Summertime in Georgia
Georgia is an enchanting, eccentric, endlessly fascinating country, and offers a variety of things to do. It’s a country dotted with natural marvels, lush National Parks, and rural vistas that are begging to be put on a postcard. you can explore the width and breadth of the tiny country while discovering myths, legends, and traditions, castles, ruins, and landmarks with hidden histories.
If you are heading to Georgia this summer, you’ll discover that the list of what to do while you’re here is a long one. From amazing hiking to biking, horse-riding or simply soaking up the fresh Caucasus air, there’s always a reason to get outside in Georgia. With so much to choose from, it can be hard to decide what to do. To help, we’ve narrowed down our list of the top 5 things to do in summer.
Get impressed by Stepantsminda
This is most people’s destination on the Georgian Military Highway: a valley town with the famous hilltop silhouette of Gergeti Trinity Church and the towering snowy cone of Mt Kazbek looking down from the west. Now officially named Stepantsminda, but still commonly known as Kazbegi, it’s a base for some wonderful walking and mountain biking.
While this may not have added to Stepantsminda’s charm, the town’s location remains absolutely stunning and it’s still very easy to escape the crowds and explore the surrounding mountains and valleys in peace.
Enjoy the Seaside of Batumi
Batumi cannot be missing from this list. The city along the Black Sea’s beautiful shores, where the colors are vibrant, the climate and atmosphere overall are very welcoming, being difficult to leave the area once you get to experience it.
The beaches and calm waters are a favorite for relaxing and swimming, while Batumi’s long boulevard is always lively. It’s the perfect place for strolling and exercising, or simply for eating and drinking in the sea breeze.
Marvel at Cave towns
Georgia is home to a number of ‘cave towns’ and ‘cave monasteries’ – vast complexes of chambers and grottoes hewn from rocky slopes in the southern part of the country.
Vardzia is the largest and best-known among them. Vardzia is a unique architectural monument from the 12th century. The rock-cut city attracts visitors with its scale (3000 caves spread over 13 floors) and innovative technique. The complex includes residential caves, the Church of the Assumption (decorated with superb 12th-century frescoes), wine cellars, a pharmacy, stables, etc.
Another of Georgia’s popular cave monasteries, David Gareja (Davit Gareji) is located at the southern end of the Kakheti region, right on the border with Azerbaijan.
The beautiful monastery, unique cave paintings, vast spaces of the stunning landscape and the border going right through the complex to make it worth all the effort to travel David Gareja.
If you decide to set off on a journey in time, then you absolutely must visit the unique and ancient city of Uplistsikhe. It was here, where in ancient times caravans from faraway lands would gather. At present in the city there are well preserved ancient and antique halls and caves from thousands of years ago, as well as an ancient theater, pharmacy, and wine cellar, among many other things.
The moon-like landscape of grottos and caves enveloped in folds of rock is really fun to explore on foot. It’s well sign-posted too. From the higher parts of the complex, you get amazing panoramic views of the Mtkvari river valley.
Visit a Medieval Land – Svaneti
Georgia’s capital of adventure, Svaneti is one of the most enchanting places on the planet. Dozens of picturesque villages dotted in beautiful winding mountain roads, surrounded by the impressive Caucasus mountain snowed peaks.
Travel to The Land of Glaciers and myths, dazzling view and glimpses of wildlife is a great place to visit.. Hardly anything has changed there for the last few centuries. Upper Svaneti is famous for its medieval watchtowers, snow-capped peaks, icy waterfalls, virgin nature, and ancient traditions. The village of Ushguli (UNESCO Heritage Site) – the highest permanently inhabited settlement in Europe, is sure to be one of the highlights of your trip!
Explore the canyons
There’s just something incredible about plunging deep and exploring the depths of a chiseled gorge. Georgia’s landscapes are uniquely stunning and diverse, and its duo of canyons add to its incredible beauty.
Carving into the surrounding terrain, thanks to the tremendous forces of moving water, these places offer some stunningly beautiful stretches to explore, nestled deep within their walls.
Okatse Canyon is a deep forested rift carved by the aqua waters of the Okatse River were fragments of rocky escarpment peeking through the dense forest.
The newly built skywalk is the main attraction here and runs between the trees along the edge of the canyon culminating in a free-hanging platform that juts out over the abyss. Definitely not something for those that are terrified of heights!
Martvili Canyon is one of those places that you’ll often hear about when planning a trip to Georgia. The canyon is distinguished by its history. According to legend, this place was one of the important parts of the Dadiani summer residence. It was at this place that the bathing area was arranged for them.
The area is surrounded by unique Colchian forests. The 700m-long stone-paved circular hiking trail starts from the Visitor Center and passes the Dadiani Historic Trail. The trail features 2 bridges, 3 viewing platforms, a 30-foot historic staircase built of large limestone boulders.
Expert adviseAre you seeking to explore more amazing places to visit ?
We will help you to discover more unique places in Georgia through our tours. We sketched these trip ideas and we want you to be inspired. Let us know what you love to do and we’ll tailor a trip that will fit your interests beautifully. We offer tailored-made tours for individuals, families, and friends, small or large groups.
All Our Tours
Traveling with VisitGeorgia means an unforgettable experience of meeting the local people and getting to know their style of living, tasting natural wine from Qvevri (clay amphora) that’s still made according to all ancient technologies and delicious traditional Georgian homemade food.