Traveling with dog in Georgia

Touring Georgia in the company of Cocaí was a beautiful experience. We spent a month and a half, in the summer of 2019, enjoying its "Caucasian" mountains, above all (paradise for any dog), but also other natural and cultural treasures. I found the country very dog-friendly, being able to enter archaeological sites, fortresses and even monasteries. Furthermore, both transportation and accommodation were very easy compared to other countries. We hitchhiked about half of the trip and the other half in a rental car (my parents came to visit). It is wonderful to travel through Georgia with a dog.

Note. I will discuss the issue of stray dogs in Georgia and other Asian countries another time. But in general they are relatively well cared for and are happy in the green mountains that rise in the country, as well as on the beach.

JOURNEY

Batumi (entry from Turkey) – Route through the Black Sea – Mestia – Ushguli – Kutaisi and surroundings (Gelati, Martvili Canyon) – Uplistsikhe – Tbilisi – Kazbegi (Anaruri, Stepantsminda) – Manglisi and surroundings – Vardzia – Aklastsikhe – Borjomi National Park – Bavra (Armenia)

LENGHT OF THE TRIP

45 days.

TRANSPORTATION

Hitchhiking

Half of the trip was hitchhiking and it was quite smooth. Georgians are very curious about foreigners and will surely help you if they see you on the road. They are not the biggest dog lovers in the world, but many like them. We had good experiences, sharing stretches of road, meals... and drinks! They drink vodka, wine and the national liquor: chacha.

Bus/marshrutka

We were allowed to board a minibus or marshrutka. Specifically on the route between Zugdidi and Mestia. I didn't try again, but I think that in general it is difficult to be allowed on public transport with a dog.

Walking

We did several long treks (more than 50 km), connecting mountain towns along the way. Walking with your dog here is the best.

Rental car (with my parents)

My parents visited us, we rented a car in Kutaisi and drove around Georgia. It is a joy to drive on those roads in the Caucasus. To give you an idea, the price of the Mitsubishi Pajero was 23 euros per day (as of 2019).

ACCOMMODATION

Free camping

Georgia is paradise for lovers of trekking and camping. Not only is it beautiful, but it is also safe. And I say this even if it was stolen upon arrival! I tell a little more about this below. I highly recommend traveling with a tent, but even more so in Georgia. We spent the night with a tent in: Batumi, Mestia, in the mountains between Mestia and Ushguli, Lukhi, on the route to the Okrostkali Lakes, and in the Borjomi National Park. In addition to some nights on the side of the road or a forest while en route.

Guest houses

Normally we stay in a few accommodations, but since we traveled with my parents for a long time we were able to enjoy the pleasure of a bed in a good handful of places. Plus, Georgian breakfasts are almost as varied and plentiful as Turkish ones, so I was really happy. All of them were dog-friendly, a pleasant surprise that Georgia gave us: NK Guesthouse (Kutaisi), Guesthouse Nana (Martvili Canyon), Guesthouse Koruldi (Mestia; we returned to Mestia and Ushguli), Hotel New Wave 1 (Grigoleti), Hotel Toscano (Tbilisi), Guesthouse Mari Kushashvili (Stepantsminda), Guest House Vania (Vardzia) and Hotel Villa Likani (Borjomi National Park). We also stayed in a family's house in Manglisi. I recommend all of them, although Borjomi's was a bit expensive.

Couchsurfing

A Colombian couple hosted us in Batumi, actually for charity XD. The first morning we woke up in Georgia, on the beach of Batumi, I started talking to a group of retirees who were already with their vodkas and so on... and some asshole took advantage of the mistake and stole my fanny pack with basically everything. This couple was in a Batumi Facebook group and offered to host us for a couple of nights.

Others we didn't do: official camping, Couchsurfing (official), Airbnb

FOOD LOCALS AND OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS

Very good for entering restaurants, food stalls and others with dogs. I don't remember being kicked out or not being allowed to sit anywhere. Even in big cities like Batumi, Tbilisi and Kutaisi it was great. Georgian food is amazing, by the way.

TOURISM WITH DOGS

As I mentioned, Georgia is very dog-friendly. Like the Turks, the Georgians are very permissive with our four-legged companions. For example, you can even take your dog on the cable car, like we did in Mestia and also in Tbilisi. Also on a tourist boat in Tbilisi.

Nature

We did a series of routes through the Caucasus, especially through Svaneti and Kazbegi. We entered National Parks such as Kazbegi and Borjomi. Also, we were never called out for being with a dog on the beach, even ones where there were a lot of people like Batumi or Magnetic Beach.

Archaeological sites and temples

We were able to do almost everything. We entered the monasteries we set out to, including the most touristy ones such as Gelati, Gergeti (Stepantsminda), Khobi and Mtsvane, the Green Monastery of Borjomi. We went to the fortresses of Anaruri and Khertvisi and they had no problems. We also entered the archaeological site of Uplistsikhe. I think the only place they didn't let Cocaí enter was Vardzia, the Georgian Cappadocia.

DOG DOCUMENTATION

I was not asked for any dog ​​documentation entering from Türkiye by land. However, you must have certain papers in order, especially if you are traveling by plane (they are usually way stricter than at land borders).

What you actually need?

Crossing by land:

• Animal Passport with a valid rabies vaccine

• Health certificate from a veterinarian

Additionally, it is recommended:

• The microchip, even if they don't ask for it in Georgia (I'm not sure), to return to Europe it is mandatory.

• Other vaccines (pentavalent, to combat lethal viruses such as parvovirus).

• The Rabies Titer Test. Supposedly you will be asked for this paper when entering Europe (although they did not ask me for it in Bulgaria when I returned).

By plane:

As I said, they are stricter and I would contact the Georgian agriculture service (or the Georgian embassy in your home country). It is probably enough to have all of the above, but there are countries that have additional requirements.

In any case, every time I reach this point of "my dog experience" in a specific country, I always remember that this is not a blog specialized in canine documentation and that the corresponding agricultural service should be consulted, in addition to other websites that are more up to date (these requirements may change from one year to the next). A very complete one is this: https://www.pettravel.com/immigration/georgia.cfm

ASSESSMENT

Georgia is one of the countries that makes things easier for dog travelers. Both for dog-friendly backpackers (for camping, hitchhiking) and travelers with a higher budget (dog-friendly accommodations and restaurants). We were able to do almost everything together, the people seemed super nice, we loved the food…

And I emphasize again, because this blog is focused primarily on low-budget travelers, the two biggest obstacles were solved. Hitchhiking was great. However, for those who do not see themselves hitchhiking with a dog, there are not many options. I don't think they'll let you ride many marshrutkas, and Blablacar or other car-sharing apps haven't arrived yet (that I know of), so your chances would be renting a car. On the other hand, the accommodation is also great, since you can set up the tent wherever you want and on top of that we found many businesses that allowed animals. Here I have given the names of some, but I am sure there are many more.

Well, that's it: dog travelers all over the world, come to Georgia!