Svaneti

Why Svaneti Matters

I need to be direct about something. Svaneti is not a convenient destination. Getting there takes a full day from Tbilisi. The mountain roads will test your nerves. In winter, entire villages become unreachable for months. And August brings crowds to Mestia and Ushguli that can feel oppressive after you’ve traveled so far for wilderness.

Go anyway.

Svaneti is the one place in Georgia where medieval life didn’t just leave monuments behind. It left descendants. The stone towers that dominate every village weren’t built by forgotten kingdoms. They were built by families whose great-great-grandchildren still live in their shadows, still speak a language that diverged from Georgian four thousand years ago, still sing polyphonic songs that UNESCO calls a masterpiece of human heritage.

The towers number in the hundreds. Chazhashi village in Ushguli alone had over 200 of them packed into an area you could walk across in ten minutes. They rise 20-25 meters, built between the 9th and 12th centuries, with their walls 1.5 meters thick. Families lived in them, fought from them, died defending them during blood feuds that could consume generations. The feuds ended within living memory. The towers remain.

And then there are the mountains themselves. Shkhara at 5,193 meters is Georgia’s highest peak. Ushba’s twin summits have killed enough climbers to earn the name “Matterhorn of the Caucasus.” The glaciers are retreating but still massive, feeding rivers that carved these valleys when humans first arrived.

Key Facts

The Golden Fleece Connection

Here’s something the short guides don’t mention: Svaneti may be where the Golden Fleece legend originated.

The ancient Greeks knew this region as part of Colchis, the kingdom where Jason and the Argonauts sought the fleece. For centuries, Svans used sheepskins stretched across wooden frames to pan for gold in mountain streams. The wool trapped gold flakes. When the fleece was full, they hung it to dry and shook the gold loose. A fleece heavy with gold.

A golden fleece.

Gold still exists in Svaneti’s rivers. The tradition died out, but the connection between myth and method seems too close for coincidence. When you see the Enguri River catching the afternoon light, the gold-colored glint is just a reflection. Probably.

Upper Svaneti vs Lower Svaneti

Most visitors don’t realize Svaneti has two parts. The Svaneti Range, topped by Laila Peak at 4,008 meters, splits the region in half.

Feature	Upper Svaneti	Lower Svaneti
Main town	Mestia (1,500m)	Lentekhi (800m)
Tourist traffic	High (especially July-August)	Very low (1% of Upper)
Tower density	Hundreds, concentrated	Fewer, scattered
UNESCO status	Yes (since 1996)	No
Infrastructure	Developed (hotels, restaurants, ski lifts)	Basic (guesthouses only)
Best for	First-time visitors, trekking, skiing	Experienced travelers seeking authenticity
Key villages	Mestia, Ushguli, Adishi, Mazeri, Latali	Lentekhi, Choluri, Lakhushdi

Upper Svaneti (Zemo Svaneti)

This is the Svaneti of photographs. The postcards. The Instagram posts. Mestia, with its towers and modern airport. Ushguli claims to be Europe’s highest village. The Mestia-Ushguli trek appears on “world’s best hikes” lists.

Upper Svaneti contains roughly 90 village communities spread across the Enguri River valley. Tourism infrastructure arrived after 2010: paved roads, ski lifts, hotels, restaurants, and reliable transport. You can visit comfortably now. That comfort comes with trade-offs. In August, Ushguli feels like a theme park. Mestia’s central square could be anywhere in tourist Georgia.

The villages between the main stops remain authentic. Adishi. Mulakhi. Latali. Walk an hour from Mestia in any direction, and you’ll find families living much as they did fifty years ago.

Lower Svaneti (Kvemo Svaneti)

South of the Svaneti Range, Lower Svaneti receives maybe one percent of Upper Svaneti’s visitors. The landscape is lower and more forested. Lentekhi, the main town, sits at just 800 meters. Fewer towers survive here, and those that do get no tour buses.

Lower Svaneti is for travelers who’ve already seen Upper Svaneti and want something deeper. The route from Lentekhi to Ushguli via Latpari Pass (3,200m) is one of Georgia’s great treks: four to five days through terrain where you won’t see another tourist. You need a guide. You need experience. You need to be comfortable with genuine remoteness.

