TRAVEL AROUND GEORGIA
Private transfer

Tbilisi to Mestia transfer

A private car from Tbilisi to Mestia, door to door. About 460 km and eight and a half hours: the highway west through Kutaisi and Zugdidi, then the road up the Enguri gorge into Svaneti. The price is fixed, per car, with the stops you want.

  • ≈ 8 h 30 min
  • 460 km
  • from $430from €385from ₾1,120 per car
Message us on WhatsAppTelegram

Book your transfer

Date

Passengers2
Luggage2
or book in two minutes with our Telegram bot

No payment now: we confirm within the hour and you pay the driver.

Prices per car

Fixed per car, not per person. The return trip costs the same and can be added to the same booking.

The Land Cruiser Prado is the car for this road in every season, and the only one we send from November to April. The V-Class takes a group of up to seven with skis or trekking bags in summer. The S-Class suits two travellers from May to October.

What's included

  • Professional driver who speaks English and Russian
  • Fuel, road tolls and parking
  • A name sign at the airport and 60 min free waiting
  • Short photo stops along the way
  • Child seats for every age, free of charge
  • Water, Wi-Fi and chargers on board
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup

The road

Mestia is the main town of Upper Svaneti, at about 1,500 m under Ushba and Tetnuldi. It is the farthest of the places our guests ask for, and the drive is the reason many of them come: the Enguri reservoir, the gorge road and the first towers at the valley's end. We leave Tbilisi in the morning and arrive before dark.

Read more

The first half is the new highway through Gori and the Rikoti tunnels to Kutaisi, about three hours, then the lowland road to Zugdidi. From Jvari the road climbs for three hours along the Enguri: the dam, the reservoir, Khaishi, and the last bends into Mestia. The whole way is asphalt.

In winter and early spring we drive the route in the Land Cruiser Prado: the upper gorge sees snow and the road is cleared, not dry. Our drivers check the Svaneti road the evening before. Allow nine to ten hours in the snow season.

Read the guide: Mestia

Stops along the way

  1. 1
    KutaisiHalfway. A coffee or lunch in the old centre, or the Prometheus Cave 25 minutes to the north on a full-day booking.
  2. 2
    Zugdidi and the Dadiani palaceThe last town before the mountains, with the palace of the Mingrelian princes and its park. A good place for lunch and the last shops.
  3. 3
    The Enguri damThe 271 m arch dam above Jvari, one of the tallest in the world. The viewpoint is beside the road, and the reservoir follows the road for the next half hour.
  4. 4
    Khaishi and the gorgeThe narrowest part of the Enguri gorge, with waterfalls beside the road in spring. From here it is an hour and a half to Mestia.

Before you go

Questions about this transfer

How long is the drive from Tbilisi to Mestia?

About 8 hours 30 minutes for 460 km with two short stops. In the snow season allow nine to ten hours.

Is it better to fly to Kutaisi and drive from there?

From Kutaisi Airport it is 230 km and about four and a half hours. We meet flights there as well, at a lower price than from Tbilisi.

Can we stop at the Enguri dam and in Zugdidi?

Yes. Short stops are part of the price. Tell the driver where you want to stop and for how long.

Can you take us on to Ushguli?

Yes, on a separate day or as a longer booking. The road from Mestia to Ushguli takes about an hour and a half each way and we drive it in the Prado.

Is the road open in winter?

Yes, it is cleared all winter. After heavy snow it can close for a few hours above Khaishi. We wait if it is a matter of hours, otherwise we reschedule or cancel without charge.