Republic of Georgia

A valid passport with one page for a stamp is needed to enter Georgia.

Average temperatures in Tbisili in June are 86°/ 65°. The mountains and countryside will be cooler.
You’ll want clothing that layers easily since the high season can go from cool nights to hot days with humid rainstorms in between. In Tbilisi, the women dress pretty chic and casual. We will be hiking so bring appropriate shoes. Shoulders and legs will need to be covered for the monastery. In general, shorts, tights, jeans, t-shirts, long sleeve shirt or light sweater, light jacket and good walking shoes.

We will be staying in 4 star accommodations throughout the tour.

Georgia boasts a storied and varied cuisine. The emphasis is on freshness and the flavor of primary ingredients (though some dishes can be quite spicy). Some of the dishes you might encounter are mtsvadi, or shashlik (lamb shish kebab), chakapuli (lamb, plum and scallion stew), khinkali (meat dumplings with plenty of black pepper), badrijani (tiny eggplants stuffed with hazelnuts) and chanakhi (a stew of lamb, whole tomatoes, eggplant and peppers). Other dishes emphasize chicken, cheese, fruit or bread. We particularly enjoyed khachapuri, a sort of tomatoless pizza.
Georgians love wine, and there are numerous excellent Georgian wines. Some of these are Tsinandali and Gurdzhaani (dry whites), Chkaveri (a semisweet white), Mukuzani (an excellent dry red) and Khvanchkara (a semisweet red, said to have been Stalin’s favorite). Beware chacha, the local firewater (50% or greater alcohol content). Teetotalers can enjoy Borjomi, the regional mineral water.

We will be transported in comfortable vehicles with professional drivers throughout the tour.

We will not be traveling to these regions but be aware or travel to Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Adjacent Areas: The United States and most other countries consider these regions part of Georgia. However, de facto local authorities claim independence, and Russian troops and border guards occupy both regions. Criminal incidents have occurred in and around the areas. While none of the activity has been anti-American in nature, there is a high risk of travelers finding themselves in a wrong place/wrong time situation.

What Georgia might lack in size it makes up for in personality. Over the millennia, the nation we now call Georgia has been part of empires ruled by Romans, Persians, Turks, and Russians. It has also been its own regional empire and myriad independent kingdoms. It was one of the first nations to officially adopt Christianity as a state religion, and, although ruled by others for centuries, Georgians have kept their own unique languages and alphabet, which is not related to any other language family or alphabet, and their own proud identity. Today, Georgia sees its culture and future as more tied to Europe than any other area. More than anything,

Georgia sees itself as independent and defined by a culture that values good food, wine, and conversation as well as boisterous traditional performance arts. Georgia is bordered by Russia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, Turkey and Armenia to the south, and the Black Sea to the west. Much of the country is dominated by mountains. The Caucasus Mountains form a natural border with Russia in the north, with the Lesser Caucasus along the border with Turkey to the southwest.
The Likhi Range links them running north-south through the center of the country. West of these mountains, particularly along the Black Sea coast, the climate is moderate, even balmy at times. The area east of the Likhis is colder and drier.