Tbilisi and the day trips around it
Tbilisi is where many trips to Georgia start and end, and the capital, its food and Mtskheta, under an hour away, fill three or four days. Our Tbilisi guide covers the sights, the districts and how long to stay, and our day trips from Tbilisi compares the tours out of the city.
Old Tbilisi and the sulphur baths
Domed 17th-century bath houses on hot sulphur springs, under Narikala fortress.
- Where Abanotubani, the old bath district in the centre of Tbilisi
- When All year. The baths are indoors and hot, which suits the cold months
- Next things to do in Tbilisi, the sulphur baths, compared and Tbilisi walking tours
A long Georgian table
Cheese breads, soup dumplings, walnut dishes and wine, shared at a supra, the long Georgian feast.
- Where Tbilisi’s restaurants and markets, or a cook’s own kitchen
- When All year
- Next Georgian food, dish by dish, food tours, cooking classes, supra dinners and wine tastings in Tbilisi
Mtskheta
The old capital of Kartli, where Christianity became the state religion of Georgia in 337.
- Where About 20 km north-west of Tbilisi, under an hour by road
- When All year, as a half day
- See Jvari Monastery on its hill, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Samtavro, on one UNESCO World Heritage listing since 1994
- Next The half day in Mtskheta, compared with longer days out
Kakheti, the wine country
Kakheti, about 2 hours east of Tbilisi, makes most of Georgia’s wine, and its winemakers use both European methods and qvevri, clay jars buried in the ground, a method UNESCO added to its intangible heritage list in 2013. Our Kakheti guide covers where to stay, and Georgian wine explains what you will be poured.
A cellar day around Telavi
Tastings at family cellars and wine estates, usually with a long lunch.
- Where Around Telavi, Kakheti’s cultural centre, about 2 hours from Tbilisi over the Gombori pass
- When All year at the larger wineries. The harvest usually runs from early September to about mid October
- Next Kakheti wine tours and the wineries to visit
Sighnaghi and Bodbe
A hill town inside 18th-century walls, and the convent where Saint Nino is buried.
- Where About 2 hours east of Tbilisi. Bodbe is 2 km from Sighnaghi
- When All year
- Time A day from Tbilisi, or a night in the town
- Next where to stay in Kakheti and Kakheti wine tours
David Gareja
A cave monastery founded in the 6th century, in the half-desert on the Azerbaijan border.
- Where South-east of Tbilisi, about 2 hours each way, with no marshrutka, only a tourist shuttle from spring to 31 October
- When Spring and autumn. In April the hills are green and cool enough to walk
- Note Only the lower monastery, the Lavra, is open. The upper Udabno monastery and the ridge trail have been closed since 2019, at the disputed border with Azerbaijan
- Next The David Gareja day, compared
The mountains: Kazbegi, Svaneti and Tusheti
The Greater Caucasus runs along Georgia’s north, and its trips range from a long day at Kazbegi to a week in Svaneti. The high treks are best from July to September, and hiking in Georgia compares the routes region by region.
Gergeti Trinity Church, Kazbegi
A 14th-century church at about 2,170 metres, under Mount Kazbek.
- Where Above Stepantsminda, about 3 hours north of Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Road, past Ananuri castle and the ski slopes of Gudauri
- When All year by road. The pass above Gudauri can close for short spells in snow, between mid November and early May
- Next Kazbegi, town and valleys and Kazbegi day trips
Mestia, Ushguli and the Svaneti towers
Medieval stone tower houses under Georgia’s highest peaks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
- Where The north-west. Mestia is about 3 hours by road from Zugdidi, or a small plane from Natakhtari, near Tbilisi
- When July to September to walk, and winter to ski at Mestia
- Time At least 3 days, or 5 to 7 with the four-day trek
- Next our Svaneti guide and the walk from Mestia to Ushguli
Tusheti
Highland villages at the end of one unpaved road over the Abano Pass, most of them empty in winter.
- Where The far north-east, 5 to 6 hours from Tbilisi by four-wheel drive, so give it several nights
- When June to October. The road usually opens to four-wheel drives in June, and October snow closes it, apart from brief reopenings
- Next Hiking in Georgia
The west and the south: Kutaisi, Vardzia and the Black Sea
The road west from Tbilisi passes Gori and Uplistsikhe, a day out of the capital, then Borjomi, Kutaisi and the Black Sea, which need nights on the way. Kutaisi is about 3.5 hours from Tbilisi by road and Batumi 4.5 to 5, so the west suits a trip of a week or more.
Uplistsikhe and Gori
A town cut into the rock, a religious and political centre from the 4th century BC.
- Where Near Gori, about 1.5 hours west of Tbilisi by road
- When All year
- Time A full day, often with Mtskheta on the way
- Next Mtskheta and Uplistsikhe in one day
Borjomi
The spa town of the mineral water, at the edge of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park.
