Region guide
Samegrelo & Svaneti
- Best time
- July to mid-September is the season for Svaneti trekking, when the passes are clear and village guesthouses are open; late September brings autumn colour but colder nights and closing guesthouses. Skiing runs from late December to early April, and the Samegrelo lowlands are most comfortable from April to June and in September and October, avoiding the hot, humid peak of summer.
- How long
- 4–6 days
- Places
- 26 in our guide
- Tours
- 11 tours visit Samegrelo & Svaneti
Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti runs from the humid Black Sea lowlands around Zugdidi up to the highest villages of the Greater Caucasus. Two very different worlds share one region. Samegrelo, the lowland half, is Megrelian country: green, subtropical and known across Georgia for spicy food, the Dadiani princes' palace in Zugdidi and the river canyons around Martvili. Upper Svaneti, reached by a mountain road past the Enguri Dam, is a high valley ringed by glaciers and peaks over 4,000 m, including Ushba and Shkhara, Georgia's highest mountain. Its villages bristle with medieval stone defence towers, and the Svans keep their own language, songs and festivals.
Most travellers come for Svaneti. Mestia, the main town at about 1,500 m, is the base for day hikes to the Koruldi Lakes and the Chalaadi Glacier, for skiing at Hatsvali and Tetnuldi, and for the classic four-day trek to Ushguli, a UNESCO-listed cluster of tower villages at about 2,100 m. Samegrelo makes a natural stop on the way: break the long drive from Tbilisi with a boat ride through Martvili Canyon, a walk around the late antique fortress at Nokalakevi, or a long lunch of elarji and kharcho in Zugdidi. Summer is the main season in the mountains, while the lowlands are pleasant from spring to autumn.
Why visit Samegrelo & Svaneti
- Trek from Mestia to Ushguli over four days, staying overnight in village guesthouses
- See Ushguli's UNESCO-listed tower houses below Shkhara, Georgia's highest peak
- Explore Svan defence towers and medieval icons in Mestia and the Svaneti Museum
- Ride an inflatable boat through the turquoise Martvili Canyon
- Visit the Dadiani Palace in Zugdidi, home of the last rulers of Mingrelia
- Hike to the Koruldi Lakes for views of Ushba
- Ski at Tetnuldi and Hatsvali from late December to early April
- Eat kubdari in Svaneti and elarji, gebzhalia and kharcho in Samegrelo
Top things to do in Samegrelo & Svaneti
Take a boat across Paliastomi Lake in Kolkheti National Park
Boat routes of about 3 km to more than 10 km cross the lake on Poti's southern edge, and some turn up the tree-lined Pichori River. Go early in the day and bring binoculars: almost 200 bird species have been recorded in the park.
See Poti's copy of Hagia Sophia
Poti Cathedral was built in 1906 and 1907 on the model of the great church in Istanbul, during the years when Niko Nikoladze ran the town. Pair it with the 1864 lighthouse and a stroll along the Rioni, the river the Greeks called Phasis.
Find the Dadiani family church at Khobi
The 13th-century convent at Nojikhevi, just north of Khobi, was the abbey and burial place of the princes of Mingrelia, and Dadiani portraits survive on its walls. See it on the same day as the Dadiani Palace in Zugdidi, half an hour up the road.
Float through Martvili Canyon, then climb to Martvili Monastery
Take the short boat ride between the mossy canyon walls early, before the tour groups, then drive south to the hilltop cathedral of the Chkondidi bishops. If you have time, quieter Balda Canyon is about 20 minutes north.
Walk the walls of Archaeopolis at Nokalakevi
Climb from the river loop to the citadel of the old Lazic stronghold, which a Persian army failed to take in the 6th century. The small site museum shows finds reaching back to the 8th century BC.
Break the drive to Svaneti at the Enguri Dam
The 271.5 m arch dam near Jvari is the classic photo stop on the way to Mestia. With an extra hour, detour to Tsalenjikha to see frescoes painted by an artist from Constantinople in the late 14th century.
