Itinerary

Day 1

Sightseeing tour of Tbilisi,

Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia. The city covers an area of 372 km² (144 square miles) and has 1,093,000 inhabitants. Founded in the 5th century AD by Vakhtang Gorgasali, the Georgian King of Kartli (Iberia) and made into a capital in the 6th century, Tbilisi is a significant industrial, social, and cultural center.

Anchiskhati Church, built in 6th-7th centuries, is situated in Old Tbilisi. It is triple-nave basilica.
Old Tbilisi & Sulphury Baths – Foundation of Tbilisi and origin of the word itself is related with these sulphury baths. According to a legend, King Vakhtang Gorgasali stumbled upon warm sulphury spring while hunting. “Tbilisi” is derived from the word “tbili” that means “warm”.
Narikala Castle exists here since the middle of the 4th century. It was occupied by Iranian, North Caucasian and Byzantine, Arab conquerors in various periods of time. Royal palace was also resided here. Church of St. Nickoloz was built within the castle in 13th century. It was rebuilt in 20th century.
History Museum: Unique archaeological, ethnographical, documentary material, many masterpieces of folk and applied arts (carpets, kilims, etc.) are kept here. The Museum holds the richest photograph-collection which perfectly shows the views of the town, its life and its inhabitants. The Museum keeps many paintings, printings and graphical works of Georgian and foreign artists, depicting Tbilisi and its citizens in their rather colorful spectra. Alongside with the material depicting the past, The Museum of Tbilisi's History represents modern art too.
Museum of Gold Treasure: One of the most important collections of the museum is the Gold treasure, which consists of the unique collection of the pre-Christian (III millennium BC-IV century AD) goldsmith pieces.

Day 2

Drive to Gori.

Gori - the city was founded by one of the greatest kings of Georgia, David the Builder (1089–1125). It has a population of 60,000. Gori is situated where the Liakhvi River enters the Mtkvari. The city was largely destroyed in the 1920 earthquake.

Samtavisi is an eleventh-century Georgian Orthodox cathedral in eastern Georgia, in the region of Shida Kartli, some 45km from the nation's capital Tbilisi. The cathedral is now one of the centers of the Eparchy of Samtavisi and Gori of the Georgian Orthodox Church.The cathedral is located on the left bank of the Lekhura River, some 11km of the town of Kaspi. According to a Georgian tradition, the first monastery on this place was founded by the Assyrian missionary Isidore in 572 and later rebuilt in the 10th century.

The Joseph Stalin Museum in Gori, Georgia is dedicated to the life of the town's most famous son, Joseph Stalin, who became the leader of the Soviet Union.

Uplistsikhe, "the lord's fortress" is an ancient rock-hewn town in eastern Georgia, some 10km east of the town of Gori, Shida Kartli. Built on a high rocky left bank of the Mtkvari River, it contains various structures dating from the 5th century BC to the Late Middle Ages, and is notable for the unique combination of various styles of rock-cut cultures from Anatolia and Iran, as well as the co-existence of pagan and Christian architecture. Uplistsikhe is identified as one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia. Strategically located in the heartland of ancient kingdom of Kartli (or Iberia as it was known to the Classical authors), it emerged as a major political and religious center of the country. The town's age and importance led medieval Georgian written tradition to ascribe its foundation to the mythical Uplos, son of Mtskhetos, and grandson of Kartlos.

The Ateni Sioni Church is an early 7th-century Georgian Orthodox church some 10 km (6 miles) south of the city of Gori, Georgia. It stands in a setting of the Tana River valley known not only for its historical monuments but also for its picturesque landscapes and wine. The name "Sioni" derives from Mount Zion at Jerusalem. Sioni is a cruciform domed church (24X19.22 m.) with the façade furnished with carved quadrangle greenish-gray stones, rich decorated ornaments and relief. The church is an imitation of the earlier Jvari Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site at Mtskheta, Georgia.

Drive to Kutaisi, Imereti region.

