Georgia

Odyssey travels by coach and occasionally uses local transport, including trains and ferries. Specifics are always outlined in your tour itinerary. Buses and minibuses (marshrutky) run in all of Georgia’s major towns and cities, though services to rural villages may be more infrequent. Train services run through much of the country, with rail lines linking Tblisi with regional areas. Taxis are cheap and plentiful, though be sure to agree on an exact fare before your ride to avoid being ripped off.

In major cities, Odyssey stays in centrally located 3-4 star hotels, with easy access to public transport. In smaller towns or rural areas, we usually stay in family-run hotels or guesthouses. On our longstay tours, during which you spend the length of the tour in a single location, we use serviced apartments.

Odyssey always engages local guides with regional knowledge to ensure an authentic experience during which you can learn as much as possible about the history and culture of places you visit.

Georgia is a mountainous country, covering an area of 69,700 square kilometres. The Caucasus Mountains and Lesser Caucasus Mountains dominate the landscape of the country, covering much of the country’s northern, central and southern areas. Many rivers criss-cross the country, the largest of which is the Kura River, which flows 1,364 kilometres from the Turkish border to the Caspian Sea.

The climate in Georgia varies from region to region, from the warm and rainy coast, to the continental and arid plains, and the cold, alpine conditions of the mountains. Depending on when and where you intend to travel, check the weather reports and dress accordingly.

There are 3 properties in Georgia listed on the World Heritage List, with a further 15 sites on the Tentative List. You can view the listed properties here: (https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/ge). Georgia’s listed properties include:

Gelati Monastery, an ornately decorated 12th-century monastery
Historical Monuments of Mtskheta, which stand as outstanding examples of Georgia’s medieval religious architecture
Upper Svaneti, which holds many perfectly preserved medieval-style villages and tower houses.

The history, heritage and traditions of the Georgian people are celebrated through many festivals and events held across the year. The founding of nation’s capital of Tbilisi is commemorated with the Tbilisoba festival, which is held annually in October and features bustling markets, traditional foods and live musical and dance performances. Ninooba is a day of national importance in Georgia – commemorating the arrival of St Nino to Georgia and his subsquent efforts to convert the populace to Christianity, Ninooba is marked by religious services across the country. Aside from honouring their historic past and traditions, the people of Georgia also celebrate the food and agricultural produce of the region through many events, such as the Tushetian Cheese Festival and the Rtveli Wine Festival.

Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia by Donald Rayfield
The Making of the Georgian Nation by Ronald Grigor Suny
Lives and Legends of the Georgian Saints by David Marshall Lane
Bread And Ashes: A Walk Through the Mountains of Georgia by Tony Anderson

The food of Georgia bears a mix of influences from Eastern European, Caucasian, and Turkish culinary traditions. Like elsewhere in the Caucasus, skewered meat (mtsvadi) is considered a delicacy in Georgian cuisine, with cubed lamb or beef threded onto a skewer and cooked over an open flame. Stews feature prominently in Georgian cuisine, including kharcho (slow-cooked meat stew with tomatoes, spices and herbs) and chaqapuli (lamb or veal cooked with onions, plums, white wine, tarragon leaves, and herbs) being national favourites. Georgians are not without their sweet tooth, with many distinctive sweet dishes and desserts featuring in Georgian cuisine, including churchkhela (strands of walnuts coated in concentrated grape juice) and tklapi (sheets of pureed fruit).

Georgia is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, and wine remains a central part of Georgian culture today. Wine is often offered to guests as a gesture of hospitality, and is also served and enjoyed with meals. Many other spirits and alcoholic beverages are also produced and consumed in Georgia, including chacha (a pomace brandy) and etno (apple brandy).

Generally speaking, Georgia is safe to travel in – however, it is advised to avoid travelling to the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions due to unexploded ordnance and uncertain security situations in these areas. Moreover, it is advised to avoid travelling to the Pankisi Gorge due to the threat of violence in this area.

Whenever you travel overseas, it’s always wise to take an appropriate travel adaptor. The electricity supply in Georgia runs at 220V and 50Hz. Georgia uses Type C and Type F electric plugs, so make sure you have the right travel adaptor with you.