Itinerary9 min read
Svaneti Without the Crowds: A Week in the High Caucasus
How to slow down between Mestia, Ushguli and the glaciers.
By Davit Tsiklauri
Most visitors rush Svaneti in two days. Give it a week and the region opens up.
Days 1–2, Mestia: arrive by the long road from Zugdidi or the short flight from Tbilisi. Walk to the Chalaadi glacier and climb to the Koruldi lakes for views of Ushba.
Days 3–6, the trek: the four-day hike from Mestia to Ushguli crosses two passes and stays in family guesthouses in Zhabeshi, Adishi and Iprali.
Day 7, Ushguli: walk among the towers early, before the 4x4s arrive, and look up at Shkhara, Georgia’s highest peak.
Pack layers: even in August, nights in Ushguli drop close to freezing.