Georgia
Car rental for trips to Mestia
Mestia and Upper Svaneti: choose dates and times to search for a car for your mountain trip.
Find a car in Georgia
For companies serving trips to Mestia
Offer cars for trips to Mestia? Become a partner
GetnDrive welcomes applications from car rental companies. Name your actual pick-up places and rental terms in the application.
- Your cars, your prices and rental conditions
- Travelers pay you directly — GetnDrive does not take the rental payment
- Partner Cabinet access once your application is approved
How it works
Apply
Tell us about your company and fleet in the form. No account is created.
Review
Our team reviews your application manually and contacts you to agree the next steps.
Connect
After approval we agree how and when to connect your fleet. No car is published without our review.
A car for a trip to Mestia: what to know
Mestia is the main town of Upper Svaneti, at about 1,500 m in the Caucasus in north-west Georgia and about 130 km north-east of Zugdidi. A car lets you combine the town with the villages and viewpoints of the Enguri valley, if the pick-up place in a rental company’s offer suits your route.
On the road
Via Zugdidi and Jvari
Main roads from Kutaisi and Batumi lead to Zugdidi. From there the road to Svaneti passes Jvari and climbs the Enguri valley to Mestia.
In the mountains
Plan around the season
Svaneti has very heavy snowfall in winter, and avalanches are frequent. Check the weather and road status before you set off.
In the offer
Check the pick-up place
Mestia is a trip destination. A car may be collected elsewhere; the actual place appears in the published offer.
Payment
Pay the company
You pay the rental company directly, not GetnDrive.
Places on the way to Mestia and nearby
Use these places to plan your drive. Check road conditions, weather and visitor information before setting off.
Mestia and nearby places on the map
- Mestia1 Mestia
- Around Mestia2 Mount Ushba
- Further up the Enguri valley3 Ushguli
- On the way from Zugdidi4 Enguri Dam · 5 Zugdidi
Markers are geographic references, not pick-up points or partner addresses. This map shows no roads, travel times, road status or current access conditions.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License (ODbL).
Zugdidi: where the mountain road begins
Zugdidi is the capital of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region and the nearest large town to Mestia. The main highway from Kutaisi reaches it via Senaki, where the coast road from Batumi joins.
Jvari and the Enguri Dam
At Jvari the road to Svaneti leaves the lowland and enters the mountains. Nearby stands the Enguri Dam, one of the highest concrete arch dams in the world.
Mestia: towers and the museum
Stone Svan towers rise above the town, and the Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography keeps icons and manuscripts from the region. Mestia is also a base for hiking and mountaineering.
Hatsvali, Tetnuldi and Mount Ushba
The Hatsvali and Tetnuldi ski resorts lie about 8 and 15 km from Mestia. The double summit of Ushba rises over the valley, and hiking trails lead to mountain lakes and glaciers. Check what operates on your dates.
Ushguli at the head of the Enguri valley
Ushguli is a community of villages at over 2,000 m, often described as one of the highest continuously inhabited settlements in Europe. Its village of Chazhashi, with more than 200 medieval tower houses, is part of the Upper Svaneti UNESCO World Heritage site.
Choosing where to collect the car
Plan around the pick-up place in the actual offer. Selecting Mestia as a trip destination does not promise collection there.
In the offer
Check the starting point
Compare the stated pick-up place with where you will arrive and where you will stay.
If offered
Kutaisi, Batumi or their airports
Collecting a car in Kutaisi or Batumi, or at one of their airports, may suit a trip to Mestia, but only if a company offers that place.
Company terms
Delivery, return and winter equipment
Delivery to Mestia or Zugdidi, a return elsewhere, winter tyres or chains and the type of car depend on the company and offer. Confirm them with the company.
Driving to Mestia: mountain roads
Winter
Snow, avalanches and road status
Heavy snow and avalanche danger can affect the mountain road to Mestia. Check the forecast and the current road status on the day you travel.
Equipment
Tyres and chains
In winter, tyre and chain requirements can apply on designated mountain road sections. Check the current official rules and ask the company how the car is equipped.
Beyond Mestia
The road to Ushguli
The road continues up the Enguri valley to Ushguli. In winter, snow and avalanche danger can make the trip to Ushguli impossible; check the current road status before you set off.
Your documents
Licence and rental terms
The company sets its document requirements. Whether a foreign licence is valid in Georgia depends on where it was issued and how long you stay; check current official rules.
Car rental for Mestia: questions
How do I search for a car for a trip to Mestia?
Choose Mestia and your pick-up and return dates and times. The search carries those choices to the results. Check the actual pick-up place in each published offer.
Can I pick up the car in Mestia or have it delivered there?
Only if a rental company publishes an offer with pick-up or delivery there. Choosing Mestia as a trip destination does not guarantee either; confirm the place and terms with the company.
What if the search has no results?
There is no published offer matching those dates and destination. Try different dates or another Georgia destination; GetnDrive shows no invented cars or prices.
Can I collect the car in Kutaisi, Batumi or at an airport?
Only when a rental company offers pick-up there. Check the offer and confirm the handover place with that company.
Which way does the road to Mestia go?
Main roads from Kutaisi and Batumi lead to Zugdidi. From there the road to Svaneti passes Jvari, near the Enguri Dam, and follows the Enguri valley up to Mestia.
Is the road to Mestia passable in winter?
GetnDrive cannot confirm current road conditions. Svaneti has heavy snowfall and frequent avalanches in winter; check the weather and the current road status on the day you travel.
Can I drive on from Mestia to Ushguli?
A road continues up the valley to Ushguli, but in winter it can be impassable. GetnDrive cannot confirm its current condition; check it before you set off and ask the company whether its terms cover that route.
Will the car have winter tyres or chains?
That depends on the company and the specific offer. Ask what equipment the car has, and check the current official rules for winter mountain roads.
Do I need a four-wheel-drive car for Mestia or Ushguli?
GetnDrive cannot tell you which car is enough for your trip. Conditions change with the season and weather; check the car’s details with the company and the road status before you go.
Who sets the price and deposit, and whom do I pay?
The rental company sets the price, deposit and conditions in its offer, and you pay it directly. GetnDrive does not take the rental payment or deposit.
Will my foreign driving licence be accepted?
Ask the company which documents it requires. Whether a foreign licence is valid in Georgia depends on the country of issue and length of stay; check current official rules before travel.