16-Day Georgia Tour: Live Like a Local Across the Country

Route: Tbilisi → Badiauri → Bodbe → Sighnaghi → Khareba Winery → Kakheti
Program: Georgian bread, wine, regional food and Kakheti heritage
Leave Tbilisi and travel east into Kakheti, Georgia’s best-known wine-producing region.
The first local experience takes place in Badiauri, where you will learn how traditional Georgian bread is baked and taste it fresh with local cheese.
Continue to Bodbe Nunnery, an important pilgrimage site associated with St. Nino, before traveling to Sighnaghi, a hilltop town overlooking the Alazani Valley.
The day also includes a visit to Khareba Winery for wine tasting, adding a modern commercial winery experience to the traditional food and village culture encountered earlier in the day.
Together, the stops introduce three important elements of Kakheti: religious heritage, rural food traditions and Georgian wine.

Route: Telavi → Tsinandali → Qvevri workshop → Alaverdi
Program: Local market, Georgian wine history and qvevri-making traditions
Begin the day at the Telavi Farmers Market, where residents shop for seasonal fruit and vegetables, cheese, spices, churchkhela and other regional products. Visiting the market offers a direct look at everyday food culture in Kakheti.
Continue to Tsinandali and visit the historic estate associated with the Chavchavadze family, an important place in Georgia’s cultural and winemaking history.
The next experience focuses on qvevri, the large clay vessels traditionally used in Georgian winemaking. Meet local craftspeople and learn how qvevri are made and why these vessels remain closely connected with Georgia’s wine culture.
Later, continue toward Alaverdi, where monastic history and winemaking traditions have developed alongside one another for centuries.
The day combines agriculture, craft, wine and history rather than treating Georgian wine only as a tasting experience.

Route: Kakheti → New Shuamta → Jinvali → Ananuri → Pasanauri → Gudauri → Stepantsminda
Overnight: Stepantsminda / Kazbegi
Program: Georgian Military Highway, khinkali and Greater Caucasus landscapes
Today the journey moves from the vineyards of Kakheti toward the Greater Caucasus.
Start with New Shuamta Monastery, set in a forested area near Telavi, before continuing toward Jinvali Reservoir and the historic Ananuri Fortress Complex.
In Pasanauri, Georgian mountain food becomes part of the experience through a khinkali-making masterclass. Learn how the filling is prepared and how the characteristic folds are made by hand.
Continue along the Georgian Military Highway toward Gudauri. The road climbs through mountain valleys to the panoramic monument above the resort before continuing north toward Kazbegi.
By evening, arrive in Stepantsminda, commonly known as Kazbegi, for dinner and an overnight stay in a guesthouse.

Route: Stepantsminda → Dariali Gorge → Gergeti Trinity Church → Stepantsminda
Overnight: Stepantsminda / Kazbegi
Program: Caucasus landscapes, mountain heritage and traditional craft
Explore the northern part of the Kazbegi region with a drive through Dariali Gorge, one of the dramatic natural corridors of the Greater Caucasus.
Later, continue toward Gergeti Trinity Church, the medieval church standing high above Stepantsminda. From the surrounding slopes, the landscape opens across the Caucasus and toward Mount Kazbek when the weather is clear.
The local experience continues with a felt-making masterclass, introducing a traditional craft associated with wool and mountain communities.
You will also taste locally produced jams, adding a small regional food experience to the day.
Overnight in Stepantsminda.

Route: Stepantsminda → Mtskheta → Jvari → Svetitskhoveli → Tbilisi
Overnight: Tbilisi
Program: Ancient capital, Georgian Christianity and UNESCO heritage
Leave the mountains and travel south toward Mtskheta, the ancient capital of eastern Georgia and one of the country’s most important religious centers.
Visit Jvari Monastery, overlooking the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers, before continuing into the historic center of Mtskheta.
Here you will explore Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, one of Georgia’s most important medieval churches. Jvari and Svetitskhoveli form part of the UNESCO-listed Historical Monuments of Mtskheta.
After the cultural program, return to Tbilisi for the night.

