Your costliest first-timer mistake in Georgia may happen on the road, not at the airport.
Canada’s official advice says road accidents are one of the main causes of death in Georgia, and visitors must carry an International Driving Permit to drive.
Tbilisi’s metro stops at midnight and public transport at 23:00, so a late landing leaves you with taxis only.
Pay a Tbilisi bus fare in cash, and you lose the 90-minute free transfer.
The RBI lets you buy only US$3,000 of foreign currency notes per visit.
Three standard bottles of Georgian wine already exceed India’s 2-litre duty-free alcohol allowance.
This roadmap fixes those details before you fly, current as of 1 October 2026.
Before You Book: Checks That Sit Outside The Visa
Entry and insurance rules sit in our guide to Georgia visa for Indians. These checks sit outside it.
- The UK FCDO's Georgia advice, updated 15 September 2026, advises against all travel to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
- It also advises against all but essential travel to areas immediately next to their boundary lines.
- It warns that travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against its advice.
- That is UK advice, so read your own policy's exclusions for the same situation.
- The US State Department says entering the occupied areas could lead to arrest, imprisonment or a fine.
- Canada says landmines remain near the boundaries and advises staying on main, paved roads.
- The FCDO also flags airspace closures and flight cancellations that affect transit routes.
- Georgia Today reported that Indian arrivals fell 29.5% in the first quarter of 2026, partly because of flight cancellations.
Booking rule: check your airline's notice for your exact dates before paying for non-refundable hotels.
Money Tips For Indian Travellers
The Cash You Can Buy Before You Fly
The RBI’s forex FAQ allows residents to buy foreign currency notes and coins only up to US$3,000 per visit for most countries, and that includes Georgia.
Payments of Rs 50,000 or more for forex must go by cheque, draft, or debit, credit or prepaid card, not cash.
Banks can issue forex cards within the Liberalised Remittance Scheme limit.
So carry a small cash float and keep the rest on a card.
What To Declare When You Return To India
India’s Department of Revenue traveller guide requires a declaration if your foreign currency notes exceed US$5,000.
It also requires one if your total foreign exchange exceeds US$10,000.
The same guide lists 2 litres of alcohol or wine as the duty-free limit.
Three 750 ml bottles come to 2.25 litres, so a single Kakheti tasting can push you over.
The RBI says unspent foreign currency notes must be surrendered within 180 days of return.
You may keep up to US$2,000.
The guide carries no date, so confirm the current figures on India’s customs website before you fly.
Cards, Cash And Bank Hours In Georgia
The Georgia National Tourism Administration says major cards are accepted almost everywhere and ATMs are abundant.
It recommends cash for flea markets.
Dry Bridge Market, for example, runs 09:00 to 17:00 daily.
Banks open 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 14:00 on Saturdays.
If you land on a Saturday afternoon, a bank counter will already be shut.
Government offices are closed on weekends.
Shopping centres and supermarkets open 08:00 to 22:00 or 23:00 on weekdays.
At weekends they open 10:00 and close at 21:00 or 22:00.
Desertirebi Market opens at 07:00 and Lilo Market at 08:00, and both close at 17:00.
So buy your SIM, forex and water on the day you land, not the morning after.
Getting Around Tbilisi
Landing Late: Transport Hours And Official Taxis
The tourism administration lists the metro as running 06:00 to midnight.
Public transport runs 07:00 to 23:00.
After that, you are in a taxi.
Canada’s advice says official taxis are white with roof signs.
It says to arrange your pickup with a reputable company before arrival, or through your hotel.
The tourism administration names Bolt and Yandex as popular taxi apps and says to agree the fare before you set off.
Every Roaming Legs package includes a private airport transfer, so a 01:00 landing needs no negotiation.
Metro And Bus Fares: The 90-Minute Rule
The Tbilisi Transport Company’s tariff page sets a fare of 1 GEL.
That buys 90 minutes of unlimited travel across bus, metro, cable car and minibus.
Only a Metromoney card or a bank card earns the free transfers.
Pay by cash or mobile app, and the 90-minute benefit does not apply.
Cash is accepted only on buses fitted with cash registers.
The Metromoney card costs 2 GEL and needs no documents.
You buy it at metro-station payment offices or at the Rike–Narikala ropeway.
A 1-day pass costs 3 GEL, but it works only on a subscription card.
Roads, Driving And Mountain Days
Driving Rules To Confirm
- Canada's advice says visitors must carry an International Driving Permit.
- It reports zero tolerance for drunk driving, with heavy fines and driving bans.
- It names excessive speed, drink-driving and lane failures as common violations.
- We found no Georgian rule that lets an Indian licence stand alone, so get the rental company's position in writing.
Mountain And Weather Risks
- Heavy rain from April to July raises flood and landslide risk in Kvemo Kartli, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Shida Kartli and Imereti.
- Kazbegi is roughly 150 to 160 km and 3 to 4 hours by road from Tbilisi.
- Add the time it takes to reach the church from the town.
- Gudauri-Kobi closures can affect winter access, so ask for the closure plan in writing.
Route check: Our best time to visit Georgia guide shows what each season allows. The route that uses this road is in our 10-day Georgia itinerary.
Phone, Time And Emergency Numbers
- Georgia is 1 hour 30 minutes behind India, so 09:00 in Tbilisi is 10:30 in India.
