What Ushguli is
Ushguli is not one village but four — Zhibiani, Chvibiani, Chazhashi and Murkmeli — strung along the young Enguri river at about 2,100 m. Chazhashi alone keeps more than 30 medieval towers and is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Above everything stands Shkhara (5,193 m), Georgia’s highest mountain, whose glacier wall closes the valley like a curtain.
People have lived here continuously for well over a thousand years, cut off by snow for months at a time. That isolation is exactly what preserved the towers, the Svan language and the way of life you can still see in the lanes today — cattle coming home at dusk past 12th-century walls.
Lamaria and Shkhara
On the hill above Zhibiani stands the Lamaria church (12th century), the most photographed silhouette in Svaneti — a small stone church against the biggest wall in Georgia. From the village, a gentle 8–9 km valley walk leads towards the Shkhara glacier — the classic acclimatisation day if you stay overnight.
How to visit
- On foot — the right way: the four-day Mestia–Ushguli trek through Zhabeshi, Adishi and Iprali, arriving in Ushguli under Shkhara on the final afternoon. From €690 with guide, guesthouses and luggage transfer.
- By 4x4 day trip: ~2 hours each way from Mestia along the Enguri gorge — doable in a day with time for Lamaria and lunch in the village. Arrange it as part of your program.
- On skis: in winter we run freeride days around Ushguli — remote lines in complete silence, far from any lift.
When to come
June to early October for trekking — the road and trails are reliably open, and guesthouses are running. Winter visits are possible and unforgettable, but the road depends on snow; we pair them with guided ski days. May and November are the in-between — beautiful, moody and best left to those with flexible plans.
Four days, three villages, one glacier river crossing — and Ushguli waiting at the end. That is the way to arrive.
See the Mestia–Ushguli trek