The village of Lakhushdi in the Choluri valley deserves specific mention. The Chamgeliani family there are professional musical family that has dedicated their lives to preserving Svan musical traditions. They accept visitors interested in authentic Svan music, offering not performances but participation. If traditional instruments and polyphonic singing matter to you, contact them in advance. This is not a tourist show. It’s a living tradition shared by people who consider it sacred.

Getting to Svaneti

The Fastest Route: Zugdidi to Mestia

Distance: 130 km. Time: 3-4 hours. Road: Paved, winding, some rough sections.

Most visitors reach Svaneti through Zugdidi. The road follows the Enguri River valley north, passes the massive Enguri Dam (271 meters high, worth a stop), and climbs toward Mestia. Marshrutkas depart Zugdidi station at 7am, 9am, and 11am. Fare: 25-30 GEL. Confirm schedules locally because they change.

The drive is spectacular. The reservoir appears as an improbable turquoise gash in the mountains. Gorges narrow until the road seems carved from cliff faces. Then the valley opens and Mestia appears, towers rising among modern buildings.

From Tbilisi

• Best option (train + marshrutka): Overnight train to Zugdidi leaves Tbilisi around 9pm, arrives around 6am. Cost: 25-35 GEL for a sleeper. Walk to Zugdidi station, catch the morning marshrutka to Mestia. Total journey: 10 hours. Arrives Mestia: early afternoon. This is how most independent travelers do it.
• Direct marshrutka: Departs Tbilisi Didube station around 7am. Arrives Mestia 8-9 hours later. Cost: 50-60 GEL. Long, tiring, not recommended unless you enjoy minivan endurance tests.
• Flight: Vanilla Sky operates Tbilisi-Mestia flights, 45 minutes, around 80 GEL one-way. Here’s the problem: flights get canceled constantly. Mountain weather is unpredictable. The Mestia airstrip requires visual approaches. Do not book tight connections assuming this flight will operate. I’ve seen travelers stranded for three days waiting for the weather to clear. Use the flight as a bonus if it works, not as your plan.
• Private transfer: 750-950 GEL for the vehicle, up to 4 passengers. Arrange through hotels or tour operators. Allows stops at Enguri Dam, Martvili Canyon, or Samegrelo attractions.

From Kutaisi

Kutaisi to Zugdidi: 1.5 hours. Zugdidi to Mestia: 3-4 hours. Total: 5-6 hours with connection time. Works well if you’re exploring western Georgia.

Summer Route: Zagari Pass from Lentekhi

From late June through early October, a mountain road connects Lower Svaneti to Upper Svaneti via Zagari Pass at 2,623 meters. The route runs Kutaisi → Tsageri → Lentekhi → Zagari Pass → Ushguli → Mestia.

This road is not for everyone. It’s unpaved, narrow, steep, with drops that will make you religious if you weren’t before. River crossings required. 4×4 mandatory. Experienced mountain driver strongly recommended. I’ve driven it. My knuckles were white the entire time.

But the scenery. The approach to Ushguli from the south reveals the full Shkhara massif in a way the northern approach cannot. If you have the vehicle and the nerves, this is the route.

When to Visit

• Best months for trekking: July and August. All passes open, warmest weather, longest days.
• Best months for fewer crowds: June and September. Good conditions, tourist numbers drop significantly.
• Best months for skiing: January through March. Reliable snow, both resorts are operating.
• Best time for festivals: Late July (Kvirikoba), late February (Lamproba).

Summer (June-September)

June brings wildflowers to alpine meadows, but some high passes still hold snow. Weather improving, tourists arriving. The Ushguli road may be difficult early in the month.

July and August are peak season. Everything is accessible. Everything is crowded. Book accommodation in advance or you’ll be sleeping in your car. Mestia fills with tour groups. Ushguli becomes a parking lot by midday. Despite this, walk an hour from any trailhead, and you’ll have mountains to yourself.

