Giving up on Thailand. This place has low costs, visa-free entry, and is safe. Perfect for a summer getaway to cool off!
🌍 Who would have thought! I originally planned to go to Thailand but was deterred by the heatwave and crowds. Then I discovered Georgia, a real hidden gem✨
🧭 Visa-free, beautiful scenery, low costs, and quite safe. In July and August, you can enjoy a 20℃ summer🏔️
🥇 Reasons to recommend
🛂1️⃣ Smooth visa-free entry. 30 days with a blank passport. Ready to go anytime
💰2️⃣ Impressively low costs: a 3 km taxi ride costs less than 5 yuan, and a street meat skewer with cheese bread is about 20 yuan per person—very filling
🌡️3️⃣ Average temperature of 20–25℃ in July and August. Cool off at the foot of snowy mountains, more comfortable than air conditioning
🛡️4️⃣ Very high global safety index. Walking late at night in Tbilisi’s old town feels completely safe. Solo female travelers will feel very welcome
🏞️5️⃣ Dense concentration of sights. See snowy mountains, the Black Sea, vineyards, and medieval churches all in one day
✈️ Travel guide
🛫 Flights: Direct from Urumqi to Tbilisi takes about 5 hours. Round-trip tickets with taxes often range from 3,000 to 5,000 yuan. Transfers via Doha or Istanbul are also convenient
🚇 Local transport: Tbilisi metro costs 2 yuan per ride. Renting a car to Kazbegi is about 400 yuan per vehicle. The coastal railway to Batumi looks like a movie scene
🏔️ Must-visit spots in July and August
⛪· Kazbegi mountain + Holy Trinity Church: the loneliest church closest to heaven, with summer snow-capped meadows in the background
🌊· Batumi Black Sea: watch the sunset under the Ali & Nino sculpture, ride the seaside Ferris wheel for 10 yuan per round, full of European small-town charm
🍷· Sighnaghi wine town: 24-hour endless sipping, red-tiled roofs create a romantic vibe
🕍· Mtskheta Svetitskhoveli Cathedral: a world heritage site, quiet and sacred
🏰· Tbilisi old town: take the cable car to Mother Fortress for panoramic views, hunt for Soviet badges at Dry Bridge Market, and soak in sulfur baths at night
📅 Highlights itinerary for July and August (7 days)
☀️D1 Arrive in Tbilisi, stroll old town, cable car night view
🏞️D2 Tbilisi → Mtskheta → Kazbegi, see Ananuri Fortress, stay at the mountain foot
⛰️D3 Early morning hike or carpool to Holy Trinity Church, return to Tbilisi, evening walk at Freedom Square
🍇D4 Tbilisi → Sighnaghi, wine tasting and relaxing at vineyards, stay at a balcony guesthouse to watch the sunset
🌅D5 Return from Sighnaghi, take the train to Batumi, evening walk by the Black Sea
🎡D6 Full day in Batumi: Ali & Nino, botanical garden, seaside café relaxation
🍾D7 Return from Batumi, bring a bottle of wine as a gift
👨👩👧👦 Suitable for
🎒 Budget-conscious workers and students wanting a European vibe; families can dig sand at Batumi beach; photography lovers will have plenty of shots; solo female travelers will feel safe
🍴 Food and accommodation
🧀 Eat: cheese boat khachapuri (Adjarian style is a must), meat skewers mtsvadi, eggplant walnut rolls, 30 yuan supermarket red wine
🏡 Stay: Tbilisi old town guesthouses cost about 80–150 yuan per person, Kazbegi mountain view rooms 100+ yuan per person, Sighnaghi balcony guesthouses offer great value
💰 Detailed budget (8 days per person)
✈️ Round-trip flight: 3,000–4,500 yuan
🛌 Accommodation: about 700–1,000 yuan for 7 nights
🍽️ Food: 80–120 yuan per day, totaling about 800 yuan
🚖 Local transport + car rental: about 500 yuan
🎫 Tickets and extras: almost free, sulfur baths about 100 yuan
💵 Total per person comfortably 5,000–6,500 yuan
⚠️ Tips to avoid pitfalls
📱 Use Bolt or Yandex for rides. Ignore taxi drivers soliciting on the street
🧥 Kazbegi is cold in the early morning and evening. Bring fleece or a windbreaker
💱 Exchange money in the city, airport rates are poor. Carry enough cash
🧕 Women should cover their heads with a scarf and wear clothes below the knee when entering churches
📦 Wrap wine bottles in bubble wrap for checked luggage. Don’t worry about the hassle
🤝 Politely decline overly enthusiastic people offering small gifts with a smile
✨ This is Georgia: quietly beautiful, unassuming, yet it captures your heart🏔️ Looking back at the photos, some summers are truly worth keeping forever.