Georgia in 4 days: Tbilisi, Mtskheta and Kazbegi

Four days is the shortest trip that gets you from Dubai to a church at 2,170m under a five-thousand-metre peak. Two nights in Tbilisi, one in the mountains, and the visa rule that makes this the easiest border in the region for a UAE resident.

Caucasus
4 days
≈ AED 1,650 / person
A three-night break from the Gulf that still reaches the Caucasus

Researched & checked by Nitesh Parasher Last verified 29 October 2026

Before you go

Four days is a long weekend, and Georgia is one of the few places within three hours of the Gulf where a long weekend reaches real mountains.

Two nights in Tbilisi, one night in the Caucasus, and the Georgian Military Highway in between — which is a drive worth taking for its own sake.

Five days adds the Kakheti wine country; seven adds the cave cities and Kutaisi.

Figure GEL 1,170 (≈ AED 1,657) per person. May, June, September and October.

Want it arranged rather than planned? We sell this exact route as a package — Tbilisi and Kazbegi, 4 days / 3 nights — with hotels, a driver-guide and transfers included. The itinerary below is free to follow yourself.

Before you go: the admin

Entry, which is unusually easy

Georgia admits citizens of 95 countries visa-free for a full year. That includes the GCC states.
Indian passport holders need an e-visa — or enter visa-free holding a valid multiple-entry visa or residence permit from the UAE, US, UK, EU, Japan and several others. For an Indian passport holder resident in the UAE, this is usually the easiest border in the region and needs no application at all.
Check the official e-visa portal rather than an agent.

Getting to the mountains

A hired driver for the Kazbegi run is around US$100–130 for the day including fuel, split between however many of you there are.
Marshrutkas go to Stepantsminda from Didube for a few dollars. They leave when full, take four hours, and will not stop at Jvari, Ananuri or Gudauri — which is most of why you take that road.
On four days, take the driver.
Bolt in Tbilisi is very cheap.

Money

Lari. Cards in Tbilisi and hotels; cash for village churches and the Gergeti 4x4s.

The mountain, which is colder than you expect

Stepantsminda is at 1,740m and Gergeti at 2,170m — often 10–15°C colder than Tbilisi. Carry a warm layer in any month.
The Jvari Pass closes in heavy snow between November and April, sometimes for days. Check before you set out.

Day by day

Day 1 — Tbilisi

Most Gulf flights land early morning or late at night, so plan loosely.
11:00 — The Old Town — carved wooden balconies, and the Abanotubani sulphur bath district under its brick domes.
13:00 — Narikala fortress above, reached by cable car from Rike Park — a dollar each way and the best view of the city.
15:00 — A private sulphur bath for an hour at Chreli Abano or Bathhouse No.5. It costs less than you think and is the right thing to do on a travel day. Add the scrub; it is brutal and worth it.
19:00 — Dinner on Shardeni Street, or at Fabrika in Marjanishvili for the version locals use — a Soviet sewing factory turned courtyard of bars.
Khinkali and khachapuri on night one. Grip the knot, bite, drink the broth, leave the knot on the plate.

Day 2 — The Military Highway and Kazbegi

08:00 — Leave early. The weather closes in later and this is the day.
09:00 — Jvari Monastery first, on the hill above the confluence — sixth century, and the view down over Mtskheta is the one on the postcards, with the two rivers running side by side in different colours.
10:30 — Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, the old capital, where the robe of Christ is said to be buried. UNESCO-listed.
13:00 — Ananuri fortress on the Zhinvali reservoir, an hour further north, with carved stone crosses on the church wall and turquoise water below.
15:30 — The Gudauri viewpoint — a Soviet-era mosaic arc on the edge of a gorge, and a paragliding launch in summer.
17:00 — Stepantsminda, then up to Gergeti Trinity Church at 2,170m. The 4x4s from the village square run constantly; the walk takes about 90 minutes and is the better arrival if you have the legs and the weather.
Mount Kazbek is 5,054m and shows itself perhaps half the time.
Stay the night in Stepantsminda. The dawn view is the reason.

