10 Hours
Daily Tour
18 people
5-79
EN
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If you are comparing group day tours from Tbilisi and want to explore several major periods of Georgian history in one day, this route to Uplistsikhe, Gori and Mtskheta brings together ancient heritage, Soviet history and medieval Christianity.
This Mtskheta, Gori & Uplistsikhe group day tour from Tbilisi begins with the ancient rock-cut settlement of Uplistsikhe, continues to Gori and finishes among the UNESCO-listed monuments of historic Mtskheta.
The tour starts at Avlabari Metro Station in Tbilisi, where you meet your guide and the other participants. Transportation and guiding are organized for the group, making this a practical option for travelers who want to visit several destinations outside Tbilisi without arranging separate transfers and excursions.
Your first major stop is Uplistsikhe, one of Georgia’s most important ancient rock-cut settlements. Carved into sandstone above the Mtkvari River, the site developed over many centuries and preserves streets, halls, religious spaces, tunnels, wine presses and wine cellars cut into the rock.
From Uplistsikhe, continue to Gori, the birthplace of Joseph Stalin. Here, you can choose between an optional visit to the Stalin Museum or free time to explore the city independently.
The final part of the day focuses on Mtskheta, one of Georgia’s most important historical and religious centers. The group first visits Jvari Monastery, standing above the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers, and then continues to Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in the historic center of Mtskheta.
Jvari and Svetitskhoveli are part of the UNESCO-listed Historical Monuments of Mtskheta, giving the final section of the itinerary a strong connection with the development of Georgian Christianity and medieval architecture.
For travelers choosing between different group day tours in Georgia, this route is especially suitable for those interested in history and culture. In one day, you move from an ancient rock-cut settlement to 20th-century Gori and then to some of Georgia’s most important Christian monuments.
Tour type: Group day tour from Tbilisi
Main destinations: Uplistsikhe, Gori and Mtskheta
Meeting time: 08:30
Departure: 09:00
Scheduled return: 19:00–19:30
Meeting point: Avlabari Metro Station, Tbilisi
End point: Avlabari Metro Station, Tbilisi
Main route: Tbilisi → Uplistsikhe → Gori → Mtskheta → Tbilisi
Main landmarks: Uplistsikhe Cave Town, Stalin Museum, Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
Guide: Certified guide
Transportation: Included
This itinerary is designed for travelers who want the convenience of a group day tour from Tbilisi while exploring several very different periods of Georgian history.
Instead of arranging separate trips to Uplistsikhe, Gori and Mtskheta, you join one organized route with a fixed meeting point, transportation and guide service throughout the day.
Uplistsikhe provides the earliest historical layer, with an ancient settlement carved directly into the rocky landscape and evidence of religious, commercial and everyday activity that developed over many centuries.
Gori introduces a completely different period. The optional Stalin Museum visit gives travelers interested in Soviet history an opportunity to learn more about Stalin, the Soviet era and political repression associated with his rule, while those who prefer not to visit the museum can spend free time in the city.
The final part of the tour moves to Mtskheta and the history of Georgian Christianity. Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral are among the country’s most important medieval religious monuments and form part of Mtskheta’s UNESCO World Heritage property.
The group format is also convenient for solo travelers, couples and friends who want to see several destinations in one day without booking private transportation.
For first-time visitors comparing group day tours from Tbilisi, this is a particularly strong option when history, archaeology, architecture and cultural heritage are the main interests.
This tour is suitable for:
Tour Map
Location: Avlabari Metro Station, Tbilisi
Meeting time: 08:30
Meet your guide and the other participants in front of Avlabari Metro Station in Tbilisi. Look for the Gamarjoba Georgia Tours branded flag.
The common meeting point makes this group day tour from Tbilisi easy to join for travelers staying in different parts of the city.
Please arrive on time so check-in can be completed before the group departs.
Departure: 09:00
Route: Tbilisi → Uplistsikhe → Gori → Mtskheta → Tbilisi
Leave Tbilisi together with the group and begin your full-day journey through several major periods of Georgian history.
The first part of the route travels west toward the Shida Kartli region and Uplistsikhe, before continuing to Gori and later returning east toward Mtskheta.
