What is the must-do trek in Svaneti?

The four-day Mestia-to-Ushguli traverse , passing tower villages with the great Shkhara wall ahead — the signature Svaneti experience, on guesthouse-supported stages.

When is the best time to visit?

July to September for trekking and climbing; the ski-touring season runs roughly January to March from Mestia.

Do I need experience?

The classic trek suits fit walkers and there are beginner-friendly day options from Mestia. Ushba and Tetnuldi are serious glaciated peaks for experienced climbers only.

How do I get to Svaneti?

Mestia is reached by road or short flight from Kutaisi or Zugdidi in the west; it is high and remote, so allow travel time. Operators arrange transfers.

Things to do in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti

Upper Svaneti is the jewel of the Georgian Caucasus — a UNESCO-listed landscape where stone defensive towers cluster in the villages of Mestia and Ushguli beneath a skyline of the country's highest peaks, Shkhara and the twin horns of Ushba. Isolated for centuries and fiercely proud, it is the beating heart of Caucasus trekking and one of the most atmospheric mountain regions in Europe.

Trekking, climbing and winter

The four-day Mestia-to-Ushguli trek is the classic, with the Chalaadi glacier and Koruldi lakes as shorter day walks; technical climbs on Ushba and Tetnuldi draw experienced alpinists; and winter brings backcountry ski touring and freeride straight from the towers. Part of the Greater Caucasus, it is guided throughout — open the Book here tab for dates.