Caucasus
Georgia
A full year visa-free for most Western passports, a new mandatory insurance rule since January 2026, and a 0.03% drink-drive limit that rules out self-driving the wine region.
Contains affiliate links — what that means.
- Entry
- 365 days visa-free for UK, EU, US, Canadian and Australian passports — unusually generous, and the same allowance for everyone.
- New rule
- Since 1 January 2026, all visitors need travel insurance covering the whole stay, minimum 30,000 GEL (~$11,000) — airlines check before boarding.
- Currency
- Georgian Lari (GEL) — roughly 2.61 GEL per $1, 3.02 per €1.
- Best months
- May–June and September–October for the city; December–March for skiing at Gudauri.
Checked 16 August 2026. Prices and visa rules change — tell us if something here is wrong.
Georgia's visa terms are about as generous as it gets — a full year, no paperwork — which is exactly why the one new requirement matters: a mandatory insurance rule that started this year and that most older guides won't mention yet.
Entry rules, and a new requirement to know about
UK, EU, US, Canadian and Australian passport holders get 365 days visa-free — one of the most generous allowances anywhere, and the same for all five groups. No registration is needed just to visit; only working locally or settling permanently requires a separate permit.
Since 1 January 2026, Georgia requires all foreign visitors — including everyone from the 95+ visa-exempt countries — to carry travel insurance covering the full stay, with minimum coverage of 30,000 GEL (about $11,000), in English or Georgian, digital or printed copy accepted. Airlines have denied boarding to uninsured passengers, and airport passport control checks it inconsistently; land-border checks are looser. This is genuinely new for 2026 — confirm your travel insurance meets it before you fly, not after you land.
Getting from the airport
Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) is about 18 km from the center.
- Bolt or Yandex — the recommended option, roughly 25–35 GEL, available 24/7. Both apps are standard local behavior here, not a tourist workaround.
- Bus 337 — 1 GEL, but now runs 7am–11pm only (not 24/7, despite what older guides say), every 15–20 minutes, about an hour to Freedom Square. Needs a rechargeable transport card (2 GEL at the airport).
- The official "Fly Taxi" counter at arrivals quotes around 60 GEL for central Tbilisi — noticeably worse value than Bolt, with recurring reports of fare disputes. Skip it.
The airport train technically exists but runs only twice a day — not a realistic option for most arrivals.
Where to stay in Tbilisi
| Area | Good for | The downside |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town (Kala) | First-timers, walking everywhere, the postcard version of Tbilisi | Touristy, overpriced restaurants in the core, narrow streets taxis struggle to reach |
| Sololaki | Crumbling Art Nouveau architecture next to Old Town | Old buildings mean real plumbing and noise issues — the charm has upkeep costs |
| Vera | Wine bars and a trendy but still-local food scene | Pricier than it looks, and a walk from the nearest metro |
| Vake | Families, leafy streets, longer stays | No metro line at all — 30–40 minutes on foot to the center |
| Chugureti/Marjanishvili | Nightlife, budget travelers, remote workers | Some blocks near Station Square are rougher after dark |
Hotels in Tbilisi
Old Town or Sololaki keep you walkable; Vera or Vake if you'd rather trade a short commute for quieter streets.
Agoda is often cheaper for the same properties in this region.
Compare on Agoda
Same hotels, frequently different prices.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | 8–10 GEL (~$3–4) |
| Khinkali, per dumpling | 1.5–3 GEL |
| Khachapuri, bakery to-go | 3–8 GEL |
| Sit-down Georgian meal for two | 60–80 GEL (~$22–30) |
| Metro or bus ticket | 1 GEL |
| Glass of house wine | ~5 GEL |
Prices dated 16 August 2026. Food and drink remain the genuine bargain here — accommodation has crept up in recent years, with a decent hotel now often running closer to 400 GEL/night than the "backpacker cheap" reputation Georgia still has online.
Should you rent a car?
Worth it for reaching Kazbegi or the mountains — but not for Kakheti wine country, and not casually.
Georgia's drink-drive limit is 0.03% BAC — effectively zero tolerance. Self-driving the Kakheti wine region is explicitly a bad idea if you're actually tasting; hire a driver or take an organized wine tour instead. The Georgian Military Highway to Kazbegi is paved and manageable but has heavy truck traffic near the Russian border crossing and closes intermittently for snow, avalanche or landslide risk even outside deep winter — many guides now recommend a hired driver for that route too, given aggressive local overtaking on blind corners. Winter tires are effectively mandatory on mountain roads December–March.
Compare car hire for day trips
Shows the excess before you pay — good for Kazbegi if you're not driving yourself, not for wine-tasting days.
Staying connected
Magti has the best coverage (rated around 99%) and is the sensible default; a starter SIM runs about 10 GEL with data add-ons from 5 GEL/1GB. Beeline is cheaper but weaker outside Tbilisi. SIMs bought in the city are consistently better value than the airport kiosk packages.
Scams and traps to know about
- Airport taxi overcharging is the most common complaint — unlicensed drivers pulling travelers toward their cars with inflated quotes. Use Bolt or Yandex, always; it's standard local practice, not just tourist advice.
- Bar tab padding at some nightlife venues — check tabs before paying.
- Unauthorized currency exchange points — stick to banks or licensed bureaus.
- The supra (feast) toasting ritual is led by a tamada (toastmaster); guests can add their own toast mid-sequence. Sincerity matters more than polish for foreigners joining in — Georgia claims to be the birthplace of wine, with 500+ endemic grape varieties, and it's the centerpiece of the meal, not background noise.
One region to actually avoid
Georgia overall is rated Level 1, "Exercise Normal Precautions," by the US State Department — a genuinely safe country. But Abkhazia and South Ossetia are Level 4, "Do Not Travel": Russian-occupied breakaway regions with armed checkpoints, no functioning Georgian law enforcement, landmine risk, and no consular assistance if something goes wrong. Even approaching the administrative boundary lines risks detention — this doesn't affect Tbilisi, Kazbegi or Kakheti at all, but it's worth knowing which parts of the map are genuinely off-limits.