Look for a king's coronation in Latali
In the Matskhvarishi church, painted in 1140 by Mikael Maglakeli, a fresco shows King Demetre I crowned by an archangel. It is 15 to 20 minutes west of Mestia, so it fits into an arrival day or a trip to Mazeri.
Join the Kvirikoba pilgrimage at Lagurka on 28 July
Svans from all over the region climb to the hillside church of Saints Kvirike and Ivlita above Khe for their patron saints' feast. On any summer day, the steep walk up makes a good break on the road to Ushguli.
Hike from Mestia to the Koruldi Lakes or the Chalaadi Glacier
Koruldi is a long, steep day to small lakes at about 2,740 m facing Ushba, while Chalaadi is an easy forest walk of a few hours to a glacier snout. Many walkers do one on each of two days.
Sleep in Ushguli and walk towards the Shkhara Glacier
Stay the night to see the tower houses in the calm of early morning, then follow the upper Enguri for a round trip of about 16 km to the ice below Georgia's highest mountain. Call in at Lamaria Church as you leave the village.
Cities, towns & villages
Places to see in Samegrelo & Svaneti
Suggested itineraries
Samegrelo lowlands in one day from Kutaisi
- Morning: Martvili Canyon and Martvili Monastery
Leave Kutaisi early and drive about an hour to the canyon visitor centre at Inchkhuri, aiming for the first boats of the day. Afterwards it is a short drive south to Martvili Monastery on its hill above the town.
- Midday: Nokalakevi
Continue west for about 40 minutes to the ruins of Archaeopolis in a bend of the Tekhuri River. Give the walls, the citadel and the small museum an hour and a half, then have lunch in nearby Senaki.
- Afternoon: Khobi Monastery and Zugdidi
From Senaki it is under 30 minutes to Khobi Monastery and another half hour to Zugdidi, where the Dadiani Palace and its garden fill the rest of the afternoon. Sleep in Zugdidi or drive about 1.5 hours back to Kutaisi.
From the coast to Ushguli in three days
- Day 1: Poti, Kolkheti National Park and Khobi
Drive about 1 hour 15 minutes north from Batumi to Poti for a morning boat trip on Paliastomi Lake and a look at the cathedral. In the afternoon head inland for 40 minutes to Khobi Monastery, then 30 minutes on to Zugdidi for the Dadiani Palace and a Megrelian dinner.
- Day 2: Up the Enguri to Mestia
Leave Zugdidi in the morning and stop after about 40 minutes at the Enguri Dam. The mountain road then takes around 2 hours to Latali, where the 1140 frescoes of Matskhvarishi are worth an hour, and Mestia is 15 to 20 minutes beyond. Finish the day at the Svaneti Museum.
- Day 3: Lagurka and Ushguli
Drive about an hour towards Ushguli and climb from Khe to Lagurka Church, then carry on for roughly half an hour to Ushguli. Walk up to Lamaria Church and through Chazhashi, and then sleep in a guesthouse or drive back to Mestia, which is about 1.5 hours away.
Samegrelo & Svaneti at a glance
Most travellers drive or take a marshrutka via Zugdidi, about 1.5 hours from Kutaisi airport, then climb 3 more hours past the Enguri Dam to Mestia; weather-dependent small planes also fly in from Natakhtari near Tbilisi.
Hiking in Samegrelo & Svaneti
Getting here: routes
MestiaPhoto: Q-lieb-in, CC BY-SA 4.0Kutaisi → Mestia
About 240 km from Kutaisi via Martvili or Senaki and Zugdidi, then up the Enguri gorge. Around 4.5 hours of driving, which leaves time for a canyon walk and the Enguri Dam on the way.
- CheapestMarshrutka · about $3.7
- FastestFlight · About 40 min
MestiaPhoto: Q-lieb-in, CC BY-SA 4.0Tbilisi → Mestia
About 460 km across the whole country, west on the main highway to Zugdidi and then 135 km up the Enguri gorge into Svaneti. It is a long day by road, a slow day by train and minibus, or one hour in a small plane when the weather allows.
- CheapestTrain · about $6
- FastestFlight · About 1 h in the air
Festivals in Samegrelo & Svaneti
A winter night of burning torches in Upper Svaneti, held to honour the dead and to call for a good spring.
