Nice hike crossing Zuruldi range and offering phenomenal views on some of the most prominent peaks of Caucasus
One of my favorite hikes in the proximity of Mestia. It crosses Zuruldi range and offers phenomenal views on some of the most prominent peaks of Caucasus such as Ushba, Tetnuldi, and Layla.
The walk usually finishes in picturesque Tsvirmi village.
I should mention here that there are actually three variants of the hike to Tsvirmi - this one uses cablecar to get to the top of the Zuruldi ridge.
You can also climb up on foot (route described here)
or just follow a valley of Inguri river (easier, less scenic trail, don't have it on the web yet).
The walk can be adjusted into an easy day hike with the return to Mestia
or the first stage of a longer trek (usually to Ushguli).
If you want to return to Mestia on the same day and don't manage to find a car in Tsvirmi, you will have to walk another 30 minutes to the main road at the Ughviri pass.
The descent from Mentashi transmitter is tricky, but overall, this is still an easy walk.
From Zugdidi to Mestia:
Marshrutkas to Mestia leave from Zugdidi train station every day. The first one departs around 6:30 a.m, after the arrival of the night train from Tbilisi, but there should be several others before noon. The last one usually departs at 14:30. The trip takes about 3-4 hours (1-hour break included) and the price is 20 GEL per person.
From Tbilisi to Mestia:
Few years ago, the best option used to be the overnight train to Zugdidi. However, it was cancelled in 2020 due to covid and there are no signs that it's going to be restored anytime soon. The only viable replacement is a long-distance night bus, which could also save you a lots of time, but won't be as comfortable as that cencelled sleeper train.
So you might have to stick to the day train. It departs from Tbilisi at 8:25 and makes it to Zugdidi at 14:10, just in time to catch some of the last marshrutkas to Svaneti. The price of the ride starts at 16 GEL, which is less than 5 EUR. Tickets can be bought in advance at matarebeli.ge website (the official web is railway.ge, but that never worked for me). Just one important thing - tickets are released for the online sale only some 15 days in advance. So don´t freak out if you can´t buy your ticket online because of the "no tickets available" error :)
If you want to save time, you could also consider a flight - there are 4 flights a week from Natakhtari airport near Tbilisi, operated by VanillaSky company . You would see Caucasus from a completely different perspective and for 90 GEL it´s quite a bargain. On the downside, they occassionally get canceled because of the weather and during the summer, you should book at least month in advance since they get booked up pretty fast. For more info, pls check this excellent post about the flight (covers also flight from Kutaisi).
The last option is the direct marshrutka - two minibuses depart at 7:00 from the area in front of Main Railway Station, come at least 30 minutes earlier to catch a spot. Another one departs at 8:00 from Samgori railway station. The price is 30 GEL, so it´s quite cheap, but I can´t recommend it since this uncomfortable journey takes grueling 9-10 hours - basically, it's just slower, marginally cheaper and less comfortable alternative for the day train.
So, if you prefer the bus, it's better to take comfortable long-distance buses operated by the Turkish company Metro bus. The downside is that they seem not to operate outside of the summer season and will get you only as far as to Zugdidi. There, you will have to switch to marshrutka to get to Mestia.
From Kutaisi to Mestia:
This depends on whether you want to get to Mestia from the city or from the Kutaisi airport.
In the first case, your best options is the direct minibus (the price is 25 GEL) departing from the station behind McDonalds. There is a fixed depoarture at 10:00 am but if you want to secure your spot, get there between 9:00 - 9:30 am. since it's quite popular among tourists. There may be also others during the day if there are enough tourists, but I wouldn´t rely on that. If you miss them and there is none other direct bus available, look for a marshrutka to Zugdidi (price 7 GEL) - it's the same way and you can find there transport to Mestia more easily (especially if you notify your driver in Kutaisi that you need to continue to Mestia).
If you are travelling directly from the airport, the most reliable way to get to Mestia used to be the Georgian bus (they have a stand at the airport) - the price was 40 GEL per person. But it got cancelled when covid hit and not yet reinstated. So you will have to ask taxi drivers loitering at the arrivals hall, they may be willing to give you even a better price.
From Batumi to Mestia:
Marshrutka is the only option, it departs from the main bus station. Since you will have switch the bus in Zugdidi (you may have to wait for several hours there), this ride takes a better part of the day. The first bus departs at 8:00 am, then there should be another one at 9:30 am.
The first marshrutkas to Zugdidi, Batumi and Tbilisi depart early in morning, around 7 am. every day in the morning at (these should be booked one day in advance). There are more during the day, depending on the demand. The last marshrutka to Zugdidi leaves around 19:00 and it´s ideal if you want to catch the night train to Tbilisi which departs at 22:15. However, since marshrutka schedules are not 100% fixed, better visit station in advance to confirm this and book tickets.
