Our last trip in 2022 was unplanned, and honestly, we delayed until we didn’t think about booking a trip. As you know, December can be quite busy, and most embassies don’t have appointments available, and tickets to popular Christmas destinations can be very expensive. While we were searching for a new country to explore, my husband suddenly remembered that Georgia doesn’t require a visa! Georgia? What can we do there? I don’t know anyone who has visited this country in the winter… What cities can we visit? What activities and food do they have there?
That’s why I’m writing this guide. Consider it your guide to spending an amazing week in Georgia in any weather, especially in winter!
First, The Logistics
- Visa: Many Arab nationalities, including Jordanians, do not need a visa to enter Georgia.
- Flights: There are direct flights from Amman to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, operated by Royal Jordanian Airlines. The flight duration is about two and a half hours. You can book tickets through travel agencies or directly.
- Currency: The currency in Georgia is the Georgian Lari. During our time there, 100 Lari was equivalent to 26 Jordanian Dinars or 37 US Dollars. The currency fluctuated noticeably while we were there. Our tour guide told us that the Lari depreciates in the summer due to an influx of tourists and an improvement in the economy. I’m not sure how significant the difference might be, but that’s how the system works. As for prices, we had the impression before traveling that they would be very cheap, but we found the prices to be similar to those in Jordan!
- SIM Card: I bought a SIM card at the airport from a telecom company called Magti. The internet never dropped and the speed was excellent. Tip: If you decide to buy a SIM card, get one with local calling options so you can communicate with restaurants for reservations or with taxi drivers.
- Transportation: Transportation in Tbilisi is very easy. You can download the Bolt app to get around the city, and the prices are comparable to transportation apps in Jordan, which means they are cheap for Europe and Western countries. For intercity travel, we hired a tour guide from Travel Team Georgia for four days, and he took us to the places we had chosen before, as well as suggesting new spots.
Tourist Attractions:
Georgia has many cities that are quite far apart, so if you want to visit them all, you’ll need at least three weeks to do so. On this trip, we had eight days, and we didn’t want to spend the whole trip traveling by car, so we planned:
The Best Itinerary for Spending a Week in Georgia
Day 1: Tbilisi
Our flight arrived at 6:30 PM local time in Tbilisi.
Accommodation: As usual, we rented an apartment by the river via Airbnb. The design of the apartment is stunning, and the location is very close to most tourist attractions; we walked to most places, activities, and restaurants! Just a note about the apartment: it’s on the third floor, and there’s no elevator in the building, so keep that in mind if you plan to rent it! Otherwise, the apartment is very modern, with heated bathroom floors and a balcony overlooking the river!
Activities: On our first night, we were tired, so we just took a short walk around the area and had dinner at a restaurant called Nina’s Garden.
Day 2: Tbilisi
Good morning, coffee!
We started our day with some coffee… and you can’t imagine what coffee is like here! Coffee is an art in Georgia, and 90% of the cafés we visited (even a small one in the open air) had exceptional coffee. The first café we visited this trip was Erti Kava, which was filled with locals working and studying or just enjoying a delicious cup of coffee! The café serves breakfast and salads… and, of course, excellent coffee!
Street Market
Tbilisi is known for its variety of markets, allowing you to shop from international brands, clearance markets, and local bazaars featuring small Georgian brands! This market is located on Rustaveli Avenue, the shopping district for global brands. What distinguishes the street market is that most of the products are handmade by local residents!
Flower Market at Orbeliani Square
I don’t think it needs much explanation; the flower market is near many tourist attractions in Tbilisi, and you can pass through it on your way to these sites! The market is filled with beautiful and colorful flowers, along with shops selling plants and trees. Since we were there in the Christmas season, vendors were also selling Christmas trees!
Orbeliani Bazaar
This is a new indoor bazaar in the city. You can find restaurants, cafés, cheese shops, and bakeries here!
Clock Tower
One of the most famous landmarks in Tbilisi. The clock tower was built in 2010, and the building is very peculiar, as it leans slightly. Every hour, a statue of an angel comes out of the clock tower and strikes it. If you can visit the clock during this display, it’s fantastic!
Bridge of Peace
This bridge boasts a beautiful and modern design and links the old city to Rike Park. The view from the bridge is stunning, overlooking famous castles and churches as well as the capital from the Kura River.
Food 1: Linville
Now let’s talk about the important stuff… the food in Georgia ranged from excellent to exceptionally good! Before going into details about the restaurants and the food we had, I want to clarify that there is plenty of vegetarian and seafood (Halal) options in restaurants, and the meals are reminiscent of dishes from the Arab world, such as stews, pastries, and even cheese.
The first restaurant we visited was Café Linville. What we noticed in the city is the diversity and uniqueness in the interior design of each restaurant. No two places we entered were alike, not even the hotels. The designs are so unique that you feel each place is a museum in itself. The buildings are very old, and the designs enhance the ancient character with modern paintings, colorful furniture, and strange yet beautiful touches!
