Location highlights from this tour
Culture and the outdoors, in eight days. This private loop from Tbilisi mixes Georgia's headline sights — old churches, a cave town, the high Caucasus — with a full-day hike, a rafting run and a good deal of Kakheti wine.
Tbilisi is the hub, home for four of the seven nights, and you work outward from it: east into the Kakheti wine country and the forests of Lagodekhi, then north to the UNESCO monuments of Mtskheta, the cave town of Uplistsikhe and, up the old Military Road, Kazbegi and the church at Gergeti. Single nights in Lagodekhi, Telavi and Kazbegi keep the driving in check.
Some days are long and the driving is real, but the mix of culture and activity is the point — and because it's private, the pace and the balance bend around you.
You'll be met at the airport and taken to your hotel. Check-in is from 14:00, so if you arrive earlier, we'll begin the city tour first and settle you in afterwards. Either way, the tour starts at Holy Trinity Cathedral — Sameba — one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world, rising above the city. From there you'll visit the clifftop Metekhi church, perched above the river, then ride the cable car up to the Narikala fortress for the view over the whole of Tbilisi. Walking down from the fortress, you'll pass through Abanotubani, the district of brick-domed sulfur bathhouses the city was built on and named after, then wander the Old Town lanes to the leaning clock tower of the Rezo Gabriadze theatre. After the tour, you'll have free time until the evening. The day ends with a welcome dinner of Georgian food and local wine.
You leave Tbilisi and head east into Kakheti, Georgia's main wine region. First is Bodbe, a quiet hillside convent looking out over the Alazani valley, then Sighnaghi, the small walled "City of Love" with painted houses and cobbled streets on a ridge above the same valley. Lunch and a tasting follow at a local winery nearby. In the late afternoon you carry on to Lagodekhi, a low-key mountain town near the Azerbaijani border, for a relaxed evening and the night.
Today is the hike. You spend around five hours on the trails of Lagodekhi National Park, a green route through forest and past waterfalls, with lunch boxes packed for the way. Afterwards you drive to Telavi, the main town of the Kakheti wine country, for dinner with local wine and the night — legs earned, glass deserved.
A gentler morning in Telavi: the town's historical museum and the Batonistsikhe fortress, the old royal residence at its centre. Then you roll up your sleeves for a cooking class with local chefs — learning a few traditional dishes before sitting down to eat them, with Georgian wine to match. In the afternoon you drive back to Tbilisi over the Gombori Pass, a fine stretch of road through green hills, arriving in the evening.
A day in Georgia's spiritual heartland. You start at Jvari, the 6th-century monastery on a hill above the meeting of two rivers, then drop to Mtskheta, the ancient capital and a UNESCO site, for the great Svetitskhoveli cathedral. Later you drive to Uplistsikhe, a whole town carved into the rock that shows how people lived here thousands of years ago. Back in Tbilisi, the evening is dinner and a tasting at a local winery.
The adventure day. You start on the water, rafting the Pshavi Aragvi — a lively way to kick off the drive north. Then Ananuri, a medieval fortress of towers and churches above the turquoise Zhinvali reservoir, and a stop at the Gudauri panorama for the wide mountain view before the road climbs to Kazbegi. You check in among the peaks, with the evening free.
You drive up to Gergeti Trinity, the lone church on its hill with Mount Kazbek behind — one of Georgia's great views, and best early. From the mountains you head back south, stopping in Gori for the Stalin Museum, in the town where he was born, before the drive back to Tbilisi for your last night.
A design-forward boutique hotel housed in a converted Soviet-era publishing house on the banks of the Mtkvari River. Rooms Hotel Tbilisi is a cultural landmark in its own right, blending industrial-chic aesthetics with warm Georgian hospitality, a vibrant lobby bar, and a celebrated restaurant.
A colorful and contemporary hotel right on Tbilisi's main Rustaveli Avenue. Ibis Styles Tbilisi Center offers reliable international-standard comfort with a playful design, complimentary breakfast, and an unbeatable central location for exploring the capital.
A cheerful budget-friendly hotel tucked into the winding streets of Tbilisi's Old Town. Ginger Hotel offers clean, comfortable rooms with a warm atmosphere and friendly staff, making it a great-value base for travelers who want to be in the heart of the action.
Set within the legendary 19th-century Tsinandali Estate, this Radisson Collection property is the pinnacle of luxury in Georgia's wine country. Surrounded by historic gardens, a renowned wine cellar, and the Caucasus foothills, it offers an unforgettable blend of heritage, wine culture, and world-class hospitality.
A modern and comfortable hotel set amid the lush greenery of the Tsinandali area in Kakheti. Park Hotel Tsinandali offers a peaceful retreat with well-appointed rooms, a lovely garden terrace, and easy access to the region's famous wineries and historic estates.
A vineyard hotel in the village of Ruispiri, a few kilometres from Telavi, welcoming guests since 2018. Hotel Arge has its own wine cellar for tastings, an outdoor pool and a garden restaurant, with most rooms opening onto balconies that look out over the Alazani Valley and the Greater Caucasus.
A design masterpiece set against the dramatic backdrop of Mount Kazbek. Rooms Hotel Kazbegi is one of Georgia's most iconic luxury retreats, offering floor-to-ceiling mountain views, a crackling fireplace lounge, an indoor pool, and a spa — the ultimate mountain escape.
A comfortable mid-range hotel in the heart of Stepantsminda with warm hospitality and mountain views. Northgate Hotel provides a cozy retreat after a day of Caucasus adventures, with a welcoming restaurant serving hearty Georgian cuisine and well-appointed rooms.
A budget-friendly guesthouse-style hotel in Stepantsminda offering simple, clean rooms and genuine Georgian warmth. Hotel Horizon is perfect for travelers who want to explore the Kazbegi region without breaking the bank, with home-cooked meals and a friendly atmosphere.
Tell us whether you would like to book this tour as shown or adjust it to your travel dates, group size, comfort level, or interests.
8 days / Starting from €895A private 8-day route from Tbilisi through Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church to Kakheti wine country, with stops at Uplistsikhe and Gori, hotels, transport and a guide-driver handled for you.
7 days / Starting from €935A private 7-day route from Kutaisi to Tbilisi taking in Gelati Monastery, Prometheus Cave, Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church, with hotels, transport and a guide-driver handled for you.
9 days / Starting from €1,095A private 9-day route from Kutaisi to Tbilisi via Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church, with stops at Prometheus Cave, Uplistsikhe and Martvili Canyon, hotels, transport and a guide-driver handled for you.