Cycling in Georgia - how to plan a bike tour through the Caucasus
Cycling in Georgia and the Caucasus - mountain routes, the best season, roads and traffic, where to sleep, food and supplies, and tips for your tour.
· 5 min
About
Georgia is a raw and beautiful country, with a lot of different landscapes, a lot of historical buildings like holy monasteries. Georgia even makes good wines and has a small ski area.
Last updated 22 May 2021 by Bas IdsingaEdit
Visa
94 countries can enter Georgia visa free. Your passport must be valid for 6 months.
Source: Wikipedia.
Last updated 25 Mar 2021 by Cycle PlanetEdit
Where to get a visa for Georgia (1)
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Border crossings (1)
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Sleeping
Staying with locals
If you ask people if you can camp, they warn about "banditi" and often you are invited to their home. Just respond to that! Be prepared for a lot of food and alcohol.
Ho(s)tels
The big cities do have some nice hostels where a lot of backpackers stay as well.
There are also plenty of reasonable hotels in villages and towns. Sometimes there is only an intourist hotel from the Soviet era. Here it is often a large rubbish bin with only a few renovated rooms, which is still nothing. These hotels are also often too expensive.
Last updated 22 May 2021 by Wereldfietser.nl / Vakantiefietser.beEdit
Safety
You might find stories about Georgia being unsafe, but this seems something from the past. Nowadays, Georgia is a wonderful country to cycle through, with very friendly people.
Traffic
The highways are very reasonable, to super tight. For example between Gori and Tblisi. Thanks to the French. The other roads are bad to exceptionally bad. (Worse than in Albania or Morocco, comparably bad as in Ukraine.) The latter type requires a lot of technical skill from the cyclist. An average speed of 15 km / h - on flat terrain - is then already high. The effort is rewarded with exuberant nature.
Nature and animals
In the region on the border of Azerbijan the Azerbaijanis (semi-nomads) live. These people are in possession of very large false dogs that run free. These dogs are used to scare away the wolves. You also regularly see fake dogs on a chain.
Last updated 22 May 2021 by Wereldfietser.nl / Vakantiefietser.beEdit
Transport
Train
No problem. Can join for free.
Bus
In Georgia, they have marschutka's, which is like a combination of a bus and a taxi. There are no time tables, and you can get in and out when you want. They do drive specific routes, so you just have to ask for the right line.
It's no problem to take your bike on a . Inexperienced drivers take the bike for free, others can charge a surcharge (+ 100%). But even then, it remains an inexpensive way to make miles quickly. A very dangerous alternative - they, and otherwise the other road users, drive like crazy.
Last updated 22 May 2021 by Bas IdsingaEdit
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Georgia is really fantastic. The basis is bread (khachapuri) often filled with cheese, meat or mushrooms. People also eat chinkhali, dough filled with seasoned minced meat and cooked in broth. There are many vegetables available in restaurants. The local drink is "cha-cha", which is even stronger than vodka.
Supra is an ancient eating and drinking ritual in the Caucasus. A Tamada is assigned to it. He will give a sermon for 10 minutes and until then you are not allowed to drink. After this follows the Gaumarjos (cheers) and then you have to drink your glass of wine in one go. When the ritual ends, usually after 4 liters of wine, a toast is made to the deceased.
Supermarkets
In the mountains, the shops are less well sorted, but there is enough.
Restaurants
Eating out is cheap. In the big cities there are also Turkish restaurants.
Drinkable water
Gudy and John: "We filtered water in the cities, but in the mountains there are springs, complete with bubbles."
Last updated 22 May 2021 by Wereldfietser.nl / Vakantiefietser.beEdit
Other
Best time to cycle
Spring and fall are best. The passes can still be closed in the spring.
Spare parts
There is no cycling in Georgia, so there are no bicycle shops anywhere. Bring enough spare material with you.
Last updated 22 May 2021 by Wereldfietser.nl / Vakantiefietser.beEdit