Skip to main content
Geotour

Ushguli

Svaneti · Mountains

Getting there
47 km (1.5–2 h) from Mestia on a mostly sealed mountain road with roadwork sections
Best time
Late June–September
Recommended stay
1–2 days

About Ushguli

Ushguli is a community of four small Svan villages at about 2,060–2,200 m at the head of the Enguri valley in Upper Svaneti, 47 km beyond Mestia. It is one of Europe's highest permanently inhabited settlements, and its medieval stone defence towers, with the snowfields of Mount Shkhara (5,193 m) behind them, are part of the Upper Svaneti UNESCO World Heritage site. You walk between the towers of Chazhashi, climb to the Lamaria church, and, with a full day, hike up the valley toward the Shkhara glacier.

Tours Including Ushguli

See all 5 tours

Must-See Attractions

  • Chazhashi

    The UNESCO-listed village of joined tower houses and narrow lanes, the best preserved of the four.

  • Lamaria church

    A small medieval church with fragments of frescoes and its own tower, on the hill above the villages at about 2,100 m.

  • Ushguli ethnographic museum

    A small museum in Chazhashi with church treasures, icons and household objects.

  • Queen Tamar's castle

    The ruined castle on the hill above Chazhashi, with views up the valley to Shkhara.

  • Shkhara glacier walk

    A walk of about 16–18 km return up the flat Enguri valley toward the foot of Mount Shkhara, 5–6 hours.

Nearby

  • Mestia

    The main town of Upper Svaneti with the Svaneti Museum, 47 km (1.5–2 h).

  • Adishi

    A tower village on the Mestia–Ushguli trek route, reached only on foot.

  • Zagari pass

    The summer-only road south over about 2,600 m toward Lentekhi and Kutaisi, usually open from about June to October, weather permitting.

Location42.9135° N, 43.0113° EView on map

Good to know

Getting there

47 km (1.5–2 h) from Mestia on a mostly sealed mountain road with roadwork sections; Mestia is about 130 km (about 3 h) from Zugdidi.

Best time

Late June–September

Best time

July to September gives the warmest days and the best walking; in winter the villages are snowbound and the road can close after heavy snow, although a few guesthouses stay open.

Recommended stay

1–2 days

Getting there

The 47 km road from Mestia is now mostly sealed, but roadworks continue near Ushguli, so allow 1.5–2 hours each way.

Money

No ATM in Ushguli; bring cash from Mestia for guesthouses, the museum and cafés.

What to bring

A warm layer even in August; evenings at 2,100 m are cold.

Walking

The lanes are steep, muddy and full of cow dung after rain; wear boots.

Heads-up

Weather changes fast; the Zagari pass road south is only open in summer and closes after early snow.

History & culture

Culture

The Svans speak their own unwritten language, Svan, as well as Georgian, and keep a strong tradition of polyphonic song, round dances and village church feasts. Many families still keep cows and make their own cheese. Svan salt, a mix of salt, garlic and mountain herbs, is sold in almost every guesthouse.

History

Ushguli's four villages, Zhibiani, Chvibiani, Chazhashi and Murqmeli, grew up in the high Enguri valley in the Middle Ages. Svan families built the tall stone towers, mostly between the 9th and 13th centuries, as refuges in feuds and raids, and the isolation of the valley kept its old houses and churches largely unchanged. On the hill above Chazhashi stand the ruins of a castle traditionally called Queen Tamar's summer residence. Upper Svaneti was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996, and in Ushguli the listing centres on the Chazhashi tower quarter.

Local Cuisine

Svan food is made for the cold: kubdari (bread stuffed with spiced chopped meat), chvishtari (cornbread with cheese), tashmijabi (mashed potato stretched with cheese) and dishes seasoned with Svan salt. Guesthouses serve home cooking at dinner, and a few cafés in the villages open in summer.

Accommodation

Family guesthouses in all four villages, some in or beside old tower houses, most with half board (dinner and breakfast). Rooms are simple and heating is basic; there are no large hotels.