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Rows of vines beneath the hills at Shakriani village, Kakheti

Sample journey · 8–10 days

Georgia at the table: Tbilisi, Kakheti wine and the road to Kazbegi

Tbilisi, Sighnaghi and the Alazani valley, the Georgian Military Road, Stepantsminda

Photo: Giga Goriashvili / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

In Georgia a journey is often measured in meals rather than miles. In old Tbilisi dinner runs late into the night, in the family marani of Kakheti wine matures in clay qvevri buried in the ground, and the supra, a long feast led by a tamada and his toasts, shows just how much a guest means here.

This sample journey brings the table and the mountains together. After a few days in the capital and among the vineyards of the Alazani valley, the Georgian Military Road climbs through the Caucasus to Stepantsminda, where trails lead into high meadow valleys. Distances are short, so it suits a first visit to the country as well as a group of friends after good food and easy walks. It's simple to adjust: more wine, more mountains, or a slower pace.

The route

The journey

  1. Tbilisi
  2. Kakheti (Sighnaghi)
  3. Tbilisi
  4. Georgian Military Road
  5. Stepantsminda
  6. Tbilisi
  1. The domes of the sulphur baths in Abanotubani, with Narikala fortress above, Tbilisi

    01Days 1–3 · Tbilisi

    Baths, balconies and late dinners

    Old-town lanes of carved wooden balconies tumble down to the Mtkvari, and the domes of Abanotubani hide the sulphur baths; a private bath room after a long travel day is a fine way to begin. A cable car rises to Narikala fortress, a morning could go to the Dezerter Bazaar, and an evening to a natural-wine bar or a restaurant giving Georgian cooking a contemporary turn.

  2. A baker lays shotis puri bread inside a hot clay tone oven in Sighnaghi

    02Days 4–5 · Kakheti

    Qvevri, bread and vineyards

    Around two hours' drive east lies Kakheti, the heart of Georgian winemaking. In family marani you'll see wine maturing in qvevri, taste amber white wines and chacha, and in a village bakery try shotis puri straight from the clay tone oven. Nights are in the hilltop town of Sighnaghi, whose walls look out over the whole Alazani valley to the wall of the Caucasus.

  3. The church domes of Ananuri fortress above the Zhinvali reservoir, on the Georgian Military Road

    03Days 6–7 · Tbilisi & the Georgian Military Road

    A supra, then north into the mountains

    Back in Tbilisi, an evening at a long table with a tamada, polyphonic song and toasts that follow their own order. Next morning the Georgian Military Road climbs north: Ananuri fortress above the turquoise Zhinvali reservoir, the pastures of Gudauri and the Jvari (Cross) Pass at around 2,400 metres. It's roughly three hours to Stepantsminda without stops, though you'll want to stop often.

  4. The snowy summit of Mount Kazbek above autumn-coloured slopes near Stepantsminda

    04Days 7–8 · Stepantsminda

    Beneath Kazbek

    Stepantsminda (often still called Kazbegi) sits beneath glaciated Mount Kazbek, a summit of more than five thousand metres. A morning could be spent walking up to Gergeti above the town, an afternoon in the village of Sno or the Dariali gorge. Stays are in a small guesthouse or a hotel with a mountain view; evenings are cool even in summer.

  5. The broad Truso valley, its braided river and the mountains beyond

    05Day 9 · Truso valley

    A day in a meadow valley

    With a local guide, an easy, mostly level walk up the Truso valley: mineral springs, colourful travertine terraces, abandoned Ossetian villages and watchtowers. Another option is the Juta valley, where the trail climbs towards the Chaukhi massif. Both suit people who rarely walk in the mountains.

  6. A market stall hung with churchkhela, with nuts and dried fruit, Georgia

    06Day 10 · Tbilisi

    One last market

    Back to Tbilisi and, if your flight is late, a last visit to the market: churchkhela, sulguni cheese, spice blends and a bottle from the marani you visited. Departure from Tbilisi airport.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    A supra with a tamada

    A long feast of toasts and song: the thing that explains Georgia best.

  2. 02

    Qvevri wine in a family marani

    A winemaking tradition of some eight thousand years, inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list.

  3. 03

    The Georgian Military Road

    The old road across the Greater Caucasus, with fortresses, pastures and a high pass.

  4. 04

    The Truso valley on foot

    An easy walk among mineral springs and abandoned villages: the mountains without a great effort.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • More wine

    An extra day in Kakheti for Telavi and Alaverdi monastery, or for rtveli, the grape harvest, if you travel in September or October.

  • More active

    A longer hike from Juta towards the Chaukhi Pass, or a few days in Svaneti, which is really a walking journey of its own.

  • For a small group

    For friends or a few families: one vehicle with a driver, a shared supra and tastings just for you.

  • Extension

    Mtskheta and Uplistsikhe along the way, or a few days by the Black Sea in Batumi to finish.

Practical considerations

  • May to October is usually the most pleasant; September and October bring the harvest in Kakheti.
  • The road over the Jvari Pass sometimes closes in winter for snow or avalanche risk, so on a winter journey the Kazbegi section stays flexible.
  • In the mountains you travel with a local driver or guide; distances are short but mountain roads are slow.
  • When visiting churches, a headscarf is useful for women and covered shoulders and knees for everyone.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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