Taste of Georgia Tour7 Days | Tbilisi, Telavi, Shumi, Tsinandali, Gremi, Kvareli, Sighnaghi, Bodbe, Mtskheta, Ananuri, Kazbegi, Gori, Uplistsikhe, Borjomi, Vardzia, Akhaltsikhe

Taste of Georgia Tour has been specially designed around Georgian food and wine, two of the major selling points of this beautiful destination in the Caucasus. In addition to amazing cuisine and fine wine, expect to encounter age-old traditions and millennia of fascinating history on Taste of Georgia Tour, a unique fusion of culinary and cultural tourism.

Tour itinerary:

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Day 1: Tbilisi – arrival

Arrive in Tbilisi. Transfer to the hotel, where check-in begins at noon.
Meet your guide to begin your Georgia Classic Tour with sightseeing in Tbilisi. Start at Holy Trinity Cathedral, one of the largest orthodox churches in the world. Continue to Metekhi Church and Monument to Vakhtang Gorgasali, the legendary founder of Tbilisi. Take a cable car to Narikala Fortress to enjoy panoramic views of the city before walking to the Sulphur bathhouses district, passing by the only mosque in Tbilisi. Stroll along Shardeni Street, where narrow roads are lined with cozy cafés, wine tasting bars and souvenir shops. Visit Sioni Cathedral, Anchiskhati Basilica, the clock tower of the famous Rezo Gabriadze Theatre and Bridge of Peace, which leads to Rike Park.
At 19:30, head to a local restaurant for traditional Georgian cuisine. Overnight at the hotel.
Meals: dinner

Day 2: Tbilisi – Telavi – Shumi – Tsinandali – Telavi

After breakfast depart for Kakheti Region, the cradle of Georgian wine, via the beautiful Gombori Pass. Our first stop is Telavi, the region’s administrative and historic center. Take a short walk through its charming streets and stop for a photo at the Monument to Erekli II. Visit Batonis Tsikhe, which served as the residence of Kakhetian kings in the 17th- 18th centuries. The castle encloses two churches, the ruins of a royal bathhouse and the Persian-style Palace of King Erekle II. Our next stop beckons at a family boutique cheese factory and cellar. We will indulge into the world of Georgian cheeses and then taste five types of unique local cheeses. Continue to Shumi Winery in Tsinandali village, the historical center of Georgia’s wine region. Tour Shumi’s Vazioni Wine Museum, a private museum with nearly 300 displays of indigenous Georgian grapes and 92 foreign varieties. Enjoy a delicious lunch and wine tasting at Shumi before continuing to Tsinandali, the estate of Georgian dukes that includes a beautiful English garden, museum and the wine cellar of Prince Chavchavadze, a 19th- century public figure and poet. After a complimentary glass of Tsinandali white wine, return to Telavi. Overnight in Telavi.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, two wine tastings, cheese tasting

Day 3: Telavi – Gremi – Kvareli – Sighnaghi – Bodbe – Tbilisi

Today the Georgia Classic Tour takes you to Kakheti Region and Alazani Valley. Check-out from your Telavi hotel and drive to Gremi Architectural Complex, a 16th- century royal residence and the capital of Kakheti Kingdom. Gloomy Gremi Castle is now one of the most-visited tourist sites in Georgia. Continue on to Winery Khareba, a unique cellar located in a tunnel carved out of rock. Originally built for military purposes, today it is used to store fine wines. After a tour and wine tasting, continue to Sighnaghi, the “City of Love” which once sat at a Silk Road crossroads surrounded by 23 defensive towers. After lunch, depart for Tbilisi, stopping enroute at Bodbe Monastery, which has functioned as a nunnery since 1889. Legend suggests this is also the burial place of St. Nino, who converted Georgia to Christianity in the 4th century. Continue driving to Tbilisi. Drop off at your hotel.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, wine tasting

Day 4: Tbilisi – Mtskheta – Kazbegi – Gudauri

At 08:30 depart for Mtskheta, Georgia’s cultural and religious centre and one of its oldest towns, which served as the capital of the Kingdom of Iberia beginning in the 3rd century BC. Visit Jvari Monastery, an early medieval masterpiece from which you can enjoy views of the Aragvi and Mtkvari Rivers. Visit Svetitskhoveli, the main cathedral of Mtskheta and a sacred place where the robe of Christ is kept. Stop for lunch in Pasanauri, where you can try some of the best khinkali (boiled dumplings) in Georgia.
After lunch, continue driving to Kazbegi (Stepantsminda), stopping enroute at the famous mineral spring which flows down a hilltop. Arrive in Kazbegi and drive to Gergeti Holy Trinity Church, located at an altitude of 2170 meters. Enjoy amazing views of Mount Kazbegi (Kazbek or Mkinvari, 5033m) the seventh-highest peak in the Caucasus Mountains. Return to Gudauri for overnight at the hotel.
Meals: breakfast, lunch

Day 5: Gudauri – Ananuri – Gori – Uplistsikhe – Borjomi

At 08:30, drive to Ananuri Fortress Complex, a former residence of the Argveti Dukes which features churches and 16th-17th century towers overlooking the beautiful Jinvali Reservoir. On the way, visit Nebi Winery in Chardakhi village. Have a traditional Georgian lunch and wine tasting at this family business where wine is produced from a Kartli grape variety called Chinuri. Arrive in Gori and visit the Stalin Museum, which includes more than 60,000 artifacts, the tiny house where Stalin was born and the impressive bulletproof train which he used to travel in between Yalta and Potsdam. Explore Uplistsikhe Cave Town, which dates to the Hellenistic Period and is notable for its unique combination of carving styles and the co-existence of pagan and Christian architecture. Continue to Borjomi. Take a walk in Central Park, famous for its mineral water reserves. Overnight at the hotel.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, wine tasting

Day 6: Borjomi – Vardzia – Akhaltsikhe – Tbilisi

In the morning drive to Vardzia, erected in the 12th-13th centuries by George III and his daughter Queen Tamara in order to protect Georgia’s southern boundaries. Vardzia is not just a set of random rooms cut from rock, but a multi-storied complex with streets, tunnels and stairs leading to monasteries, temples, fortresses, bathhouses, libraries and homes. Return to Akhaltsikhe to explore Rabati Fortress, whose name means “fortified place” in Arabic. An old stone outpost and the main sight of Akhaltsikhe, it stands on a small hill on the shores of the Potskhovi River. Drive back to Tbilisi for overnight at the hotel.
Meals: breakfast

Day 7: Tbilisi – departure

Check out of the hotel by noon. Free time until transfer to Tbilisi International Airport. End of Taste of Georgia Tour.
Meals: breakfast

Inclusions
Exclusions

All transfers (1-2 pax by sedan, 3-4 pax by Mercedes Vito or similar, 5-10 pax by Mercedes Sprinter passenger van);
Accommodation based on double/twin room sharing, breakfasts included;
Sightseeing tour program with English speaking guide (days 1-6);
Entrance tickets to sights as per itinerary;
4 lunches, 1 dinner, 4 wine tastings, cheese tasting;
Mineral water (0,5l per person per day).