At this restaurant, we settled for a selection of local cheeses with bread. We visited Linville out of curiosity to see the restaurant’s design and seating, and it did not disappoint!
Food 2: Café Daphna
Café Daphna is a 9-minute walk from the previous restaurant and is famous for selling the tastiest khinkali in Tbilisi. During this trip, we tried many khinkali, and indeed, Café Daphna was among the tastiest. Khinkali is a dough filled with meat, cheese, or mushrooms.
These dumplings can be either boiled or fried, and both types are delicious. Here, we tried them all, and everything was very tasty, especially the cheese. Imagine a dough with two types of cheese inside, piping hot while the weather is cold… and they are served with melted butter… utterly divine!
Tbilisi Opera and Ballet
Music is an integral part of Georgian culture. You can always expect to hear people practicing their instruments while you stroll down the street or catch a free concert in the city’s parks. The same goes for opera, ballet, and theater throughout all Georgian cities. We attended the famous opera “La Boheme” at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre.
The building is stunning inside, and the performance was very enjoyable, complete with English subtitles. Ticket prices are very reasonable compared to European countries; one ticket for seats very close to the stage cost around 30 US dollars.
Dinner: Stamba
The best khachapuri we had in all of Georgia was at Café Stamba! The cheese they use for this type of pastry resembles a combination of Akkawi and Mozzarella, and the taste is 10/10. The restaurant is located inside the Stamba Hotel and is always packed. If you want to go there, I recommend you book a table a day in advance!
Join me for a tour in Tbilisi: Day One!
Day 3: Trip to Three Cities
On this visit, after thorough research, we decided not to rent a car and drive ourselves. So when we arrived, we hired a tour guide for four days to take us around the cities we wanted to see. Our first tour was from Tbilisi to three cities: Mtskheta, Gori, Uplistsikhe.
Mtskheta
Once the capital of Georgia, Mtskheta is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world! The city is small and beautiful, about a 20-minute drive from Tbilisi. Our guide took us to Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. The cathedral is massive and beautiful, surrounded by stalls selling local products to tourists. According to Georgian history, a man named Elias was in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and brought his shirt back to Georgia. It is said that the shirt is now kept under the cathedral.
Gori
Gori is about an hour away from Mtskheta. On the way, we stopped and ate meat, cheese, and egg pastries from a small street stall.
Gori is not a city with much to offer, other than being the birthplace of Joseph Stalin, for which there is a museum. Additionally, his house and original train are still there. Personally, I found the city quite dreary, and we had to pass through it to reach the next destination.
Uplistsikhe
Uplistsikhe is about a 20-minute drive from Gori. The city dates back to the second century BC and is entirely carved into rock. In ancient times, it was inhabited by around 20,000 people, and it is said that Queen Tamar of Georgia was one of them! The view from the mountain is lovely, overlooking the river and fertile lands. You’ll need about an hour to explore the city, and I recommend visiting with a tour guide since there aren’t many signs explaining the archaeological site.
After exploring the ancient cities, we returned to Tbilisi and packed our things since the next days would be spent in other cities in Georgia!
Day 4 (and a Half): Kazbegi
If you ask me what the best part of your trip to Georgia was, I would tell you without a doubt: Kazbegi. Kazbegi is a town 153 km (about 3 hours) from Tbilisi, and one can visit it in just one day. However, if you truly want to enjoy its beauty and all the activities it offers, you should stay for two or three days. Kazbegi is located in the Great Caucasus Mountains and is known for heavy snow in winter and its proximity to Gudauri, a skiing resort area in Georgia. Additionally, the Kazbegi mountains are very beautiful and green in summer, perfect for camping and hiking.
Tip for those with altitude sickness or motion sickness: Take medication to avoid nausea, as the mountains are very high, and the roads curve significantly from mountain to mountain. If you forget your medication from your home country, you can buy it at pharmacies in Georgia and take it before you leave Tbilisi.
First Stop: Zhinvali Dam
One of the beautiful aspects of the journey from Tbilisi to Kazbegi is the presence of three stunning stops, starting with the Zhinvali Dam. This dam is enormous, with a small rest area along the road and a photography spot you can visit before continuing your journey. The rest area includes small tourist stalls selling local products and food.
Second Stop: Ananuri Fortress
This is a magnificent fortress built in the 13th century, overlooking the Aragvi River. It contains two churches and a bell tower and is one of Georgia’s most famous landmarks.
Third Stop: Gudauri
This town is famous for skiing season and has the most famous ski resorts in all of Georgia. When we visited in December, the snow was light and they had not opened the ski season yet. The season usually starts in January or February but varies each year. Gudauri is at an altitude of 2096 meters, so those with altitude sickness should definitely take medication early in the day.
After stopping briefly in the town to see the ski lifts, we returned to the car and headed to Kazbegi, which is about a 50-minute drive from Gudauri.
