Georgia Travel Expenses

Georgia is a hidden gem. It’s solidly on my list of favorite destinations from our trip so far. Georgia is in an area of the world that seems often overlooked. In fact, the only reason we considered going there was because our friends Nick and Jenny from Australia recommended we visit (so thank you for the recommendation!). It’s not quite Europe and it’s not quite Asia. It’s the Caucasus region and it’s a bit of both. Had I known of my interest in the area beforehand, I would have been curious to visit neighboring Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well. Perhaps on a future trip.

The Caucasus Mountains. 

The Black Sea.

Georgia was so interesting because there was so much variety packed in a small place. In a few weeks we were able to spend time at the beach, the mountains, the hills of the wine region, and in the big city. There was also a tremendous amount of history in the area. People have been living there for thousands of years. It seems like everywhere we went there were ancient castles, churches, and, of course, archaeological evidence of wine making.

Our trip through Georgia started in (1) Tbilisi. We then travelled to the wine region around (2) Sighnaghi and (3) Telavi before heading up to the mountains in (4) Kazbegi. We ended our trip by spending some time on the Black Sea in (5) Batumi and then with a few days in (6) Kutaisi.

I think I’ve expounded enough on how great the food was, but to reiterate, it was awesome. Anywhere that salad, bread, cheese, and wine are considered staple foods has to be good. We also had some of our best prepared eggplant dishes while in Georgia. The common use of pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and garlic seemed to give everything an exotic yet familiar flair. We may not have known anything about Georgian cuisine before we got there, but we will forever be keeping our eyes out for Georgian restaurants in the future.

Wine tasting in Tbilisi. 

An adjarian khachapuri. The center is a saucy mixture of cheese, egg, and butter. It's a heart attack in a bread bowl, but tasty. 

Beef stew with potatoes, onions, and peppers.

Georgia was also a great travel destination for us because it was so affordable. I’m still shocked at how little we spent. Our total came to only $64 a day for the two of us. That makes it our least expensive travel destination to date. I suppose it’s no wonder when a glass of wine was only ever $1 at any restaurant in town. Those delicious green, leafy salads we loved were only around $2-3. A two to three hour shared van ride ranged from $2-4 a person, making it easy to get around the country. Had I known how affordable and how enjoyable Georgia was, I would have probably planned to stay longer.

Accommodations: We stayed in a mix of guesthouses and Airbnb apartments. The guesthouses were always nice and run by incredibly friendly and helpful hosts, who oftentimes offered to cook us dinner or lunch. Our Airbnb apartment in Tbilisi was less than $40 a night and it was one of the nicest apartments we’ve had on our entire trip.

Restaurants: We ate out frequently in an attempt to find all the traditional Georgian dishes. We would typically spend around $10-20 for lunch or dinner, depending on how much we ordered and how expensive the restaurant was.  

Transportation: We used United miles to fly from Tokyo to Tbilisi on Turkish Airlines. Around Georgia our primary mode of transportation was marshrutka, which is a shared van. They never cost very much, but they were never comfortable either. The rail network isn’t that extensive, but we were able to take a train from Tbilisi to Batumi. Tbilisi has a rickety metro system that got us from one side of town to the other when required.

Drinks: We’d occasionally find a spot after dinner to grab a beer while in Tbilisi or Batumi where there were lots of bars to visit. We stuck to sampling different wines in the wine region around Sighnaghi and Telavi. Coffee was of the Turkish-style, with some sludge at the bottom of the cup, but it grew on us.

Tourism: Almost all our tourism expenses came from our wine region trips. Amazingly, most of the castle ruins everywhere and the countless churches around the country are completely free to enter. Hiking in the mountains and walking along the beach were also free too.

Grocery: We picked up ingredients to make some of our own meals in Tbilisi and Kutaisi when we wanted a break from eating out. That’s also where we had the best access to a kitchen.

Other: We only paid for a SIM card.

Our apartment in Tbilisi. One of the best from our trip. It had a nice kitchen, balcony, a second couch, and a full bedroom.

A small market in Sighnaghi.

I’d be happy to return to Georgia one day. If for nothing else, I would return for the food alone (a trait also shared with Japan). I would like to spend more time in the mountains. The Caucasus were stunningly beautiful. They are visible from most places in Georgia and even in the middle of summer they still had bright white snow on their peaks. I had read that there are some really great mountain hikes in Georgia, but we only experienced our short day-hike in Kazbegi. I think a great return trip would include a longer trek through the Caucuses and include many more of those amazing Georgian dinners, complete with a carafe of homemade wine.