Georgia: Classic & Light Trekking

Arrival in Kutaisi, the ancient capital of Colchis, land of the Golden Fleece. Our guide welcomes you at the airport and we drive east across the country, through the green hills of Imereti and over the Rikoti Pass.

In Mtskheta (UNESCO), the former capital and spiritual heart of Georgia, we visit Jvari Monastery, a 6th-century church on the hill above the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari, and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, a masterpiece of medieval architecture where Georgian kings were crowned and buried. Arrival in Tbilisi, check-in and dinner in a restaurant with wine.

A day in the capital. The Georgian National Museum holds the gold of Colchis and traces the history of the country from the earliest times. In the Old Town we walk among carved wooden balconies, hidden courtyards and old churches, and take the cable car up to Narikala Fortress for a view over the whole city.

We descend to Abanotubani, the district of domed sulphur baths, and Metekhi Church above the river, and cross the glass Bridge of Peace, the modern face of Tbilisi. The afternoon is free for boutiques, cafés and a walk by the river. Dinner in a restaurant with wine.

East to Kakheti, the wine region and soul of Georgia. Bodbe Monastery, among cypresses and rose gardens, is the resting place of St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia. Sighnaghi, the “city of love”, charms with pastel houses, defensive walls and a view across the Alazani valley to the Caucasus.

In the evening a supra at a winemaker’s home: home-made qvevri wine, Kakhetian cuisine and a tamada leading the Georgian toasts — the warmest evening of the trip. Late return to Tbilisi.

After breakfast we drive into the Caucasus along the legendary Georgian Military Road. Ananuri Fortress (17th century) stands above the turquoise Zhinvali reservoir, and from the viewpoint at Gudauri the Friendship Monument looks out over a deep gorge. We continue to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi), the town at the foot of Kazbek (5,047 m).

Walk: up to Gergeti Trinity Church — about 3 km one way and 400 m of ascent, roughly 1.5 hours up a forest path. At the top the 14th-century church stands alone against the glaciers of Kazbek; the descent takes about an hour. Return to Gudauri (40 min), check-in and dinner with wine.

After breakfast a short drive from Gudauri (20 min) to the village of Kobi, where we change to 4x4 vehicles for the Truso Valley.

Trek: about 8–9 km on an almost flat track along the Terek river, around 3 hours of walking. We pass red and white travertine terraces, bubbling mineral springs and abandoned villages with stone towers, the small Abano Lake, from which gas bubbles rise, and finally the medieval Zakagori Fortress guarding the end of the valley. Return by 4x4 to Kobi and drive to Tbilisi for dinner with wine.

We check out and head west. In Gori, the birthplace of Joseph Stalin, we see the Stalin Museum from outside (the interior is optional). Nearby lies Uplistsikhe, a cave town carved into the sandstone and once an important stop on the Silk Road, with halls, tunnels, wine presses and pagan temples.

Over the Rikoti Pass into western Georgia and arrival in Kutaisi. Check-in and dinner in a restaurant with wine.

A day in and around Kutaisi. Prometheus Cave reveals an underground world of stalactites, stalagmites and underground lakes along an illuminated path. We visit Gelati Monastery (UNESCO), founded by King David the Builder as a great centre of learning — or Motsameta, above its gorge.

At the Kutaisi bazaar we taste spices, cheese, churchkhela and local wine, and in Tskaltubo we stroll through the old spa town with its healing springs and abandoned Soviet sanatoriums. Farewell dinner with wine.

Breakfast at the hotel (or a packed breakfast for an early flight) and transfer to Kutaisi airport. End of the tour.