For exact timetables and booking of the tickets, visit the travel offices at the station. Just keep in mind that there are several offices and don't buy tickets too far in advance. We met tourists who entered the first office, bought there tickets for the next bus which departed in 2 hours and then had to wait even though there were several other marshrutkas (operated by another offices). If you can't find a suitable tickets and are not under a time pressure, I recommend just to grab a beer at the bar by the station, sit on the terrace and check the situation once in a while - sooner or later, some driver driver will show up.
Looking for a place to stay in Mestia before the hike?
These are my favorite guesthouses
Modern cable car shipping people onto the Zuruldi ridge. Middle and upper stations were built in 2011 - so in the past years, the hikers who wanted to reach them has to take a taxi or walk 9 km on a concrete road. This changed last winter, when was opened also lower station so tourists can comfortably drive up right from Mestia. The price for the ride to the top is 20 GEL, by the upper station is a restaurant with terrace and gorgeous views.
The cable car operates from 10:00 until 16:45. It doesn't work in rainy or foggy weather. If you are not sure, ask at Visitor’s center at Seti Square and confirm if it currently works or not.
| Distance | 11,2 km |
| Trail type: | AB trip |
| Max. elevation: | 2451m |
| Min. elevation: | 1398m |
| Total climb: | 390m |
| Total descent: | 898m |
The trail starts at Seti Square. Leave it by a street heading to the southeast, after 200 meters cross the bridge and turn right. Cross another bridge and walk by a museum. Main road here bends to the east - follow it for about 400 meters, then turn right. After another 100m, you should reach the lower Hatsvali station.
Take a cable car ride to the top of Zuruldi range, then head east. Walk between trees, cross small meadow and you will come to bigger dirt road. It will take you all the way to Mentashi transmitter, which is already visible to the east. There is only one crossroad halfway, in front of a small hill - if you take left branch, you will climb to the nameless transmitter (limited views), if you take right one, trail will bypass the mount. But no matter which path you take, both will merge again and you will have to climb hundred meters to another transmitter.
Mentashi hill offers breathtaking views in all directions and is an excellent place for a break. Majority of people turn back here and return to the cable car. It's also a viable option as views when riding downwards are even better (as you see Ushba all the time without a need to twist your neck).
But we continue eastwards. Descent from Mentashi is tricky as the terrain is very steep and the path not always visible (to put it mildly). Be careful. You need to make it to the meadow in the northeastern direction. Once there, find a small path heading northeast. Follow it, cross several pastures and belts of trees.
After two kilometers, you will come to a spot where the trail turns north and dives into the forest. From here, it's supposed to continue to Mulakhi village. First sections are decent, but further stages are in a poor shape so I don't recommend it. But if you have time, you can make a small side trip - after first 300 meters, there is a meadow with nice views of Mt. Ushba.
In case you want to go directly to Tsvirmi, keep walking east. Follow the grassy path between trees - on your left will be a dense forest, on the slope below you a small group of trees. Once you walk pass this grove, turn right and descend some 50 meters. You will find a path, which soon turns into regular dirt road - too narrow for a car, but wide enough for a cart. This track will take you all the way to Tsvirmi.
Tsvirmi is a lovely hamlet, barely touched by tourism. If you want to spend a night here, you will stumble upon a guesthouse soon after you enter a village.
If you want to carry on to Ughviri pass, head to the center of the village, where you will find tourist marker. There is an arrow showing the trail to Mestia pointing to the west (Inguri valley path), but it's too far that way so we will set off in the direction of Zhabeshi. Just follow the main road and after two kilometers you will come to Ugviri pass. Here you will (hopefully) hitch a ride back to Mestia.
Finished the hike and looking for more?
Here you will find all hikes around Mestia
In the past, Tsvirmi was visited only by few tourists and so it managed to retain a lots of its charm. However, that also meant that the offer of accommodation was very limited. The situation changed only in the past few years and nowadays, the village boasts at least 4 guesthouses. Only one of them can be booked online but even if it´s full, there are enough alternatives.
Shorena's guesthouse - added to Booking.com only in june 2019, but looking at the photos, I am almost sure this is the place where I stayed few years ago. This very pleasant homestay lies at the northern edge of the village, right by the trail descending from the Zuruldi massif. The family running it was really lovely and the food was good and plentiful. During my visit, their beds were somewhat saggy but I heard that this was also fixed in the meantine so now can be this guesthouse strongly recommended.