September is my favorite month. The European holiday crowds leave. The weather stays stable. Autumn colors begin. Guesthouses have space. Prices sometimes drop.

Winter (December-April)

Ski season. Hatsvali and Tetnuldi operate. Mestia stays accessible because the road is kept clear. Ushguli becomes unreachable by road. Some villages can only be accessed by helicopter or a multi-day ski tour. Temperatures drop to -20°C. The landscape transforms into something from a different planet.

If you’re here to ski, January through March offer the most reliable conditions. December and April are transitional.

Mestia: The Capital

Mestia is where most Svaneti trips begin and end. Around 2,600 people live here permanently, though the population swells in summer with tourists and returning Svans who maintain second homes. The town sits at 1,500 meters in a broad valley where several rivers meet, mountain walls rising on every side.

The historic center clusters around Seti Square. Medieval towers rise among modern buildings. Cafes serve tourists where livestock markets happened a generation ago. The juxtaposition is jarring and somehow appropriate.

Government investment since 2010 has transformed the town. Paved streets. A modern police station designed by a German architect. Infrastructure that actually works. Some longtime visitors grumble that Mestia has lost its character. I understand the complaint, but I also appreciate hot showers and reliable electricity.

Northeast of the center, the old residential neighborhoods preserve the authentic atmosphere. The paths are unpaved, climbing slopes through clusters of towers. Walk here early morning or late evening when tour groups are eating breakfast or dinner. This is the Mestia that existed before the airport opened.

Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography

This museum exists because the Svans hid things.

When Soviet atheism campaigns targeted churches across Georgia, authorities demanded that communities surrender religious objects. Most regions complied or had their treasures confiscated. Svan villages said no. They hid icons in towers, buried manuscripts in fields, and passed gold liturgical objects between families. Officials who pushed too hard sometimes found themselves facing clans with long memories and few scruples about violence.

After independence, these objects emerged from hiding. The museum now houses what amounts to a rescued medieval treasury. Eleventh-century gospel manuscripts illuminated with gold. Silver processional crosses that village priests carried for eight hundred years. Gold jewelry from archaeological excavations. Weapons used in blood feuds.

What makes this museum exceptional isn’t just the quality of the objects. It’s that nearly every piece has a story of survival. These icons weren’t collected by scholars. They were saved by villagers who risked punishment to protect them.

The building itself is modern glass and stone, designed to complement rather than compete with the towers visible from its terrace.

Hours: 10am-6pm, closed Mondays. Entry: 15 GEL. Time needed: 1-2 hours.

Margiani Tower House

If the museum shows you what Svans made, the Margiani compound shows you how they lived.

This family complex includes a residential machubi (traditional house), a defensive tower, and outbuildings preserved as they functioned for centuries. Tours led by Margiani family members explain the architecture: ground floors for livestock during winter, upper floors for family living, top floors as defensive positions with arrow slits for shooting at attackers.

The guide demonstrates traditional implements, explains clan structure, and shares family history connected to the building. This isn’t a museum presentation. It’s a family showing you their home.

Location: Laghami neighborhood, uphill from the center. Entry: 10 GEL with guided tour. Time needed: 45-60 minutes.

Khergiani House Museum

Mikheil Khergiani (1932-1969) was the greatest mountaineer in Soviet history and Mestia’s most famous son. They called him the Tiger of the Rocks for his ability to attack difficult routes with almost supernatural speed. He pioneered climbs across the Caucasus, Pamirs, Alps, and Dolomites.

In July 1969, on Monte Civetta in Italy, a rockfall broke his rope. He fell 600 meters to his death. He was 37 years old.

This museum in his family home displays climbing equipment, photographs, medals, personal effects. For non-climbers, it illuminates a life shaped entirely by these mountains. For climbers, it’s a pilgrimage.

Hours: 10am-5pm. Entry: 5 GEL.

Churches in Mestia

Svaneti’s churches look nothing like churches elsewhere in Georgia. They’re tiny, often single-room structures small enough to fit inside a modest apartment. What they lack in size they compensate in artistic density. The frescoes and icons inside these cramped spaces represent some of the finest medieval Georgian art that survives.

