Journal

The Justvia Journal

Honest guides and stories about travelling in Georgia, in the Caucasus, written for UK travellers. Choose what to read below.

Medieval Svan towers at dusk in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
Solo travel

Walking in Georgia as a Solo Traveller

Safety, the single-supplement trap, group life and reaching Svaneti: an honest guide to going on your own.

Read the guide →
A private guesthouse bedroom in Mestia, Svaneti, Georgia
Solo travel · Money

Walking Holidays with No Single Supplement

What the surcharge really is, when it is fair, and the five checks that stop you paying for an empty bed.

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A woman hiking a mountain trail in Svaneti, Georgia
Solo travel · Safety

Is Georgia Safe for Solo Female Travellers?

The question behind half our enquiries, answered honestly: cities, mountains, culture and the risks that are real.

Read the answer →
The Shkhara glacier at the head of the Ushguli valley, Svaneti, Georgia
Route guide

Mestia to Ushguli: The Classic Trek

What the four-day traverse asks of you, why published route figures disagree, and how to tell which style of Svaneti week is yours.

Read the route guide →
Rider on horseback above a glacial river valley in Svaneti, Georgia
On the trail

The Adishi River Crossing, Honestly

The one moment on the Mestia to Ushguli trek everyone asks about: how the river changes by season and hour, and when to take the horse.

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Guesthouse lounge in Mestia, Svaneti, Georgia
Where you sleep

A Night in a Svaneti Guesthouse

The room, the bathroom, the dinner table and the morning, described the way they actually are.

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Svan towers lit at dusk in Mestia, Svaneti, Georgia
Planning

Mestia or Ushguli: Where to Base Yourself

A town with cash machines and day walks, or stone villages under Shkhara that go quiet in the evening. How to choose.

Read the comparison →
Medieval Svan towers below Mount Shkhara near Ushguli, Georgia
Itinerary

A Week in Svaneti, Day by Day

Not the brochure version: what eight days in the high Caucasus actually feel like, from landing to leaving.

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Autumn larches in Svaneti, Georgia
Guide

Why Svaneti in Autumn?

Golden larches, clear skies, quiet medieval villages and the harvest table. The case for the autumn season.

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Svaneti village and Caucasus peaks, Georgia
For UK travellers

Georgia for First-Timers

Visas for British passports, flights from London, money, language and safety: the honest UK guide.

Read the guide →
Autumn valley in Svaneti, Georgia
Wellbeing & travel

Your Mind Is Not Broken, It's Just Tired

Why a week in the mountains of Georgia might be the most rational decision a burned-out person can make.

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Ripe grapes on the vine in Georgia's Kakheti wine country
Food & wine

Kakheti: Inside Georgia's Wine Country

The 8,000-year-old wine tradition, the harvest, and the slow pleasure of an eastern Georgian table.

Coming soon
Hiker with a backpack on a trail in the Caucasus mountains, Georgia
Practical

What to Pack for the Caucasus

A simple, season-by-season packing list for hiking and travelling in the Georgian mountains.

Coming soon
Warm Svaneti tour, Georgia
Tour

Warm Svaneti · 8 days

Our flagship small-group autumn journey through the towers and trails of Svaneti.

See the tour →