What to check before booking an excursion in Georgia

We took several excursions during our trip to Georgia. Some moments stayed with us for the views; others for the long journeys and costs that weren’t obvious from the advertised price. Now I check three things before booking.

1. Reviews: how many, and what do they actually say?

A rating alone tells you little about how a day will go. I look at how many people left it and read what they actually mention. Details about the pace, stops and transport are more useful to me than another “everything was great”.

A useful question is: what about this excursion might be inconvenient for us personally? That makes it easier to know which comments to look for.

2. The full cost, not just the headline price

On one of our excursions, the initial price didn’t include lunch, extra activities and some transfers. That isn’t necessarily a problem, as long as you know before setting off.

• What is already included?
• Which tickets or transfers cost extra?
• Which activities can you skip?
• How much will you need for the whole day, including food?

I’d save the itinerary and the organiser’s answers before paying. That makes it easier to revisit the details if you forget something.

Compare the whole day you’ll experience, rather than two starting prices.

3. How much time will you actually spend travelling?

Places can look close together on a map. But several hours on a bus through mountain roads is a different experience, especially if you get motion sickness. Some of our excursions took almost the entire day.

Now I ask about transfer times, when we’ll return and how much time we’ll have at the actual sights. I also avoid making important plans immediately afterwards.

A short checklist before booking

Read detailed reviews. Calculate the whole budget. Ask about time on the bus and at stops. Then decide whether that day suits your energy, interests and pace.

These are lessons from my own trip. Check the details of any particular excursion with its organiser: there is no universal itinerary or fixed price here.