Georgia

Georgia family holidays

Straddling the divide between Asia and Europe and encircled by the lofty peaks of the Caucasus mountains, Georgia is a fascinating place to visit. It combines epic scenery, genuine adventure and a strong tradition of warm hospitality, which makes it an ideal destination for a family holiday.

The scenery here is spectacularly beautiful, with a snow-capped ridge of mountains providing an almost impenetrable barrier to the north. Here you’ll find remote villages, superb treks and opportunities for white water rafting. In the flatter lands of Kakheti, you’ll find a more gentle way of life, with rolling vineyards, sun-dappled walnut groves and a love of food and wine.

Teenager uses telescope on Georgia family holiday to look at the mountain views from the Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument

The mountain views from the Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument are spectacular

Georgia’s long and tumultuous history is ever present, from remote monasteries dating back to early Christianity to the more brutalist reminders of the recent Soviet past. But although there is a lot of history (and a lot of churches to visit), there is far more to Georgia than this, with plenty of activities for children of all ages, whether on foot, by boat, on horse-back or raft.

There’s also a wonderful culinary tradition, with fabulously child-friendly steaming pastries stuffed with melted cheese and tasty Georgian dumplings forming a key part of any Georgia family holiday.

Mum and son testing out the bread they baked with a local in Georgia - Europe holidays

Enjoy the delicious bread in Kireli, baked at a lunch cooked together with a local family

Why take the kids to Georgia?

For a relatively small country, there’s a huge amount to do in Georgia with your children. Mountains tend to feature large on any itinerary, but there’s lots more besides. Some of our favourite activities on family holidays to Georgia include:

Sampling delicious local dishes on a food tour in Tbilisi
Hiking the back route up to Gergeti Church, in the shadow of Mt Kazbegi
Taking lunch with a local family, learning how to bake bread in a clay oven
Clambering over the rocks in remote cave villages
Enjoying the thrill of a white-water rafting trip down the Aragvi River
Walking through meadows of wildflowers in a little-known valley
Taking a boat ride through the narrow gorge of Martvili

Georgia is particularly well-suited to families with slightly older children. They will love exploring the culinary scene, sampling delicious local dishes and potentially the local wines. The hiking is superb, with different levels on offer depending on fitness and how far the kids can be persuaded to walk. And the Soviet history will resonate with many who have studied Stalin during GCSE and A-level History.

Mother and son visiting ancient church and mountains in Georgia, on an active Europe holiday, skies are blue

Our families agree that both the gentler walks and the more challenging hikes in Georgia are superb

Younger children can also be accommodated, with carefully tailored activities to include horse-riding, boat rides and cable cars in Tbilisi. Whilst some hikes will be beyond those with little legs, we have several flatter routes that are suitable for kids of all ages.

Family trekking in Georgia

With its incredible mountain scenery, you may well want to include some hiking on your family holiday to Georgia. With such massive peaks forming a spine along the north, you are somewhat spoilt for choice, but we’ve walked the routes and checked out the views, and advise families to concentrate on one of three main areas:

Stepantsminda, a small town close to the Russian border, and home to Gergeti Church, perhaps the most iconic church in Georgia. There are many day treks that you can do here, with absolutely superb mountain views.
Tusheti, a relatively remote and inaccessible region that offers breathtaking scenery. However, careful consideration needs to be given to the time of year and whether or not the roads and trek routes will be open.
Svaneti, a beautiful area in the north west of Georgia, is home to UNESCO World Heritage villages with impressive stone towers. There are a wide variety of trek routes here that can be tailored to your family. Again, consideration needs to be given to travel times and how to best weave this into your family trip to Georgia.

One of our favourite treks in the Truso Valley, Stepantsminda

Combining Georgia with Armenia or Azerbaijan

There is very easy connectivity with both Armenia and Azerbaijan so that you can extend your family holiday in Georgia to another country. Azerbaijan offers the interesting capital city of Baku, which sits on the Caspian Sea and means that you can travel all the way from the Caspian to the Black Sea.

Armenia also works well and offers further adventure activities to combine with your time in Georgia. Culturally, the two countries are very similar and work well together in combination.

Aerial view over Tbilisi, with the bridge over the river, the old town and the church - family-friendly holidays to Georgia

Tbilisi is the usual starting point for a Georgia trip, and there’s much to explore here

Family holiday itineraries to Georgia

Although Georgia is a relatively small country, it’s important to make sure that your itinerary is tailored to your family. Families with older children will need more adventure and may enjoy sampling the food and wine. Those with younger kids, or travelling with grandparents, may want a slower pace and fewer different overnight stops. To give you an idea of what you could do on a family holiday in Georgia, have a look at our sample itineraries, Highlights of Georgia and Georgia in Depth.

You can also explore our Places to Visit page for inspiration on the best regions for a family holiday in Georgia, and check our handy when to go to Georgia guide to find the best months for travel in the region.  Alternatively, ring us and we’ll start planning with you. We’ll design and arrange your entire bespoke holiday from start to finish, complete with 24/7 support throughout your trip so you can travel with absolute confidence.