The golden age of Svaneti’s material culture and art is the period between the 10th and the 14th centuries. Legendary Svan towers, manors, churches and monasteries were all built during this period. The churches were beautifully decorated with wall-paintings, silverware, hammered and gold-plated ikons, illuminated manuscripts of the Gospels, precious vessels. Due to the fact that Svaneti was so well protected from invasions, the entire Georgian Kingdom often used it as a treasury for safekeeping valuables from all over the country. A lot of this world-class culture heritage is there for us to see. Ancient songs, rituals and festivals, traditional ways of farming, traditional food are also part of this living ethnographic museum under open sky.
There are culture-heritage sights that can only be reached on foot, and you will need to hike a little to get there, while others can easily be reached by car.
Guides
Your driver will take you around and get the key-keepers to open the churches for you. On the tours where you need to hike to the sights we will be providing a trekking guide. However, there are no professional English-speaking culture-heritage guides in Svaneti. Occasionally we are able to ask one of the English-speaking students or school teachers to accompany visitors. Let us know if you would like to do a culture heritage tour with a guide, and we will see if we are able to find one for your tour dates.
Prices
Group of 2-3, price range depends on the routes:
3-day itinerary: 575 – 675 EUR per person
5-day itinerary: 960 – 1120 EUR per person
10% DISCOUNT for a group of 4 and more visitors
Includes:
- 3/5 overnights in guest houses (double room, private bathroom)
- breakfast and dinner daily
- all transport on the itinerary
- accompanying trekking guide (where it is necessary to hike to the sights)
Transfer to and from Svaneti NOT included. Information on Transfers.
Highlights of Mestia
Time: appr. 3 hours
Walk the most beautiful historic area and visit some of the most interesting sights of Mestia: Transfiguration church, Museum of History and Ethnography, Museum of Traditional Svan Habitat and Museum of Alpinism.
Churches of Latali & Lenjeri
Time: half a day
Latali is one of the most interesting communities of Upper Svaneti. Geographically it marks the beginning…
Tanghili church and St George’s church of Lakhushdi
Time: half a day
The driver will take you first to see Saviour’s church of Lakhushdi. The building has been restored from ruin, so there aren’t…
St.George’s church of Phari
Time: all day
St.George’s church in Phari has a traditional annex for safekeeping all the vessels and cutlery for festive cooking rituals (some of them on display), facade and interior frescoes…
Lakhiri and Tsvirmi
Time: all day
A whole-day tour to two most picturesque settlements. Both villages are off the main tourist tracks. Lakhiri boasts a beautiful architectural composition of old Svan houses and some 18 towers…
Ushguli, St. George’s church of Nakiphari and St. Barbara’s church of Khe
Time: all day
Ushguli is the legend of Upper Svaneti. Its characteristic architecture against the background of Mt. Shkhara…
Adishi and St. George’s church of Nakiphari
Time: all day
Adishi is a village located on the slopes of Mt. Tetnuldi, about 25 km from Mestia. The road to Adishi is very beautiful, but also…
Culture heritage of Kala
Time: whole day
The most complete culture-heritage tour of the eastern part of Svaneti featuring the best sights of the region…
Folk music concert
Time: 40 min
Listen to traditional Svaneti polyphonic singing performed by local folklore music groups. It is a unique phenomenon, the…