- Where About 2.5 to 3 hours west of Tbilisi, on the way to Vardzia
- When All year
- Time A night, paired with Vardzia
- Next Hiking in Georgia and Vardzia trips, compared
Vardzia
A monastery cut into a cliff face in the 12th century, in the far south.
- Where About 4 to 5 hours from Tbilisi and 110 km from Borjomi, so give it a night
- When All year. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable on the open cliff path
- Note Since a rockfall on 27 May 2026 the path ends just after the Church of the Dormition, and you walk back the way you came. The heritage agency said on 11 September that full access will return after repairs
- Next Vardzia from Tbilisi, Kutaisi or a night nearby
Kutaisi and Gelati Monastery
A monastery founded by King David IV in 1106, with a 12th-century mosaic, outside Georgia’s third city.
- Where 8.5 km from the centre of Kutaisi, which is about 3.5 hours west of Tbilisi
- When All year. Kutaisi stays milder than Tbilisi in winter
- See Gelati, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994
- Next Day trips from Kutaisi and private driver-guides for the west
Prometheus Cave and Martvili Canyon
A show cave walked in about an hour, and a canyon seen by boat, both within about 45 km of Kutaisi.
- Where Prometheus Cave near Tskaltubo, and Martvili Canyon in Samegrelo
- When Martvili is most active from April to November, and its boat trips need dry weather
- Next Day trips from Kutaisi, compared and a family holiday that takes in both
Batumi and the Black Sea
Adjara’s seaside capital, with a botanical garden opened in 1912.
- Where About 350 km from Tbilisi, 4.5 to 5 hours by road
- When June to early October for the sea. Georgia is quieter in September than in July and August, and the sea still averages about 25°C, though September is Batumi’s wettest month
- Next The Black Sea, month by month
What to do in Georgia by season
Each region keeps its own season, and the high mountains have the shortest one. The best time to visit Georgia has the weather, the crowds and the roads month by month.
| Season | Go for | Leave for another season |
|---|---|---|
| Winter, December to February | Tbilisi’s baths and tables, Kakheti’s cellars, and skiing at Gudauri, 2 to 2.5 hours north of Tbilisi | The high treks, Tusheti and the Svaneti walk |
| Spring, March to May | Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kakheti, and David Gareja while it is green | The high passes, still under snow |
| Summer, June to August | Treks from July, Tusheti, Kazbegi and the Black Sea | Tbilisi in July and August, at about 32°C by day |
| Autumn, September to November | The harvest from early September, the last treks, a warm sea in September | Tusheti, once October snow closes the pass |
Private, small group or on your own?
Most of the places on this page can be reached three ways, and the choice turns on how many of you travel and how much time you have. For a week or more with one operator, our multi-day tours of Georgia sets out what those trips differ on.
Private
Your own driver-guide, your own start time and your own stops.
- Suits Couples, families and anyone who wants to set the pace
- Cost Priced by the car, so it pays off for three or four
- Next Private guides in Georgia, compared
Small group
A guide and a minibus shared with other travellers.
- Suits Solo travellers and anyone watching the budget
- Cost The lowest price for one or two travellers
- Next Shared days out of Tbilisi
On your own
Marshrutkas, trains and drivers you find on the day.
- Works for Mtskheta, Gori and Kazbegi by marshrutka, a fixed-route shared minibus, from Didube station in Tbilisi, and David Gareja by tourist shuttle from spring to 31 October
- Not for Kakheti’s cellars, which need a driver
- Next Plan a trip to Georgia
Questions about things to do in Georgia
Is Georgia worth visiting?
Yes. In one small country you find a capital with hot springs and an old town, wine made in buried clay jars by a method UNESCO lists as intangible heritage, churches on UNESCO’s World Heritage List and the Greater Caucasus a few hours’ drive north.
What is Georgia famous for?
Georgia is famous for its wine, made there for about 8,000 years, for its food, from khachapuri to khinkali, for its churches and monasteries, and for the high Caucasus.
How many days do you need in Georgia?
A week to ten days covers Tbilisi, Kakheti and one mountain region such as Kazbegi. Add three or four days for the west, Kutaisi and its caves, or for Svaneti.
What can you do in Georgia in winter?
Winter in Georgia means the sulphur baths, the cellars and the slopes. Tbilisi’s baths are indoors and hot, the larger Kakheti wineries receive visitors all year, and Gudauri, on the road to Kazbegi, skis from December to April, with the 2026/27 season set to open on 20 December, snow permitting. The high treks, Tusheti and the Mestia to Ushguli walk wait for summer. Skiing, snow and the road to Kazbegi has the lift dates and the winter closures on the Kazbegi road.
When is the grape harvest in Georgia?
The grape harvest in Georgia, called Rtveli, usually starts in Kakheti in early September, earlier after a hot summer, and runs to about mid October. You can join the grape harvest on a harvest day at a family cellar, booked ahead.
Can you book experiences in Georgia in advance?
Yes. Day tours, cooking classes and bath rooms can be booked ahead, and harvest days are worth booking early because not every winery takes visitors during the harvest.