10-Day Georgia Itinerary Under $1,300: Tbilisi, Kakheti, Kazbegi & Batumi

A 10-day loop through Georgia — Tbilisi's Old Town, a Kakheti wine day trip, the Gergeti Trinity Church above Kazbegi, Kutaisi, and the Black Sea in Batumi — costs roughly $1,150–$1,300 per person, including a round-trip US flight (about $700–$800), nine nights of guesthouses and hostels (about $150), and all ground transport and tours. The Georgian Lari trades around $0.38 to the dollar, so most single purchases on the ground land under $5.

• Tbilisi (4 nights): Old Town, Narikala cable car, sulphur baths — dorms from $8/night
• Kakheti day trip: group wine tour with tastings, Bodbe Monastery, and Sighnaghi — from $70
• Kazbegi day trip: marshrutka to Stepantsminda and the Gergeti Trinity Church hike — about $11 round trip
• Kutaisi (1 night): Prometheus Cave and Bagrati Cathedral — train from Tbilisi, 33 GEL
• Batumi (4 nights): Black Sea boulevard, Botanical Garden, seafood — dorms from $9/night

Tbilisi: 4 nights, dorms from $8

Base yourself in the Old Town (Kala) or near Rustaveli Avenue, where hostel dorm beds run $8–14 a night and average listings sit closer to $16–20 according to Hostelworld's current Tbilisi listings. Spend a day on foot through Abanotubani's sulphur-bath district, up the Narikala cable car (2.5 GEL each way from Rike Park, plus a one-time 2 GEL MetroMoney card), and across the Bridge of Peace. Khinkali dumplings cost roughly $0.40–0.55 each at a no-frills spot versus $1.50–3 a plate in a sit-down restaurant — a fast way to eat well on very little.

Kakheti wine day trip: from $70

Georgia claims an 8,000-year wine tradition, and Kakheti is where to see it. Group day tours from Tbilisi run about $70 per person and typically bundle hotel pickup, a winery stop with tastings, the Bodbe Monastery of St. Nino, and a walk through the hilltop town of Sighnaghi, as listed on Viator's current Kakheti tour page. Lunch and alcoholic pours beyond the tasting usually cost extra.

Kazbegi and the Gergeti Trinity Church: about $11

Marshrutkas to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) leave Tbilisi's Didube station around 10–11am for roughly 15 GEL one-way, a 3–3.5 hour drive into the Caucasus that passes the Ananuri fortress and the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument. From the village, it's a steep but manageable hour-plus hike (or a shared 4x4 for about 20 GEL per person) up to the Gergeti Trinity Church, with Mount Kazbek behind it. Go and return the same day rather than paying for a second guesthouse night.

Kutaisi: 1 night, Georgian Railway from 33 GEL

Georgia's rail line connects Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi, and second-class tickets can be booked directly through Georgian Railway's official booking site. Break the journey in Kutaisi for Bagrati Cathedral and the Prometheus Cave, where a 1-hour underground route plus the optional boat ride costs 40 GEL entry and 30 GEL for the boat for foreign visitors — about $27 total — per the Agency of Protected Areas' official fee schedule, which raised foreigner pricing above resident rates in 2026. A hostel dorm in Kutaisi runs about $5–15 for one night.

Batumi: 4 nights, dorms from $9

A marshrutka from Kutaisi to Batumi costs about 20 GEL and takes 2.5–4 hours along the E60/E70 highway. In Batumi, hostel dorms start near $4–9 with private rooms closer to $17, per Hostelworld's Batumi listings. Spend the nights on the Black Sea boulevard and Old Boulevard promenade, and at least one afternoon in the Batumi Botanical Garden. For the return to Tbilisi to fly home, the same Georgian Railway route runs the reverse direction in about 5 hours.

Getting there: flights and entry rules

Round-trip flights from the US to Tbilisi typically run $750–$800 booked 60-plus days out, dropping toward $690 in February, historically the cheapest month to fly. US citizens can enter Georgia visa-free with a passport valid at least 6 months beyond arrival, per the Georgian National Tourism Administration's entry requirements page, which as of this writing lists travel insurance as recommended rather than mandatory — worth a final check before you book, since entry rules do change.

People also ask

Do US citizens need a visa for Georgia (the country)?

No. US passport holders can enter Georgia visa-free, per the Georgian National Tourism Administration, though travelers should keep a passport valid at least 6 months beyond their arrival date and carry proof of onward travel.

How much does a day in Georgia (the country) cost?

Outside of flights, a budget traveler can cover lodging, food, and local transport for roughly $40–55 a day: an $8–18 hostel bed, $10–15 in meals eaten at local spots rather than tourist restaurants, and a few dollars in marshrutka or metro fares.

Is Kutaisi worth adding to a Tbilisi–Batumi trip?

Yes, if you have a spare night. It sits directly on the Tbilisi–Batumi rail line, so detouring costs little extra transit time, and it's the easiest base for the Prometheus Cave and Bagrati Cathedral.

What currency should I bring to Georgia?

Bring cards, not cash. Georgian Lari (GEL) is the only legal tender, cards are accepted almost everywhere in cities, and ATMs are widely available; keep some small GEL notes for marshrutkas and rural stops where card readers are less common.

Is Georgia safe for solo travelers?

Generally yes — Georgia is consistently ranked among the safer countries in the region for visitors, including solo female travelers, though the usual precautions around unlit streets and unlicensed taxis at night still apply.

Prices, entry requirements, and schedules were checked against official and current sources as of September 9, 2026. Fees, fares, and visa rules change; confirm details directly with the linked sources before booking.