Route: Tbilisi → Dashbashi Canyon → Paravani Lake → Foka Monastery → Vardzia
Overnight: Vardzia area
Program: Canyon landscapes, volcanic highlands and southern Georgia
Today the route leaves Tbilisi for the highlands of southern Georgia.
Visit Tsalka Canyon, also known as Dashbashi Canyon, where waterfalls and walking trails cut through the Khrami River gorge. The site also features a glass suspension bridge above the canyon.
Continue across the highland landscapes toward Paravani Lake, one of the characteristic lakes of the Javakheti plateau.
The next stop is Foka Monastery, located near the lake and surrounded by the broad, open scenery typical of this part of Georgia.
After lunch during the route, continue toward Vardzia for dinner and an overnight stay.

Location: Vardzia
Overnight: Vardzia area
Program: Medieval cave complex and Meskhetian food traditions
Begin the day by exploring Vardzia, one of the most important monuments of medieval Georgia.
Built mainly during the 12th century and closely associated with the reign of Queen Tamar, Vardzia is a large complex carved into a cliff above the Mtkvari River. Its surviving spaces include caves, tunnels, religious buildings and traces of the infrastructure that once supported the community living there.
The day then moves from monumental history to local life through activities at the guesthouse.
You will have the opportunity to feed rabbits and participate in Meskhetian cooking masterclasses, including Meskhuri Qada and duck dumplings.
In the evening, enjoy dinner at the guesthouse together with a relaxed discussion or lecture on a selected topic connected with the region and Georgian culture.

Route: Vardzia → Akhaltsikhe → Rabati Castle → Goderdzi Pass → Batumi
Overnight: Batumi
Program: Samtskhe heritage, local family lunch and mountain transfer to Adjara
Travel to Akhaltsikhe and explore Rabati Castle, a large historic complex that reflects the multicultural history of Samtskhe.
After visiting the fortress and museum spaces, enjoy lunch hosted by a local family before continuing west.
The journey then changes character as you switch to 4WD vehicles for the mountainous route across Goderdzi Pass toward Adjara.
This overland crossing connects the drier highland landscapes of southern Georgia with the greener mountains of Adjara and eventually the Black Sea coast.
Arrive in Batumi by evening, check in at the hotel and finish the day with dinner.

Location: Batumi and Adjara
Overnight: Batumi
Program: Flexible sightseeing, Black Sea culture and Adjarian food
Today is designed as a more flexible day in Batumi and Adjara.
Depending on the final program, the day can include Gonio Fortress, one of the major archaeological and historical sites near Batumi, followed by a visit to the Batumi Botanical Garden overlooking the Black Sea coast.
For lunch, experience another side of local life through the Batumi fish market and the seafood culture of the coast.
In the evening, discover regional food and wine at the Adjarian Wine House, where the gastronomic experience also introduces the winemaking traditions of Adjara.
Return to Batumi for the night.

Route: Batumi → Zugdidi → Dadiani Palace → Megrelian cooking experience → Enguri Dam → Mestia
Overnight: Mestia
Program: Samegrelo heritage, regional cuisine and journey into Svaneti
Leave the Black Sea coast and travel north toward Samegrelo.
In Zugdidi, visit the historic Dadiani Palace, associated with the former ruling family of Samegrelo. The palace complex and surrounding garden introduce an important chapter in the region’s political and cultural history.
The next experience focuses on Megrelian cuisine. At Sisa Tura, participate in cooking masterclasses and learn more about a regional cuisine known for its distinctive ingredients and flavors.
Continue toward the mountains with a stop at the Enguri Hydropower Dam, one of Georgia’s most significant engineering landmarks and one of the world’s highest arch dams.
From Enguri, the road follows increasingly dramatic mountain valleys toward Mestia, the main town of Upper Svaneti.
Overnight in Mestia.

