Tour Description
In this tour you will have the opportunity to get familiar with the most important places of interest in Eastern Georgia and see the pearls given by a small country to world civilization in a form of unique, unparalleled architectural monuments. During the tour you will visit and view the oldest and most beautiful Christian temples, fortified cities and fortification structures, cave towns, most of which are on the list of UNESCO monuments. You will experience Georgian traditional hospitality, taste unique meals of Georgian cuisine and kvevri wine made based on 8000-year traditions that is UNESCO intangible culture monument.
Tour Highlights
- You will explore the sites of interest of Old Tbilisi.
- You will visit Davit Gareji, beautiful rock-cut monastery complex amidst the desert.
- You will view Georgian wine cellar and taste kvevri wine made based on 8000-year traditions.
- You will explore architecture and wall painting of amazing Gremi and Alaverdi temples.
- You will view Tsinandali Garden and the richest Tsinandali Wine Cellar.
- Explore Mtskheta, ancient capital city of Georgia and view Jvari and Svetitskhoveli temples.
- Visit Ananuri fortified city complex.
- Feel delighted with the beauty of Gergeti Trinity Church – pearl of Georgian architecture
- Visit Uplistsikhe, ancient cave town.
Gallery
Travel to Georgia
At arrival to Tbilisi the local representative of the company will meet you and drive to the hotel on the company’s car.
Tbilisi
You will explore Old Tbilisi with its old narrow streets, houses with overhanging balconies painted in different colors and decorated with incredible ornaments. You will visit Christian churches, synagogue, mosque located side by side and sense the spirit of old town. You will view Narikala Fortress being the outpost and main citadel of the city for many centuries and panoramic view of Old Tbilisi will leave indeed deep impression. After descending from the fortress you will find yourself in Abanitubani, at the bathes with natural geodesic sulfur waters that delighted the travellers from all over the world for many centuries. You will visit the National Museum, to see the exhibits dated back starting from antiquity and epoch of Colchis creating deep impression about brilliance of Georgia. You will have a walk along Rustaveli Avenue.
Tbilisi - Davit Gareji - Kvareli
After the breakfast in the morning you will travel to Davit Gareji and visit the ancient monuments of the complex – Lavra and Udabno monasteries. You will view the rock-hewn churches, cells of the hermits, refectory and premises; as well as rainwater collection system artificially cut in the rocks, with its inlet ditches and water reservoirs. You will view the main structures of the complex, Transfiguration and Godmother churches, where you will find the beautiful original paintings of 10th century made with free creative approach and southwest from Udabno Monastery – Karaia valley, magnificent view in any season.
From Davit Gareji you will head for Kvareli and on your way there you will visit the farmer’s family, where you will taste the kvevri wine made based on 8000-year traditions and enjoy delicious family dinner.
Night stay in Kvareli.
Kvareli – Gremi – Alaverdi – Tsinandali – Tbilisi
You will visit the medieval residence of Kakheti kings (1466-1614), fortified city of Gremi, the political, economic and educational center in the past.
Further you will visit Alaverdi Cathedral, a beautiful sample of medieval Georgian architecture, with the roof made of blue tiles, located on green Alazani valley. Complex surrounded with the wall includes various structures. Of them, the centuries-old wine cellar deserves special attention. There you will taste the delicious wine made by the monks in kvevri.
Further you will visit Tsinandali Home Museum, have a walk in the garden spread over few hectares, with numerous exotic plants from Europe, Asia and America. You will view huge subsurface wine cellar, where 16500 bottles of wine of 70 types are preserved in personal collection.
Tbilisi – Mtskheta – Ananuri – Stefantsminda
After the breakfast you will visit Mtskheta, ancient capital city of Georgia (UNESCO monument IVc BC – VI), the city is associated with formation of Georgia statehood, with the history of Christianity. Mtskheta is the place of burial of the greatest Christian relic – Christ’s mantle. You will view Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century), the most important among medieval Christian monuments in Georgia. It is surrounded with two-level wall with the towers. Further you will view Jvari Monastery of 6th century, also UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the top of the mountain, facing Mtskheta, it looks over the ancient capital city of Georgia at the confluence of two rivers, with magnificent Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in the middle.
Further, we shall follow Georgian Military Road, stop at Ananuri Cathedral and fortified city complex located on the background of green slopes and blue Zhinvali Water Reservoir. Before arrival to Stefantsminda, we shall enjoy beautiful nature along Military Road, twisting in the gorge between steep green slopes of the mountains topped with glaciers; arrive to Stefantsminda and stay at night.
Stefantsminda – Gori – Tbilisi
In the morning we shall start to the pearl of Georgian church architecture – Gergeti Trinity Church on the top of mountain (2200 m). The viewers, in addition to the beautiful church, would enjoy amazing Tergi Gorge and, if the weather and visibility is good, breathtaking beauty of Kazbegi Mkinvartsveri (5033 m).
Further we shall head to the city of Gori, the heart of Kartli Province. Here we shall visit Uplistsikhe, rock-hewn antique city-monument (1st -2nd millennia BC), walk in its streets, squares, living halls hollowed in the rock and 41-meter-long secret tunnel, view the wine cellars, bread bakeries, drugstore and drainage system of the city. Further we shall visit the home museum of the founder of the Soviet Union, dictator Ioseb Stalin, there we shall see the house where the dictator was born and where he has spent his childhood. There are maintained the articles associated with that period. Further we shall return to Tbilisi.
