Travel Guide
Georgia
From the Sarp border to Batumi, from Batumi to Tbilisi: 10 $ SIM card, 40 lari bus, 15 lari khachapuri, pebbly beach and endless rain.
Batumi
Tbilisi
Ali and Nino
Sioni CathedralIn short
Georgia became my 22nd country. I took a bus from Diyarbakır to Hopa, crossed to the Sarp border by a 60 TL minibus and paid the 710 TL exit fee. At the border they offered 265 lari for 100 $, in Batumi I got 270 lari; at the same place I also found a 6 GB monthly SIM for 10 $.
Batumi reminded me of Istanbul: colourful, orderly, a seaside boulevard with a bike path, a park with billiard tables and peacocks in the middle. But the beach has no sand — only gravel like construction aggregate — the city’s wastewater flows into the sea and there was litter everywhere. I went to Tbilisi by bus in 6 hours: wide roads, Soviet buildings, churches and constant rain.
Food is good but not very filling: khachapuri, khinkali and eggplant dishes. I had considered going to Armenia or Azerbaijan first; because of tickets and rain I bought a 95 $ ticket and flew to Uzbekistan. At the airport they did not ask for a return ticket.
Transport, internet and accommodation: how much does it cost?
In Lari (GEL). Rate: 1 $ ≈ 2.63 lari, 1 lari ≈ 17.9 TL. This is the most current market rate I found (July 2026); check again before you gon.
🚌 Transport
| Hopa → Sarp minibus | 60 TL |
| Turkey exit feeSarp border crossing | 710 TL |
| Batumi → Tbilisi bus6 hours, same price at all companies | 40 lari (~15 $) |
| Batumi → Tbilisi train2nd class / 1st class; sold out days in advance | 38 / 60 lari |
| Tbilisi → Uzbekistan flight | 95 $ |
| Tbilisi → Azerbaijan flight | 250 $ |
| City busYou tap a Visa card; Tbilisi airport line 337 | kart |
📱 Internet and accommodation
| SIM card6 GB, one month; 20 and 30 $ packages also available | 10 $ |
| Batumi, 6-bed roomtop bunk, 330 TL on Agoda | ~8 $ |
| Tbilisi, 10-bed roomwith kitchen, price not in the video | – |
| Exchange rate, at border / in Batumifor 100 $ | 265 / 272 lari |
| ATM feewithdrew 260, received 250 | 10 lari |
What to eat, how much does it cost?
Main dishes, in lari (1 lari ≈ 0.38 $).
🍖 Main dishes
| Acharuli khachapuricheese, butter and egg bread | 15 lari (~5,7 $) |
| Khachapuri and eggplant dishwith walnut paste, two dishes | 30 lari (~11 $) |
| Beansat Tbilisi bus terminal | 10 lari (~3,8 $) |
| Sausage and cheese pastry | 5 lari (~1,9 $) |
🛒 Market
| Sausage, 10 eggs and breadbreakfast in the kitchen | 10 lari |
| Loaf of bread | 1,5 lari |
| Ready mealsyou can get as much as you want at markets | by weight |
Choosing a hotel with a kitchen and buying food from the market is the cheapest way.
Videos
Videos from the Georgia journey. Click the card to play the video here.
Route
From Diyarbakır to Sarp, from Batumi to Tbilisi and on to Uzbekistan.
Diyarbakır – Hopa
We arrived in Artvin at 6 in the morning; Batumi buses leave from the city, not the terminal. I saw the sea in Hopa, took a 60 TL minibus and crossed to the Sarp border.
Sarp gate, exchange rate and SIM
I paid the 710 TL exit fee and passed the passport desks. At the border they offered 265 lari for 100 $, in Batumi I got 270 lari; I also found a 6 GB monthly SIM for 10 $.
Beach, park and statue
A boulevard with a bike path, a park with 5 billiard tables, table tennis, a bamboo forest, ponds and peacocks that do not run from people, and the Ali and Nino statue. The beach is all pebbles; the water was ice cold.
