Wine and food
Wine is a good reason to plan a day out of Tbilisi, because Georgia still makes wine the old way too, in qvevri: egg-shaped clay vessels buried in the ground. UNESCO inscribed the qvevri method on its list of intangible heritage in 2013.
Kakheti, east of Tbilisi, is the country’s main wine region, with Telavi as its administrative centre and Saperavi and Rkatsiteli as its main grapes. A wine day there means cellar visits, tastings and usually a long lunch. In Tbilisi itself, a food tour or a cooking class covers the dishes a visitor meets at every table, from khachapuri to khinkali.
Mountains and walking
The mountains are a day away or a few days away, depending on how far north you go. Stepantsminda, the town at Kazbegi, sits 157 kilometres north of Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Road, with Gergeti Trinity Church on the slope above it and Mount Kazbek behind.
Svaneti, in the north-west, asks for more time. Upper Svaneti is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its medieval villages and defensive tower houses, and a walk links them: four day stages between the tower villages of the upper valley. You can do the walk from Mestia to Ushguli with a guide or on your own, between June and late October.
Tbilisi and the cities
Tbilisi deserves a day of its own. Its bath district, Abanotubani, lies on the east bank of the Mtkvari river below Narikala fortress, and its bath houses are fed by hot sulphur springs. An hour in the baths, a walk through the old town and a long dinner make a full day without leaving the city.
Private days and guides
A private guide or driver suits anyone who wants to set the route and the pace. You choose the stops, the start time and how long to stay at each place, which matters most on wine days and in the mountains, where the drives are long.
Choosing by season
The season matters as much as the region, because the high trails are snowbound in winter and the wine year peaks in autumn. In Kakheti the harvest usually starts in early September, earlier after a hot summer, and runs to about mid October, and one way to join the grape harvest is a harvest day at a family cellar, booked ahead because picking dates follow the grapes.
What can you do in Georgia in winter?
Winter in Georgia means skiing, baths and cellars. Gudauri, 120 kilometres north of Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Road, runs its ski season from December to April. Tbilisi’s sulphur baths are indoors and hot, which suits the cold months, and the larger Kakheti wineries receive visitors year-round. The Mestia to Ushguli walk is out of season from November to May.
What is best in autumn (harvest)?
Autumn is harvest season. Rtveli, the grape harvest, usually starts in Kakheti in early September, earlier after a hot summer, and runs to about mid October, and later in parts of the west. Tbilisoba, the city’s own festival with a harvest fair, is usually held in the second half of October, and the Svaneti walking season runs until late October.
Private, small-group or on your own?
Private suits couples and families who want their own pace; small-group suits solo travellers and anyone watching the budget; on your own suits travellers with time to spare. A private day gives you your own guide and vehicle, a small-group day shares both with other travellers, and on your own means minibuses, local drivers and booking cellars yourself. If you would rather hand a week or more to one operator, our page on multi-day tours of Georgia sets out what those trips differ on.
How booking works on The Colchis
Every experience on these pages is run by a local operator, not by The Colchis. Where a booking link earns us a commission, the page says so.
Questions
What are the best things to do in Georgia?
The best things to do in Georgia are a wine day in Kakheti, the sulphur baths in Tbilisi, a food tour or cooking class, a day at Kazbegi and the walk from Mestia to Ushguli in Svaneti.
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. Western regions pick later, and in some parts of the west the harvest runs into November or even December.
Can you book experiences in Georgia in advance?
Yes. Day tours and cooking classes can be booked ahead, and harvest days are worth booking early because places on them are limited.
Are the experiences private?
No, not all of them. Some are private, with your own guide or driver, and some are shared small-group days.