Georgia Travel Guide: Tbilisi, Kazbegi & the Caucasus Mountains

Georgia (the country, not the US state) sits at the edge of Europe and Asia and gets a fraction of the visitors its scenery and food deserve. Tbilisi is the natural base: the old town's sulfur bathhouses, balconied streets, and a food scene built around khachapuri and khinkali make it worth several days on its own.

A short drive northeast, the Kakheti region is one of the oldest wine-producing areas in the world, with small family wineries still fermenting in traditional clay qvevri buried underground. Day trips from Tbilisi are easy, or stay a night to slow down.

For mountains, Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) is around three hours north toward the Russian border, with the Gergeti Trinity Church hike as the main draw \u2014 a few hours up to a small church framed by Mount Kazbek behind it. Marshrutka minivans cover the route cheaply, though a private driver gives more flexibility for stops along the Georgian Military Highway.

Georgia is inexpensive relative to Western Europe, visa-free for many nationalities, and small enough that a week gives a solid first look without feeling rushed.