Go with a plan.
No major changes since yesterday.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Georgia
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go with a plan.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
Shardeni area bar overcharging
Bars and clubs in the Shardeni area may charge over US$1,000 for a few drinks and force payment. Avoid this area entirely to stay safe.
Airport and street taxi fraud
Drivers may rig meters, misrepresent lari values, or demand payment in US dollars instead of the quoted lari. Stand your ground and walk away if necessary.
Aggressive pickpocketing groups
Groups of adults or children may cling to tourists to pickpocket them while begging. Yell for help and fight back if this occurs.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Mandatory seat belt use
The use of seat belts is obligatory throughout Georgia and is strictly enforced.
Random police checks
Solo black men walking in Tbilisi may be randomly controlled by police on a daily basis.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Measles, Rabies
Source: CDC Travelers' Health →Getting in
What you'll need at the border
Visitors to Georgia must obtain a visa from Georgian diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries or one of the countries whose citizens may obtain an e-Visa.
Source: Wikipedia →Real, not invented
Terrorism
Terrorist attacks in Georgia cannot be ruled out. Attacks could happen anywhere and affect western interests and places visited by foreigners, such as tourist sites and cultural events.
Source: UK FCDO →Real, not invented
Cultural & legal notes
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Georgia, and there are anti-discrimination laws, but same-sex relationships are still not widely accepted. Showing affection in public may result in discrimination or harassment. Homophobic harassment and assault take place. Pride marches in 2019 and 2021 were cancelled because the police did not guarantee security. In 2023, a Pride event was cancelled after a violent protest. Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers .
Source: UK FCDO →From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Most of Georgia is very safe for foreigners. Crime rates are among the lowest in Europe. The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs provides some useful information for foreign visitors.
- •Corruption, once a big hassle for tourists, has become far less visible since the Rose Revolution.
- •Use of seat belts is now obligatory and strictly enforced.
- •Women should be aware that many Georgian men do not believe "no" means no.
Staying healthy
- •In terms of ecology, Georgia has a lot of problems with waste management, especially in villages and small towns, where municipal services are almost non-existent.
- •Good quality prescription drugs can be easily obtained in pharmacies without any prescription.
- •In Tbilisi you will be able to find many gyms and fitness centres with swimming pools and brand new training equipment.
- •Animals: While encounters are rare, one might stumble upon levant blunt-nosed vipers (Macrovipera lebetina obtusa).
- •In Central and Western parts of Georgia there are two types of scorpions: Euscorpius mingrelicus and Euscorpius italicus.
- •Take suitable measures in tick habitats. There is a small risk of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Right now
In the news the last few days
- Big Tigger wont face charges in domestic violence case2026-09-07
- Arjun Rampal explores Georgia ahead of Operation Ganga , calls film script quite crazy 2026-09-07
- Caucasian Knot | Participants of the march in Tbilisi protested against the policies of the Georgian Dream . 2026-09-05
- Metro Atlanta man convicted 40 years after serial rape spree2026-09-05
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Travelers generally consider Georgia a safe destination for solo travelers, including women. Violent crime is not a reported concern, though tourists should avoid political demonstrations in Tbilisi. The primary safety considerations involve transport and animals: marshrutka drivers often drive aggressively, and stray dogs are common. While many street dogs are vaccinated and docile, some can be aggressive, particularly in rural areas. Visitors should avoid overcharging taxi drivers near the Stalin Museum in Gori who target tourists for trips to Uplistsikhe. Respect local customs by covering hair in Orthodox churches and avoiding photography during mass. Monitor the political situation regarding the two independentist regions supported by Russian forces.
“There are some taxi drivers near Stalin Museum in Gori grabbing tourists for uplistsikhe, avoid them as they are very expensive, the marshrutka for Uplistsikhe is less than 1€ (it was 2GEL) and not even 10min of walk from the museum
— r/travel
“Also there were several demonstrations in Tbilissi against the governement accused of being pro-russian, obviously as a tourist you should stay away from demonstrations
— r/travel
“Stray dogs: there is a lot of them. But most are adorable. They will have a little plastic thing on the ear saying they are vaccinated. Green and yellow mean they are pretty calm, red means they can be aggressive sometimes.
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / F · 220V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 112 / ambulance: 112 / fire: 112
Tipping
Tipping is common in Western-style restaurants in the capital, but almost never expected in more traditional establishments. In many restaurants, especially in big cities, there is a 10% service charge. In some places in Tbilisi it could be even up to 15%. This is almost never explicitly mentioned and may be added to your bill without warning, so it is advisable to ask beforehand.
Cash vs. Card
The national currency is the Georgian lari (ISO currency code: GEL), denoted by the official symbol "₾" or sometimes by letter "ლ" /l/. It is divided into 100 tetri. Banknotes are issued in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and the rarely-used 200 lari. Coins are issued in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 tetri, 1 and 2 lari.
Zoom in
One Georgia city on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (9 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-09-09
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-09-09
- ca-gac — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-09-09
- cdc-health — observed 2026-09-09
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-09-09
- reddit — observed 2026-09-09
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-09-09