Ten days is everything we would show a friend on a first visit: the two warm-up days, the four-day trek to Ushguli, the Shkhara glacier, then the Becho valley with Shdugra waterfall, a full cultural day, and a guided farewell morning in Mestia — towers, museum, the market and Svan salt — before the transfer out.
The shape matters: the hard days come early, when your legs are freshest, and the gentler valley and culture days come after the trek, when what you have walked through has context. You sleep with breakfast and dinner every night, in Mestia or along the route. A group is six people with one guide and one car — the arithmetic behind the per-person price.
Classic or Signature
For first visits meant to be complete — the trek, the glaciers, the valleys and the culture in one line.
Day by day
Pine forest, the suspension bridge over the Mestiachala, the glacier tongue. Easy acclimatisation day; afternoon in Mestia - Svan towers and the museum.
Alpine lakes at 2,700 m with the full Ushba panorama. The hardest day-hike near Mestia.
First trekking day of the classic route, through Svan villages along the Mulkhra valley.
Over the Zhabeshi pass to the remote village of Adishi.
Adishi glacier, the river crossing and the Chkhutnieri pass - the strongest day of the trek.
Final trekking day into Ushguli under Shkhara, Georgia's highest peak.
Day hike up the Enguri valley to the Shkhara glacier, then the drive back to Mestia.
Shdugra waterfall, Georgia's most powerful, and the Ushba glacier viewpoint.
Towers, frescoed churches, a traditional Machubi house, museums, a Svan family table.
Towers, museum, market and Svan salt with the guide, then the transfer out.
What is included
- A local Svan guide with the group every day
- All travel inside Svaneti in our own vehicles
- A room in Mestia with breakfast and dinner
Not included
- Airport transfer — we arrange it as a separate line, just ask
- Flights and travel insurance
- Lunch on the mountain
- A room to yourself (single supplement on request)
Your guides
Shako MargianiAthlete · IFMGA & GMGA certified
Lasha PirtskhelianiIFMGA & GMGA mountain guide
Galo JapharidzeAlpine ski racer & guide · GMGA certified
Dato GuledaniMountain guide · GMGA certifiedCertified local Svan guides. We guide in English, Georgian and Svan.
Dates are flexible — tell us yours and we build the departure around them. Solo travellers can join a group that is already forming.
Questions we hear before this trip
What is the group size?
Six people, one guide, one car — the per-person price is built on exactly that. A group larger than six is split by activity, and each sub-group is priced by its own rule.
Can a solo traveller book this trip?
Yes. Dates are flexible, and a single traveller can join a departure that is already forming.
How hard is the trek section?
The trek fills days three to six, with the strongest day in the middle — the Adishi glacier, the river crossing and the Chkhutnieri pass. Everything after it is gentler by design: the Becho valley, the cultural day, and a farewell morning in Mestia.
What does the price include?
A local Svan guide each day, all travel inside the region in our own vehicles, and accommodation with breakfast and dinner.
What is left out of the price?
Flights, insurance, lunch on the mountain, and a room to yourself.