cover the classic week. With more time, add Kutaisi, Martvili Canyon and Batumi on the western side, or Vardzia and Borjomi to the south.

What is there to do in Tbilisi?

The old town below Narikala Fortress, the Bridge of Peace, Rustaveli Avenue, the Abanotubani sulphur baths, the Dry Bridge flea market and Fabrika's cafes and bars cover a full day and an evening without leaving the centre.

How far is Kazbegi from Tbilisi, and can I do it in a day?

About 150–165 km, roughly 3 hours each way, so yes – it is the most popular day trip from Tbilisi, usually combined with Gudauri and Ananuri on the way. In winter, check the road status first, since the pass can close for a day or two in heavy snow.

Is Batumi worth visiting from Tbilisi?

If you have the time: it is the furthest stop on this list, about 4.5 hours by road or 5–6 hours by train, so it suits a two- or three-night add-on rather than a day trip. Most Georgia-only itineraries that are five days or shorter skip it in favour of the Military Highway and Kakheti.

When is the best time to visit Georgia?

May–June and September–October for most of the country, including Tbilisi, Kakheti and the cave sites. December to April is ski season in Gudauri. Our best time to visit Georgia guide covers the weather and crowds month by month.

Do I need a car to see Georgia, or do minibuses cover it?

Shared marshrutkas from Tbilisi's Didube and Samgori stations reach Mtskheta, Gudauri, Kazbegi, Sighnaghi, Kutaisi and Borjomi, so a car is not essential for the main places. A hired car or driver saves time if you want to combine several stops in one day, such as Ananuri, Gudauri and Kazbegi together.

Plan your Georgia trip with Holidayys

Our National Day package runs 6 days and 5 nights from AED 2,999 per person, departing 2 December 2026 – see our Georgia packages for the current itinerary and dates. If you need the visa checked for your passport, or want the e-visa arranged for you, see Georgia visa services.

For a longer trip, a different season, or to add Svaneti or Batumi to the itinerary, message us on WhatsApp +971 4 589 0001 or use our contact page and we will put together a custom route.

Related guides

• Georgia tour packages
• Georgia trip from Dubai: a 5- to 7-day itinerary
• Best time to visit Georgia
• Georgia visa for UAE residents
• UAE National Day packages
• Things to do in Almaty

Last checked 9 October 2026 against flydubai's route pages, Georgia's national tourism site (georgia.travel), the Agency of Protected Areas' published tariff for the Prometheus Cave, and multiple tour-operator and travel-guide pages for Narikala, the Abanotubani baths, Mtskheta, Ananuri, Gudauri, Gergeti Trinity Church, Kakheti, Martvili Canyon, Borjomi, Vardzia, Uplistsikhe, Batumi's Botanical Garden and Svaneti, since several of these sites had no single official fee schedule available online. Distances, entry fees and road conditions – especially on the Georgian Military Highway in winter – change; confirm the current position before you travel.