I sat in a guesthouse in Omalo last summer, drinking homemade chacha with a shepherd who’d never owned a smartphone.
The road up had taken five bone-rattling hours through hairpin turns that would make your grandmother clutch her rosary.
But here’s what hit me: I’d been to Georgia twice before and completely missed this.
Everyone hits Tbilisi, snaps a photo at that church in Kazbegi, maybe does a wine tour in Kakheti.
Then they leave thinking they’ve “done” Georgia.
I did the same thing my first trip.
But the real Georgia – the one that’ll rewire your sense of what travel can be – is hiding in places most people never reach.
Tusheti: Georgia’s Most Remote Mountain Paradise
Tusheti might just be the most beautiful region in Georgia, and it’s also the hardest to reach.
That’s exactly why it’s so special.
All 48 villages are extremely isolated, accessible by one unpaved road that’s only open four or five months a year.
The road itself is an adventure – locals call it one of the most dangerous in the world.
When I finally made it to the medieval village of Dartlo, with its stone towers rising against massive peaks, I understood why people trek for days to get here.
While all mountainous regions in Georgia are remote, Tusheti is the hardest one to access.
There are no ATMs, phone signal is spotty at best, and you’ll stay with families in their homes.
My host family served me food I couldn’t pronounce and told stories I barely understood through hand gestures and laughter.
It was perfect.
My tip: Don’t even think about visiting between October and June – the pass is buried under snow and completely impassable.
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Khevsureti: The Region Even Georgians Forget About
Combining the scenery of Tusheti with the cultural monuments of Svaneti, Khevsureti might just be the perfect mountain destination in Georgia.
Yet most visitors to Georgia overlook it completely.
I spent three days based in Shatili, a fortress village that looks like it was built by giants stacking stone Lego blocks.
Known as the ‘Land of Valleys,’ this historic highland region features fairytale-like landscapes and medieval towers.
The thing about Khevsureti is that it feels genuinely untouched.
Improved roads make it relatively accessible, yet it still has a remote, untouched feel.
I hiked to Mutso, an abandoned fortress clinging to a cliff face, and didn’t see another soul for hours.
The towers here tell stories of warriors and ancient feuds.
The road isn’t as bad as Tusheti’s, but it’s still an unsealed, narrow, windy mountain road prone to mudslides.
Worth every second of white-knuckle driving.
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Get Your Guide Now$15.99David Gareja: The Desert Monastery Nobody Expects
Here’s something wild: St.
David Garejeli and monks carved more than 5,000 cells from colorful rock, ranging from tiny chambers to sprawling monasteries.
And it’s sitting in what basically looks like a semi-desert, just 90 minutes from Tbilisi.
The landscape around David Gareja feels completely alien to what you expect from Georgia.
Rainbow mountains with red hematite and yellow limonite create a surreal, colorful landscape.
I wandered through cave monasteries decorated with frescoes that have survived since medieval times.
The monks still live here, making wine and honey like they have for centuries.
Fair warning: Access to the lower monastery is unrestricted, but Udabno Monastery remains closed due to border issues with Azerbaijan.
Still absolutely worth the trip.
Bring water and sun protection – this place gets scorching hot and there’s zero shade.
Uplistsikhe: The Ancient Cave City Time Forgot
Dating back to the 1st or 2nd millennium BC, Uplistsikhe is an ancient rock-hewn city with temples, tunnels, and 700 dwellings carved into cliffs.
I’m talking about a full city carved from rock, perched above a river valley.
Most travelers blow past this on their way to other destinations.
Big mistake.
I spent an entire afternoon exploring chambers that once housed pagan rituals, then early Christian refugees.
The amphitheater once hosted gatherings and performances, with a ceiling showing Roman influence.
You can see where ancient Georgia mixed with Greek, Roman, and Persian influences.
The whole place tells the story of a civilization adapting and surviving.
What I love most is that you can actually walk through these spaces freely – touching walls that people carved thousands of years ago.
It’s less than two hours from Tbilisi and gets a fraction of the visitors it deserves.
Vardzia: The Massive Cave City Built By A Queen
This underground monastery was built in the 12th century under King Tamar – the first woman crowned as king in Georgian history – until an earthquake exposed it.
We’re talking about a cave city with 13 levels.
Thirteen.
I climbed through tunnels connecting churches, living quarters, and wine cellars, all carved deep into a cliff face.
The scale is absolutely mind-blowing.
Standing in the main church, looking at frescoes of Queen Tamar herself, I felt the weight of history.
This wasn’t just a monastery – it was a hidden fortress city that could house thousands.
It’s a bit of a journey to get there, but visiting Vardzia, maybe combined with Akhaltsikhe and Borjomi, creates a memorable experience.