Transfiguration Church (Matskhvarishi): In Mestia center, recently restored. This church has an unusual feature: two floors. The lower level served the congregation. The upper level, accessed by external stairs, housed the most precious icons and manuscripts. The design reflects Svan thinking, combining spiritual function with defensive practicality. If attackers came, the treasures could be defended from above.

St. George’s Church (Jgrag): In Laghami neighborhood, 12th century. Exceptional frescoes depicting biblical scenes. Houses a silver-covered icon of St. George that villagers carried in processions for centuries.

Lamaria Church: On a hill overlooking Mestia. Steep 30-minute climb. Even when locked, the panoramic views reward the effort.

Where to Eat in Mestia

The town now has many cafes and restaurants. Too many, arguably. Here’s what actually works:

Cafe Laila: Consistently good. Central location. Reliable Kubdari. Reasonable prices. When in doubt, eat here.

Cafe Buba: Another solid choice. Menu covers Svan specialties and general Georgian dishes. Portions are enormous. Both Laila and Buba handle tour group volume efficiently, which means busy atmospheres in peak season but food that comes quickly.

Zuruldi: At Hatsvali ski lift top station. You come for the view of Ushba, not the food. Quality is acceptable. Location is unbeatable.

Here’s the truth though: for authentic Svan cooking, guesthouse meals are better than restaurants. The best kubdari comes from family ovens where someone’s grandmother made it the way her grandmother taught her. Restaurant kubdari is fine. Guesthouse kubdari is an experience.

Where to Stay in Mestia

Guesthouses (60-100 GEL per person, full board): The traditional option. Family homes with private or shared rooms, enormous breakfasts and dinners included, local knowledge on demand. Quality varies wildly. Book through Booking.com or Google Maps reviews, or ask us for recommendations.

Hotels (150-300 GEL per room): Several mid-range options with private bathrooms, heating, hotel-style service. Hotel Panorama Mestia is a reliable choice. Good views, comfortable rooms, helpful staff, convenient location for both the town center and the trailheads.

Top end (300+ GEL): A few properties approach boutique hotel standards.

Ushguli: Europe’s Highest Village

The claim needs qualification now. Ushguli (2,100-2,200 meters) held the “highest inhabited village in Europe” title for decades. In 2014, the village of Bochorna in Tusheti (2,345 meters) disputed it after a census found one permanent resident there. The debate continues. Both villages are in Georgia, so the country wins either way.

What’s not debatable: Ushguli’s medieval tower ensemble has no equivalent. Over 200 towers in Chazhashi village alone. Four tiny communities (Zhibiani, Chvibiani, Chazhashi, Murkmeli) totaling maybe 200 permanent residents clustered at the foot of Georgia’s highest mountain. UNESCO protection since 1996. Isolation that preserved what development elsewhere destroyed.

Shkhara (5,193m) dominates the view south. Its glaciers feed the rivers flowing through the villages. The scale makes human habitation seem accidental, tiny stone clusters against the mountain’s enormity.

Getting to Ushguli

Distance from Mestia: 47 km. Time: 2-3 hours by 4×4. Road: Rough, unpaved, river crossings required. Standard cars cannot make it.

Shared jeep: Drivers in Mestia offer transfers for 40-50 GEL per person one-way. Typically depart around 10am when the vehicle fills. Arrange return transport in advance or find a shared jeep in Ushguli.

Private 4×4: Around 250 GEL round-trip including waiting time.

On foot: The Mestia-Ushguli trek takes 3-4 days. See trekking section.

What to See

Chazhashi tower complex: The iconic ensemble. Wander freely among the towers. The main path offers the classic viewpoint with Shkhara as backdrop.

Lamaria Church: Above Zhibiani village. Twelfth century, remarkable frescoes, panoramic views. Twenty-minute climb. Worth it.

Queen Tamar’s Tower: Above Chazhashi. Local legend claims Queen Tamar stayed here. The historical evidence is thin, but the tower is real and the views are genuine.