Route: Mestia → Chalaadi Glacier → Mikheil Khergiani Museum → Mestia
Overnight: Mestia
Program: Glacier landscape, Svan history, food and everyday traditions
The day begins with an excursion toward Chalaadi Glacier, one of the most accessible glacier landscapes near Mestia. The route leads through a mountain valley toward views of the glacier descending from the high Caucasus.
After the natural part of the day, learn about Svaneti’s mountaineering history at the Mikheil Khergiani House Museum, dedicated to one of Georgia’s best-known climbers.
Lunch introduces another side of Svan culture through a masterclass in preparing Kubdari and Chvishtari, two foods strongly associated with Georgia’s western mountain regions.
Continue to the Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography, whose collections include archaeological material, manuscripts, icons, metalwork and objects connected with the daily and religious life of Svan communities.
The cultural program continues with the local film “Dede”, which offers a cinematic perspective on life and social traditions in a Svan mountain community.
Dinner activities include milking a cow and learning how traditional cheese is made, bringing the Live Like a Local concept directly into everyday rural life.
Overnight in Mestia.

Route: Mestia → Tower of Love → Ushguli → Lamaria Church → Mestia
Overnight: Mestia
Program: Upper Svaneti, medieval towers, local art and mountain culture
Today you will travel deeper into Upper Svaneti toward Ushguli, a community of high-mountain villages situated at around 2,200 meters above sea level and considered one of the highest permanently inhabited settlement areas in Europe.
On the way, stop at the Tower of Love, a Svan tower connected with one of the region’s best-known local legends.
In Ushguli, explore the traditional settlement landscape of stone houses and defensive towers beneath the high peaks of the Caucasus. The village of Chazhashi, part of the Ushguli community, forms the core of the UNESCO World Heritage property of Upper Svaneti.
Visit Lamaria Church and enjoy lunch at a local mountain restaurant before continuing to the gallery of Svan painter Beso Nijaradze.
Return to Mestia in the evening for dinner and an overnight stay.

Route: Mestia → Zugdidi → Prometheus Cave → Kutaisi
Overnight: Kutaisi
Program: Mountain departure, karst cave and western Georgia
Leave Mestia in the morning and descend from Svaneti toward the lowlands of western Georgia, stopping in Zugdidi for lunch.
Continue toward Prometheus Cave near Tskaltubo, one of Georgia’s best-known karst cave systems.
The cave contains 22 halls, six of which are open to visitors. Along the visitor route, you will see stalactites, stalagmites and other limestone formations illuminated throughout the underground chambers.
After exploring the cave, continue to Kutaisi for dinner and an overnight stay.

Route: Kutaisi → Uplistsikhe → Gori → Tbilisi
Overnight: Tbilisi
Program: Local market, ancient cave town, modern history and farewell dinner
Begin the final full day of the journey at the Kutaisi Farmers Market, where stalls selling fruit, vegetables, spices, cheese and other local products offer another glimpse into everyday life in western Georgia.
Travel east toward Uplistsikhe, an ancient rock-cut settlement whose surviving structures reflect several periods of Georgian history.
After exploring the cave town and having lunch nearby, continue to Gori to visit the Stalin Museum and learn about one of the most debated figures connected with the city’s modern history.
The journey then returns to Tbilisi for the final evening.
Celebrate the end of your 16-day Georgia tour with a farewell dinner at a restaurant and reflect on a journey that has crossed wine country, high mountains, southern plateaus, the Black Sea coast and western Georgia.

Route: Tbilisi → Tbilisi International Airport
Program: Departure transfer
Your journey concludes with a transfer from Tbilisi to Tbilisi International Airport.
Over sixteen days, you will have experienced Georgia through much more than its landmarks: local markets, vineyards, family meals, traditional food, crafts, mountain communities, museums, regional cuisines and landscapes that change dramatically from one part of the country to another.