So you’ve found out about this incredible, remote hike in the Upper Svaneti Mountains in Georgia, and you wanna know how much money you need to take with you? Well, lucky for you because here is the total cost to hike Mestia to Usghuli in 2023.
Still a relatively unknown hike, the 64km trek passes through remote Svaneti villages with their iconic stone houses. It’s, without a doubt, the most beautiful hike I’ve ever done. Over the years, Georgia has increased in popularity and the world (including myself) is flocking to explore its mountains.
But with its increase in popularity, what are the costs involved in hiking from Mestia to Ushguli and what kind of budget do you need to have in mind?
COST: hike mestia to ushguli in 2023
A little disclaimer: we actually hiked from Mestia to Iprali (the town around 12km before Ushguli that people usually sleep at on the night of day 3). This is because we had limited time and the forecast expected 85% rain and storms. Just before leaving Mestia to hike, we met some people who had just completed the hike and they told us the last 12km was not worth it and just along the road. So, we chose to head back to Mestia at the end of day 3. Nevertheless, the cost to hike from Mestia to Usghuli are the same as we still spent the day 3 nights in a guesthouse, just in Mestia rather than Iprali.
As with anything, the cost definitely depends on how many days it takes you to hike, whether you opt for guesthouses or choose to camp. Obviously, the more days you spend en route, the more food you’ll eat and inevitably spend.
Just a heads up, I won’t cover the cost of any tour/ package deals, as I really don’t think you need a guide or a travel company to do this hike. This is a do-it-yourself cost breakdown based on (4 nights) – 2 nights in Mestia and 2 nights in remote villages on the trek.
getting to mestia: travel and transport
by local marshrutka (cheapest option)
We were travelling from Martvili after staying at the beautiful Karma Hostel for one week. We chose to take a local marshrutka 1.5hrs to Zugdidi for GEL10 each. Then, when we arrived in Zugdidi around 11am we managed to secure a ride on a marshrutka heading to Mestia, leaving at midday.
As of October 2023, the prices by Marshrutkas to Mestia are:
Zugdidi to Mestia: GEL 35 (takes 3hrs)
Tbilisi to Mestia: GEL 50 (takes 8hrs)
Kutaisi to Mestia: GEL 40 (takes 4hrs)
The marshrutkas are a little rough around the edges and cramped as the drivers like to ensure all the seats are full; it’s all part of the Georgian experience. If you’re coming from Zugdidi, the driver will stop at least once in a local food spot and then twice if you’re coming from Tbilisi.
Total spent on transport from Martvili to Mestia: GEL 45 | €15 | 7hr journey door to door
After we finished the hike, we stayed one more night in Mestia and booked a marshrutka to Tbilisi, leaving at 8am. It was a gruelling 8-hour journey, and let’s just say we were glad to be in Tbilisi.
Total spent on transport from Mestia to Tbilisi Bus Station: GEL 50 | €17.50 | 9hr journey door to door
by flight (vanilla sky)
For sure, the best way to travel to Mestia is by flight. But if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t risk it unless you’re travelling in the height of summer and can rely on good weather. Our friends had a flight booked from Mestia to Tbilisi, and their flight was cancelled last minute because of the weather. It left them being kind of stuck in Mestia for the day as there is only one marshrutka leaving in the morning.
But if you’re happy to take the risk, you can book tickets and see the schedule via Vanilla Sky’s website here.guesthouses on the mestia - ushguli trek
There are so many guesthouses to choose from in Mestia you can check the reviews quite easily via Booking.com. We stayed at Nadia’s Guesthouse the night before and after the hike. We absolutely loved it and would definitely recommend it. The women who run the guesthouse are the sweetest. They also stored our luggage for three days while we did the hike for no charge!
On the hike, there are a few villages where people tend to stop: Zhabeshi (night 1), Adishi (night 2) and Iprali (night 3). Most of the guesthouses can be reserved via Booking.com, and in the shoulder season, you find a double room for an average of GEL 45. We’d recommend Guesthouse Victor in Zhabeshi and
Guesthouse Sesili in Adishi.
Total spent on double room for 4 nights (2 nights in Mestia, 1 in Zhabeshi and 1 in Adishi): GEL 200 (100 per person if sharing) | €70 | £60.
camping on the mestia - ushguli trek
The trail is definitely camping-friendly, and you can camp at plenty of free spots along the trail. But be sure to bring your own food and gas as there are no shops along the way. Although, I’m sure that you could ask for food in a guesthouse. Check out some wild camping spots marked on Maps.me.
food on the mestia - usghuli hike
There are hardly any shops to buy snacks from Mestia to Ushguli. All the food we ate during the hike came from the guesthouses. Just a heads up, the guesthouses only serve breakfast and dinner, and sometimes give you a little packed lunch (I’m talking a bit of bread, an egg, a cucumber and a tomato). Usually, we got to our guesthouse around 2 pm, and by 8 pm when the dinner was ready, we were so hungry! My best advice is to buy some snacks before leaving Mestia!!
The cost of the guesthouse meals was GEL 20-25 for breakfast and GEL 25-30 for dinner. So for three full days of meals (breakfast and dinner), we spent: GEL 150 | €52 | £45 per person.
Food was definitely the most significant expense when thinking about the cost of the hike from Mestia to Usghuli. Because you’re in the middle of nowhere, there are limited cheap options, and most people opt for the guesthouse food. That being said, every dinner we had on the hike, both in Mestia and in the villages, was great. The portions are significant, and there is always lot of variety.
other costs
adishschala river crossing
If you haven’t read about the river crossing after Adishi, well, you have now! Adishschala River is a much-talked-about part of the trail. “Oooooh, will the horses be there? How deep will the river be?” But in all honestly, when we reached the river last month (in September) it was very shallow, and we could walk across it slowly without paying for the horse.
If you are happy to pay, the ride cost for a few seconds is GEL 25 | €8.30 | £7.50.
taxi back from ushguli
We ended our hike in Iprali, and jumped in a shared taxi for GEL 200 (GEL 50 per person). But after speaking to a few other hikers on the trail, we realised it would have been better to organise a pick-up with our guesthouse in Mestia in order to not get scammed by the “taxi mafia”. If you organise it in advance, you can pay GEL 30.
Total spent on taxi from Iprali: GEL 50 | €17.50 | £15.15
beers and cake
We had a fair few beers in Mestia and on the trail. On average, you’ll pay GEL 8 | €2.80 | £2.40 for a beer in the Upper Svaneti mountains. And we couldn’t resist grabbing a few slabs of homemade chocolate cake from a local stall to keep us going.
Total spent on beer and cake: GEL 30 | €10 | £9
total cost to hike mestia to ushguli (per person)
Accommodation (4 nights in guesthouse based on sharing with one other person): GEL 100
Food (guesthouse breakfast, dinner and small lunch): GEL 150
Transport costs (to and from Mestia) + taxi from Iprali or Usguli: GEL 145
Other costs (snacks, beers, etc): GEL 30
Total: GEL 435 | €152 | £131
Of course, this summary of costs doesn’t include gear. But I’ve assumed you’ll have the basics. No specific special gear is needed on the Mestia to Usghuli. We saw some people with hiking poles and proper hiking boots, but we wore our trail runners, had a small 35l backpack, normal exercise clothes and didn’t feel at a disadvantage.
So yeah, I hope you now have a clearer idea on how much it’ll cost you to hike from Mestia to Usghuli in the next hiking season. €150 for a four-day hike, including guesthouses, food, and transport. Not bad, eh? As always, reach out if you need any further advice.
Big love to you all, and be sure to check out Everything I Wish I Knew Before Hiking Mestia to Ushguli.
