Luxury Georgia Tour: Tbilisi, Gori, Kazbegi - 7 days (GE-12)

Welcome to Georgia. We’ll meet you at the airport and transfer you to your centrally located hotel in Tbilisi. Relax as you prepare for your adventure to begin. Overnight Tbilisi. (Dinner)

Tbilisi has charm by the bucket load and that’s especially the case in and around the city’s old town. Here, wooden mansions and stone churches jostle for space on the hills that flank the river, leading the eye up to the Narikala Fortress and a landmark statue known as Mother Georgia. Our guide knows the best places to absorb these views and while you admire your surroundings, they’ll fill you in a little on how the Georgian capital took shape. You’ll visit some of the city’s most important buildings, like the Sioni Cathedral where worshippers have gathered since the 12th century and Antchiskhati Church, which is even older, built in the 6th century. We’ll round off this first full day over on Rustaveli Avenue, where you’ll see a more modern side to Tbilisi. Breakfast, dinner and overnight Tbilisi.

You don’t actually need to travel very far in Georgia to find somewhere that’s very different to Tbilisi yet equally compelling. Today, that place is Signagi, which we’ll visit for the day together with Bodbe Monastery which you’ll find just a couple of kilometres down the road. Signagi is unmistakably a wine-making town, a pretty little place which is partially enclosed by some well maintained fortifications which feature 29 magnificent towers. You can look out over the surrounding Kakheti region and appreciate the view, before we take you to meet a local family for an included wine tasting. Afterwards, you’ll have time to wander through the grounds of Bodbe Monastery, flanked by cypress trees and a delightful formal garden, before we drive back to Tbilisi in time for dinner. Breakfast, dinner and overnight Tbilisi.

Driving distance: 218 km / 136 ml.

Tbilisi hasn’t always been Georgia’s capital. From the 3rd to the 5th century AD, that status belonged to Mtskheta. Today, it contains a cluster of important historical and religious buildings, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your guide will explain the significance of Djvari Church (6th century) and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century). Next we’ll drive to Gori, around an hour away by road. This town was where Joseph Stalin was born, and its fascinating museum, as captivating as it is creepy, is a kind of shrine to the now infamous Russian leader. Close to Gori is another UNESCO site, yet something completely different: Uplistsikhe cave town, cut out of the rock many centuries ago. Breakfast, dinner and overnight Tbilisi.

Driving distance: 181 km / 113 ml.

Pretty Ananuri is our first stop today, a castle complex beside a reservoir. Climb its crenellated walls and take in the view before we hit the Georgian Military Highway bound for Kazbegi. Don’t be fooled by the name. In fact, this is one of the most scenic roads in the country, a route that takes you into the mountains of the Great Caucasus. Up here, you’ll find Gudauri, one of the country’s premier ski resorts and our focus today, the town of Kazbegi, aka Stepantsminda. Just out of town, high on a hillside at 2170 metres above sea level, is one of Georgia’s most spectacular churches. Known as Gergeti Trinity Church, this remarkable place is reached by jeep on a bumpy road. It’s well worth being shaken up a little. The views from up there are jaw-dropping. Breakfast, dinner and overnight Tbilisi.

Driving distance: 304 km / 190 ml.

Today we’ve allocated a mostly free day so that you can explore Tbilisi on your own. We ticked off many of the city’s important historic sites at the beginning of your tour, so you can spend time doing something different. One visitor destination just outside the capital is officially called the Chronicles of Georgia, though some locals jokingly refer to it as Georgia’s Stonehenge. Standing around 30 metres tall, its 16 pillars are covered with biblical scenes, kings and queens. Tbilisi itself boasts many sulphur baths, so perhaps take a soak in the mineral-rich water and let your mind wander to all the incredible places you’ve seen since you arrived. Tonight, the group will gather for a farewell dinner in a traditional Georgian restaurant. As you eat, there’ll be folk dancing or singing too - a fitting end to a great tour. Breakfast, dinner and overnight Tbilisi.

All that’s left is for us to accompany you to the airport for your flight home. We wish you a pleasant and safe journey. We hope that our tour exceeded your expectations and that we will see you in Georgia again very soon. (Breakfast)