As you map out your Georgia itinerary, several pivotal factors should guide your planning process. To provide clarity and complement your journey, I’ll spotlight five key considerations:

1. Duration Dilemma: Resist the urge to compress your Georgian exploration into a mere few days. Efficient mobility demands time, and anything less than a week may confine you to Tbilisi with brief forays into nearby locales. Optimal enjoyment typically spans 2-4 weeks, yet even this timeframe necessitates a brisk pace. Specialized activities like multi-day treks necessitate carving out additional days. Remember, surplus days are best invested in savoring each destination rather than racing through them.
   
2. Seasonal Symphony: Georgia’s allure unfurls across every season, each presenting a distinct charm. Spring beckons with its temperate climate and vibrant Orthodox Easter festivities, while fall celebrates the rtveli wine harvest amidst jubilant festivals. Summer invites adventurers to scale mountain peaks and engage in outdoor pursuits, while winter cloaks Tbilisi in cozy warmth, adorned with Christmas cheer and skiing adventures. Aim for late spring or fall for an optimal blend of weather and ambiance, steering clear of peak summer’s sweltering urban crush and wintry road closures in remote mountain enclaves.
   
3. Gateway Selection: The commencement point of your Georgian escapade hinges on convenience and preference. Tbilisi and Kutaisi vie for attention with their international airports, catering to diverse travel preferences. While budget-conscious travelers often favor Kutaisi, courtesy of WizzAir’s robust service, Tbilisi’s cosmopolitan allure and strategic centrality typically earn it the nod. Regardless of your entry point, my itineraries are tailored to originate and culminate in Tbilisi, ensuring a seamless travel narrative.
   
4. Navigating the Terrain: Intercity transit warrants meticulous planning, given Georgia’s compact size and rudimentary transport infrastructure. Public options like marshrutka vans offer affordability but demand flexibility, while safety concerns advocate for daylight travel and caution on perilous mountain roads. A rental car confers unmatched autonomy, but adept driving skills are requisite. Augment your itinerary with reliable private transfers for hassle-free commutes. Organized day trips serve as accessible conduits to remote gems, with reputable operators ensuring a blend of safety and enrichment.
   
5. Financial Framework: Before embarking on your Georgian odyssey, attend to practicalities such as budgeting, insurance, and visa requirements. Georgia extends visa-free entry to passport holders from numerous countries, offering a liberal stay allowance of up to one year. Those from select regions may necessitate procuring an e-visa or obtaining one in advance. For streamlined processing, leverage services like iVisa for expedited solutions. Moreover, prioritize comprehensive travel insurance to safeguard against unforeseen contingencies, ensuring peace of mind throughout your sojourn.

Remember you can find tons more valuable information about trip planning here in my Georgia Travel Guide.

Let’s now discuss each point in more detail…

1. HOW LONG SHOULD YOU SPEND IN GEORGIA?

Many people start planning a short trip to Georgia thinking they can see the whole country in a couple of days. But it’s important to understand that moving around chews up a lot of time.

Anything less than one full week and you’ll just want to base yourself in Tbilisi and stick to day trips (possibly with an overnight stay in Sighnaghi or Kazbegi). It’s possible to see a decent amount of the country in 2-4 weeks – but even then, you’ll be traveling at quite a fast pace and with several long travel days back to back.

The itineraries I’ve created don’t include specialty activities such as multi-day treks. If this is of interest, you’ll have to carve a few days out of your itinerary to fit it in. (I’ve included a couple of key multi-day hikes and where to do them below.)

If you have extra days, I recommend using them to slow down your overall pace and spend a bit longer in each place rather than trying to squeeze more in.

2. WHEN TO VISIT GEORGIA

There is no ‘bad’ time to visit Georgia; every season offers something different. Spring is nice for mild weather, wildflowers and Orthodox Easter celebrations, fall for the rtveli wine harvest and festivals, summer for hiking and outdoor activities, and winter for experiencing Tbilisi’s cozy side and Christmas festivities plus skiing/snowboarding.

The only time I suggest avoiding is peak summer – July/August – as it’s very warm in the cities and many places (including Tbilisi and Batumi) are overcrowded. My absolute favorite time to visit Georgia is late spring (late April/May) or fall (late September/October). If you want to hike or visit remote mountain regions, avoid the colder months as many roads snow over and are impassable.

3. WHERE TO START YOUR GEORGIA ITINERARY

If you’re flying into Georgia, you have a choice between starting your itinerary in either Tbilisi or Kutaisi. Both cities have international airports with regular connections to Europe, Turkey, and the Middle East. Budget travelers usually choose Kutaisi, which is serviced by WizzAir. Tbilisi, meanwhile, has regular connections from Istanbul, the UAE and Qatar.

I love Kutaisi, but I generally recommend starting your trip in Tbilisi, the capital. If you’re flying into Kutaisi, I recommend heading straight to the capital by coach. Georgian Bus runs buses direct from the airport that are timed to leave when planes land. The trip takes around 4 hours and tickets cost 20 GEL.

4. HOW TO GET AROUND GEORGIA

Intercity transport is something you want to consider well in advance as it will impact how long you need to spend in Georgia to see everything you want to see.

That’s because Georgia is small, but transportation is quite basic – it can take a long time to get from place to place if you’re using ‘public’ transport. Marshrutka vans are affordable, but schedules are flexible. Road safety is a concern in Georgia, so I strongly suggest you only travel by road during daylight hours and avoid using marshrtuka vans for long journeys or dangerous mountain roads.

Unless you hire a car (recommended for maximum flexibility, but only if you’re a confident driver), you’ll probably end up using a combination of marshrutka vans and trains, with a few transfers for more complex journeys.

• Read up on the basics of marshrutka travel in Georgia
• For reliable and budget-friendly private transfers, I always use GoTrip

Organized day trips are very affordable in Georgia. They’re a good way to make the most of your time and to get access to harder-to-reach areas without self-driving. Even if you’re not a tour person, I suggest you at least consider an organized day trip from Tbilisi.

I recommend booking day trips through Get Your Guide, as vendors are vetted and more likely to observe good road safety practices. The platform also has a generous refund policy. There isn’t a huge variety on offer currently but more itineraries are added every month.

Friendly.ge is my preferred day tour operator in Tbilisi. Their itineraries are top-notch, as are the expert guides.

Most cities and towns in Georgia have a local bus system that is cheap and easy to use. I highly recommend downloading a taxi app (Grab works in most major cities) rather than hailing taxis on the street – they’re unmetered and can be difficult to navigate if you don’t speak the language.

5. BUDGETING, INSURANCE, VISAS & OTHER LOGISTICS

Georgia offers visa-free travel for passport holders from 95-plus countries (including Australia, the US, and all EU citizens) – and you can stay for up to one year.

Passport holders from most countries in Asia and Africa are required to obtain either an e-visa or a visa in advance. I recommend using iVisa to check if you need a visa for Georgia and to apply for an expedited visa if you do.