highly recommend it - This tour is divided into three: 1 - Kutaisi to Mestia: The trip is long and tiring, but our guide (His name was Saba) was very friendly and helpful, stopping whenever we asked to take photographs and talking to us about various topics. When we arrived in Mestia, he gave me free time while the rest of the group, who were going back to Kutaisi that day, went to eat... and then left me at the Hotel. 2 - Mestia-Ushguli: This trip was wonderful and I highly recommend it. The landscapes are sensational and leave anyone's jaw dropping. Our guide Dato was very cheerful and always gave us good informations and free time to wander around the town. 3 - Mestia to Kutaisi: In fact, this route is no longer part of the tour, but is a transfer. Our driver Gizo didn't speak any English, causing some initial confusion as he didn't have the information I had asked for to stay at Kutaisi Airport. This "problem" was resolved almost immediately with a phone call from Nini (from the Budget Georgia office), to him and me. The trip went smoothly, despite the road being difficult. Overall, I recommend this tour. Going to and from Mestia in the same day is very exhausting and leaves us very little time there to get to know it, so this two-day solution (although short too) allows us to get a better idea of these two marvelous places

Great time - be prepared - We went with Budget Georgia for three different tours from Kutaisi. First the Canyons and Caves tour, then the 2 days in Svaneti tour, and finally the Borjomi-Rabati-Vardzia tour. Their vehicles were very comfortable and guides very nice and helpful. We can recommend each of these tours, however would say that Vardzia was a long way so we suggest it's worth a night stopover to have more time to explore if you have the time. Likewise Svaneti needs to be the 2 day tour at least, otherwise it's a bit rushed. Two things to keep in mind: 1). Entrance fees for the destinations are not included so make sure to factor in these costs. This is common for most budget tour companies in Georgia. These costs are explicitly listed on their website yet several people on our tour were not expecting this - do the research ;-). 2). Keep in mind that the tour start and end times may be different than listed due to the need to organize tours with people starting/ending from different locations. The tour company was very helpful in giving us up to date info on start times the night before our tours. Drive times and visit times may be longer than expected so don't try to book anything else so tightly on the same day. We had a great time - thanks to everyone at Budget Georgia for helping our trip be so successful!

Our most amazing experience in Georgia - We came from Germany with our own VW bus, but we preferred to join the tour because of the road conditions - and it was a good thing! We didn't have to concentrate on the road and could relax and enjoy the unique landscape. Ann was a charming, lovely guide. A definite recommendation!

Highly recommended! - Excellent experience, the best of all we had in Sakartvelo. They were great drivers and very safe, even though the roads weren't the best. But the view and vibe in Svaneti... Just very, very recommended!

Just perfect - Just perfect. On time. Clean and comfortable vehicle. Safe and reliable driver. Several stops for photo opportunities and a coffee break. Ushguli is totally worth the trip. The coordination is perfect and the communication with the company is constant and simple.

Mestia and Ushguli great memories - Perfect contact. Everything was on time. Drivers were eager to stop to take photos. Affordable price. The perfect option for a solo trip.

These guys are fantastic - Super great tours courtesy of Budget Georgia. Our guide, Irakli, was very knowledgeable and professional. Georgian roads aren't the best but he was excellent at negotiating the traffic and conditions, making sure we were able to see the incredible sights of Mestia and Ushguli among other places. Great food, great wine, great company. Definitely would choose Budget Georgia again.

Great Tour Company for A Truly Amazing Place - Budget Georgia was really well-organized, responsive, professional and knowledgeable and made this fabulous trip available for us. We were in Georgia for almost 3 months and nearly did not go to visit Svaneti until we had a chance encounter with Budget Georgia founder and he happened to have 2 places going the next day. It was just incredible and it would have been a real shame to have missed this amazing part of the country. Budget Georgia even arranged our hotel for us on short notice in Mestia. Ika was a great guide and the whole trip went just as planned. We got to see the Enguri Damn, Mestia, Ushguli and points in between. The landscape is incredible and the little towns with their Svan towers were awesome to see. Later they arranged a transfer to Batumi for us. I wish we had discovered them earlier. I would highly recommend both this specific trip and also any other tours or transfers that they offer.

Convenient if short on time but would recommend just booking transfers - This is a convenient option if you are short of time. But essentially is a transfer (with a couple stops at additional cost) by Budget Georgia from Kutaisi to Mestia. Then the next day a tour to Ushguli with a third party. And then a transfer back to Kutaisi. You have different guides each day and there are other people on the transfers not booked onto the tour. All of our drivers were helpful when anyone had questions but the long journeys meant a lot quiet time and made it feel again like a series of transfers rather than a tour. This was not helped by our car to Ushguli breaking down meaning we had to carry on to the village without our guide. Despite this the end point was breathtaking and an essential stop in any trip to Georgia. If you have more time I’d just book the transfers individually as could easily spend several days in Svaneti. However as I only had two days, this tour provided an easy option.

Doing DIY packages with Budget Georgia will get you a better deal than booking a MULTI-DAY tour - I took a similar tour with Budget Georgia (3 days in Svaneti) eti)To sum up, I would advise booking the transfer through Budget Georgia and taking the tours either in the city or separately through Budget Georgia. It will be cheaper than taking the multi-day package. On the first day, we had a guided transfer from Kutaisi to Mestia with three stops (water dam, waterfall, and Khachapuri tasting). We reached the village at 2 pm, and the rest of the day was "free." However, without transportation, there isn't much to do in the area. In my opinion, it's enough to just order the transfer to Mestia rather than the guided tour, as the stops on the way are not worth to have a guide. On the second day, we hada trip to Ushguli and Glacier Hike. The drive to Ushguli was indeed an adventure, and I highly recommend not driving yourself (you can also book it in Mestia). The Glacier Hike in mid-May was nothing special. It took us 1 hour each way, and we were accompanied by the same guide. On the third day, due to bad weather, we had the option to choose between going to Koruldi Lakes or Heshkili Huts. We chose huts, thinking it might be a better option since the place is at a lower altitude with a better chance of seeing the scenery. However, the weather was really bad, with rain and fog covering the village. There was definitely no chance to see anything! As a tour operator, I would have suggested canceling the tour altogether and refunding the money. What is the point of being left soaking wet with no scenery? In the afternoon of the same day, we had a transfer back to Kutaisi. Knowing that the roads are not the best in the area, we were surprised to see that they sent us a driver with a really low bumper car. Believe me, reaching home was an adventure. We kept our fingers crossed that the car wouldn't get stuck on the road (the weather, as mentioned earlier, wasn't great—I haven't seen such a strong rain in a while). The driver George, on the other hand was really lovely. Sending my best greetings to him!