Your guide will provide historical context throughout the journey and introduce the different places included in the itinerary.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Entrance: 15 GEL per person
Experience: Ancient rock-cut settlement and archaeological heritage
The first major stop of the group day tour is Uplistsikhe, an ancient settlement carved into the rocky landscape near Gori.
Its history stretches back to the late Bronze Age, and the settlement later became an important religious and political center in eastern Georgia.
Walk through the surviving streets and rock-cut spaces while your guide explains how Uplistsikhe developed and changed over different historical periods.
Among the surviving structures are public spaces, religious areas, halls, tunnels and facilities connected with wine production, including wine presses and wine cellars.
The site also contains a tunnel leading toward the Mtkvari River and offers views across the surrounding landscape.
Uplistsikhe introduces the earliest period covered during the day and provides a strong contrast to the Soviet and Christian heritage visited later.
Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes
Lunch: Optional / paid separately
After exploring Uplistsikhe, the group stops at a local restaurant for lunch.
This gives you time to rest and try Georgian dishes before continuing to Gori.
Lunch is optional and is not included in the tour price.
Duration: 1 hour
Museum entrance: 15 GEL per person / optional
Continue with the group to Gori, the city where Joseph Stalin was born.
At this stop, you can choose between visiting the Stalin Museum or using the scheduled hour as free time in Gori.
The museum contains exhibitions related to Stalin’s biography and the Soviet period. Its displays also include material addressing political repression carried out during Stalin’s rule.
The museum visit is optional, so travelers who prefer not to enter can explore part of Gori independently and meet the group again at the agreed time.
After approximately one hour, continue together toward Mtskheta.
Duration: 30 minutes
Experience: Early medieval monastery, UNESCO heritage and panoramic views
After leaving Gori, travel with the group toward Mtskheta and stop first at Jvari Monastery.
The present church was constructed around the end of the 6th and beginning of the 7th century and stands on a rocky hill above the historic town.
From the monastery, you can see Mtskheta below and the point where the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers meet.
Jvari is one of the monuments included in the UNESCO World Heritage property known as the Historical Monuments of Mtskheta.
The site is also closely connected with St. Nino and the early history of Christianity in Georgia.
After visiting the monastery and viewpoint, continue down toward the historic center of Mtskheta.
Duration: 1 hour
Experience: Ancient capital, Georgian Christianity and UNESCO heritage
The final major destination of the day is Mtskheta, the ancient capital of the eastern Georgian kingdom of Kartli and one of the country’s most important religious centers.
Walk through the historic center with the group toward Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, one of the principal monuments of medieval Georgian architecture.
The current cathedral largely dates from the 11th century and has remained closely connected with the religious and political history of Georgia for centuries.
Together with Jvari and Samtavro, Svetitskhoveli forms part of the UNESCO-listed Historical Monuments of Mtskheta.
Your guide will explain the cathedral’s architecture, religious significance and links with Georgian royal and ecclesiastical history.
This final stop completes the historical journey before the group returns to Tbilisi.
End point: Avlabari Metro Station, Tbilisi
Scheduled return: approximately 19:00–19:30
Travel back to Tbilisi together with the group and finish the tour at Avlabari Metro Station, the same location where the day began.
During one full day, you will have traveled from ancient Uplistsikhe through the 20th-century history of Gori to the medieval Christian monuments of Mtskheta — all within an organized group day tour from Tbilisi.
The tour operates in different weather conditions, so please dress according to the forecast.
Uplistsikhe includes uneven rock surfaces, slopes and steps, so comfortable walking shoes are strongly recommended.
Jvari and Svetitskhoveli are active religious sites. Visitors should wear respectful clothing when entering churches. Shorts are not permitted, and women should have a scarf or suitable head covering available.
Comfortable walking shoes Weather-appropriate clothing A scarf or head covering for women when entering churches Cash for entrance fees, lunch and personal expenses
Yes. This is a full-day group tour from Tbilisi that starts and finishes at Avlabari Metro Station. You travel with a guide and other participants to Uplistsikhe, Gori and Mtskheta and return to the same meeting point in the evening.
No. According to the current tour information, entrance to Uplistsikhe costs 15 GEL per person. The optional Stalin Museum visit also costs 15 GEL per person. Both are paid separately.
No. The Stalin Museum visit is optional. If you prefer not to enter the museum, you can use the scheduled hour as free time in Gori and rejoin the group afterward.
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