Day 1
Welcome to Kutaisi
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Touch down at Kutaisi International Airport where your host will be waiting to take you straight to your nearby hotel. Get settled in and then rest up in preparation for the challenge ahead.

Real people, real adventures.
Take on sections of the pioneering Transcaucasian Trail, all the way to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ushguli
Explore the majestic alpine scenery of ancient Upper Svaneti, one of the wildest and most remote regions of Georgia
Tuck into hearty mountain food to fuel your hikes through the Caucasus and sample natural wines, Georgian-style
Want to explore beyond the Caucasus? Hike, horseride and e-bike through wine country on our Ultimate Adventure in Georgia
Day 1
Touch down at Kutaisi International Airport where your host will be waiting to take you straight to your nearby hotel. Get settled in and then rest up in preparation for the challenge ahead.
Day 2
Time for a road trip through this little-visited land, stopping for a traditional lunch of khachapuri (delicious cheese bread) in a local market. The winding mountain road will pass by the second-highest arch dam in the world, the Enguri Dam, where you can pause for a leg stretch. Continue your journey up into the Svaneti Region, on to the small town of Becho where you’ll overnight in a local guesthouse.
Day 3
After a hearty breakfast, you'll set out from your guesthouse for your first hike of the trip. Rising up though woodland, the trail will take around 5hrs to ascend to foot of the mighty Mount Ushba (4700m), starting out as a gradual climb but then steepening as you get further up. This beautiful route will bring you to the Ushba (Shdugvra) Waterfalls where you can enjoy spectacular views of the Laila mountain range. On the way down, the group will stop near a bridge to meet the local transport and drive back down to the guesthouse to collect your luggage. You'll then transfer onwards to the town of Mestia for your overnight stop.
Day 4
Fuel up on a giant homemade breakfast ready for another magnificent day of trekking. Today you'll set out on foot from Mestia, the principal town of the Svaneti, past stone defensive towers called "Svan Towers". Head up the valley on rugged jeep trails up through forest and alpine meadows to a pass at the foot of Mount Khakiani (3702m). From there you'll have expansive views of the Mulkhra Valley to the east, with the towering peaks of Tetnuldi (4858m) and Gistola (4860m) in the distance. Descend down the pass and along the valley to village of Zhabeshi for your overnight
Day 5
Today you'll hike out of the Mulkhra Valley over the Tetnuldi Pass (2500m) and down to the ancient village of Adishi, famed for four deeply historic churches dating as far as the 9th-14th centuries. It's another big day of hiking in spectacular mountain surroundings with glaciers and snowcapped 4,000m peaks on show. You’ll know you’ve arrived in Adishi when the trail descends and its medieval monuments and iconic Svan towers come into view. Enjoy the warm Georgian hospitality for another evening at your local guesthouse.
Day 6
Following the trail towards the Adishi Glacier, you'll cross the Adishichala River with horses and then begin the uphill journey to the Chkhutnieri Pass (2750m), the highest point of the trek. From the top of the pass you can enjoy stunning views of the Caucasus mountains and glaciers. Descend down to the historical village of Khalde, and then continuing on to Iparli, arriving at your guesthouse late afternoon for some downtime before dinner.
Day 7
Today begins with a (short) scenic drive to the settlement of Ushguli (2000m), located in the very east of the Svaneti region. Ushguli’s medieval constructions are under the protection of UNESCO World Heritage because of their historical importance. It was part of the so-called “Free Svaneti” as for centuries the people here defended the region against numerous attacks. The Church of Saint Mary is located on one of the highest points in Ushguli and it is also the home to the remnants of one of the most ancient fortresses of the Svaneti, with 37 Svan towers, dating back to the reign of Queen Tamar. The views and surrounding landscape are stunning. In the afternoon, you'll hike up to the edge of the Shkhara Glacier and the source of the Enguri River, before returning to Ushguli for your last night up in the mountains.
Day 8
Enjoy a more relaxed start to the day before driving back to Kutaisi, arriving at around 16:00. Explore the city at leisure – walk the cobbled streets to the Bagrati Cathedral, get lost in the largest, liveliest and most colourful indoor produce market in Georgia, or just stroll around the city, taking in the culture and architecture. When you're ready, return to your hotel and indulge in a last Georgian meal of dumplings and natural wines to bring your trip to a suitable end.
Day 9
Time to say your goodbyes! Head back to Kutaisi Airport in time for your journey home.
All your meals are provided for the duration of the trip. This includes:
Our trips do not include flights, trains or other travel to the start point and back from the end point.
Tips are not included in the trip cost; these are entirely at your discretion. If you would like to tip, the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality.
You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures, and you'll need to provide your policy details before departure. Your insurance should offer adequate cover for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment, and the specific activities involved in your adventure. We also recommend ensuring your policy includes cancellation and curtailment cover, in case you're unable to join your trip due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness.
Standard travel insurance may not cover all the activities included in your adventure, so it's essential to check the details carefully. There are adventure-specific providers that many travellers have used in the past, such as True Traveller (opens in new tab) (for those based in the UK or Europe), or Rise + Shield (opens in new tab), both of which offer cover for a wide range of adventurous activities.
Please make sure your chosen policy meets your individual needs and covers all aspects of your trip.
Visa requirements often change, and you are responsible for obtaining any required visas for this trip. Please check with your nearest embassy or consulate for up-to-date advice.
Food will be a delicious mix of local Svan and Georgian national cuisine, cooked using produce grown or reared by the guesthouse owners themselves. Georgian cuisine is world-renowned for its mix of eastern and Western flavours, aromas and colours and…
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If you are arriving in Kutaisi in the early hours of the morning on Day 1, there is an early check-in option at the hotel which you can request via your booking (subject to availability).
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked on request for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please include this request at the time of booking, as it's subject to availability. Although availability is typically not an issue at the hotel in Kutaisi, private rooms are more limited in the guesthouses.
To request any extras, message your host via your Much Better Adventures account once you have booked your trip.
All extras must be paid before your trip starts.

The terrain on the trail is mixed and ranges from easy jeep paths, forest paths and alpine meadows, to rough rock-strewn climbs as you get closer to the glaciers. Good trekking boots are recommended, well worn-in of course, as are trekking poles.
For 2025 and beyond the itinerary has been updated, based on customer feedback, to make the route require fewer road transfers and allow for more time hiking point-to-point, giving the route a better "flow". The local host believes these changes will enhance the experience even further, as Much Better Adventurers really enjoy hiking in the Svaneti region of Georgia. There are now just two short road transfers within the hiking itinerary once up in the mountains: On Day 3, after you hike to see the Ushba waterfalls, there is a short 15km transfer from the guesthouse in Becho to your accommodation in Mestia. On Day 7, in the morning there is a short 10km transfer by road from Iprali to the historic settlement of Ushguli.
There will be 4x4 vehicle support throughout, so you can leave your main luggage/rucksack in the vehicle and just carry a daypack while trekking.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way. Check out our Community Values – a shared code to make sure that everyone's experience is safe, inclusive and brilliantly unforgettable.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
The average temperature during summer in Georgia typically ranges from 25-35°C in the lower valleys. However, up on the plateaus and high in the mountains it will be colder, especially when exposed to the wind. For every 1000m of ascent, the temperature can be expected to drop by approximately 6.5°C. Mountain climates are notoriously unpredictable so it is essential to bring wet weather gear and layers to adjust your temperature as required. At night temperatures can drop down to 5°C. Dry sunny days are common (sunscreen/sun-protection is important) and rain at this time of year is rare but can happen.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 389kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.

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