How safe is Georgia and the Caucasus in 2025? Tourism in times of unrest

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We wish you and your loved ones all the best and hope that the New Year is full of adventures!

During the holidays, which we spent with our family in Austria, we were happy to receive many inquiries and bookings for 2025.
One question comes up frequently:

Is Georgia / the Caucasus safe to travel for tourists in 2025?
The short answer: Yes!

The longer answer:
(Also for those who have Dagestan or the route Georgia – North Caucasus – Kazakhstan in mind)

Our experience:

We have been living and working with international guests in the Caucasus for five years. We have been organizing self-drive tours in Dagestan since 2020 and in Georgia since 2023. Even after the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, about 40 guests have explored Russia (Dagestan) in our UAZ 4×4 campers. In addition, there were around 25 world travellers who used our tips and route recommendations for the North Caucasus. So we are professionally involved with this topic and have been able to gather plenty of first-hand experience.

On travel safety in the Caucasus:

The media can give the impression that an entire country is affected by unrest, though the reports usually only describe the centres of larger cities. For example, we live on the outskirts of Tbilisi (6 km to the parliament) and notice nothing of the ongoing protests.
The people in the Caucasus separate politics and meeting people on a personal level very well. Travellers are still warmly welcomed – no matter what passport or licence plate they have.
No one we know has had problems with “official” authorities such as visas, entry, police checks, etc. in Russia or Georgia. Sometimes it takes longer or more questions are asked – but often the officials are just curious to see tourists.

Recommendations if you want to travel to Georgia / Dagestan / the North Caucasus in 2025:

Get first-hand information from travellers who have recently been here, e.g., on Facebook. We are also happy to connect you with previous travellers. A good option is also our online info evening for Caucasus travellers (invitation will come via our newsletter).
Expect more negative headlines in the coming months. It is quite possible that the protests in Georgia will intensify further, and unrest in Russia cannot be ruled out in 2025. Though – travelling on an individual 4×4 tour, where you mainly explore the rural mountain regions, you will probably not notice and not be affected by any of this.
The decision of when and where you want to travel is up to you. If you have concerns, we recommend, as we do to all our guests: Travel only if you feel good about it, otherwise you will not be able to fully enjoy your time in the Caucasus.

In any case, we keep a close eye on the situation on the ground and look forward to sharing the most beautiful places in the Caucasus with you also in 2025. Do you have questions? Then feel free to write to us via email or WhatsApp.

Andreas and Sveta

Booking status Dagestan trips in July and August

For details and more info click here: Transcaucasus Travels 2025
July 2025 (Route: Tbilisi to Makhachkala) 2 cars still available
August 2025 (Route: Makhachkala to Tbilisi) Waiting list*

*We may be able to add an additional car for August later.

Skiing, off-road, good food and drink? Certainly!

If you want to combine a few days of skiing with our 4×4 adventure tour, then Georgia at the end of February and in March is a hidden gem. The slopes are in excellent condition, while in the lowlands it is already pleasantly warm and you can camp wonderfully. We are happy to put together a route ideally adapted to the season for you. More also in our newsletter: Visit Georgia in Spring

Entry & Visa

Georgia is easy to reach from Europe with a flight to the capital Tbilisi or to Kutaisi, no visa is required.

Dagestan (airport “MCX”) is best reached with the airline Pobeda almost daily from Istanbul.
For to 16 days you can get Russia tourist visas online, longer Russia visas you apply for in your home country.
Transit visas for Russia (e.g., if you are travelling on to Kazakhstan) are available in Tbilisi and Yerevan.