Georgia

Georgian is the official language, written in its own alphabet unrelated to Latin or Cyrillic. Street signs and menus in Tbilisi and the main tourist towns are usually also in Latin script, but road signs thin out in rural areas, so a translation app or offline map is useful once off the main routes. English is spoken in hotels, restaurants, and tour operations in tourist areas, less so outside them; Russian is still widely understood among older generations.

A prepaid SIM or eSIM from Magti, Silknet, or Cellfie (formerly Beeline) is inexpensive and quick to set up, usually needing only a passport at the point of sale. Mobile data coverage is solid across the country, including most mountain valleys, though it can drop out on high passes and in the most remote parts of Svaneti and Tusheti.

Tap water is generally safe to drink in Tbilisi and other major cities; in older buildings or more remote towns, bottled water is a reasonable precaution. Pharmacies, marked with a green or red cross, are common in urban areas and many stay open late or around the clock. No special vaccinations are required beyond those routinely recommended for travel, though checking with a doctor or travel clinic before a trip is always sensible.

Georgia has one of the more open visa policies in the region. Citizens of the EU, UK, US, Canada, Australia, and many other countries can enter visa-free for stays of up to a year. Travelers from countries without visa-free access can usually apply for an e-visa online before arrival.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

A supra, the traditional Georgian feast, is led by a toastmaster (tamada) who calls a long series of toasts, usually with wine or chacha. Guests are expected to at least sip when a toast is raised; declining outright can seem impolite, though saying you don't drink alcohol is understood.

At monasteries and churches, dress modestly: women are often expected to cover their shoulders and sometimes their hair, with scarves usually available to borrow at the entrance, and men should avoid shorts. Photography inside churches is sometimes restricted during services; it's polite to check before taking pictures.

Many public holidays follow the Orthodox calendar, and the stretch from Christmas (7 January) through the New Year and Epiphany is a major family season, when some restaurants and shops close or shorten their hours. Around Easter, expect similar disruptions, especially outside big cities.

Shops generally open in the late morning and stay open into the evening, seven days a week, including Sunday, so opening hours cause less disruption to travel plans than in much of Western Europe.

• By marshrutka: Shared minibuses are the backbone of intercity travel, connecting Tbilisi to nearly every town, including Kazbegi, Telavi, and Svaneti. They leave from central stations once full rather than on a fixed timetable, and tickets are bought on board or just before departure.
• By train: Georgian Railway runs comfortable trains between Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and the Black Sea coast. Book ahead in summer, especially for the Tbilisi-Batumi route, when tickets can sell out. Georgian Railway
• By air: Domestic flights exist but rarely save meaningful time given the country's small size; most travelers rely on road and rail instead.

Breakfast is often light, bread and cheese with coffee or tea, while lunch and dinner are the main events, especially when they take the form of a supra, a long shared table of small dishes rather than individual courses. Khachapuri, cheese-filled bread baked in many regional styles, and khinkali, twisted soup dumplings eaten by hand, are the two dishes found everywhere, from simple canteens to family-run cafes.

Grilled meat skewers, walnut-based sauces, and the bean stew lobio round out a typical meal, followed by churchkhela, a chewy strung-walnut candy, as a sweet snack. Wine is central to the culture and is often served young and slightly cloudy from clay qvevri vessels; chacha, a strong grape brandy, appears at toasts and celebrations. Most everyday eating happens in small family-run restaurants rather than formal dining rooms.

Tbilisi, the capital, mixes a walkable old town of sulfur bathhouses and balconied houses with a fast-growing modern skyline.

Mtskheta, Georgia's ancient capital just outside Tbilisi, holds two UNESCO World Heritage churches and is an easy half-day trip.

Kazbegi, in the high Caucasus near the Russian border, is the base for reaching Gergeti Trinity Church beneath Mount Kazbek.

Kakheti, Georgia's main wine region, centers on the hill town of Sighnaghi and the regional hub Telavi, both surrounded by vineyards.

Borjomi is a spa town built around a mineral-water park, with forested hiking trails just outside it.

Akhaltsikhe, in Georgia's southwest, is the gateway to the cave monastery of Vardzia and Khertvisi Fortress.

Gori is known for the rock-hewn town of Uplistsikhe and its Stalin-era history.

Svaneti, high in Upper Svaneti, is a region of medieval stone defensive towers, including the remote UNESCO village of Ushguli, one of the highest continuously inhabited settlements in Europe.

On the Black Sea coast, Kobuleti is a low-key beach town near the larger resort city of Batumi, known for its promenade and subtropical botanical garden. Zugdidi in western Georgia is the usual staging point for onward travel into Svaneti.

Western Georgia's Imereti region is centered on Kutaisi, the country's third city, home to Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery.