Discover Georgia - Private Tour
Discover Georgia - Private Tour
Discover Georgia - Private Tour
9 Days Starting and ending in Tbilisi
Visiting: Tbilisi, Georgia
Tour operator:
Tour code:
PTGEO
Group Type:
Private
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 16
Physical rating:
Medium, FullOn
Age range:
14-99
Special diets catered:
Vegans, Meat, Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Tour Overview
With new flight routes and the growing popularity of its wine production, Georgia is the perfect destination for a short holiday that covers natural beauty, history and food. Combine walks in the stunning Caucasus region, with its strong nod to the former USSR architecture and culture, along with sightseeing of historic towns and the promise of delicious food and drink.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Trip Begins In Tbilisi
Location: Tbilisi
Accommodation: Hotel, KMM
Meals Included: No Meals
You will be met on arrival at Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) by a local guide, and driven the 25 minute journey to your centrally-located hotel. There are no planned activities for today, so you are free to arrive in Tbilisi at any time. For those booking their own flights, you will just need to let us know your flight details no later than three weeks prior to departure, in order to be met on arrival.
Many flights from the UK arrive into Tbilisi in the early hours of the morning (around 3am), which should be booked for arrival on the morning of Day 2. If you arrive in the morning of Day 1, please note that your hotel room may not be available to check-in until after 2pm, and so you may wish to book an additional night's accommodation.
Please note that many of Georgia's museums close on a Monday, so if you wish to visit a particular attraction then please check that it is open on the day you want to visit.
Day 2: In Tbilisi, Full Day Sightseeing
Accommodation: Hotel KMM
Meals Included: Breakfast
Set out today with a local guide, to discover both the Old and New Towns of Georgia's cosmopolitan capital city on foot. If you've arrived in the early hours of the morning, your guide will set a slightly later start time in order to give you time to rest after your flight.
Starting the visit in the old part at the Church of Metekhi, continue through narrow lanes past cafes and restaurants to the Synagogue, Sioni Cathedral and Anchiskhati Church, which marks the end of the Old Town. Take a stroll along the lively Rustaveli Avenue, admiring the architecture of many grand buildings that line Tbilisi's main street, and in the afternoon take the cable car to Narikala Fort, which dominates the skyline of the Old Town, before walking down to the brick-domed sulphur baths.
Day 3: Drive To Kakheti Wine Region; Wine Tasting And Local Hospitality
Accommodation: Hotel Old Telavi
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Leave Tbilisi and head east to Kakheti, Georgia's wine region, driving through stunning countryside with mountain views. You'll be travelling with a local guide throughout the trip, who will be able to point out the many places of interest en route. Stop first at the Tsinandali estate, a magnificent historic home that dates back to the 1700s and has been at the heart of Georgian wine production for over a hundred years. Take tour of the museum here, before continuing on to the Kondoli winery where you can try two types of the region's 'bio wine'. Biodynamic wine uses organic farming methods both to grow the grapes and in the creation of the wine, along with following a schedule aligned with astronomical events. Alongside a local master, learn how 'Qvevris' are made, the large earthenware vessels containing the wine which are buried underground. You'll also have the chance to try some of the local firewater known as chacha! Later in the afternoon, continue on to Telavi.
Day 4: Eat A Traditional Lunch And Taste Some More Regional Wines; Drive Back To Tbilisi
Accommodation: Hotel KMM
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Combine Georgia's underrated food scene with its impressive history today, in a full day of exploration. Set out to Telavi's food market this morning, where stalls are loaded with fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, spices and drinks. Next up, visit the UNESCO Alaverdi Cathedral, an 11th century Georgian Orthodox monastery. Once Georgia's highest at around 50 m, it dominates the surrounding countryside; however it was superseded in 2004 by Sameba, Tbilisi's Holy Trinity Cathedral, which stands at a magnificent 100 m. Continue to a local farmer's house for lunch, and to see how the local Georgian sweets ('churchkhela') and bread ('shoti') are made. Lunch is included here - the delicious Georgian delicacy 'mtsvadi', meat barbequed on a fire made from vine branches. Vegetarian options are also available.
It wouldn't be right to leave the wine region without a final tipple! Travelling back to Tbilisi over the Gombori Pass, stop at Kakabeti village and visit the 'Velino' winery to taste three further kinds of bio wine.
Day 5: Drive Via Uplitsikhe Cave Town To Akhaltsikhe
Accommodation: Lomsia Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Leaving the capital again this morning, drive to picturesque Mtskheta, the spiritual heart of Georgia. Visit the hilltop 6th century Jvari Monastery and take in the spectacular views of Mtskheta and the confluence of two rivers below. Make your way down into the town and visit Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. The 9th century basilica contains the grave of Sidonia, who was said to have been buried holding Christ's robe.
Continue through villages to the Silk Road cave town of Uplistsikhe. Here an entire town of streets, churches, palaces and residential buildings has been carved into the mountainside. Dating from the first millennium BC, it gradually grew to be an important city on the trade route linking Byzantium with India and China. After exploring this unusual place, drive on to Akhaltsikhe for a two night stay.
Day 6: From Akhaltsikhe, Visit Vardzia Cave Town
Accommodation: Lomsia Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today's destination is one of Georgia's most significant sites, the cave town of Vardzia. Bigger and more dramatic than Uplitsikhe, Vardia is cut into a towering cliff and is in a remote location reached by a drive through a beautiful rolling landscape. Established by King Giorgi III in the 12th century as a stronghold against the Turkish Sultanate (the Turkish border is only 10km away). Vardzia was subsequently developed by his daughter, Tamar (later to become Queen Tamar), who created a cave monastery that became a centre of Georgian culture. This network of caves above the Mtkvari (Kura) river once numbered 3000, with up to 19 tiers in some places. Much of it was destroyed after a huge earthquake in 1456 and only 550 caves have been since discovered. There are numerous churches, meeting halls, refectories and wine cellars, all interconnected by tunnels and stairways. You'll have time to explore and navigate your way around this fascinating place before returning to Akhaltsikhe. Time permitting, you may also be able to visit Rabath Castle on the way back (closed on Mondays).
Day 7: Drive Via Gori To Kazbegi In The Greater Caucasus Mountains
Accommodation: Hotel Stepantsminda
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
At approximately five hours, today's drive is the longest of the trip, as you head north to the mountains. Stop at the Soviet style town of Gori, where Georgia's most famous son, Stalin, was born. Here there is time to visit the Stalin museum, if you wish, and learn much about his life. Interestingly he initially began training as a priest in the Georgian Seminary, before abandoning religion to become a brigand and join the new Bolshevik movement. It has been suggested too that Georgia escaped the worst horrors of Stalin's regime because he was afraid of his conservative Christian mother!
Further into our journey, pay a visit to the Ananuri Fortress, which overlooks a reservoir on the Aragvi River. The scenery becomes more dramatic throughout the ascent along the Georgian Military Highway. Drive through the spectacular and breathtaking mountain scenery of the Greater Caucasus, passing Gudauri (2196 m), a winter ski resort overlooking an epic gorge, before reaching the mountain village of Kazbegi.
Day 8: Walk In The Caucasus Up To Gergeti Church; Drive Back To Tbilisi
Accommodation: Hotel KMM
Meals Included: Breakfast
Walk from Kazbegi through Gergeti village and up to the Gergeti Holy Trinity church, stunningly located on a hilltop both overshadowed and overlooking the surrounding snowy peaks of the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The walk is a round trip of 3-4 hours. The area is a treasure trove of mythology - it was to the majestic Mount Kazbegi (5047 m), the highest peak in this region, that Prometheus was chained. This part of the Caucasus is a protected area, and is home to a variety of flora and fauna. Georgia has over 100 different mammals, and although the European bison and Caucasian leopard have become extinct, there are still wolves and bears in the mountains.