28 Jul 2027 (expected)Kvirikoba (Kala, Svaneti)Svaneti's most sacred feast, held at a remote 10th-century church above the village of Kala.
31 Oct – 1 Nov 2026Phazisoba (Poti City Day)Poti's city festival, named after Phasis, the ancient Greek trading town that stood at the mouth of the Rioni.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Zugdidi, the regional capital, is about 320 km west of Tbilisi, roughly 5 hours by car on the main east-west highway. A daily train from Tbilisi to Zugdidi takes about 5.5 hours, and in season marshrutkas to Mestia wait near Zugdidi station. Mestia is a further 130 km, about 3 hours by car or 3.5 to 4 hours by marshrutka, on a paved mountain road past the Enguri Dam. Direct marshrutkas from Tbilisi to Mestia take 8 to 9 hours. Small planes fly to Mestia from Natakhtari airfield near Tbilisi in about an hour, and less often from Kutaisi, weather permitting. Kutaisi International Airport is about 1.5 hours by car from Zugdidi and about 1 hour from Martvili.
Getting around
A car gives the most freedom in Samegrelo, where Martvili Canyon, Balda Canyon, Nokalakevi and the Dadiani Palace are spread along small country roads; marshrutkas link the towns but rarely run to the sights themselves. In Svaneti, the roads from Zugdidi to Mestia and from Mestia to Ushguli are now paved, so an ordinary car manages them in summer. For Ushguli, the Koruldi Lakes, Mazeri or the Chalaadi trailhead, most visitors hire a driver or join a shared 4x4 from central Mestia. In winter, check road and avalanche conditions before driving beyond Mestia.
Best time to visit
July to mid-September is the season for Svaneti trekking, when the passes are clear and village guesthouses are open; late September brings autumn colour but colder nights and closing guesthouses. Skiing runs from late December to early April, and the Samegrelo lowlands are most comfortable from April to June and in September and October, avoiding the hot, humid peak of summer.
Where to stay
Food & wine in Samegrelo & Svaneti
Samegrelo's native red grape is Ojaleshi, and Salkhino Ojaleshi, named after a village in the Martvili area, is a protected appellation for dry red wine. Svaneti is too high for vineyards, so wine in the mountains comes from the lowlands.
Samegrelo & Svaneti: frequently asked questions
How do I get from Tbilisi to Mestia?
Drive about 450 km (8 to 9 hours) via Kutaisi and Zugdidi, take a direct marshrutka (8 to 9 hours), or ride the daily train to Zugdidi (about 5.5 hours) and continue by marshrutka (3.5 to 4 hours). Small planes fly from Natakhtari near Tbilisi to Mestia in about an hour, but seats are few and flights depend on the weather.
Can you visit Ushguli as a day trip from Mestia?
Yes. Ushguli is about 45 km from Mestia on a road that has been paved in recent years, so the drive takes around 1.5 hours each way. Shared 4x4s and taxis leave central Mestia in the morning in summer. Staying a night is better if you can, so you see the towers in morning light and have time to walk towards the Shkhara Glacier.
When is the best time to visit Svaneti?
For hiking, July to mid-September, when snow has cleared from the passes and river levels are lower. June is green but trails can still hold snow, and many guesthouses close from late September. Late December to early April is ski season at Hatsvali and Tetnuldi.
Do I need a guide for the Mestia to Ushguli trek?
Most fit hikers walk it independently in summer. The route follows village paths and marked trails, with guesthouses every night, but signage is patchy on the first day and you must ford the Adishchala River or hire a horse to cross. Carry an offline map, start early, and consider a guide outside July to September.
What food should I try in Samegrelo and Svaneti?
In Samegrelo, try elarji (cornmeal with stretchy sulguni), gebzhalia (cheese rolls in mint and matsoni), walnut-rich Megrelian kharcho and the red chilli paste ajika. In Svaneti, order kubdari (meat-filled bread) and tashmijabi (cheesy mashed potatoes), and take home a bag of Svanetian salt.
Tours that visit Samegrelo & Svaneti
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