Hi all - planning a 9-day trip to Georgia with my girlfriend from August 14–23, 2026. Flying into and out of Tbilisi. Would really appreciate your feedback and tips!

Generally, we are totally fine with hard hiking, but we want to avoid a rushed, last-minute-stress kind of trip. We deliberately dropped Kazbegi to avoid the Svaneti > Kazbegi drive (9 hours drive), choosing to loop through the west via Kutaisi instead. All of our accommodations for the entire trip are already booked.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

• Day 1 · Fri Aug 14 (Tbilisi): Land, head to the city (sulfur baths, dinner, etc.).
• Day 2 · Sat (→ Mestia): Morning Vanilla Sky flight (~40 min), afternoon in Mestia.
  • Backup plan if canceled: 8-9 hour drive via private driver.
  • Road-trip stops: Jvari Monastery (Mtskheta), Surami, Enguri Dam.
  • Mestia afternoon options: Hatsvali cable car to Zuruldi ridge, Mikheil Khegiani House Museum, walking around the Svan towers.
• Day 3 · Sun (→ Adishi): Jeep from Mestia to Adishi. Spend the rest of the day in the village.
  • Options: Hike up toward the Adishi glacier, see the old towers.
• Day 4 · Mon (Adishi → Ushguli): Trek from Adishi to Ushguli. Glacier river crossing on foot (early morning start to avoid high water and using the horses).
  • Trek details: ~16km, 6-8 hours. Climbing over Chkhunderi Pass (2,655m) down into Iprali, then transport/walk to Ushguli.
• Day 5 · Tue (→ Mestia): Morning in Ushguli, then drive back to Mestia.
  • Options: Hike toward Shkhara glacier base, walk up to Lamaria Church, Chazhashi castle complex.
• Day 6 · Wed (Koruldi Lakes): Jeep up to Mestia Cross, then hike up to the lakes facing Mt. Ushba.
  • Options: Hike ends at the lakes OR continue scrambling up to the Koruldi ridge/viewpoint for higher elevation and better views.
• Day 7 · Thu (→ Kutaisi): Drive down from Svaneti to Kutaisi.
  • Stops on the way: Martvili Canyon (boat ride) OR Okatse Canyon (hanging walkway).
• Day 8 · Fri (Kutaisi Area → Tbilisi): Kutaisi in the morning, afternoon drive back to Tbilisi.
  • Kutaisi morning options: Gelati Monastery, Prometheus Cave, Sataplia Nature Reserve, Kutaisi Green Market.
• Day 9 · Sat (Kakheti Wine Day OR Abudelauri Lakes Day Trip): We are trying to choose between two options: Option A (Kakheti): Day trip to Sighnaghi, Bodbe, and Qvevri wine tasting at a family winery. Option B (Abudelauri Lakes): Day trip from Tbilisi with a 4x4 driver to Roshka (Khevsureti), then hiking to the Abudelauri Lakes.
• Day 10 · Sun Aug 23: Fly home.

Questions:

1. Is the pacing right? Too rushed or too slow anywhere?
2. We aren't renting a car. Can we easily book on-the-fly 4x4 drivers through our guesthouses the night before for ourdays?
3. Anything else that we must book/plan in advance?
4. Is crossing the Adishchala river on foot around 8:00 AM in August safe with trekking poles and sandals? We do not want to ride the horses.

Thank you very much in advance!