This afternoon, drive back to Tbilisi for your final night.
Day 9: Trip Ends In Tbilisi
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today the trip ends, and you'll be taken to Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) for your international flight, approximately 25 minutes from the hotel. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart Tbilisi at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at the hotel.
What's Included
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Accommodation
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All Domestic Transportation (including internal flights)
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Meals – Breakfast Only
What's Not Included
Check out our Q&As
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I'm going on a walking/cycling trip-do I need to train?
It will depend on the grade and how fit you already are. Check the trip page for details of the walking or cycling grade and how far you’ll be walking/cycling each day. For moderate or challenging trips in particular we’d recommend doing some walks or cycles before you leave to build up your fitness and prepare you for the distances being covered.
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
We have a wide range of ages nationalities on our small group trips and they come from all walks of life.
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Should I get travel insurance?
Yes–it is a condition of booking that you are fully insured when travelling with us
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How long has the tour company been trading?
At Explore, we're the experts in adventure travel. Our small group adventure holidays have been running since 1981. Today, Explore is one of the most trusted travel companies in the UK with over 500 trips to more than 120 countries.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
Yes, but there are no concessions for doing so, and we must have a record in your booking advising as such before the trip departs.
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Am I contributing to any charity by booking the tour?
Being a responsible company is a large statement, something that has to be entwined within the very fibre of a company. Discover the charities and partnerships we support as part of this at https://www.explore.co.uk/about/sustainability/charities-and-partners
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
We want to be as clear as and as honest as possible about what happens if you decide to that you no longer wish to travel on your trip. Our booking conditions have details of the costs you’ll incur when you cancel-these charges depend on how long it is before your planned departure.
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What is the accommodation like?
We choose comfortable accommodation in the best locations possible. We opt for small, local and family-run accommodation where we can, as opposed to large chain hotels. We typically use hotels that are the equivalent of European 3-star, and you’ll usually have an en suite room. Occasionally, where we want to get off the beaten trail we may stay in more basic accommodation.
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Sustainability is embedded within the fibre of Explore, it emanates from the inside out. But as we enter a new decade it is clearer than ever that our world needs help, and Explore has created a sustainability strategy based on the 2015 UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Our flexible booking and safety policies mean you're protected before and during your travels with us. Receive a full refund if your trip is cancelled, transfer your trip free of charge up to 10 days before departure minus any irrocoverable costs.
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Do I need to be very fit to book with you?
All our trips require some level of active participation. This could be on a cultural trip, trek, safari, expedition or voyage. It is in the interests of all members of the group that everyone should be capable of fully participating in the activities of their chosen trip.
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Final documents will include a comprehensive trip itinerary, climate and country information, budgeting and packing advice visa and passport information and details on optional activities available.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Yes on most of our trips. Most trips are based on customers sharing twin-bedded rooms. If you book a group trip as an individual, you will share a room with someone of the same sex. However, on many trips we offer the opportunity to pay a supplement to pre-book a single room, known as our single room option. On some trips a single room will be provided every night, on others it will be provided o
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Do we have to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel
It’s now a condition of booking a trip with us that customers should have one of the following before they travel - — Be vaccinated against COVID, having received the full recommended course, and allowing enough time for immunity to take effect. Full vaccination includes any booster required to keep the vaccine valid. — Have taken a negative test (rapid antigen or PCR) within 72hrs of departure.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Explore will only offer hotels that have specific COVID-19 protocols in place and comply with local government guidelines. We will ensure these measures include; enhanced room cleaning, ventilation, social distancing, regular cleaning and disinfection of high frequency touch points in public areas, food safety, staff re-training and minimising contact within the properties.
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Explore! allows you to make 1 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 60 days before the start of the tour.
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Explore! requires a minimum deposit of 10% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of explore! charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 41 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 27 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 13 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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