Ushguli Ethnographic Museum: In Zhibiani, housed in a 16th-century building. This small museum preserves something the Mestia museum cannot: context. Household items, furniture, and tools were displayed in the actual rooms where Svans used them. Carved wooden utensils on tables where families ate. Agricultural tools leaning against walls. A separate icon collection. Hours are irregular. Ask at any guesthouse and someone will find the keyholder.

Shkhara glacier approach: Continue beyond Ushguli on foot, 2-3 hours one-way toward the glacier tongue. Spectacular but strenuous at this altitude.

Staying in Ushguli

Stay overnight if you can. Once the day-trip jeeps leave around 4pm, silence returns. The evening light on the towers is worth the basic accommodation.

Expect simple guesthouses with basic rooms, shared bathrooms, generator electricity (limited hours), little or no WiFi. Full board (dinner, bed, breakfast): 70-100 GEL per person.

Book ahead in July and August.

Other Villages Worth Visiting

Mulakhi Community

Between Mestia and Ushguli, the Mulakhi villages spread across the valley: Muzhali, Zhabeshi, Chuber. These names appear on no tourist itinerary. That’s the point.

Mulakhi works as an alternative base to Mestia. Quieter. Cheaper. Closer to trailheads for the Ushguli trek. Several guesthouses operate here offering the same hospitality without Mestia’s tourist concentration.

Kaldani Church contains medieval frescoes among Svaneti’s finest. Ask locally for the keyholder.

Adishi

If Ushguli feels too crowded, Adishi is the answer.

About 15 families live here at 2,040 meters with direct Tetnuldi views. The village appears on the Mestia-Ushguli trekking route, so hikers pass through, but few day visitors make the effort. No paved road. 4×4 only.

Adishi looks like Svaneti did fifty years ago. Stone houses, grazing livestock, fields worked by hand. The Church of St. George holds a silver-covered icon that ranks among Svaneti’s artistic treasures.

Several guesthouses operate here. Same hospitality as elsewhere, fewer tourists sharing it.

Mazeri and the Becho Valley

Southwest of Mestia, the Becho valley runs toward Ushba’s twin peaks. Mazeri village sits at the end of the road, the last settlement before the mountain.

Climbers use Mazeri as their Ushba base camp. Day hikers come for the Ushba glacier approach (6-7 hours round trip). Everyone comes for the views. Ushba from Mazeri is Ushba at its most intimidating.

Several excellent guesthouses operate here. Quieter than Mestia, closer to serious mountain scenery.

Latali

On the main road east of Mestia, Latali stretches along the valley with numerous sub-villages. The area contains exceptional medieval churches with well-preserved frescoes:

Jonah the Prophet’s Church: 10th-11th century, houses a famous icon of Archangel Michael.

Matskhvarishi Savior’s Church: Medieval frescoes of Christ and apostles.

The Latali churches represent Svaneti’s greatest cultural treasures. Medieval art surviving in situ, in active community use, not in museum collections.

If you are seriously interested in folk music, then you definitely have to visit Latali.

The Chamgelianis are professional musicians who have devoted their lives to preserving Svan musical traditions. They accept visitors interested in authentic Svan music. This is not a performance for tourists. This is a family sharing traditions they consider sacred with people who genuinely want to learn. They can teach you about traditional instruments, demonstrate polyphonic singing techniques, and explain the role of music in Svan rituals and daily life.

If Svan music interests you seriously, contact them in advance to arrange a visit. If you just want entertainment, look elsewhere. This is the real thing.

Kala

Site of the Kvirikoba festival, Svaneti’s most important annual celebration. The Church of Saints Kvirike and Ivlita serves as the spiritual center, housing a revered icon collection in a 12th-century structure. The adjacent Church of St. Barbara contains exceptional medieval paintings.

Unless you’re here for Kvirikoba in late July, Kala sees few visitors. The churches can be visited with local permission.

Svan Culture

The Towers

Svan towers (koshki in Georgian) served two purposes: home and fortress. Families lived in the lower floors with livestock at ground level for warmth. Upper floors served as living quarters. The highest floors, with walls 1.5 meters thick and narrow arrow slits, became defensive positions when attackers came.

