Georgia & Svaneti

Arrival in Tbilisi, welcome by the guide and transfer to the hotel. After a rest we set off on a calm tour of the capital, with coach transfers between the sights so that the first day is not tiring.

We begin at Sameba Cathedral, the largest church in the Caucasus, and continue to Metekhi Church on the cliff above the Mtkvari, beside the statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, founder of the city. The cable car takes us up to Narikala Fortress, with a panorama of the Old Town, the Botanical Garden and the domes of Abanotubani, the sulphur-bath district that gave Tbilisi its name.

Walking down through the old streets we visit Sioni Cathedral, where the vine cross of St Nino is kept, and Anchiskhati Basilica, the oldest church in the city (6th century). Welcome dinner in a restaurant.

After breakfast we drive to Mtskheta, the ancient capital where Georgian Christianity was born. On the hill above the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari stands Jvari Monastery (6th century), on the spot where St Nino raised her wooden cross. Below, in the heart of the town, rises Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (UNESCO), the coronation and burial church of Georgian kings, where tradition places the robe of Christ.

In the afternoon we visit Uplistsikhe, a cave town carved into the sandstone in the 1st millennium BC — pagan halls, a theatre, wine cellars and a Christian basilica rising above them. We then cross the Rikoti Pass into western Georgia and arrive in Kutaisi for dinner.

In the morning we visit Motsameta Monastery, perched on a rock above the gorge of the Tskaltsitela river. It keeps the relics of the martyred princes David and Constantine, and pilgrims crawl beneath their reliquary for good fortune.

We continue through Samegrelo to the Enguri Dam, one of the highest arch dams in the world (271 m), with a viewpoint over its turquoise reservoir. From here the road climbs the Enguri gorge into the Caucasus, and with each bend the first Svan towers appear on the slopes.

Arrival in Mestia, the capital of Upper Svaneti, in the late afternoon. Dinner at the hotel with Svan dishes — kubdari meat pie and the famous Svan salt.

After breakfast we change to 4x4 vehicles for the road to Ushguli (approx. 2,100 m), one of the highest permanently inhabited villages in Europe and part of the UNESCO site of Upper Svaneti. Its medieval stone towers stand at the foot of Shkhara (5,193 m), the highest peak of Georgia, and the setting is unforgettable in any weather.

We walk up to the church of Lamaria (9th–12th centuries), with frescoes and its own defensive tower, and take time to wander among the houses. Back in Mestia we visit the Svaneti Museum, the treasury of the region: icons, processional crosses and Gospel manuscripts of the 9th–11th centuries, hidden here for centuries from invaders. Dinner at the hotel.

We leave the mountains and drive down the Enguri valley, through Zugdidi and the green lowlands of Samegrelo, towards the Black Sea (5–6 hours with stops). Along the way the landscape changes from alpine meadows to tea plantations and subtropical gardens.

Arrival in Batumi, the capital of Adjara, and check-in. In the evening a walk along the seaside boulevard, past Europe Square with the statue of Medea holding the Golden Fleece and the lively Piazza with its cafés. Dinner in a restaurant.

In the morning we visit the neo-Gothic Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God, built as a Catholic church at the turn of the 20th century. Then a boat trip on the Black Sea along the coast, with the panorama of Batumi’s skyline against the green Adjara mountains.

The rest of the day is free for the beach, seaside cafés or a walk in the old town. Those who wish can visit the Roman fortress of Gonio-Apsaros a few kilometres south of the city, or take the Argo cable car at sunset. Dinner in a restaurant.

A day crossing Georgia from west to east, with one visit to choose on the way. Option one is the Batumi Botanical Garden on the Green Cape, with subtropical plants from several continents and terraces above the sea. Option two is the Prometheus Cave near Kutaisi — 1.4 km through six illuminated halls of stalactites, stalagmites and underground lakes.

We continue east through Imereti and over the Rikoti Pass, arriving in Tbilisi in the evening. Farewell dinner in a traditional Georgian restaurant with supra dishes and local wine.

Breakfast at the hotel (or a packed breakfast for early flights) and transfer to Tbilisi airport according to the flight schedule. End of the tour.