To Tbilisi: train full, bus 40 lari
I went to the train station: no seats left for the next 3 days. At the bus terminal next door every company charged 40 lari; I left the next night.
6 hours, rain, wide roads
I got off at 6 in the morning; at the terminal there was a piano and beans for 10 lari. The city has Soviet buildings, Bitcoin ATMs, street dogs and the Kura River. Even at the end of June I wore my jacket.
Square, cathedral, bridge
I walked from Freedom Square to Sioni Cathedral (6th century) and the Peace Bridge; then Metekhi Church (5th century) and the Ottoman mosque. At Deserter Bazaar I tried cheese and churchkhela.
Armenia, Azerbaijan or Uzbekistan?
I had taken an Armenia visa for 8 $ but learned there is no overland route from Turkey. The Azerbaijan ticket was 250 $, Uzbekistan 95; because of the rain I chose Uzbekistan.
Bus number 337
I went to the airport by tapping my card on the bus. I exchanged money: Google said 84 $, the desk gave 85. They did not ask for a return ticket.
Places to see: Batumi
A colourful city on the Black Sea coast.
Billiard park
In the middle: billiard tables, bamboo forest, ponds, ducks, turkeys and peacocks that do not run from people.
Seaside Boulevard
There is a bike path along it; new buildings rise next to the old ones.
Ali and Nino
A statue telling the story of a forbidden love that passes through Azerbaijan; smaller than I expected.
Alphabet Tower and Piazza
A tower carrying the letters of the Georgian alphabet and colourful buildings.
Pebbly beach
No sand, only pebbles. Near the airport there is also a spot where planes come in low.
Grand Mall
I checked prices: clothing and shoes similar to Turkey, electronics cheaper.
Places to see: Tbilisi
Main points of the capital.
Freedom Square
Almost all streets lead here. It used to be Yerevan Square; the name changed in 1991.
Sioni Cathedral
From the 6th century; a strong smell of candles comes from inside.
Peace Bridge
Over the Kura River; buildings on back streets are propped up with steel.
Metekhi Church
About 1500 years old, simple inside; the nearby stream smells of sewage.
Ottoman mosque
Built in the 1700s, undecorated inside.
Deserter Bazaar
The city's largest market: cheese, churchkhela and fish. Prices are written on top.
Photos
Good to know
Practical notes.
Exchange money in the city
At the border they offered 265 lari for 100 $, in Batumi I exchanged at 272. In Tbilisi I found a place without commission; at the airport the rate is worse.
Watch the ATM fee
In Tbilisi one ATM gave 250 when I withdrew 260 (10 lari fee). Check the commission before withdrawing.
Buy the SIM card in Batumi
A 6 GB monthly package for 10 $ was enough; 20 and 30 $ packages were also available.
Board the bus with Visa
On city and airport buses you tap your card; no separate card needed. The Batumi card is cheaper.
Check the bus before the train
The Tbilisi train was full for the next 3 days; the bus is 40 lari and the same price at every company.
Don't trust hotel photos
My Batumi hotel looked nice on Agoda but was a mess from outside; the room had smell and stains. Check reviews and exterior photos.
Armenia and Azerbaijan rules
I learned there is no overland route from Turkey to Armenia; I also heard that anyone with an Armenia stamp cannot enter Azerbaijan. Check in advance.
Bring a jacket
Even at the end of June there was rain and cold in Tbilisi.
Watch out for street dogs
There is a dog problem in Tbilisi; cigarette butts and litter on the sidewalks too.
No bidet spray
There is no bidet spray in the toilets; go prepared.
Budget note: prices close to Turkey
In Georgia transport and food are reasonable, clothing and shoes are similar to Turkey; electronics are a bit cheaper (buying a memory card in Turkey was a good idea; prices here were higher).
Worth a stop for Batumi's colourful park, Tbilisi's churches and khachapuri; don't forget a raincoat and jacket.
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