Construction peaked between the 9th and 12th centuries, a period of invasions, civil wars, and blood feuds. Several hundred towers survive today. The concentration in Chazhashi (over 200 in one small area) is unique in the Caucasus.

Blood Feuds

The blood feud tradition (latsxi) shaped Svan society for centuries. A killing required revenge. Revenge required counter-revenge. Cycles continued across generations, sometimes consuming entire clans.

Strict rules governed who could be targeted, what compensation might end the cycle, which neutral parties could mediate. The towers existed because of these feuds. Families needed defensible positions.

Soviet authorities suppressed feuding with harsh penalties. The tradition has largely disappeared, though older Svans remember its end within their lifetimes. The towers remain as evidence of what daily life once required.

The Svan Language

Svan belongs to the Kartvelian language family with Georgian, Megrelian, and Laz. It diverged from the common ancestor roughly four thousand years ago. Svan and Georgian are mutually unintelligible.

Unlike Megrelian, which competes with Georgian in daily use, Svan remains the primary language in villages. Children grow up bilingual, speaking Svan at home and Georgian at school. The language has no written tradition; Georgian script is used when writing is needed.

UNESCO classifies Svan as “definitely endangered.” Perhaps 30,000 speakers remain, concentrated in Svaneti and diaspora communities in Tbilisi and Zugdidi.

Svan Music and Instruments

Svan polyphonic singing belongs to the broader Georgian polyphonic tradition that UNESCO inscribed as a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage in 2001. But Svan polyphony sounds different from the rest of Georgia. Harsher. More dissonant. Older, somehow.

The songs accompany everything: work, rituals, funerals, festivals, and drinking. Funeral laments (zari) are particularly powerful. Festival singing continues late into night. The melodies passed orally for centuries, surviving because communities remained isolated enough that outside influences couldn’t dilute them.

Traditional Instruments

Chuniri: A three-stringed bowed instrument, Svaneti’s most distinctive. Carved from a single piece of wood with a hide soundboard, played upright like a small cello. The chuniri accompanies vocal music and is considered essential to authentic Svan performance. Learning to play it takes years.

Changi: A harp-like instrument with six to eight strings, played by plucking. Less common than chuniri but still part of the tradition.

Panduri: A three-stringed lute found across Georgia but with Svan variations in tuning and playing technique.

Salamuri: A wooden flute, again found throughout Georgia but with regional variations.

Diplipito: Double-headed drum used for rhythm in ensemble performance.

You might hear authentic music at festivals (Kvirikoba in July, Lamproba in February), at funerals (if you know someone local), or through arranged experiences. Some Mestia guesthouses can organize singing evenings. The quality varies. For serious engagement with the tradition, the Chamgeliani family in Lakhushdi offers something deeper than tourist performances.

Svan Festivals

Kvirikoba (Late July)

The most important Svan festival, honoring Saints Kvirike and Ivlita. Centered on Kala village but celebrated throughout Upper Svaneti.

The festival runs several days. Religious processions carry icons from the Kala church. Traditional games. Horse races. Wrestling. Ritual meals. Polyphonic singing late into night.

For visitors, Kvirikoba offers access to living tradition. This isn’t a performance staged for tourists. It’s a community celebration that happens to welcome respectful outsiders. Contact us for specific dates and arrangements.

Lamproba (Late February)

The fire festival marks winter’s end. On the designated evening, Svans light torches and process through villages.

Mestia and Latali see the most visible celebrations. Hundreds of torches illuminate snowy landscapes. The flames symbolize driving out winter, welcoming spring, honoring the dead. The date coincides with Orthodox Candlemas but incorporates older elements.

Lamproba draws visitors specifically for the spectacle. Book accommodation well in advance.

Svan Food

Kubdari

The dish Svaneti is famous for. Flatbread stuffed with spiced meat, usually beef, sometimes pork or mixed. The filling includes onions, garlic, and heavy doses of Svan salt. Bake until the crust crisps and the inside stays juicy.