- We could not confirm that Airtel or Jio roaming packs cover Georgia.
- Check your operator’s country list before you fly.
- The tourism administration says local SIM providers offer competitive rates.
- Canada gives 112 as the emergency number.
- India’s government directory lists the Embassy of India at 3 Irakli Gamkrelidze Street, Tbilisi.
- Its listed phone is +995-322115808, and its emergency number is +995-591036713.
- Save all three numbers offline.
Laws, Scams And Health Basics
- Canada says photographing military installations or government buildings may bring a penalty.
- Canada warns of scams in which strangers met on dating sites or social media lure victims to bars and force them to pay inflated bills.
- It also reports pickpocketing and purse snatching in crowded areas.
- Canada says demonstrations occur regularly in central Tbilisi and can turn violent.
- It advises a high degree of caution in Tbilisi and avoiding large gatherings.
- It reports a kidnapping risk in border regions.
- Its precautions there include not walking alone after dark and varying your routine.
- It says cannabis production, distribution and sale remain illegal, and trafficking carries jail.
- Canada recommends hepatitis A and rabies vaccines.
- Ask your doctor how early the rabies course must start.
- Canada reports shortages of medical supplies and personnel in rural areas.
- It also describes Georgia as an active seismic zone.
Your Planning Order, Step By Step
- Read the FCDO, US and Canadian advisories for your dates.
- Check your airline's notice for your route.
- Complete visa and insurance steps using our visa guide.
- Plan forex within the US$3,000 note limit and carry a card for the rest.
- Check whether your operator's roaming pack covers Georgia.
- Fix your airport pickup against your landing time.
- Note your landing day, because banks shut at 14:00 on Saturdays.
- See your doctor about hepatitis A and rabies.
- Save 112 and the embassy numbers offline.
To see what sits outside a package price, read Georgia trip cost from India.
Mistakes That Cost First-Time Visitors Money
- Paying Tbilisi bus fares in cash and losing the 90-minute transfer.
- Landing after midnight with no pre-arranged pickup.
- Bringing back more than 2 litres of wine without checking duty.
- Not surrendering unspent forex within 180 days.
- Assuming your Indian roaming pack works in Georgia.
- Driving without an International Driving Permit.
- Reaching a bank after 14:00 on a Saturday.
- Walking or driving into a boundary-line zone.
- Accepting a bar invitation from a stranger.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Foreign Currency Can I Buy In India For Georgia?
Up to US$3,000 in notes and coins per visit.
The RBI sets this limit for most countries.
Pay by card or cheque if the amount is Rs 50,000 or more.
Do I Have To Declare Cash Or Wine When I Return To India?
Declare foreign currency notes above US$5,000, or total foreign exchange above US$10,000.
India's customs guide lists 2 litres of alcohol as the duty-free limit.
Confirm current figures on the customs website, because the guide is undated.
What Happens To Leftover Currency After The Trip?
You must surrender unspent notes within 180 days of return.
You may keep up to US$2,000.
Exchange the rest through an authorised dealer.
Why Did My Tbilisi Bus Fare Not Include The Free Transfer?
You probably paid by cash or mobile app.
Only Metromoney and bank cards earn the 90-minute transfer.
Tap a card at every boarding.
Does The Tbilisi Metro Run All Night?
No.
It runs 06:00 to midnight.
Public transport runs 07:00 to 23:00, so book a pickup for later arrivals.
Can I Drive In Georgia On My Indian Licence?
Canada's advice says visitors must carry an International Driving Permit.
We found no Georgian rule that lets an Indian licence stand alone.
Get the rental company's position in writing before you pay.
Will My Indian Roaming Pack Work In Georgia?
We could not confirm it.
Check your operator's country list for Georgia before you fly.
If it is absent, plan for a local SIM.
Who Do I Call In An Emergency, And Where Is The Indian Embassy?
Call 112.
India's government directory lists the embassy at 3 Irakli Gamkrelidze Street, Tbilisi.
Its emergency number is +995-591036713.
Can I Walk Near The Abkhazia Or South Ossetia Boundary Lines?
No.
The FCDO advises against all but essential travel next to the boundary lines.
The US warns that entering the occupied areas could lead to arrest.
Will My Insurance Cover Me If I Travel Against Official Advice?
Possibly not.
The FCDO warns that insurance could be invalidated when you travel against its advice.
Read your own policy's exclusions before you book.
Which Vaccines Should I Ask My Doctor About?
Canada recommends hepatitis A and rabies vaccines.
Rabies needs a course of doses, so ask your doctor how early to begin.
Rural care is limited, so do not leave this for the last week.
Which Months Carry Flood Risk?
April to July.
Canada names Kvemo Kartli, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Shida Kartli and Imereti.
Check conditions before any add-on that takes you into those regions.
Are Banks And Shops Open On Weekends?
Banks open 10:00 to 14:00 on Saturdays.
Government offices are closed on both weekend days.
Supermarkets and shopping centres open from 10:00 at weekends.
Can I Photograph Government Buildings Or Military Sites?
Avoid it.
Canada says photographing them may bring a penalty.
Ask before you shoot near official buildings.
Plan The First Georgia Trip With The Ground Rules Sorted
Georgia rewards a few exact decisions made before you fly.
Once your booking with Roaming Legs is confirmed, our Georgia specialist gives you a document checklist and reviews your papers at no extra charge.
You still submit your own application.