The southern route through Georgia gets way less traffic than the north, which means you’ll have these incredible sites mostly to yourself.
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Racha: The Mountain Region Georgians Keep Secret
Racha is the region where local Georgians vacation, regarded as their number one mountain resort.
That tells you everything.
I barely met any international tourists in Racha, but I met plenty of Georgian families escaping Tbilisi’s summer heat.
Known for rare Khvanchkara wine, this lush, mountainous region offers authentic Georgian hospitality.
The wine here is different from Kakheti – richer, sweeter, more complex.
I stayed in a family guesthouse where the grandmother insisted on teaching me to make khachapuri at 6 AM.
The mountains aren’t as dramatic as Svaneti, but there’s something peaceful about Racha.
It feels like the Georgia that existed before tourism became a thing.
If you’re basing your stay in Kutaisi, Racha is a good alternative that can be done in 2-3 nights.
Gomismta: Above The Clouds
Gomismta is a small mountain settlement with wooden cabins perched above the clouds in western Georgia’s Guria Municipality.
I’m not being poetic – you literally wake up above a sea of clouds.
This place barely exists on tourist maps, which is criminal.
The wooden cabins look like something out of a fairy tale, sitting at elevations where the air gets thin and everything feels sharper.
Sunrise here was one of those moments where you just stand there with your coffee, not saying anything, just taking it in.
Known for mineral waters and clean alpine air, cloud chasing is a popular pursuit in summer.
It’s the kind of place where you go to unplug completely.
No wifi, no schedule, just mountains and sky and silence.
Perfect if you need to reset your brain after city overload.
Lagodekhi National Park: Wildlife In The Wild
Located in eastern Georgia, this pristine wilderness features dense forests, breathtaking waterfalls, and rare species like the Caucasian red deer.
Everyone flocks to Kazbegi for mountain hiking, but Lagodekhi offers something totally different.
This is proper wilderness – the kind where you actually need to pay attention to bear safety.
I hiked to a waterfall through forests so thick the temperature dropped 10 degrees.
The trails here range from easy day hikes to serious multi-day treks.
I spotted golden eagles, heard wolves howling at night (from the safety of my tent, thank you very much), and felt genuinely off-grid.
The park sits right on the border with Russia and Dagestan, which adds this edge-of-the-world vibe.
Bring proper hiking boots and don’t rely on your phone – coverage is basically nonexistent once you’re in the forest.
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At 1,950 meters above sea level, Bakhmaro is the highest climactic resort in Georgia.
Summer brings incredible hiking and sunset views, while winter offers backcountry skiing.
This off-the-beaten-path destination offers hiking in summer and backcountry skiing in winter, known for its spruce forests.
I visited in August and the wildflowers were insane – entire meadows painted purple and yellow.
Local shepherds bring their livestock up here for summer grazing, which means fresh cheese and a way of life that hasn’t changed in centuries.
Visit on August 19 for the annual Bakhmaro Cup, a lively horse race and cultural celebration.
The resort vibe is super low-key – this isn’t Aspen, it’s wooden cottages and friendly locals who are genuinely surprised to see foreigners.
The drive up is spectacular and slightly terrifying in equal measure.
Tsikhisdziri: Decaying Mansions By The Sea
Sitting at the foot of Roman-era Petra Fortress, decaying dachas that once belonged to Russian generals lie hidden in thickets.
This place is straight out of a ghost story in the best possible way.
I explored abandoned mansions slowly being reclaimed by subtropical vegetation, their grand staircases leading nowhere.
Castelo Mare hotel sits where a general’s summer house once stood, while Shukura Tsikhisdziri is a beach bar partially set inside a forgotten mansion.
Having a drink in a beach bar built into a 19th-century mansion ruin while the Black Sea crashes below is incredibly surreal.
It’s a 40-minute drive north of Batumi via the old coastal road.
Most people stick to Batumi’s modern waterfront and miss this entirely.
Their loss.
Chiatura: The Cable Car City Frozen In Time
This Soviet-era mining town has a massive Ferroalloy Plant that’s been operating 24/7 since 1933.
But here’s the wild part: the whole city is connected by ancient Soviet cable cars that still run daily.
Workers commute to work dangling in rusty metal boxes over the valley.
I rode one and honestly, it felt sketchy and thrilling in equal parts.
The city is home to Georgia’s finest Soviet-era mosaics, with incredible panels scattered around downtown.
The Swimming Pool Mosaic is absolutely stunning – recently restored and worth the trip alone.
Chiatura feels like stepping into a time machine set to 1975.
It’s gritty, industrial, and unlike anything else in Georgia.
Not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you love Soviet history and aren’t afraid of a little decay, this place is gold.
