Georgia getaway - From Tbilisi to Mountain Views and Wine

🏙️ Day 1: Getting to Know the Capital — Tbilisi

As always, my top recommendation for your first day in a new city? A walking tour! It’s the best way to get your bearings, learn some history, and hear quirky local stories. If you're more into independent exploration — no worries! I’ll list all the sights too.

We actually did two walking tours, each showing a different side of Tbilisi.

1️⃣ First one was Historical Tbilisi tour covering main city attractions such as:

• Freedom Square - Central Tbilisi plaza, a historic and political heart of the city.
• Residuals Of Defensive Wall - Remains of ancient city walls protecting old Tbilisi.
• Clock Tower - Quirky leaning clock tower with the following "shows":
  • Every hour on the hour, a golden angel puppet emerges and strikes a bell to mark the time.
  • Twice daily, a short puppet drama plays on a lower window, depicting life’s stages—from meeting and marriage to parenthood and old age:
    • 12:00 PM (noon)
    • 7:00 PM

• Anchiskhati church - Oldest surviving church in Tbilisi city’s been through many wars and earthquakes).
• Peace Bridge - A modern glass pedestrian bridge over the Kura River.
• Tamada Statue - Honors the traditional Georgian toastmaster, lifting a horn in celebration.
• Old trade Streets - Narrow cobbled lanes filled with shops, cafes, and historic charm.

• Abanotubani (sulfur baths district) -Famous for its natural hot sulfur springs and bathhouses. The tour walks past the area but you can go inside later:
  • Every bath includes a thermal pool (38–60 °C), shower, and domed hall with traditional Eastern-style décor like mosaics
  • Most baths operate between 09:00 and 22:00 / 23:00 daily
  • Prices can be anywhere between ~70–100 GEL/hour (25-37 USD) for midrange bathes to 100–200 GEL/hour (37- 73 USD) for high end setups.

• Leghvtakhevi Waterfall - Small scenic waterfall in the old town
• Metekhi Church and Fortress - Historic church and fortress overlooking the Kura River

Along the way, we learned a lot about Tbilisi’s turbulent history — since its founding in the 5th century, the city has been invaded, destroyed, and rebuilt countless times. To top that off, Tbilisi lies in a seismically active area, and earthquakes have caused considerable damage over the centuries. Damage is still very visible in the Old Town, as old structures are particularly vulnerable to earthquake damage.

2️⃣ This was very visible during the 2nd tour we took Rooftops and hidden corners tour.

The tour focused on showing the gritty "real" local Tbilisi vibe, leading us through through inner courtyards, back alleys, crumbling stairways and some rooftops (actual rooftops, not bars!). In many places, the destruction done by the earthquakes was still clearly visible, with cracked or destroyed building smack in the city center still waiting for restoration.  It shows you a much less picture perfect side of Tbilisi all without leaving the center.

🥟 Food Tip: Try Khinkali!

 After a full day of sightseeing, make sure to replenish by Georgian all time favorite- Khinkali. It's a type of juicy, hand-twisted dumpling filled with spiced meat and broth (there are veggie versions too).

🍴 How to Eat Khinkali (the Proper Way!)

1. Pick it up by the top knot with your hands
2. Take a small bite and suck out the hot broth
3. Then finish the dumpling — but leave the top knot on the plate. It’s starchy and tough and as well used to count how many you’ve eaten.

🏔️ Day 2: Mountains, Monasteries & Scenic Roads

For the next few days, we rented a car to explore freely — but don’t worry, I’ll share alternative travel options at the end of Day 4!

While in Georgia, you will soon notice that locals are highly religious people, and you’ll see it everywhere — churches, traditions, and customs like crossing oneself when passing a chapel. So, today’s theme? Faith, nature, and killer views while driving from Tbilisi to Kazbegi.

Route Highlights:

Start your day at the Chronicles of Georgia – a striking sculpture complex perched on a hill above the Tbilisi Sea. Its towering stone pillars (some up to 35 meters tall) are adorned with bronze reliefs that reflect both Georgian history and Orthodox Christianity. 

Next, visit Jvari Monastery – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the place where the first Christian cross was erected in Georgia. Even if you’re not into religious landmarks, the hilltop setting offers beautiful views over the confluence of two rivers.

Just across the valley lies Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, in the historic town of Mtskheta. Also a UNESCO site, it’s famous for its impressive scale, detailed stonework, and spiritual importance — legend has it that Christ’s robe is buried beneath the church.

Continue north to Ananuri Fortress, a stunning ensemble of castles and churches set beside the Aragvi River. The views over Zhinvali Reservoir make this a perfect photo stop.

Then head to the Gudauri Viewpoint (also known as the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument). This circular overlook is decorated with a vibrant mosaic, but the real highlight is the breathtaking panorama of the Greater Caucasus Mountains and the Aragvi River Gorge.

Even the drive is part of the experience — the Georgian Military Highway, which connects Tbilisi to Kazbegi, is a sight in itself. This winding mountain road takes you through some of the most dramatic scenery in the Caucasus.

You will be arriving to Kazbegi village for the night. Many hotels have panoramic views over the mountains, and we'd definitely recommend choosing one of them! We stayed at Milky way guesthouse and couldn't complain about the view!

⏳ This is a packed day, but each stop is short unless you're a history nerd. If the 4-hour drive sounds like a lot, you can overnight in Ananuri and split it across 2 days.