Day 3

Kutaisi – antique Kutaia. In certain historical periods it was the second capital of Georgia after Tbilisi according to largeness. According to the legend about Golden Fleece, Kutaisi is that very land where the epic legend of the Argonauts was acted out. In the 6th century BC, the tribes of western Georgia formed a state, the Kingdom of Colchis, lying along the east coast of the Black Sea. The legend tells of the courageous Hellenes who led by Jason, crossed the Straits of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorous and reached the shores of the Kingdom of Colchis where the powerful King Aeetes reigned, and where the Golden Fleece was kept. Ancient Colchis held the secret of how to obtain gold; the discovery of this secret and the acquisition of the Golden Fleece was the Argonauts' quest.

Sataplia Cave is a rather small one, famous for fine speleothems and the dinosaur footprints nearby. The tour enters the through-cave on one hillside, crosses the hill underground and then goes back on the surface past the dinosaur footprints. This cave is hard to reach and not very much visited by individual travelers.
Bagrati Church – (11th c.). It is an old architectural monument of Kutaisi. Nowadays only ruins are left from the church. One of the UNESCO heritage sites.

Gelati Complex comprises the churches of the Virgin (the main church), of St Nicolas, of St. George, as well as the academy which was the centre of cultural and spiritual life. The Gelaty monastery complex was founded by King David the Builder in the 12th c. It is noted by the finest examples of Georgian mural painting. Among them is the only surviving portrait of King David the Builder whose grave can be found at the gateway of the monastery. The giant 12th century mosaic of the Virgin with Child is completely unique.

Motsameta Monastery Complex (8th-11th c.c.) is beautifully situated between the valleys of two rivers near Kutaisi. In the 8th century, brothers David and Konstantine Mkheidzes, the Lords of the region, were assassinated here by Arabs, for refusing to convert to Islam. The old church was destroyed. A present monastery complex was built on the site of the old church by King Bagrat in 11th century. "Motsameta" monastery means "monastery of martyrs". The sacred remains of the brothers are kept in the Crypt of the church.
Drive to Mestia, Svaneti region.

Day 4

Laghami Saint George's church (medieval cc) and Svan dwelling complex.

Visit to historical and ethnographic museum of Mestia, which houses manuscripts from the 10th and 12th centuries, religious tracts from the 9th-11th century, icons, metal and other artifacts of the 14th - 16th century, gold coins of the antique and late antique periods and several Bronze Age treasures.
Depart for village Ushguli - middle age fortification, surrounded by the 5,000 m giants of the Caucasus mountain range. It is considered to be one of the highest populated places in the world (2,200m above sea level).

Optional visits to:
The church of St. George in Nakipari (1130 AD) and old cemetery
Private collection of Ethnographic items in Ushguli

Day 5

Latali & Lenjeri single-nave basilicas of the 8th-9th-14th cc., built by stones without ornamentation, with the interior richly decorated with murals.

Day 6

Drive to Borjomi, famous with its nature and Natural Mineral water springs.
Borjomi is world known with its natural mineral water springs. It is located 800-1000m above the sea level. Vegetation is mainly represented by coniferous (fir, pine, silver fir) and leaf-bearing (oak, beech, hornbeam, birch) species. Climate peculiarities are determined by the location of the Resort in the lower alpine forest zone of the subtropical belt. Summer is warm with, mostly sunny weather. In addition to its salubrious climate, Borjomi is famous for its mineral waters, which is another major natural curative factor.
In the spa town of Borjomi, first the Romanov kings and more recently, Stalin had their summer residences. The verdant valley is ideal for forest walks and sampling the Borjomi waters.
Bakuriani - popular skiing resort in the Borjomi. The highest mountain of the resort used for skiing is called Mount Kohta at around 2,200 meters (7,216 feet) above sea level.

Day 7

Drive to Akhaltsikhe region.
The beautiful nature and architectural monuments are blended in harmony, most important of which are Vardzia (12th c), Khertvisi (9-10th cc), Tmogvi (medieval period), Atskuri (10-13th cc), Zarzma,(14th c), Saphara (10, 13th cc), Kumurdo (10th c), Chuli church (14th c), Idjareti monastery (13th c) and Okros Tsikhe, Eremchala, Zanavi (medieval period).

