GEORGIA EXPLORER | 12 DAYS
Georgia Explorer Holiday Highlights
- Travel to Ushguli (Svaneti), the highest permanently inhabited village in Europe. Svaneti, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its fortified towers. Svaneti will make you feel like you’ve taken a step back into medieval times.
- Explore the unique caves and cave cities of Georgia: Uplistsikhe, Vardzia and Prometheus.
- Take a boat ride through the Martvili canyon, and hike on the hanging bridge along the Okatse canyon.
- Spend a day in Kakheti and wander the streets of Sighnaghi, the city of love.
- Taste the famous Georgian wines. Georgia is the birthplace of wine and the Georgian winemaking method is inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
- Relax in Batumi, the Pearl of the Black Sea and the most popular summer destination in Georgia.
- Visit Gori, the birthplace of Stalin.
- Discover
Mtskheta, the former capital of Iberia, one of the 15 oldest cities in Europe.
Day
01. WELCOME TO GEORGIA
Upon arrival in Tbilisi, our friendly representative will be waiting for you at the airport with a sign displaying your name. He will then drive you to your hotel.
Depending
on your time of arrival, you are free to relax or explore the city.
Overnight in Tbilisi.
Day 02. TBILISI & MTSKHETA TOUR
In
the morning, we will take you on a sightseeing tour in Tbilisi. We will visit:
-
the Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba), one of the tallest Orthodox
cathedrals in the world,
-
the historic Metekhi, famous for its church and statue of Vakhtang
Gorgasali, the founder of Tbilisi,
-
the Narikala Fortress, and Kartlis Deda, the statue of Mother of
Georgia (by aerial cable car),
- the Old Tbilisi, the Shardeni street and the Sulphur Baths.
Enjoy a nice lunch at a local restaurant and try typical Georgian dishes such as Khinkali and Khachapuri.
In the afternoon, we will drive to the historic town of Mtskheta, the former capital of Iberia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among other places, we will visit the Jvari monastery and the Svetitskhoveli cathedral. Soak up the atmosphere of Mtskheta and roam around the old town.
In the evening, we will drive back to Tbilisi.
Overnight
in Tbilisi.
Meals: Breakfast.
Day 03. KAKHETI | SIGHNAGHI, KVARELI & TELAVI
Early in the morning, we will drive to the Kakheti region, the birthplace of wine.
Our first visit will be the Monastery of Saint Nino at Bodbe, from where we will admire the amazing views of the Alazani Valley. We will visit Signhaghi, the love city of Georgia, and walk along the city walls.
Then, we will head to Kvareli where we will enjoy our lunch.
In the afternoon, we will enjoy a wine degustation at the famous Kindzmarauli winery with experienced sommeliers. And we will finish our tour with a visit to Telavi, the heart of Kakheti.
After the tour, we will drive back to Tbilisi.
Overnight
in Tbilsi.
Meals: Breakfast.
Day 04. TBILISI – GORI – UPLISTSIKHE – KUTAISI
After breakfast, we will drive to Gori, the birthplace of Stalin, where we will visit the Joseph Stalin museum. Then, we will head to Uplistsikhe, one of the oldest and uninhabited cities in Georgia. We will spend some time exploring the enormous cave city.
After lunch, we will drive to Kutaisi. We will visit the Gelati Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Bagrati Cathedral.
Overnight
in Kutaisi.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner.
Day 05. KUTAISI – PROMETHEUS CAVE – MARTVILI CANYON – OKATSE
CANYON – KUTAISI
Today, we will explore the Prometheus Cave, one of the most popular caves in Georgia. Then, we will take a boat ride through the Martvili canyon, and hike on the hanging bridge along the Okatse canyon.
Overnight
in Kutaisi.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner.
Day 06. KUTAISI – ZUGDIDI – ENGURI DAM – MESTIA
After breakfast, we will head towards the Svaneti region. We will stop en-route to visit the Dadiani Palace in Zugdidi, and the Enguri Dam to enjoy the mountain views.
Then, we will drive to Mestia. Mestia, the capital of the Upper Svaneti Region, is surrounded by the mountains. Relax and soak up the peaceful atmosphere in Mestia.
Overnight
in Mestia.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner.
Day 07. MESTIA – USHGULI – MESTIA
After breakfast, we will drive to Ushguli, the highest permanently inhabited settlement in Europe. Ushguli is a community of 4 villages (Zhibiani, Chvibiani, Chazhashi and Murqmeli). We will spend our day in Ushguli, where we will have plenty of time to marvel.
Then, we will drive back to Mestia.
Overnight
in Mestia.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner.
Day 08. MESTIA – BATUMI
After breakfast, we will drive to Batumi, the capital of Adjara. Batumi, located on the coast of the Black sea, is a very popular beach holiday destination in Georgia.
We will
spend some time sightseeing in the afternoon. Among other places, we will
visit:
-
The Seaside Boulevard,
-
The Batumi sea port,
- The beautiful sculpture of love “Ali & Nino”.
Overnight
in Batumi.
Meals: Breakfast.
Day 09. BATUMI BEACH, BATUMI BOTANICAL GARDEN & GONIO FORTRESS
After enjoying some time on the beach in the morning, we will spend some time sightseeing. Among other places, we will visit the beautiful Batumi Botanical Garden, and the Gonio fortress, a well-preserved roman fortification.
Overnight
in Batumi.
Meals: Breakfast.
Day 10. BATUMI – VARDZIA CAVES
After breakfast, we will head to Vardzia. Located nearby the Mtkvari river, Vardzia’s construction began in the 12th century under the reign of Giorgi III and was completed by his daughter, the Queen Tamara, the first female ruler of Georgia (who was actually crowned king).
Overnight
in Vardzia.
Meals: Breakfast.
Day 11. VARDZIA CAVES – TBILISI
Today, we will visit the impressive cave city of Vardzia.
In the evening, in Tbilisi, we will have our farewell dinner at a local restaurant, where you will also enjoy a Georgian folk dance show.
Overnight
in Tbilisi.
Meals:
Breakfast & Farewell Dinner.
Day 12. DEPARTURE
After a fun-filled holiday, our journey ends. We hope you thoroughly enjoyed your trip. We will take you to the Tbilisi International Airport.
Meals: Breakfast.
What’s included
- Pre-departure support.
- Airport Pick-up & Drop-off.
- Experienced English speaking guide.
- All ground transportation as per itinerary.
- Accommodation (11 nights): 3-Star hotel on twin sharing basis in Tbilisi (4 Nights), Guest house in Kutaisi (2 Nights), Guest house in Mestia (2 Nights), 3-Star hotel on twin sharing basis in Batumi (2 Nights) and Resort in Vardzia (1 Night).
- Sightseeing tours and activities as mentioned in the itinerary.
- Entrance fees.
- Breakfasts.
- A Wine degustation on Day 3.
- Dinners on Days 4, 5, 6 & 7.
- 1 Farewell dinner with Georgian Folk Show in Tbilisi on Day 11.
- All government taxes, VAT and service charges.
What’s NOT included
- International airfare and domestic flights.
- Single room supplement.
- Tips for guide, driver & others.
- Personal expenditures, all bar bills, laundry, telephone calls, etc.
- Visa fees if applicable.
- Travel insurance.
- Anything else not specified in the ‘what’s included’ section above.
Please note: Women should wear scarves and cover their heads in the Georgian orthodox churches, sometimes women are also required to wear long skirts or dresses. Scarves and skirts are available for women to borrow at the entrances of most churches. Men should wear pants or suits. Short trousers, short skirts and revealing clothes are forbidden inside the churches.
You are required as a condition of booking to have an adequate
travel insurance.