💸 All sites above are free to enter!

🧀 Food Tip: Khachapuri!

 Now it's time to try another traditional Georgian dish- Khachapuri – Cheese-Filled Bread . While there are no special eating instruction for this one, don't underestimate how filling it is - it's a meal by itself!

🏞️ Day 3: Gergeti Trinity Church & Mountain Views

Today is the day to explore this beautiful mountain village, take in stunning vistas and potentially do some hiking!

Kazbegi (also called Stepantsminda) is surrounded by dramatic peaks—including the iconic Mount Kazbek (5,033 m)  and activities in the town are suitable for all fitness levels - mountains are visible from everywhere and you can choose to access main sights by car or by foot.

The town is best known for the Gergeti Trinity Church, perched on a hilltop overlooking Kazbegi with Mount Kazbek looming in the background. You can access the viewpoint by:

• Fetching a driver in Kazbegi who will take you to churches parking lot for about 30–50 GEL (approximately $10–$15 USD) one way. You can as well negotiate the round fare if you want for the driver to wait for you.
•  If you're fit enough, I'd strongly recommend taking a 6 km round trip hike  as you get see amazing viewpoints on the way, that are missed while taking a car. However, don't be fooled by the short distance of the hike, it is rather steep!

Bonus: if you're a fit hiker and visiting in summer when accessibility is good, you can also attempt a longer hike to Gergeti Glacier

🍷 Food Tip: Try Samani Restaurant

For dinner, I would recommend Samani - a cozy place with traditional cuisine, friendly service and free shots of Georgian traditional drink rakija! Just note: food takes time — go early!

🏰 Day 4: Rock Cities & Soviet Concrete

Today you will be driving back to Tbilisi on the same road, so in case you missed some of the sights the first day, now is your chance!

🪨 Uplistsikhe Rock City

Additionally, you will driving through Uplistsikhe - an ancient rock city in eastern Georgia, near the town of Gori.

It features rock chambers, carved directly into a sandstone cliff above the river and was once a major pagan religious, political, and trade center. The city includes over 150 chambers that used to be dwellings, wine cellars, storage rooms, and pagan temples. It might be worth getting a guide — the site has few signs and the caves start to look similar after a while!

🏗️ Tbilisi Brutalist Architecture

If  you still have energy and time when you return to Tbilisi, you can visit some of the most famous brutalist architecture buildings in the capital, e.g.:

• Bank of Georgia Headquarters - Built in 1975, the structure resembles a stack of interlocking concrete blocks or bridges suspended over a wooded hillside, with the design intended to preserve green space by minimizing the building’s footprint.  It is fully functional and is still used as the bank's main office!
• Nutsubidze Skybridge, also known as the Tbilisi Skybridge , is a distinctive residential complex situated constructed between 1974 and 1976. this architectural feat comprises three concrete apartment blocks connected by elevated metal walkways, forming a unique pedestrian bridge system on the 10th, 12th, and 14th floors.
  • Accessing the Skybridge involves using a public elevator located in the first building of the complex. Visitors are required to deposit a 20 tetri coin to use the elevator, which takes them directly to the 14th floor, where the skybridges commence.

🍬 Food Tip: Try Churchkhela

You must make sure not to leave Georgia without trying the traditional sweet - Churchkhela  -Strings of walnuts or hazelnuts dipped repeatedly in thickened grape juice and dried.  Color of Churchkhela can vary based on which kind (red or white) of grape juice was used and the sweet is relatively healthy and has a long shelf life - can survive almost any weather and was used by Georgian warriors or shepherds in the mountains.

🚍  Alternative transport options (if not self-driving):

• Kazbegi Full Day Tour Covers Ananuri fortress, Gudauri viewpoint (Day 2) and viewpoint of Gergeti Trinity Church (Day 3)
• Mtskheta-Jvari-Uplistsikhe tour covers Jvari monastery, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Day 2)  and Uplistsikhe (Day 3)
• You can visit Chronicles of Georgia with this Tour  or take the following transport options (it is not far from Tbilisi):
  • From Sarajishvili Metro, take marshrutka #432 for around 25 minutes (7 stops), then walk ~1.7 km (about 20 minutes) to the site
  • If you prefer comfort, a Yandex ride app from the city center takes ~20–30 minutes and costs around 8-9 GEL (3-4 USD) one‑way

🍷 Day 5: Wine, Wine, and More Wine

Yes, we have a whole day dedicated to wine, as Georgia has one of the most unique wine traditions in the world, with over 8,000 years of continuous winemaking history.

Here’s why it stands out:

Oldest Winemaking Region on Earth

• Archaeological evidence of grape fermentation dates back to 6000 BCE in the South Caucasus.
• Georgia is often called the "Cradle of Wine" for this reason.

🏺 Qvevri Method:

• Qvevri are large clay vessels buried underground used to ferment, age, and store wine.
• Wine is made with whole grape clusters (including skins, seeds, sometimes stems), giving it a rich, earthy taste and amber color in white wines.
• This ancient natural method is still widely used and is UNESCO-recognized as intangible cultural heritage.

To dive deeper into Georgia’s winemaking traditions — and of course, to taste the results — we joined a Kakheti wine region tour. It was surprisingly affordable and took us to some of the country’s most renowned wineries, where we learned about the unique Georgian winemaking process. The tour included tastings of seven different wines, accompanied by light snacks — plus a bonus shot of brandy or rakija!