Svaneti by car: Mestia and Ushguli road trip guide

The route at a glance

Times are for driving only — add time for stops, photos and slower traffic in the mountains.

With our cars: Mestia is included like any other destination. Ushguli is allowed for an extra fee — contact us for the price when you book. See the full rental terms.

Break up the drive from Tbilisi

Tbilisi to Mestia is too long for a comfortable single day, especially as the last three hours are a winding mountain road. Most travellers stop for a night in Kutaisi or Zugdidi on the way. Kutaisi has plenty to see for an afternoon — see our Kutaisi Airport page for ideas — and if you're flying into Kutaisi, we can deliver the car to the airport and you start the trip already halfway there.

From Zugdidi into the mountains

Zugdidi is the last big town before Svaneti — fill up the tank here. The road to Mestia is paved all the way, but it is a narrow, winding mountain road in places, so take it steadily.

Enguri Dam. About half an hour out of Zugdidi the road passes the Enguri Dam, one of the tallest arch dams in the world, with a viewpoint over the reservoir. It's the natural first stop.

Beyond the dam the road follows the Enguri River up a deep, forested gorge before the valley opens out and the first Svan towers appear.

Mestia

Mestia is the main town of Upper Svaneti, full of the medieval stone defence towers the region is famous for. Things to do:

• Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography — icons, manuscripts and treasures kept safe in Svan churches for centuries. Allow a couple of hours.
• A Svan tower — several can be visited and climbed.
• Hatsvali — the small ski area above town, with a chairlift and views in summer.
• Chalaadi Glacier — a short drive and an easy hike from Mestia to the foot of a glacier.
• Koruldi Lakes — high mountain lakes above Mestia. The track up is very rough, so go with a local 4x4 driver rather than in a rental car.

The road from Mestia to Ushguli

The road from Mestia to Ushguli is about 45 km. In recent years most of it has been rebuilt, but some sections can still be rough or gravel, and after heavy rain or snow parts of it can be damaged or closed for a while. Allow 1.5–2 hours each way.

• Take a 4x4. Our Subaru Outback is ideal: all-wheel drive and more ground clearance than a regular car.
• Ask about the road the day before — in your guesthouse in Mestia, or message us.
• Drive in daylight and don't rush; the views deserve the time anyway.
• Fill up in Mestia. Don't count on finding fuel further up the valley.
• Ushguli is allowed with our cars for an extra fee — ask us for the price.

Ushguli

Ushguli is a community of four small villages at about 2,100 m, often described as one of the highest permanently inhabited settlements in Europe. With its stone towers and the snowy wall of Shkhara — Georgia's highest mountain — behind it, it is the most famous view in Svaneti. Upper Svaneti is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Walk up to the small Lamaria church above the villages, or hike along the valley towards the Shkhara Glacier. Most visitors either come for a day from Mestia or stay a night in a guesthouse in Ushguli.

When to go

• June to early October is the best time to drive: the roads are clear and the guesthouses are open.
• Winter: the road to Mestia is kept open, but it can be icy after snowfall — take a 4x4 and drive carefully. The road to Ushguli can be closed for periods in winter.

Which car to rent

For Svaneti we recommend a 4x4, and for Ushguli we strongly recommend one:

• Subaru Outback 2017 Premium or Subaru Outback 2014 Limited — all-wheel drive, raised ground clearance and a long boot for luggage.
• Subaru Outback 2016 Touring 3.6 — the same, with a bigger engine for the long climbs.
• Chevrolet Equinox 2020 — a 4x4 SUV with a higher seating position.

Compare all our 4x4 cars. There's no deposit, and full insurance and 24/7 road assistance are included.