Day 3 — Back to Tbilisi

07:00 — The dawn view, which is why you slept here.
09:30 — Return down the highway, stopping where you did not on the way up — the Jinvali dam viewpoint and the roadside honey sellers.
14:00 — The Chronicle of Georgia — sixteen enormous black pillars on a hill above the city, carved with the national history, built in the 1980s and almost empty of visitors.
16:00 — Dry Bridge Market for Soviet badges, cameras and genuine junk.
17:30 — Dezerter Bazaar for the food market, which tells you more about how people eat here than any restaurant — churchkhela strung up in ropes, and cheese by the wheel.
20:00 — A wine bar in Vera or Sololaki — amber wine fermented in qvevri is the local style and tastes like nothing in a European supermarket.

Day 4 — Out

Most Gulf flights leave at dawn or late evening.
10:00 — If yours is late, the Botanical Garden behind Narikala — 100 hectares in the gorge, with a waterfall — or a last bath fills the morning.
13:00 — Rustaveli Avenue for the opera house, the parliament and a last supra lunch.
The airport is 20 minutes from the centre and taxis are cheap.

Costs and practicalities

Best time to visit

May–June — green, wildflowers on the passes, the mountains clear of snow. The best window.
September–October — warm days, cold nights, and the rtveli grape harvest under way in the valleys.
July–August — 35°C in Tbilisi, which is uncomfortable, though the mountains are perfect.
November–April — Tbilisi grey and cheap. The Jvari Pass closes in heavy snow, which can cut Kazbegi off entirely and is the one real risk on a four-day trip. Gudauri is a serious ski resort from December to March, which is a different and very good weekend.

Travel tips

Check the Jvari Pass before setting out between November and April.
Carry a warm layer in any month. Gergeti is a different climate from the city you left that morning.
Stay the night in Stepantsminda rather than driving back the same day — the mountain is clearest in the morning and the road is three hours each way.
Agree the driver’s price and stops before setting off.
Use Bolt in Tbilisi, which is a fraction of a street taxi.
Buy wine at the winery or a city wine shop, not the airport.
Churches want shoulders and knees covered, and women a headscarf at the stricter ones.

What this trip actually costs

Two people, 3 nights, mid-range comfort, international flights excluded:

Item	Cost
Driver for the Kazbegi day	GEL 810 (≈ AED 1,147)
Hotels, 3 nights	GEL 680 (≈ AED 963)
Food and drink, 4 days	GEL 490 (≈ AED 694)
Sulphur bath, churches and entries	GEL 220 (≈ AED 311)
Airport transfers and city taxis	GEL 140 (≈ AED 198)
Total for two	GEL 2,340 (≈ AED 3,313)

Roughly GEL 1,170 (≈ AED 1,657) per person, which makes this the cheapest genuine mountain break reachable from the Gulf.
The driver is the single biggest line and is what turns a four-hour minibus ride into the day the trip is for.
Food is very cheap. Two people eat well on US$25 a day.
Hotel picks here are chosen on location, not on commission — always check prices and recent reviews before booking.

What to pack

A warm layer and a windproof, whatever the month.
Walking shoes with grip if you intend to walk up to Gergeti.
A scarf for the monasteries.
Sun protection — at 2,000m the sun burns through cloud.
Cash in lari for village churches and the 4x4s.
A Type C/F adapter, 220V.

FAQ

Do I need a visa? Citizens of 95 countries enter visa-free for a year. Indian passport holders need an e-visa, or enter visa-free holding a valid multiple-entry visa or residence permit from the UAE, EU, UK, US and several others — which covers most Gulf residents.

Is four days enough? For Tbilisi and Kazbegi, yes. It is not enough to add Kakheti, which is what the five-day route is for.

Can I do Kazbegi as a day trip and skip the overnight? You can — three hours each way plus the climb. It makes for a very long day and you see the mountain in the afternoon, when it is most often in cloud.

Driver or marshrutka? Driver on four days. The marshrutka costs a tenth and goes village to village; the driver stops at Jvari, Ananuri and Gudauri.

What if the pass is closed? Between November and April it sometimes is, without much notice. Spend the day in Mtskheta and the Tbilisi museums instead, or shift to Gudauri for the skiing if you are equipped.

Prices and entry rules change, and what you need depends on your passport; last checked 29 October 2026, so confirm with the embassy or your airline before booking.