Georgia packs an astonishing amount of adventure into a country the size of Ireland. Glaciated 5,000 m peaks line the northern border, subtropical forest fringes the Black Sea, limestone gorges cut the green west, and vineyards roll east toward semi-desert — and holding it all together is one of the world's oldest cultures, where every trail seems to end at a stone tower, a cave monastery or a table laid with 8,000-year-old wine. It is a place built for big mountain days and long, generous evenings, and it is still refreshingly uncrowded.
The Greater Caucasus
The high north is the headline. Hiking and mountaineering centre on Mount Kazbek (5,054 m) above Stepantsminda in Mtskheta-Mtianeti and the glaciated spires of Ushba, Tetnuldi and Shkhara in Svaneti, home of the famous Mestia-to-Ushguli trek past medieval tower villages. Come winter the same ranges turn to world-class skiing and freeride above Gudauri and Mestia.
Canyons, caves and the Black Sea
The green west is canyoning and caving country: the Okatse and Martvili gorges and the vast Prometheus caves around Kutaisi in Imereti, with white-water rafting on the Rioni. On the coast, subtropical Adjara blends beaches with rainforest trekking and waterfall mountain biking behind Batumi.
Wine country and the wild east
East of Tbilisi, Kakheti pairs vineyard cycling and horse riding with the roadless wilderness of Tusheti over the Atsunta Pass, while the southern volcanic uplands of Samtskhe-Javakheti hold the Borjomi forests, the Vardzia cave city and family skiing at Bakuriani. Tandem paragliding launches from ridges above the capital itself.
Where to base yourself
The Greater Caucasus — Svaneti and Kazbegi — for the high mountains and skiing; Western Georgia for canyons, caves and coast; Tbilisi and the east for wine country and wild Tusheti; and the southern uplands for Borjomi, Bakuriani and Vardzia.
Booking and getting started on adventuro
Trips run with local guides who grew up in these valleys, using mountain huts, family guesthouses and famous Georgian hospitality; most are beginner-friendly with kit provided, and when you are ready for Kazbek or Ushba you can filter for advanced routes. June to September suits trekking and climbing, December to March the skiing. Open the Book here tab for live dates, prices and exactly where you will be heading.
