# Mestia to Ushguli Trek — 4 Days on the Svaneti Trail

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- Canonical: https://gtour.ge/tour/mestia-ushguli-trek-4-days/
- Author: 
- Published: 2026-10-27
- Updated: 2026-10-27
- Language: en
- Russian edition: https://gtour.ge/ru/tour/mestia-ushguli-trek-4-days/

€990 per person4 days / 3 nightsPrivate · car & English-speaking guideBased on two travellers

Trek the 55 km [Mestia](https://gtour.ge/georgia/mestia/)-to-[Ushguli](https://gtour.ge/georgia/ushguli/) trail through Zhabeshi and Adishi with a mountain guide, glacier river crossing by horse, and three guesthouse nights.

The route

[Mestia](https://gtour.ge/georgia/mestia/)[Ushguli](https://gtour.ge/georgia/ushguli/)

Why this tour

- —Classic 55 km Svan trail from [Mestia](https://gtour.ge/georgia/mestia/) to [Ushguli](https://gtour.ge/georgia/ushguli/) via Zhabeshi, Adishi and Iprali, walked over four days with one short vehicle link.

- —Licensed mountain guide throughout, handling route-finding and the timing of the Adishi glacier river crossing.

- —Adishi glacier-fed river crossed by horse, the trail's technical highlight, included in the price rather than sold as an add-on.

- —Three nights in family-run guesthouses at Zhabeshi, Adishi and [Ushguli](https://gtour.ge/georgia/ushguli/), with home-cooked Svan dinners and breakfasts.

- —Luggage carried by vehicle on the stretches where the road allows, so you walk with a day pack only.

- —[Ushguli](https://gtour.ge/georgia/ushguli/)'s four villages and medieval tower-houses below Mount Shkhara reached on foot, at the end of the trail rather than from a jeep day trip.

Itinerary

Day 1Transfer from Zugdidi or [Mestia](https://gtour.ge/georgia/mestia/) airport to Mestia, capital of Upper Svaneti. Briefing with your mountain guide and a short acclimatisation walk among the town's medieval Svan towers.

Day 2Trek from [Mestia](https://gtour.ge/georgia/mestia/) to Zhabeshi, around 17 km through pine forest and Svan hamlets with views toward Tetnuldi. Overnight in a family guesthouse in Zhabeshi.

Day 3Trek from Zhabeshi to Adishi, around 10 km with a climb onto the Adishi plateau and views of the Adishi glacier. Overnight in Adishi, one of Svaneti's most remote inhabited villages.

Day 4Trek from Adishi toward Iprali, crossing the glacier-fed Adishi river by horse, then continue by vehicle to [Ushguli](https://gtour.ge/georgia/ushguli/). Afternoon among Ushguli's tower-houses below Mount Shkhara, followed by the return transfer to [Mestia](https://gtour.ge/georgia/mestia/).

Included

- ✓ Licensed mountain guide for all four days

- ✓ 3 nights in family-run guesthouses at Zhabeshi, Adishi and Ushguli, half board

- ✓ Horse crossing of the Adishi glacier river

- ✓ Luggage transfer by vehicle where the road allows

- ✓ Transfer from Zugdidi or Mestia airport to Mestia at the start

- ✓ Return transfer from Ushguli to Mestia at the end

- ✓ All breakfasts and dinners at the guesthouses

Not included

- — International and domestic flights

- — Lunches on trekking days, carried as a packed lunch, cost checked at booking

- — Travel insurance with trekking and rescue cover

- — Personal trekking gear (boots, poles, rain shell)

- — Tips for the guide and guesthouse hosts

Good to know

- · Expect 5 to 7 hours of walking a day on uneven mountain paths, with one steep climb toward Adishi; a reasonable level of fitness is required.

- · Best season is June to September; snow can close the high sections earlier or later in the year, checked at booking.

- · Guesthouses are simple, with shared bathrooms in most villages; hot water and electricity can be limited in Adishi.

- · Bring broken-in hiking boots, layered clothing, a waterproof shell and a headtorch.

- · The Adishi river crossing depends on water level and weather; the guide may adjust timing or method on the day.

- · Mobile signal is intermittent or absent between Zhabeshi and [Ushguli](https://gtour.ge/georgia/ushguli/).

Questions

**How fit do I need to be for this trek?**
You should be comfortable walking 15 to 17 km a day over uneven terrain with some ascent; no technical climbing is involved.

**What happens if the Adishi river is too high to cross by horse?**
The guide carries a contingency plan and decides on the day; horse crossing is the standard method used in normal water levels.

**Can I skip part of the walk and rejoin by vehicle?**
The Iprali to [Ushguli](https://gtour.ge/georgia/ushguli/) stretch has a vehicle track, so you can rejoin the group by car on the final section if needed, checked at booking.

**Is this a private trek or a joined group?**
It runs as a private trek for your own party; combining with other hikers is possible on request, checked at booking.

Prices are per person for two travelling together, in euros; solo travellers and larger groups are quoted on request. Every departure is private and adjusted to you. Hotels, wineries and restaurants on our routes are [verified by GTour](/verified/).

*Image: A saddle horse stands on the Svaneti forest trail, evoking the horse river crossing on this trek. Photo: FingerWiki / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

*Image: A rugged peak rises above forest and valley along the Svaneti trekking route near Mestia. Photo: FingerWiki / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

The Adishi Glacier, crossed by trekkers on the Mestia to Ushguli route through Svaneti. · Photo: Martin Lopatka / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0