8-day UNESCO World Heritage Tour in Georgia8 Days | Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kutaisi, Mestia, Ushguli, Batumi

Arrival in Tbilisi. Transfer to the hotel. Check-in at noon.
Meet your guide to start a sightseeing tour in Tbilisi. Start at Holy Trinity Cathedral, one of the largest orthodox cathedrals in the world. Continue to Metekhi church and monument to Vakhtang Gorgasali, the legendary founder of Tbilisi. Take the cable car to Narikala Fortress to enjoy a 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, and souvenir shops, and breathe in the living past. Visit Sioni Cathedral, Anchiskhati Basilica, and the clock tower of the famous Rezo Gabriadze Theatre. Cross the Bridge of Peace to Rike Park and head to the Open Air Museum of Ethnography, a miniature model of Georgia. Overnight in Tbilisi.

After breakfast, drive to Mtskheta, one of the oldest towns in Georgia and the country’s cultural and religious center. Inscribed as a UNESCO site in 1994, Mtskheta was the capital of the Eastern Georgian Kingdom of Iberia from the 3rd century BC. The first stop will be at Jvari Monastery, a true architectural masterpiece of the Early Middle Ages, which is picturesquely perched above the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari Rivers. Continue to Svetitskhoveli, the main cathedral of Mtskheta and a sacred place where the robe of Christ is kept. Drive to Uplistsikhe and explore the cave town dating back to the Hellenistic Period and notable for the unique combination of various styles of rock-cut cultures and the co-existence of pagan and Christian architecture. Head to Kutaisi, the central city of Western Georgia once called "Aia". The road to Kutaisi will take you over Rikoti pass and through the longest tunnel in Georgia (1,722 m). The tunnel is also considered as a border between the western and the eastern parts of Georgia. Arrive in Kutaisi, overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, explore Bagrati Cathedral (11th century), one of the best samples of late medieval architecture towering over Kutaisi and visible from almost any point of the city. The next stop is the Gelati Academy (12th century) built by King David the Builder. Gelati was the center of the 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. Drive to the Prometheus Cave with numerous stalactites and stalagmites. Continue to the mysterious Svaneti region through the Inguri Gorge. This region is the birthplace of a special ethnic group of people – heroic and courageous Svans – distinguished by their culture, traditions, and customs from the rest of Georgia. Svaneti is also famous for its original architecture and is called “the Country of Thousand Towers”, which had played both economic and defensive functions. Mestia still has dozens of such medieval stone houses with watchtowers and inhabited towers that were used to protect valleys and churches from the 10-14th centuries. Visit Svan's original house “machubi” and tower “koshki”. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel drive on a 4x4 type car to Ushguli village, the highest-standing settlement in Europe (2200 m). Spend time in Ushguli strolling through the old narrow streets. Visit Lamaria Church complex with impressive wall frescos (12th century). Locals believe that Queen Tamara was buried right under this church. Enjoy a picturesque view of Mount Shkhara. The Ushguli architectural complex is a valuable architectural and historical monument, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List for its exclusiveness. Return to Mestia. Visit the Mestia Ethnographic Museum. The museum was established in 1936 and has one of the richest collections of artifacts in the region. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, depart to Batumi (150 km). On the way, visit Kolkheti National Park. Here we will embark on an hour-and-a-half-long motorboat tour to Paliastomi and Pichori lakes. We will have the opportunity to see Kolkheti’s wetland relict forests that are spread along the river bank, water, and wetland birds. Arrive in Batumi. Batumi is located in a convenient natural Black Sea bay and is not only an important seaport for the entire Georgia but also the tourism capital of the country. The romantic picture of ships departing from the harbor is better seen from Batumi Quay. Free time. Overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, we’ll visit the Batumi Botanical garden, which is located on the Green Cape and offers amazing views of the Black Sea. Established in 1880, it is the biggest and the oldest botanical garden in the South Caucasus, and hosts an incredible collection of more than 2,000 species of trees. We’ll return to Batumi for lunch, followed by a walking tour around the old city. Here, most of the houses were built in the 19th century and you can feel history come alive in the rows of small shops where craftsmen are making copper ware, and in the small cafés that produce a magnificent aroma of freshly brewed coffee. The old city is known for its variety of small and intricate architectural details: buildings are decorated with chimeras, mermaids, atlantes, and other mythical creatures. We’ll also visit Batumi’s Europe Square, Piazza Square, Alphabetic tower, and Ali and Nino statue, and take a cable car ride on Georgia’s second longest cableway (about 6 minutes). Afterwards, you’ll say goodbye to your guide and driver as the tour ends, and then spend the night at the hotel.

You can check out of your hotel at any time before noon, and then spend the day at leisure in Batumi. We suggest visiting:

• Batumi Dolphinarium
• Batumi ‎Archaeological Museum
• Ethnographic Museum “Borjgalo”

At 17:00, our driver will take you to the train station. You’ll take the evening train to Tbilisi, which departs at 17:55 and arrives at 22:50. Our driver will meet you when you arrive, and take you to your hotel.

You can check out of your hotel at any time before noon. After that, you’ll enjoy free time in Tbilisi until our driver picks you up and takes you to Tbilisi International Airport, where the tour ends.

Economy:
King David / Solomon Kutaisi / Terrace Kutaisi / Sanapiro / Green Town / Ponte
Comfort:
Best Western Kutaisi / Grand Opera / Newport / Aria Resort / Prometheus Epic
Luxe:
Best Western Kutaisi / Grand Opera / Newport / Aria Resort / Prometheus Epic

Economy:
Elite House / Mestia Inn / Chubu / Mestia Plaza / Villa Mestia
Comfort:
Lahili / Chalet Mestia / Sunset Terrace / Old Seti
Luxe:
Posta / Gistola Mestia

Economy:
Bloom / O Galogre / New wave / Piazza Four Colors
Comfort:
JRW Welmond / Divan Suites
Luxe:
Wyndham / Best Western Premier Batumi