Kazbegi
Accommodation: Rooms Kazbegi Hotel
One of the most beautiful hotels I have ever stayed in is Rooms Hotel Kazbegi. We took a Mountain View room, and the view was breathtaking. The hotel is a resort with a spa, an indoor heated pool, an outdoor jacuzzi, a sauna, a small gym, and a restaurant and café. The food at the hotel was 10/10, and we had all our meals here.
The town is very small, and most visitors go there for relaxation in the hotels or skiing. Since it was not ski season, we decided to just relax at the hotel!
The hotel staff were very nice and extended our check-out time so we could stay longer. The shock came on the second day when we woke to the sounds of guests, opened the window to find the entire city covered in thick snow. The view was unparalleled, and our joy matched that of small children.
The hotel provides blankets to keep warm when you go out to play in the snow, and everyone was throwing snowballs at each other, taking photos, or relaxing in the jacuzzi with a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius while it was snowing outside!
If you plan to visit Kazbegi in winter, I highly recommend booking at Rooms Kazbegi.
Days Five and Six: Kazbegi and Kakheti
The journey from Kazbegi to Kakheti takes about 3.5 hours (depending on traffic and weather conditions).
Kakheti is known for its beautiful nature, vineyards, and lovely flowers. Although autumn is one of the best seasons to visit the city due to the grape harvest and the marvelous colors of the trees, it was still beautiful even in winter. The city is tiny and peaceful, far from the hustle and bustle of the capital. There are wonderful accommodation options in Kakheti, including large resorts overlooking lakes and small hotels with vineyards run by Georgian families. This area is famous for its wine production, and you can visit many well-known vineyards in the region.
Accommodation: Radisson Tsinandali Hotel
The Radisson Tsinandali was also one of the stunning hotels we visited in Georgia. The hotel has courts and a resort with an indoor heated pool and jacuzzi, as well as a heated pool on the fifth floor overlooking the Caucasus mountains.
The food at the hotel is great, with five restaurants and cafés where you can eat and drink! The hotel staff was very nice and gave us an upgrade on our room, and they also agreed to extend our check-out time.
The lovely thing about the hotel is that it has its own vineyards and is also close to the Alexander Chavchavadze House Museum. As I mentioned, the area is very quiet and easy on the eyes, forcing you to take two days off from the noise of the world.
After spending two days in beautiful Kakheti, we headed back to Tbilisi, which is just a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.
Dinner in Tbilisi: Keto and Kote
Day 7: Tbilisi
Breakfast: Café Chaduna
We started our day with the most important meal: breakfast! As I mentioned earlier, the interior design of restaurants and cafés in Tbilisi is very distinctive, and Café Chaduna is one of the best examples (you can see in the photos).
The menu at the restaurant is small, offering a few traditional Georgian breakfast options, including a dish similar to shakshuka in taste and ingredients. The café has a cozy vibe, and the food is great… I recommend it!
Second Stop: Gallery 27
If you’ve ever done a search for Georgia on Google, you’ve certainly seen a photo of the old building and its stunning staircase. The building is located in the old city of Tbilisi and features a gallery of handicrafts. The staircase is covered in stained glass that dramatically lets sunlight filter inside, making it a beautiful place for photography.
Mother of Georgia
The statue of Mother Georgia is one of the most famous landmarks in Tbilisi, built in 1958 to commemorate the 1500th anniversary of Georgia.
There are two ways to reach the statue: by foot or via the cable car. My advice is to take the cable car up to the statue and walk back down, as the views are stunning, and walking through the old city has its own charm.
Fabrika
The Fabrika complex was a sewing factory during the Soviet era in Georgia and has now been transformed into a multifunctional building. In the same complex, you can find a hostel, restaurants, pottery shops, clothing stores, barbershops, cafes, and more! The place is filled with hipsters and young people, making it a delightful spot to sit and observe people’s fashion styles passing through Fabrika.
Coffee Tour
One of the things I love to do when I travel is to go on a walking tour with a free guide in new cities I visit. This time, I found someone offering a tour of five cafés in Tbilisi, so we booked with him! The cafés are not ordinary, with some of them featuring artistic designs on cups, some overlooking the whole city from above, and others right by the river. The tour was immensely enjoyable, and the guide was a very friendly local who spoke good English!
Dinner: Zodiaqo
After an extensive search for the best khinkali, we were suggested to try Zodiaqo restaurant.
The restaurant serves fried khinkali, and its taste was reminiscent of sambousek: a fried pastry filled with meat and parsley. Wow!! The food was delicious, and we concluded our trip with an amazing meal rated 10/10 in Georgia!
Join me for a tour in Tbilisi: Day Two!
I can only say that Georgia exceeded all our expectations, and honestly, it was a fantastic way to wrap up the year there. We saw views we had never seen before, and we tasted food we had never tried before!
Thanks.