Day 8

Visit Vardzia Cave Town
Vardzia a rock-hewn complex on the left bank of the river Mtkvari was founded in the 12th -13th cc. during the reign of Giorgi III and Queen Tamar. Initially planned as a town-fortress, the complex became a well fortified monastery, which had a significant role in political, cultural, educational and spiritual life of the country. Its nineteen tiers extend from east to west, the dwellings were hewn and tunnels hollowed out into the cliff from south to north. There are two-room, three-room and four-room cliff dwellings in Vardzia, including two-storey ones; galleries and vertical tunnels, secret passes and a pharmacy. In the middle of the complex there is a Church of Assumption, richly decorated with mural painting. Behind the church there is a pool which served as a spring water reservoir, and was considered holy.

Day 9

Drive to Khevsureti region.

Shatili The main part of this fantastic fortress-village stands on the rocky outcrop, surrounded by high mountains. Dwelling-towers are built closely to each other, forming a unique defense system - a virtually impregnable wall which creates an impression of a severe and mythical stronghold. The major part of Shatili is stacked with terraces - the roof of one house simultaneously is the yard of another. The tower-houses are connected by wood and stone bridges.

Day 10

Anatori – the ancient burial of the Khevsuri people and afterwards head to the mediaeval fortified village of Mutso. Located at approximate 1,400 meters, the village is actually a unique complex of medieval-to-early modern fortresses and fortified dwellings of stone and mortar which functioned both as a residential area and a fortress guarding the northeastern outskirts of the country. The fortress consists of the terraced structures dominated by flat-roofed dwellings and some 60 towers which cluster together to create a single chain of fortifications.

Day 11

Drive to Kakheti, Wine region. En route
Sightseeing tour of Mtskheta (UNESCO HERITAGE SIGHT).

Mtskheta is one of oldest cities of the country of Georgia (in Kartli province of Eastern Georgia), near Tbilisi. Mtskheta was a capital of the Georgian Kingdom of Iberia during the 3rd century BC - 5th century AD. Here Georgians accepted Christianity in 337 and Mtskheta still remains the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church.

Jvari Monastery is a Georgian Orthodox monastery of the 6th century near Mtskheta (World Heritage site), Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, eastern Georgia. The name is translated as the Monastery of the Cross. For another, Jerusalem-located Georgian monastery with the same name.
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, built in the 11th century. Though the site itself is even older dating back to the early 4th century and is surrounded by a number of legends associated primarily with the early Christian traditions. Svetitskhoveli, known as the burial site of Christ's mantle, has long been the principal Georgian church and remains one of the most venerated places of worship to this day. The church is in UNESCO world heritage sites.
Samtavro 11th century monastery complex. The first Christian king Miriani and his wife Nana are buried in the church.

Day 12

Sighnaghi one of the smallest towns with a population of 2,146. Sighnaghi's economy is dominated by production of wine and traditional carpets. The town is also known for its landscapes and historical monuments and has recently turned into an important centre of Georgia's tourist industry.
Bodbe. On June 1, Orthodox Church of Georgia marks the day of St. Nino's entrance from Cappadocia. Her tomb is still shown at the Bodbe Monastery in Kakheti region, eastern Georgia. St. Nino has become one of the most venerated saints of the Georgian Orthodox Church and her attribute, a Grapevine cross, is a symbol of Georgian Christianity.
Alaverdi. Earliest structures of Alaverdi monastery date back to 6th century. The present day surviving cathedral is part of an 11th century Georgian Orthodox monastery. Located in 20 km from Telavi, in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia.

Old & New Shuamta Monasteries (VI-XVII centuries). Shuamta - a complex made up of three churches of different periods - 6th, 7th and 8th centuries in a highland forest.

Day 13

David Gareja Monastery is situated deep in semi-desert about 75 km south-east of Tbilisi. The Monasteries were founded in the 6th century by the Christian Father St. David. Walk up to Udabno to explore some of the fine frescos of the 8th-13th c. and cave architecture. The complex includes hundreds of cells, churches, chapels, refectories and living quarters hollowed out of the rock face. The area is also home to protected animal species and evidence of some of the oldest human habitations in the region.
Back to Tbilisi.

Day 14

Leisure Day
Farewell dinner at the Georgian National Restaurant with folklore concert.

Extra Information

Inclusions -

Accommodation

Exclusions -

Air-fare