Every guesthouse serves kubdari. Quality varies enormously. The best versions use fresh-ground meat and family spice blends developed over generations. The worst are bland imitations that hit the technical marks but miss the soul. After a few days you’ll know the difference.

Tashmijabi

Mashed potatoes with cheese. Simple description, serious comfort food. The potatoes are mashed with butter and mixed with fresh sulguni while hot. The cheese melts and stretches through the potatoes, creating strings when you lift a spoonful.

Often served alongside meat dishes. Also works as a filling breakfast at altitude.

Chvishdari

Cornbread with cheese baked inside. Related to Imeretian mchadi but richer, with fresh cheese melted into the dough. Crispy exterior, gooey interior. Served hot from the oven, often for breakfast.

Svan Salt

The seasoning that defines Svan cooking. Blend of salt with dried garlic, blue fenugreek, coriander, caraway, dill, red pepper. Every family has their own recipe. The resulting powder seasons everything: meats, vegetables, eggs, beans.

Buy some to take home. Every guesthouse and market sells it. The Svaneti-made versions surpass the mass-produced alternatives available in Tbilisi supermarkets.

Svan Sulguni

Sulguni cheese exists across western Georgia, but the Svan version has particular character. Made from cow’s milk when herds graze alpine meadows, it develops a tangier, more complex flavor than lowland varieties. Semi-soft, stringy when heated, often lightly smoked over beech wood.

In village guesthouses you’ll eat sulguni made that same week, possibly from cows grazing outside the window. The freshness matters.

Drinks

Apple Vodka (vashlis araki): Svaneti’s signature spirit. The region’s apple orchards produce fruit too small for commercial sale but perfect for distillation. Families distill their own after the autumn harvest. The result is clearer and smoother than grape chacha, with subtle apple aroma. Guesthouse hosts offer it from unlabeled bottles because they made it themselves.

Accept at least one glass. Refusing hospitality causes offense.

The Mountains

Svaneti contains Georgia’s highest peaks. Understanding them provides context for everything else.

Shkhara (5,193m): Georgia’s highest. Third-highest in the Caucasus after Elbrus and Dykh-Tau. The massive pyramid dominates views from Ushguli. Technical climb requiring expedition experience. First ascent 1888 by British-Swiss team.

Ushba (4,710m): The most dangerous mountain in the Caucasus by reputation. Twin summits, steep faces, unpredictable weather. Called the “Matterhorn of the Caucasus.” Visible from Mestia. The south face from Mazeri village is one of mountaineering’s great sights.

Tetnuldi (4,858m): Third-highest in Georgia. The ski resort uses its lower slopes. Summit requires technical climbing.

Laila (4,008m): Highest peak of the Svaneti Range, dividing Upper and Lower Svaneti. More accessible than the giants. Experienced trekkers can summit without technical equipment via the southwestern route.

Zuruldi (2,340m): The accessible peak. Hatsvali chairlift reaches near the summit. Panoramic views of Ushba and the Svaneti Range. Even non-hikers can experience the alpine environment.

Trekking in Svaneti

Mestia to Ushguli Trek

The classic Svaneti trek. Four days through some of Georgia’s finest mountain scenery.

Day 1 (Mestia to Zhabeshi): 14 km, 5-6 hours. Gentle start through valley. Overnight in guesthouse.

Day 2 (Zhabeshi to Adishi): 12 km, 6-7 hours. The hardest day. Climb to 2,700m over the pass. Stunning views. Possible snow early or late season. Overnight in Adishi guesthouse.

Day 3 (Adishi to Iprali): 14 km, 6-7 hours. Crosses Chkhutnieri Pass (2,722m) with Tetnuldi glacier views. River crossing that can be difficult with high water. Overnight in Iprali.

Day 4 (Iprali to Ushguli): 16 km, 5-6 hours. Easier walking. Arrive early afternoon. Celebrate.

Difficulty: Moderate-challenging. No technical climbing. Good fitness required. Passes reach 2,700m.

When: Late June through September. July-August best.

Guides: Not required for experienced hikers, but recommended. 150-200 GEL per day.

