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Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church

Countries in the atlas · Caucasus and Central Asia

Georgia

The Caucasus in miniature: the glaciers and towers of Svaneti, the Georgian Military Road to Kazbek, the wine valleys of Kakheti and Tbilisi with its sulphur baths.

Russian passport: visa-free · 365 daysprices about the same as in Russia

Photo: Braveheart · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church
Photo: Braveheart · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Stepantsminda, Georgia · World’s best

Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church

Access 2/5 · fairly easyJFMAMJJASOND

Gergeti Trinity Church stands at about 2,170 metres, above the village of Stepantsminda, with the glacier-capped cone of Kazbek rising behind it. You can walk up to the church in an hour to an hour and a half, or drive.

Trails start here to the Gergeti Glacier and into the Truso and Juta gorges. The road here — the Georgian Military Road over the Jvari Pass — is a sight in itself.

Getting there
From Tbilisi, about 3 hours by car or minibus along the Georgian Military Road. In winter the pass is sometimes closed because of avalanches.
Sources (2)
Svaneti and Ushguli
Photo: Florian Pinel · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mestia, Georgia

Svaneti and Ushguli

Access 3/5 · needs planningJFMAMJJASOND

Upper Svaneti is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: villages with defensive towers that for centuries protected families from enemies and avalanches. Ushguli is one of the highest permanently inhabited settlements in Europe, beneath the wall of Shkhara, the highest point in Georgia.

From Mestia, treks lead to the Chalaadi and Shkhara glaciers, and a four-day route runs to Ushguli over passes and through villages.

Getting there
Fly from Tbilisi or Kutaisi to Mestia (weather permitting) or drive for 7–9 hours; from Mestia to Ushguli, about 2 hours by 4x4 on a mountain road.
Why it’s hard
A long mountain road, flights to Mestia that depend on the weather, and a road to Ushguli that can be closed in winter. The best time for treks is June to September.
Sources (1)
Tbilisi
Photo: Saba Lomidze · CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Georgia

Tbilisi

Access 1/5 · easyJFMAMJJASOND

Old Tbilisi means a tangle of streets with carved wooden balconies, the Abanotubani sulphur baths under brick domes and Narikala Fortress above the city. A cable car takes you from Rike Park up to the fortress in a few minutes.

The city makes a convenient base: in a day you can reach Mtskheta, Kakheti with its vineyards and the cave town of Uplistsikhe.

Getting there
Direct flights from Russia; from the airport to the centre, 30 minutes by taxi or bus.
Sources (1)

Before you go

Georgia: entry, safety, money, flights, laws and budget — with sources.

Entry

Russian citizens: visa-free for up to 1 year (unilaterally, according to the list of the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department). You need an international passport: Georgia does not accept the internal passport.

Since 01.01.2026 Georgia has required medical insurance for the whole trip — insurers confirm this, but the official text could not be checked. Foreigners may enter Abkhazia and South Ossetia only from Georgia: entering from Russia breaks the Georgian law on occupied territories and can be a criminal offence.

Rules for any passport

Checked 2 November 2026. These are the rules for a Russian citizen with an international passport on a tourist trip. For other passports and purposes, see the official website — the button above.

Sources (7)

Safety

No Russian Foreign Ministry advice to refrain from travel (as of 02.11.2026). Entry stamps for Abkhazia or South Ossetia from the Russian side can cause trouble at the Georgian border.

Sources (2)

Money and cards

The Mir card does not work in Georgia. Bring dollars or euros in cash — they are easy to change into lari.

Sources (2)

Flights

Direct Georgian Airways flights: Tbilisi — Moscow and Tbilisi — St Petersburg, several times a week. There are no other direct flights in the winter schedule; connections are via Yerevan, Baku or Istanbul.

Sources (2)

Laws and bans

  • Entry to Abkhazia and South Ossetia only from Georgia (via Zugdidi and Gori); otherwise, a fine of up to 5,000 lari or up to 5 years in prison.
  • Medical insurance has been mandatory for tourists since 01.01.2026 (according to insurers).
  • Rules for tourists on medicines, drones and taking valuables out of the country were not found in official sources — check at the border and with the authorities.
Sources (3)

Budget

prices about the same as in Russia · price level 0.40 (US = 1), 2025

Prices are about the same as in Russia. No mandatory tourist fees were found; the mountains and Svaneti mostly mean spending on transport and guesthouses.

The price level is the ratio of purchasing power parity for household consumption to the market exchange rate (World Bank). These are national averages: resorts and capitals cost more, the countryside less. Flights are not included.

Sources (1)