The Flavor of Georgia

Good morning Tbilisi! here we are! let’s start the sightseeing! after breakfast guide will greet you at the lobby holding the yellow signboard.

the first site to visit today is the holy trinity cathedral – one of the most important landmarks of tbilisi. its golden dome is visible from all panoramic views of the right bank and represents the main orthodox christian cathedral of georgia.

about 40 minutes of sightseeing here and we move to the historical district of tbilisi.

now we combine walking and riding by the areal cable car from rike park to the fortress of narikala, downhill stroll to the botanical street to jumma mosque, legvtakhevi canyon, and waterfall. the story of tbilisi starts here, at the sulfur bathhouse district, and we follow the legend along the narrow medieval cobbled streets to maidan square, shardeni, and the king erekle ii streets. pass by crowded small art salons, outdoor cafes and art galleries, siOni cathedral, cross modern glass Bridge of Peace, and make a stop for a cup of tea.

the second half of the day we continue the city sightseeing by car along with the main districts of tbilisi – rustaveli avenue, hero’s square, chavchavadze avenue, and drive to turtle lake. the site is overlooking victory park and soviet tbilisi.

the last activity of tbilisi city tour is an open air museum of ethnography. stone and wooden houses of 14 different ethnographic zones of georgia are put together in the park. it takes about 1 hour to accomplish the tour here.

in the evening we drive back to the hotel.

overnight in tbilisi.

driving distance: 271 km

after breakfast, we check out and leave tbilisi. head to explore Kartli and Imereti – western regions of georgia. we drive the western highway to the town Gori, prominent as the birthplace of soviet dictator of 20th c joseph stalin. his house-museum consists of three parts: 19th c memorial brick house, an exhibition building of the mid-soviet era with a tower, and stalin’s personal coach with furniture and interior. we have a guided excursion here for about 45 minutes.

after visiting Gori, we continue the tour to uplistsikhe caves. the site is located 14 km away from Gori and represents the oldest cave complex in georgia, dated back to the 1st millennium bc. excursion in uplistsikhe caves will take approximately an hour.

afterward, we drive to Imereti region via the main highway through rikoti pass. make a couple of stops to see traditional bakeries and pottery production along the way.

in the evening we arrive in kutaisi. take an easy walk from the central district to the park and Bagrati Cathedral. built on the hill of the city center, cathedral is considered as a symbol of kutaisi.

overnight in kutaisi.

driving distance: 60 km

after breakfast, we start a full-day tour of kutaisi city and its surroundings. the first site is tskaltubo spa town, well known for its healing springs. all spas are located together in the subtropical park circle. walk towards stalin’s bath for a short excursion.

from tskaltubo we need about 10 minutes’ drive to reach the visitors center to the entrance of Prometheus Cave. five interconnected halls of 1200 meters long karst caves are beautifully lighted for observation of stalactites, stalagmites, and other karst figures that have been forming for millions of years. at the end of the cave, we have an option to take a boat trip (if the water level is good today).

after visiting Prometheus Cave drive to Gelati Monastery and academy complex. Gelati Monastery is the architectural masterpiece of the “golden age” of georgia. distinguished for its harmony with its natural setting and a well-thought-out overall planning concept, the complex compounds central cathedral dedicated to the virgin mary, st. george, and st. nicolas churches, bell tower and spring, academy building, medieval observatory, and the tomb of the most prominent king of georgia – david iv the builder, founder this complex in the 12th c. here you can see the well-preserved mosaic decoration and more than 40 portraits of kings, queens, and high clerics, and the earliest depiction of the seven ecumenical councils.

in the evening drive back to kutaisi. on the way visit Motsameta Monastery surrounded by rocky mountains and colchis woods.

overnight in kutaisi.

note: we will switch Sataplia Caves and promete caves depending on the weekdays. promote caves is closed on tuesday, sataplia is closed on monday.

driving distance: 176 km

today we leave kutaisi for batumi. after breakfast check out and drive towards the black sea coastal region of Adjara.

on the way to batumi visit Batumi Botanical Garden - one of the largest botanical gardens among former soviet union republics, stretching on 111 ha and consisting of nine different floristic sectors. electric car rental is available on site.

after an hour's nice walk in Batumi Botanical Garden, we continue the trip to the ancient Gonio Fortress –a first-century castle that served as a well-fortified city of romans on the territory of historical colchis in the 2nd century ad. the excursion will take about 30 minutes.

from Gonio Fortress, we drive to batumi and take an evening walk in the boulevard of the city.

overnight in batumi.

driving distance: 15 km

after breakfast, we start a very pleasant batumi city sightseeing tour. first, visit two main squares in old batumi district - walk from europe square to piazza, listen to the story of jason and medea – famous characters from greek mythology linked to the quest of argonauts and golden fleece in the kingdom of colchis, present-day western georgia. a guided walking tour will cover the main highlights of batumi.

in the second half of the day, we drive to one of the main attractions of the tour - the Ethnographic Museum Borjgalo. let's take the next 40 minutes to learn more about the local people, traditions, and lifestyles of the high mountain villages of Adjara region.

after borjgalo excursion drive back to batumi and take an evening walk in the old and new boulevards of the city.

here we see the moving sculpture of ‘Ali and Nino’ by tamara kvesitadze. spend leisure evening among the lights of dancing fountains of Batumi Boulevard.

overnight in batumi.

*optional: on day 6 it is also possible to visit batumi delphinium and attend the interactive show.

driving distance: 378 km

today we depart for tbilisi. after breakfast say goodbye to batumi and drive to the east for 6 hours. on the way make a stop in a small town of Mtskheta for a sightseeing tour. Mtskheta used to be the capital of georgian kingdom of iberia from 4th c bc till 5th c ad. it lays at the confluence of the two rivers – Mtkvari and aragvi. walk the city and visit Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, listed as world heritage site by unesco.

after Mtskheta tour drive back to tbilisi.

overnight in tbilisi.

note: if your flight is arranged in the early morning, please, ask the hotel for breakfast lunch box in advance.

breakfast at the hotel. two hours is check-in time for tbilisi international airport. our travel agent will come to the hotel 2h30 min before your flight and drop off to the airport for departure.

we wish you a happy flight back home!

we hope to greet you again in georgia soon!