Day Hikes from Mestia

Koruldi Lakes: 18 km round trip, 7-8 hours, 1,200m elevation gain. Glacial lakes at 2,740m with Ushba views. The most popular day hike. Can also reach by 4×4, reducing hike to 2-3 hours.

Chalaadi Glacier: 12 km round trip, 4-5 hours, minimal elevation. Easy glacier approach with suspension bridge crossing. Suitable for families.

Ushba Glacier (from Mazeri): 20 km round trip, 7-8 hours, 800m gain. Strenuous approach to Ushba’s base. River crossings can be difficult.

Extended Treks

Latpari Pass (Lentekhi to Ushguli): 4-5 days. Very challenging. No facilities between start and end. Guide essential. Approaches Ushguli from the south with full Shkhara views.

Mestia to Mazeri via Guli Pass: 2-3 days. Crosses 3,200m pass. Spectacular Ushba views from angles most visitors never see.

Koruldi-Guli-Mazeri circuit: 3-4 days from Mestia combining alpine lakes, high pass, and glacier approach.

Skiing in Svaneti

Feature	Hatsvali	Tetnuldi
Distance from Mestia	8 km (15 min)	15 km (25 min)
Top elevation	2,347m	3,165m
Total runs	~2.5 km	~30 km
Longest run	~2 km	9.5 km
Lifts	1 chairlift, 1 gondola	5 lifts
Difficulty	Beginner-intermediate	All levels, strong off-piste
Lift pass	35-50 GEL/day	50-70 GEL/day
Best for	Beginners, families, scenic rides	Advanced skiers, off-piste, long runs
Summer use	Scenic chairlift to Zuruldi viewpoint	Limited

Hatsvali works for beginners and families. Not extensive, but sufficient for a day or two while based in Mestia. The chairlift operates summer for sightseeing with excellent Ushba views.

Tetnuldi is the serious resort. Modern lifts to 3,165m, 30 km of runs, excellent off-piste terrain. If you’re here specifically to ski, Tetnuldi is why. The longest run stretches 9.5 km. North-facing slopes preserve snow quality.

Rental equipment available at both resorts but limited selection. Serious skiers should bring their own.

Practical Information

Money

ATMs exist only in Mestia: TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia on Seti Square. Withdraw enough cash for your entire Svaneti stay. Villages have no banking services. Card acceptance is limited even in Mestia.

Budget: 120-250 GEL per day covers guesthouse, meals, basic activities. Transport and organized tours extra.

Altitude

Mestia sits at 1,500m. Ushguli at 2,200m. Trekking passes reach 2,700m or higher. Most people adjust without problems, but altitude can affect anyone.

Symptoms: headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, sleep difficulty. Prevention: ascend gradually, stay hydrated, avoid alcohol on arrival day, don’t overexert initially. Serious symptoms (confusion, severe headache, breathing difficulty) require descent.

Weather

Mountain weather changes fast. Sunny mornings become afternoon thunderstorms. Summer temperatures: 15-25°C in valleys, cooler at altitude and at night. Always carry rain gear and warm layers, even for day hikes.

Safety

General crime risk is negligible. The real dangers are mountains: weather exposure, river crossings, road conditions, altitude effects. Don’t overestimate your abilities. The Ushguli road has killed people. River crossings drown hikers every few years.

Travel insurance with evacuation coverage is essential. Serious injuries require helicopter evacuation to Kutaisi or Tbilisi. The small hospital in Mestia handles only basic issues.

Communications

Mobile coverage (Magti, Geocell) is good in Mestia, patchy in other villages, nonexistent in mountains. Most guesthouses have WiFi. Power is reliable in Mestia, generator-dependent in villages.

Book Your Trip

We’ve been running tours in Svaneti since 2011. We know the villages, the trails, the guesthouses, the families. Whether you want a guided Mestia-Ushguli trek, cultural tour of medieval churches, ski week at Tetnuldi, or a custom itinerary, we can arrange it.

Contact us to start planning, or browse our trekking tours and private Georgia tours.

For dedicated Svaneti information: svanetitrekking.com

Written by Highlander Travel | Running tours in Svaneti since 2011
Last updated: December 2025