A two-week loop from Tbilisi: the vineyards of Kakheti, the Georgian Military Road to the foot of Kazbek, the monasteries of Imereti, then the Svan towers of Mestia in the heart of the Greater Caucasus. You drive on the right, but between unfenced cows, lorries heading for Russia and gorge roads, driving demands constant attention.
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
May to October, when the Military Road and Svaneti are clear. In winter, the Jvari Pass often closes because of snow or avalanches, and Ushguli stays snowbound for nearly six months a year.
🚗 109 km · 1h40 of driving from Tbilisi
S5 via Sagarejo, then up to Sighnaghi. Blind overtaking and livestock on the road.
🚗 255 km · 4h of driving from Sighnaghi
Tbilisi ring road, then the S3, the Military Road, via Ananuri, Gudauri and the Jvari Pass. A long day, with queues of lorries heading for Russia.
🚗 317 km · 4h35 of driving from Stepantsminda
Down the S3 to Mtskheta, then the S1: motorway to Surami, then the Rikoti Pass. A long leg, set off early.
🚗 58 km · 1h15 of driving from Kutaisi
Minor roads north-west via Prometheus Cave. Narrow carriageway, potholes possible.
🚗 174 km · 4h45 of driving from Martvili
Via Jvari, then the mountain road up the Enguri Gorge: bends, falling rocks, livestock. Never in the rain or at night.
🚗 145 km · 4h of driving from Mestia
The same gorge road back down to Jvari, then the Mingrelian plain to Zugdidi.
🚗 319 km · 4h30 of driving from Zugdidi
Leave out the mountainous west: Tbilisi (2 nights), Sighnaghi (1), Stepantsminda (2), Kutaisi (1), then back to Tbilisi on the S1. Martvili and Svaneti add five nights to this loop.
| Car hire only, August | ≈ €53 a day |
|---|---|
| Car hire only, January | ≈ €36 a day |
| Small car, average | ≈ €25 a day (Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
| SUV, average | ≈ €54 a day |
| Vehicle | A saloon is enough on this tarmac loop. The French Foreign Ministry considers a 4x4 preferable on minor roads. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | Tbilisi airport, returned to the same place: it is a loop, so no one-way fee. |
| Local hire companies | Booked online: low or no deposit, sometimes no credit card needed, insurance often included. |
| Age | Local firms: 21 with 2 years' driving experience, full fleet at 23. International firms: often 25. |
| Prohibited areas | Typical contracts: Truso, Juta, Tusheti, Shatili, Abkhazia, South Ossetia. Leaving the country is forbidden. |
| Svaneti | The Mestia, Ushguli, Lentekhi road is allowed only from 1 May to 30 September, with the hire company's consent. |
⚠️ Juta, Truso, Tusheti and Shatili are often among the contract's prohibited areas: once there, take a local jeep with driver.
Accepted for a short stay. The French Foreign Ministry strongly recommends an International Driving Permit, which some hire companies require. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. Blind overtaking is common: keep your distance and drive carefully.
60 in built-up areas, 90 on main roads, 110 on motorways (Tbilisi to Surami). 20 in residential zones.
The legal limit; the French Foreign Ministry states 0 g/l. Offence: at least 6 months' driving ban.
Cows on the road, in towns as in the mountains. Be extremely careful at night and when coming out of tunnels.
Queues of heavy goods vehicles towards Lars, rockfalls and snow: the Jvari Pass often closes in winter.
Strongly advised against, surrounding areas included, with unmarked boundaries. Russia too: do not go to the Lars crossing.
The French Foreign Ministry advises avoiding the mountains in the rain: landslides in spring, avalanches.
The first thing to do, according to the French Foreign Ministry: the police draw up the report. Fine of 250 lari for the driver at fault.
Holding a phone is banned. Seat belts compulsory in the front. Dipped headlights at night and in bad weather.
≈ €1.36 a litre for petrol (4.06 lari)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 1,377 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €130 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
GlobalPetrolPrices reading of 21 September 2026, at 2.99 lari to €1. Fill up before the Military Road and the climb to Mestia.
| Roads and motorways | Free for cars: no tolls and no vignette (2026) |
|---|---|
| 4x4 taxi to Gergeti | 40 lari return from the main square in Stepantsminda |
| Martvili Canyon | 17.25 lari entry, 2 lari parking, boat 28 lari |
| Shared jeep Mestia-Ushguli | ≈ 50 lari per person (2024) |
| Mestia museum | 10 lari |
| Bagrati Cathedral | Free |
| Jvari Pass (S3, Gudauri-Kobi) | Snow, avalanches, rockfalls: frequent closures, especially in winter |
|---|---|
| Kvesheti-Kobi bypass and its tunnel | Under construction, opening expected in 2027 or 2028 |
| Mestia-Ushguli road | Snowbound in winter; local jeep advised out of season |
| Ushguli-Lentekhi (Zagari Pass) | Hire cars allowed only from 1 May to 30 September |
| Lars border crossing (Russia) | The only crossing into Russia, which is strongly advised against |
Allow 13 to 14 days for this loop of 7 stages and 13 nights from Tbilisi: Kakheti, the Military Road to Kazbegi, Kutaisi, Martvili and Svaneti. In 7 days, leave out Svaneti and Martvili: Tbilisi, Sighnaghi, Stepantsminda and Kutaisi. Several legs involve more than four hours of mountain driving.
Car only: about €690 over 13 days in August (€53 a day, Kayak average), around €470 in January (€36 a day). Petrol costs about €1.36 a litre (September 2026) and there are no toll roads. Entry fees are modest: 17.25 lari for Martvili Canyon, 10 lari for the Mestia museum.
Not for this loop: the roads to Kazbegi and Mestia, and almost all of the road to Ushguli, are tarmac. The French Foreign Ministry nevertheless considers a 4x4 preferable on the damaged minor roads. For Juta, Truso or Tusheti, often banned by hire contracts, take a local jeep: 40 lari return to Gergeti, 50 lari per person to Ushguli.
A French licence is accepted and tolerated by the police for a short stay, but the French Foreign Ministry strongly recommends an International Driving Permit, and some hire companies require one. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required. Since 1 January 2026, you also need health and accident insurance of at least 30,000 lari, written in English, which may be checked at the border.
Road safety is poor according to the French Foreign Ministry: blind overtaking, cows on the road, potholes off the main routes, and Tbilisi accounts for nearly half of all accidents. Avoid driving at night and in the mountains in the rain, and stay well away from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are strongly advised against.
In principle yes, but the Jvari Pass, at 2,379 m between Gudauri and Kobi, often closes because of snow, avalanches or rockfalls. The Kvesheti-Kobi tunnel bypass is not expected before 2027 or 2028. In summer, the main hold-up is the queues of lorries climbing to the Russian border.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/georgia · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
