The Soul of Georgia9 Days | Tbilisi, Telavi, Tsinandali, Alaverdi, Gremi, Kvareli, Sighnaghi, Bodbe, David Gareja, Mtskheta, Ananuri, Kazbegi, Gori, Uplistsikhe, Borjomi, Vardzia, Akhaltsikhe

Arrival in Tbilisi. You will be met by our driver and transferred to the hotel. Check-in at noon.
You will start your journey in Georgia with Tbilisi city tour. You will visit Metekhi church and the monument to Vakhtang Gorgasali, the legendary founder of Tbilisi. Take a cable car to Narikala Fortress to enjoy breathtaking panoramic view of the city. Walk down to the district of Sulphur bath houses passing by the only mosque in Tbilisi. Stroll through the Sharden area full of narrow streets with cozy cafés, wine tasting bars, souvenir shops, and breathe in the living past. Visit Sioni Cathedral, Anchiskhati Basilica, and the clock tower of famous Rezo Gabriadze Theatre. Cross Bridge of Peace to Rike Park. An excellent round-up of the city tour will be a visit to Open Air Museum of Ethnography, a miniature model of Georgia. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Mtskheta, one of the oldest towns and the cultural and religious center of Georgia. Mtskheta was the capital of the Eastern Georgian Kingdom of Iberia from the third century BC. Visit Jvari Church, a true architectural masterpiece of the early Medieval Period built on a hilltop. You will enjoy the views of the confluence of Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers. Visit Svetitskhoveli , the main cathedral of Mtskheta and a sacred place where the robe of Christ is being kept. Continue to Ananuri architectural complex, a former residence of Argveti Dukes. The complex features churches and towers dating back to the 16-17th centuries, beautifully overlooking the Jinvali reservoir. Continue driving on Georgian Military Highway passing through the highest point of it at 2394 m above sea level. Arrive at Kazbegi, a small town with the views of Mount Kazbek (or Mkinvari) 5033 m, the seventh highest peak in the Caucasus Mountains. Drive to Gergeti Holy Trinity Church located at the altitude of 2170 m to enjoy breathtaking views to the Mount Kazbegi. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Gori and visit the Stalin Museum. The museum includes more than 60,000 artifacts, the tiny house where Stalin was born, and impressive bulletproof train Stalin used to travel to Yalta and Potsdam. Explore the cave town Uplistsikhe dating back to Hellenistic Period and notable for the unique combination of various styles of rock-cut cultures and the co-existence of pagan and Christian architecture. Continue to Kutaisi. The road lies through beautiful Rikoti mountain pass. Arrive in Kutaisi, the second biggest city in Georgia, which according to the legend was the ultimate destination of the Jason and Argonauts searching for the Golden Fleece. Overnight at the hotel.

In the morning explore Kutaisi. Visit Bagrati Cathedral (11th century) - one of the best samples of late medieval architecture, and is towering over Kutaisi and visible from almost any point of the city. Next stop is the Gelati Academy (12th century) built by King David the Builder. Gelati was the center of spiritual and scientific life of the Middle Ages, the tomb of Georgian kings, and a cult place for pilgrims. It is under UNESCO protection as an object of cultural and historical legacy. Continue to Borjomi. Take a walk in Central Park famous worldwide with its mineral water reserves. Later in the evening arrive in Akhaltsikhe for overnight.

In the morning drive to Vardzia. En route, short stop at Khertvisi Fortress (10-11th centuries). Arrive to Vardzia, which was erected in the 12-13th centuries during the rule of George III and his daughter Queen Tamara to protect southern boundaries of Georgia. Vardzia is not just a set of random rooms cut in rocks. It is a multi-storied complex with streets, tunnels and stairs leading to monasteries, temples, fortresses, baths, libraries dwelling houses and so forth. Return to Akhaltsikhe to explore the Rabati fortress. The old stone Rabati fortress, the main sight of the Akhaltsikhe town, is standing on the small hill on the very shores of the Potskhovi river. Its name comes from Arabic meaning “fortified place”. Drive back to Tbilisi. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast depart towards the Kakheti region (Eastern Georgia), the cradle of Georgian wine. Beautiful road lies through Gombori pass. Our first stop will be in Telavi, the administrative and historic center of the region. Have a short walk through charming streets of old Telavi and have a photo stop at the monument to Erekli II. Drive to Tsinandali, the residence of dukes of Georgia with beautiful English garden, a museum, and the wine cellar that belonged to prince Chavchavadze, 19th century public figure and poet. Continue to Alaverdi Cathedral, the second tallest cathedral in Georgia and an outstanding example of medieval Georgian architecture of the 11th century. Our final stop will be in a family winery, where you will learn about traditional Georgian winemaking in qvevri (large earthenware vessels). Tasting of locally produced wine would be an excellent round-up of our wine visit. Return to Telavi for overnight.

Continue exploring Kakheti region and Alazani valley. Check-out from the hotel and drive to Gremi architectural complex, 16th century royal residence and the capital of Kakheti Kingdom. Gloomy and monumental, the Gremi castle is one of the most visited tourist points in Georgia. Next stop will be at unique Winery Khareba located in the tunnel carved out of the rock. Originally built for military purposes, today the tunnel is used to store Khareba’s finest wines. Wine tour and wine tasting. Drive to Sighnaghi, making en-route stop at Bodbe convent, which according to the legend is a burial place of St. Nino, who converted Georgia to Christianity in the 4th century. In 1889 Tsar Alexader III of Russia ordered to transform Bodbe complex into nunnery. Continue to Sighnaghi, the city of love. The town of 23 towers was an important destination on the Great Silk Road. Overnight in Sighnaghi.

In the morning depart towards Tbilisi. On the way make a tour to semi-desert area near Gareja. On the way stop at a local market to take some snacks. Arrive in David Gareja Monastery and start walking up to explore Lavra cave monastery founded in the 6th century. The Lavra monastery is an inhabited complex of caves with a courtyard, church and other buildings. Continue walking up to Udabno* (takes around 1,5-2 hours) where you can have some rest and enjoy the view of Azerbaijan from Georgian side. Udabno is famous for its wall-paintings dating from the end of the 12th century. The thousand-year-old frescos at Udabno depict such scenes from the Bible like “The Last Supper” and “The Exaltation of the Cross”. After some rest, walk down along another path. Drive to Tbilisi for overnight.
*As Udabno is located on the territory of Georgia-Azerbaijan border, the access to the monastery is subject to current safety situation at the border.

Check-out from the hotel till noon. Free time until transfer to Tbilisi International Airport. Departure. End of the tour.