Mestia Hospital
მესტიის საავადმყოფო
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
Ilia Gabliani Street, Mestia, Georgia
Mestia to Ushguli Trek · Checked October 2026
Mestia to Ushguli Trek emergency & health guide: hospitals, 112 and the Adishi river crossing
The nearest hospital for each of the 4 stages, Georgia's emergency number, how mountain rescue works in Svaneti, the Adishi river ford, and pharmacies and ATMs on the way.
In an emergency call 112: it covers ambulance, police, fire and mountain rescue, and works from any network and without a SIM card. Say which stage you are on, the nearest village and, if you can, your GPS coordinates; the 112 Georgia app can send your location. Rescue in the mountains is run by the Emergency Management Service and can take hours. If you have no signal, send someone to the nearest village or guesthouse, whose hosts can raise the alarm.
Emergency numbers
| Country | Number | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 112 | Single emergency number: ambulance, police, fire and mountain rescue. Free from any phone and network, also without a SIM card. The 112 Georgia app sends your location and has a silent SOS and chat. |
| Georgia | 16 116 | Emergency Management Service information line (not for emergencies) |
| Georgia | 1505 | Ministry of Health hotline, 24 hours (information) |
| Georgia | +995 599 56 13 71 | Mestia Hospital (small hospital, limited services) |
| Georgia | +995 32 260 06 00 | Zugdidi Referral Hospital (Evex), 24-hour emergency department, about 3 hours from Mestia |
Rescues in Georgia are organised through 112 by the Emergency Management Service, often with a border police helicopter, and can take many hours. The nearest hospital is the small one in Mestia; the nearest full hospital is in Zugdidi, about 3 hours by road. Carry travel insurance that covers hiking and helicopter evacuation, and do not walk the pass day alone.
Rules to know
- No permit, ticket or fee is needed for the trek, and no border-zone permit: the route stays well south of the Russian border. The UK FCDO advises against travel only to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, not to Svaneti.
- Adishi river ford (stage 3): there is no bridge. In the season local men wait with horses and take hikers across for about 25 GEL per person, in cash; the horse covers the main channel and you wade a second, smaller one. Cross early in the morning, when the water is lowest. If you wade, unclip your hip belt, wear sandals, use poles and never cross alone; after heavy rain, wait or take the horse.
- Money: guesthouses take cash only. Georgia uses the lari (GEL). The only ATMs are in Mestia, so take enough for beds, meals, the horse at the river and the ride back from Ushguli.
- Wild camping is allowed and common; camp away from villages and herds and leave no trace. Many guesthouses let you pitch a tent in their garden.
- Village and herding dogs can be aggressive. Do not run: stand still, call to the shepherd and use your poles if needed. Give herds a wide berth.
- Ushguli and the villages of Upper Svaneti are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Respect the towers, churches and village life, and ask before entering a tower or photographing people.
- Water: village tap water is safe; filter water from streams, as cattle graze everywhere. Avoid giant hogweed by the paths: its sap burns skin in sunlight.
- Season: the trek is usually walkable from July to September. In June snow can lie on the Chkhunderi pass and the Adishi river runs high; in October nights are cold and some guesthouses close.
Before you set off, the Tourist Information Centre on Seti Square in Mestia (open daily, 10:00-18:00 according to its map listing) is the place to ask about the trek, transport and guesthouses. Phone signal is patchy between the villages: carry an offline map or GPS track, a headlamp and a first-aid kit, and tell your next guesthouse when you expect to arrive.
Nearest hospital for each stage
| # | Stage | Hospital (24/7 emergency) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mestia → Zhabeshi | Mestia Hospital |
| 2 | Zhabeshi → Adishi | Mestia Hospital |
| 3 | Adishi → Iprali | Mestia Hospital |
| 4 | Iprali → Ushguli | Mestia Hospital |
Hospitals
Zugdidi Referral Hospital (Evex)
ზუგდიდის რეფერალური ჰოსპიტალი
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
Konstantine Gamsakhurdia Street, Zugdidi, Georgia
Pharmacies, cash and supplies
Pharmacies are only in Mestia (Aversi, PSP and Blue Cross, near Seti Square). There are none on the trek, so carry a first-aid kit, blister care and your own medicines. Carry cash for the whole trek: Georgia uses the lari (GEL), guesthouses rarely take cards, and the only ATMs are in Mestia.
Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.
Have the nearest help on your map, offline
Outest shows these hospitals, pharmacies, ATMs and stops on the Mestia to Ushguli Trek map, offline, together with the route, water and places to sleep.