Practical Mestia
Plain answers to the questions people actually ask in Mestia — cash, museums, the trek, the road and the electricity story.
The practical questions people actually ask in Mestia — money, museums, the trek, the road, and the electricity story.
Cash or card?
Cash, overwhelmingly. Guesthouses, marshrutkas and museum tickets run on lari, and the trek villages have no ATMs at all. Mestia has ATMs, but they can run empty on peak weekends — draw what you need before the weekend and before leaving town. Budget 85–150 GEL per person for guesthouse half board on the trek (2026 range).
When is the Svaneti Museum open, and what does it cost?
Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00, closed Mondays (+995 322 99 71 76). The listed adult ticket is 7 GEL, but foreign visitors are commonly charged 20 GEL in practice (reported through 2025–26). Bring cash either way.
What about the Margiani House Museum?
Reportedly open daily 10:00–18:00, around 10–20 GEL, cash only. It has no official page, so confirm locally before making the walk.
Does Ushguli charge an entry fee?
The Chazhashi museum-reserve — the tower-village core that put Upper Svaneti on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1996 — charges 2 GEL.
How do I get back from Ushguli?
The shared vans back to Mestia thin out after lunch — the last ones leave around 15:00, at 20–40 GEL a seat. Don't linger past mid-afternoon without a plan: once the vans go, it's a private ride or a night in a guesthouse.
What's the story with the Adishi river crossing on the trek?
Day three of the Mestia–Ushguli trek fords the glacier-fed river at Adishi. Cross early in the morning, when the water is lowest; through the season a local horseman ferries hikers across for 20–25 GEL.
Is electricity really free in Svaneti?
It has been since the 1990s. From 2026 the municipality is being metered: power stays free up to a consumption limit, but as of July 2026 the limit and the above-limit tariff had not been published (the change was announced on 1 June 2026). Blackouts in recent winters were traced to illegal crypto-mining, which is now being cleared.
Anything special about winter driving?
Winter tires are legally required on the Zugdidi–Mestia road from December through March. The road also loses a few days most years to rockfall or avalanche — see the Zugdidi–Mestia road weather page on this site.
Is there a local news site?
No — Mestia has no local outlet. News travels through the regional mountain-news site mtisambebi.ge, national media, and Facebook groups.