The Caucasus

Georgia

Stone towers beneath Caucasus peaks, wine drawn from clay qvevri and a table where a guest is always expected.

Photo: Patrick Rosenberger (Schneider) / Unsplash

Georgia begins at the table. The supra — a long feast led by a tamada who raises toasts to ancestors, friendship and guests — isn't a performance for visitors but a living fabric of custom. Onto the table come hot khachapuri with molten cheese, juicy khinkali, walnut sauces, fresh herbs and amber-coloured wine aged in clay qvevri buried in the earth.

A few hours' drive from Tbilisi, the Greater Caucasus rises. Around Kazbegi, Gergeti's church stands above Stepantsminda with glaciated Mount Kazbek behind it. In Svaneti, medieval stone towers still guard the villages, while Tusheti, reached by a mountain road that opens only in summer, lives to the rhythm of shepherds, flocks and slate-roofed houses.

Tbilisi is a city where many eras meet. Lanes of carved wooden balconies tumble towards the Mtkvari river, the domes of Abanotubani hide sulphur baths, and former factory buildings now hold galleries, cafés and design studios. It's a country for travellers who want to move — to hike, ride and cross mountain passes — and also to linger at the table well into the night.

Why go

01
Tbilisi
Old-town lanes beneath Narikala fortress, sulphur baths in the Abanotubani quarter and evening light over red roofs. On the city's newer side, creative spaces in former factories, wine bars and contemporary Georgian cooking.
02
Kakheti and its wine
The Alazani valley, with the wall of the Caucasus on the horizon, is the heart of Georgian winemaking. In a family marani you can see wine maturing in qvevri, taste churchkhela and bread from a clay oven, and spend the night in the hilltop town of Sighnaghi.
03
Svaneti: Mestia and Ushguli
Upper Svaneti is known for its medieval defensive towers, protected by UNESCO. From Mestia, multi-day trails cross alpine meadows to Ushguli — one of Europe's highest continuously inhabited villages — beneath the peak of Shkhara.
04
Tusheti
One of the country's most remote mountain regions: the road over the Abano Pass is usually open only in summer and early autumn, and its condition depends on the weather. The reward is the stone towers of Dartlo and Omalo, horse treks between villages and nights in guesthouses where dinner is made from what is grown and produced nearby.

Ways to travel

Ways to experience it

Ways to travel aren't separate paths — the best journeys often bring several together.

Culture & discovery
A supra with a tamada, winemakers' marani in Kakheti, polyphonic singing in old churches and baking khachapuri alongside your hosts.
Adventure & active travel
The trek from Mestia to Ushguli, trails above Stepantsminda towards Gergeti and the foot of Kazbek, horseback routes through Tusheti's valleys.
Exceptional stays & escapes
A contrast that comes naturally here: a design-led hotel in old Tbilisi, a vineyard house in Kakheti and simple, warm family guesthouses in the mountains.
Small-group adventures
For a few friends or families: a shared trek with a local guide and evenings around one long table, as is the Georgian way.
Tailor-made journeys
Mountain roads are long and winding, so we shape the route to keep drives sensible and let altitude build gradually.

Georgia

Journey inspiration

Illustrative ideas for how a tailor-made journey could look. Not bookable packages: no prices, dates or inclusions are implied.

018–10 days
Tbilisi, wine and Kazbegi
A few days in Tbilisi's old town and baths, slow time among Kakheti's vineyards, then the Georgian Military Highway to Stepantsminda and walks beneath Kazbek.
Culture & discovery · Exceptional stays & escapes
Plan something like this
0212–16 days
High Caucasus: Svaneti and Tusheti
A multi-day trek between Mestia and Ushguli, a pause in Tbilisi, then the road over the Abano Pass to Tusheti with horse rides between tower villages — a summer route for active travellers.
Adventure & active travel · Small-group adventures
Plan something like this
037–9 days
An autumn harvest
Rtveli — the grape harvest — in Kakheti, cooking lessons, a supra with your hosts and a few days among Tbilisi's galleries and wine bars.
Culture & discovery · Exceptional stays & escapes
Plan something like this

Planning your journey

When to go

Late spring and early autumn are usually the most comfortable seasons for the cities and wine regions. High mountain trails and the Tusheti road are generally accessible from around June to September or early October, though this depends on snow and weather each year. The Kakheti harvest often falls in September and October. In winter the mountains see snow and some roads close.

How long to allow

A week suits Tbilisi and Kakheti; add one mountain region and allow 10–12 days, or two weeks or more for both Svaneti and Tusheti. Mountain roads are slow, and it's best to gain altitude gradually.

Natural combinations

Georgia can fill a whole journey, but it also pairs with another Mediterranean or Middle Eastern destination — Jordan, say, or the Greek islands if you'd like sea and warmth after the mountains.