GRAPE Logistics

The Setting

Our excavation project, in and around the town of Marneuli, aims at exploring as much as the Republic of Georgia has to offer. While a small country, transportation in the country can be a challenge. 

    All our Georgian excavation participants will be housed in double or triple-occupancy rooms, in a hotel on the outskirts of the town of Marneuli, about 15km from the site. Each room is equipped with its own bathroom. Transportation to and from the hotel to the site will be provided.

       The housing and excavation conditions simple are very safe. There are several fully equipped hospitals and stores nearby in the town of Marneuli. Generally speaking, you will have all the advantages of a country life with all the comfort of an urban environment.

Meals

​​     Breakfast and dinner will be served Mon-Fri in the hotel restaurant. Participants will sample a variety of amazing home cooked Georgian and Turkish traditional meals. You are responsible for your own lunches, and all meals during the weekend. Georgian cuisine is generally meat-oriented, but we can accommodate vegetarian diets. However, we are not able to offer a vegan or gluten-free option. There is a small store near the hotel where you can purchase fresh cheese, various meat products, garden vegetables, bread, drinks, etc. In Marneuli, a city about 5km away, you can find restaurants, Shaurma stands and supermarkets.

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​Dishes may include: cilantro, walnuts, fish, chicken, beef, pork.  

Discuss any dietary restrictions prior to joining the team.

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     Marneuli provides all the amenities of a small European town, which includes hospitals, a bus station, , and all the stores you might need. It is also about a 45 minute drive from the capital city of of Tbilisi where almost anything can be purchased.

Projects Dates and Fees

Dates - Neolithic Excavation and Survey

·  Session 1: May 24 - June 19, 2027 (4 weeks mandatory)

·  Session 2: June 21 - July 17, 2027 (4 weeks mandatory)

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Costs:  Georgian Neolithic Excavation and Survey: US$2895 per each 4-week session

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Team size: 18-20 participants

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     The fee is for each individual session. It includes a $895 non refundable registration fees, room and board as described above, lectures, training, most gear, site access, museum clearance. If you register before March 1st, 2027, you are expected to pay at the time of registration $895 (the non-refundable registration portion of the fees), as well as any ancillary fees (such as weekend field trips and chartered bus tickets from Tbilisi to our hotel, and back)  within 21 days after being accepted to the program. The remainder of the fees are to be paid in full no later than April 15, 2027. No refund will be considered after March 14, 2027.

     The program fees do not include the trip to and from Georgia. Participants must arrange their own travel to and from Georgia, and health/travel insurance. Participants who are not taking the chartered bus from Tbilisi to our hotel (and back to the airport) are responsible  to get to our base on their own (instructions will be provided with the travel kit in March 2026). Participants are responsible for their own meals during weekends, and dinner during the week, as described above.

 At the present time, no entry visa is required for Georgia for up to 12 weeks for EU, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens. 

         Covid-19 vaccination is required to be allowed to participate to the program. If at any time, you test positive for COVID-19 while in Georgia, it is strictly the responsibility of the participant to fulfill all the conditions required by law by the host country at their own expense.

        The project itself is museum-based based and, as a result, ArchaeoTek / BioArch Canada does not offer credits directly. However, 3-6 undergraduate (graduate-if applicable) credits can be earned for Canadians through University of Toronto. UofT specific deadlines and additional credit fees apply. To apply for academic credit through USF, you need to fill out first our on-line application form. Only after you receive confirmation of acceptance from us, you will be able to apply for credit directly to UofT. Americans can apply for credit through UofT but the tuition fee is exorbitant. Students, however, have successfully been able to claim academic recognition for their work with us through independent study programs in their own university. The instructor in charge of such independent studies would set up his/her own evaluating scheme and we would provide all the information thus required. Some schools were content with just a grade while others required a detailed evaluation and an essay from the student. In this context, credits are arranged internally in the student’s university, simplifying things.

Getting There

The simplest (and cheapest) way to get to our base is to fly into the Tbilisi airport (Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport) on Saturday (May 23 or June 20, 2027). With the exception of Air France, most flights arrive around 3am and so it is best to spend the night in a local hotel or Airbnb in Tbilisi. We will arrange for a list of suggested hotel options with the travel pack to be sent closer to the departure date.  We will pick up everyone on Sunday (May 24 or June 21, 2027) morning at 1PM in the Georgian National Museum Staff (side) entrance,  and will drive you to our base. The bus ride is, under normal circumstances, 45m long. The cost for a one way ticket on our chartered bus is US$30.  We also offer the possibility to book the return on our chartered bus, directly from the hotel to the airport. We leave from our hotel Saturday (June 19  or July 17, 2027) around 1AM (effectively the night of June 18 or July 16) in order to arrive at the airport around 2AM on Saturday morning so participants can make it on time to the earliest flights (5AM) out of Tbilisi. Participants are personally responsible to obtain all the necessary travel documents.

     If you want to get to our hotel on your own from the airport (not recommended), you will need to take a taxi from the airport to Marneuli. The cost varies appreciably, and is usually SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive from the airport.