Departure
Transportation from the hotel to the airport.
Service:
● From / To airport in Tbilisi
● Accommodation
● Transfer According to the program
● English speaking guide
● Meals 5*B, 4*L, 5*D
Visa requirements
Valid passport is necessary of the visitors of any nationality. Individuals with passports issued in USA, Canada, Israel, EU member states, Russian Federation, GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE) etc., do not need visas. In addition, no visa is required for the nationals of CIS countries, with the exclusion of Turkmenistan. Please, see additional information at: https://www.geoconsul.gov.ge/en/visaInformation.
Entry into Georgia
To visit Georgia, you can take a flight. Shota Rustaveli International Airport in Tbilisi, the largest among 3 Georgian airports, offers numerous direct flights from the Europe and Asia. There are 2 more, smaller airports: Batumi and Kutaisi international airports. You can also cross border in several points by train from Yerevan (Armenia) and Baku (Azerbaijan) to Tbilisi. To arrive to Georgia from Turkey, you can cross land border in 3 points: Sarpi, Vale and Kartsakhi. In addition, you can cross border with Armenia in 3 points: Ninotsminda, Geguti and Sadakhlo. Azerbaijan can communicate with Georgia through 2 border posts: Red Bridge and Lagodekhi. Between Russia and Georgia operates one border point, at Larsi, in the vicinity of Stephantsminda.
Climate
Climate in the country is amazingly diverse. Greater Caucasus Range protects Georgia from cold air masses while Caucasus Minor ensures protection of the country from very hot and dry air from the south, as a result, average summer temperature varies between 19OC and 22OC, and winter temperature – from 1.5OC to 3OC.
The best period for travel
With respect of weather, May-June and September-October are the softest and most mellow months in Georgia, with sunny, warm weather. July-August is the best period for walk and tracking.
For the smokers
Smoking is prohibited in any buildings, including the hotel and restaurants. The smokers can use the balconies, terraces or enjoy smoking outdoors.
Water
In Georgia, tap water is safe but if you are used to bottled water, please, be consistent and have bottled water only.
Currency, banks & ATM
In Georgia the official currency is Georgian lari, usually denoted by GEL. Lari consists of 100 tetri. You can change foreign currency at airports, border points, hotels and currency exchange offices. Usually no service fees are paid for currency exchange though recently, in some places the newly opened offices request commissions, so be attentive,
Banks and ATMs are in all large cities but when traveling in countryside make sure that you have sufficient cash.
Electricity
Electricity is 220 V, 50 Hz, with round sockets corresponding to European standards.
Communication
Country telephone code is 00 995. Mobile operators (Silknet, MAGTI and Beeline) cover almost entire territory of the country (with the exclusion of several remote places). You can procure SIM card for the mobile phone with certain quantities of minutes and internet access. In large cities, actually all cafes, bars and restaurants offer Wi-Fi service.
Work hours
Banks open at 10:00 AM and close at 6:00 MP, from Monday to Friday, inclusive. On Saturdays the banks have short working days, from 120:00 AM to 2:00 PM. On Sundays the banks are closed. Most stores open on 10:00 AM and they do not close earlier than at 8:00 PM. Shopping malls work every day, from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. There are also food-stores working for 24 hours per day, but this is only in large cities. The museums open at 10:00 AM and work up to 6:00 PM; museums are closed by Mondays. Cafes and bars open at about 11:00 AM and most of them work up to midnight, or until the last guest leaves.
What to wear?
Georgians wear modern western-style clothes. So, you can easily chose the clothes, if you don’t plan to visit the church. For the visit to church you should remember that women mist cover their heads and shoulders and wear long dress while the men must take off their hats and do not wear shorts.
What to taste?
Khachapuri (variations of cheese bread from different regions of Georgia)
Kubdari (minced meat, onion, garlic, pepper, spices, baked in dough)
Khinkali (minced beef and pork with spices in dough, meal from the mountains)
Chkmeruli (chicken roast on ketsi in garlic sauce)
Satsivi
Shashlik (grilled pork or calf)
Chakapuli (lamb pieces, onion, new green sour plums and estragon prepared in white wine)
Pkhali (spinach, chard, cabbage with spices and walnut paste)
Eggplants with walnuts (eggplants roast on the pan dressed with walnut paste with spices_
Imeretian Sulguni and guda cheese
Nadughi in the sulguni sheets (nadughi with mint and sour cream wrapped in sulguni sheets)
Gebzhalia (sulguni pieces boiled in milk and placed in Georgian yoghurt with mint and garlic)
Champignons with cheese (champignon heads roast on ketsi with the grated cheese above).
Tkemali sauce (sauce of sour plums with the young herbs (parsley, mint, dill, coriander), garlic and salt)
Churchkhela (sausage-shaped sweets made of walnuts and grape juice)
Gozinaki (roast walnuts in honey)
And, of course, you must have Georgian meals with wide variety of famous Georgian wines.
Emergency
For all the emergency cases please call 112.
Tour Map
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