Georgia is a small country with a lot packed into it: a 2,000-year-old capital, Black Sea beaches, 5,000-metre peaks, cave cities and one of the oldest wine cultures in the world. The distances are short on paper; however, the mountain roads are slow and public transport does not reach the best places. That is why most visitors who want to see more than Tbilisi rent a car. This guide lists the best places to visit in Georgia by car: the ten destinations our customers drive to most, with realistic driving times from Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi, and the sights worth stopping for near each one.
In addition, all three of our pickup cities have an airport and a city-centre pickup point, and you can pick up in one city and drop off in another (delivery fees are shown separately before you pay). Use the map of the country in your head like this: Tbilisi in the east, Kutaisi in the middle, Batumi on the coast in the west. As a result, most routes below run along that line or branch north into the Caucasus from it.
1. Tbilisi and Mtskheta, the best places to start in Georgia
First, start with the capital. Old Tbilisi (Abanotubani sulphur baths, Narikala fortress, the Bridge of Peace and the balconied houses of Sololaki) is walkable, so leave the car parked and explore on foot for a day. Then, with the car, drive 20 minutes north to Mtskheta, the old capital, for Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the Jvari Monastery viewpoint above the two rivers. Both are UNESCO sites and take half a day together.
Read more: Tbilisi by car: what to see near your pickup and the Tbilisi car rental page.
2. Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) and Gudauri
The Georgian Military Highway from Tbilisi to Kazbegi is the most famous drive in the country: Ananuri fortress on the Zhinvali reservoir, the Gudauri ski resort, the Jvari (Cross) pass at about 2,400 m and finally the Gergeti Trinity Church under Mount Kazbek. It is roughly 150 km and 3 to 3.5 hours each way without stops, so plan an overnight in Stepantsminda rather than a rushed day trip. The road is paved all the way; the last 6 km up to Gergeti church is steep and a 4x4 is more comfortable, though the road was reconstructed and ordinary cars manage it in summer.
Read more: Tbilisi to Kazbegi by car, car rental for Gudauri and Kazbegi.
3. Kakheti wine region
East of Tbilisi, 1.5 to 2 hours away, Kakheti is where Georgian wine comes from. Sighnaghi is the pretty hilltop town everyone photographs, Telavi is the working capital of the region, and between them are hundreds of family wineries, Alaverdi Cathedral, Gremi and the Tsinandali estate. Drive there via the Gombori pass for the views and come back on the flat Sighnaghi road. Remember Georgia's drink-driving limit is very low, so agree on a driver before the tasting.
Read more: Kakheti by car: Sighnaghi, Telavi and the wineries.
4. Batumi and the Black Sea coast
Batumi is Georgia's beach city: a long seafront boulevard, modern towers next to a restored 19th-century old town, a botanical garden on the cliffs to the north and the Roman-era Gonio fortress to the south. It is also a good base for the green Adjara hills (Makhuntseti waterfall, Mtirala National Park). From Tbilisi it is about 370 km and 5.5 to 6 hours on the main highway; from Kutaisi about 150 km and 2.5 hours.
Read more: Batumi by car: sights near the airport and city pickup, car rental in Batumi.
5. Kutaisi, canyons and caves
Kutaisi is the gateway to western Georgia and the cheapest airport to fly into. Within an hour of the city you have Prometheus Cave, Sataplia (dinosaur footprints and a glass viewing platform), Martvili Canyon (boat trips on emerald water), Okatse Canyon (a walkway hanging off the cliff) and the UNESCO-listed Gelati Monastery. It is a compact, family-friendly region that fits into two days.
Read more: Kutaisi by car, car rental at Kutaisi Airport.
6. Svaneti: Mestia and Ushguli
The Upper Svaneti valley is the Georgia of postcards: medieval stone towers, glaciers and Europe's highest permanently inhabited village, Ushguli, at about 2,100 m. Mestia is a full day's drive from Tbilisi (around 460 km, 8 hours) or 4.5 to 5 hours from Kutaisi via Zugdidi. The Mestia to Ushguli road is partly unpaved, so this is a trip for a 4x4.
Read more: Svaneti by car: Mestia, Ushguli and which 4x4 to rent.
7. Borjomi, Bakuriani and Vardzia
South-west of Tbilisi, 2.5 hours away, Borjomi is the spa town behind the famous mineral water, with a big forest park and the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park on its doorstep. Add Bakuriani (skiing in winter, hiking in summer), the restored Rabati castle in Akhaltsikhe and the 12th-century cave city of Vardzia carved into a cliff above the Kura river. Together they make a great two or three-day loop.
Read more: Borjomi, Bakuriani and Vardzia by car.
8. Gori and Uplistsikhe
On the highway between Tbilisi and Kutaisi, Gori is worth a stop for the ancient rock-cut town of Uplistsikhe, 10 km east of the city, and for the Stalin Museum if you are curious about the Soviet past. It is 85 km from Tbilisi, so about 1.5 hours, and combines well with a drive west. (If you searched for "Goris", that is a town in Armenia: see our Georgia to Armenia by car guide.)
9. Davit Gareja monastery complex
A 6th-century monastery carved into a desert ridge on the Azerbaijani border, about 70 km south-east of Tbilisi. The scenery is unlike anything else in the country: coloured hills, silence and rock churches. The final 20 km are on a rough road, so take an SUV, and check the current access situation locally as parts of the complex sit on a disputed border.
10. Tusheti, the wildest of the best places in Georgia (experienced drivers, summer only)
The Abano pass road into Tusheti (about 2,900 m, gravel, open roughly June to October) is regularly listed among the most dangerous roads in the world. It is beautiful and remote, with villages like Omalo and Dartlo, but it is not a place to take a rental sedan. If Tusheti is on your list, message us first: we will tell you honestly which of our 4x4s is suitable and what the insurance covers.
Suggested routes linking the best places to visit in Georgia
- 5 days from Tbilisi: Tbilisi (1 day), Kazbegi (2 days), Kakheti (2 days). All on paved roads, any car category.
- 7 days, Tbilisi to Batumi one way: Tbilisi and Mtskheta, Gori and Uplistsikhe, Borjomi and Vardzia, Kutaisi and the canyons, then Batumi. Drop the car off at Batumi Airport and fly out.
- 10 days, the full loop: Tbilisi, Kazbegi, Kakheti, Borjomi, Kutaisi, Svaneti (4x4), Batumi, back along the highway. See our Georgia road trip itinerary.
Going somewhere else? We wrote this list from the routes our customers book most, but every trip is different. If your route is different, or you want to combine several regions, message us on WhatsApp (+995 591 89 60 60) and we will plan a custom route with you: the right car for the roads, pickup and drop-off in different cities, and honest advice on driving times.
Before you drive to the best places to visit in Georgia
You need a licence that is valid in Georgia (an International Driving Permit if your licence is not from a Vienna Convention country, including the US), the deposit is $200, insurance and unlimited mileage are included in every rental, and the minimum rental is 3 days. Fuel is full-to-full. Our driving in Georgia guide covers the rules, fines and road conditions in more detail.