Which Kakheti wine tour is best?
A Kakheti wine day from Tbilisi takes 9 to 12 hours and follows one of two roads: east to Sighnaghi and Bodbe Monastery, the quicker side, or over the Gombori Pass to Telavi and Alaverdi, with two or three cellars and usually a long lunch. The best Kakheti wine tour for most first visits is the Gamarjoba Georgia Tours shared day with nine tastings, from 39 USD a person.
Best for a first Kakheti day
The first Kakheti day10 hours, up to 18from$39a person, shared minibusBookSee the dayWe may earn a commission. You pay the same.
Best for wine first
Wine first, from Telavi12 hours, own carPrivate day, bookable all year. Shared dates run April to Augustabout$221a person for 2 guests in a sedan, private day, meals included575 GELBookSee the dayBest for a private day with your own car and guide
Private Sighnaghi day9 hours, privatefrom about$119a person for a full car, private car310 GELBookSee the day
Sighnaghi, on the day's route Pick 1 of 3First-time visitors to Kakheti
The first Kakheti day
from$39a person, shared minibus
Book with GetYourGuideWe may earn a commission. You pay the same.
Kakheti wine region tour with 9 wine tastings. Run by Gamarjoba Georgia Tours, booked through GetYourGuide.
The classic Sighnaghi circuit and a family qvevri cellar, for 39 USD a person.
Up to 18 in the minibus, and a brisk last tasting at a big commercial winery.
- 10 hours08:30 to about 19:00
- Up to 18in a shared minibus
- 9 winesand a chacha, at three stops
- Freecancellation up to 24 hours before
The day08:30 to about 19:00
- 08:30Meet the guide's flag at Avlabari metro, Tbilisi; leave at 09:00
- MorningBadiauri bakery and a first wine, then Bodbe Monastery
- ThenA walk in Sighnaghi and an optional lunch there
- After lunchFamily winery, qvevri and three wines
- Last stopKTW, a large winery, five wines and chacha
- About 19:00Back at Avlabari metro
Why it's great, and who should skip it
Why it's great
- Eighty minutes at a family winery, seeing how qvevri wine is made and tasting three of its wines.
- A first glass at a Badiauri bakery, then Bodbe Monastery and a walk round Sighnaghi.
- Nine wines and a chacha for 39 USD, free to cancel up to 24 hours before.
Skip it if
- You came for the wine and want small producers and meals at the wineries: Wine first, from Telavi.
- Your group wants its own car and guide and a hotel pickup: the Private Sighnaghi day.
In the price
- Certified guide and transport from Tbilisi
- A glass of wine at a Badiauri bakery
- Three wines at a family qvevri cellar
- Five wines and chacha at KTW winery
- Entry to both wineries
Not in the price
- Lunch in Sighnaghi (optional, paid on the day)
- Bread and cheese at the bakery (3 GEL)
CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before
Price checked 28 October 2026.
A marani in Gurjaani, Kakheti Pick 2 of 3Travellers who came for the wine
Wine first, from Telavi
Private day, bookable all year. Shared dates run April to August
about$221a person for 2 guests in a sedan, private day, meals included, 575 GEL
Vines & Mountains: 1-day Kakheti food and wine tour (Telavi). Run by Eat This! Tours.
Small producers only, both meals included, and your own car and guide.
A 12-hour day, and a 20% deposit that may not come back.
- 12 hours08:30 to about 20:30
- Own carsedan for 2 or 3, minivan from 4
- 10+ winesand chacha, by the operator's count
- 2 mealslunch and dinner, all wine included
The day08:30 to about 20:30
- 08:30Pickup in central Tbilisi
- 09:30Honey tasting on the Gombori Pass
- 10:45Telavi market (Telavi guests join here)
- 11:30Khinkali lesson, light lunch and 3 qvevri wines at a family micro-winery
- 14:00Alaverdi Monastery
- 14:45A qvevri maker's workshop, 2 wines and an aged chacha
- 16:30Dinner and 3 to 4 wines at an independent vineyard
- About 20:30Back in Tbilisi
Why it's great, and who should skip it
Why it's great
- A khinkali lesson and lunch at a family micro-winery, with three of its qvevri wines.
- A qvevri maker's workshop, where the clay vessels are made, then two wines and an aged chacha.
- Dinner and three or four wines at an independent vineyard, with Telavi market and Alaverdi on the way.
Skip it if
- You want a shorter, cheaper day you can cancel 24 hours ahead: the first Kakheti day.
- You want a shared seat with both meals: Eat This!'s Sighnaghi day, 430 to 495 GEL a person, winter version December to March.
In the price
- Khinkali lesson and lunch at a family micro-winery
- A qvevri maker's workshop, with wine and chacha
- Dinner and 3 to 4 wines at an independent vineyard
- At least 10 wines and chacha, by the operator's count
- Telavi market, Alaverdi Monastery and entry fees
Not in the price
- Tips (the operator suggests 90 GEL per group)
- Travel insurance
CancellationPrivate bookings may count as custom tours, with a 20% deposit (at least 250 GEL) kept; 50% charged within 7 days; no refund within 36 hours
Price checked 28 October 2026.
Grapes at harvest, Kakheti Pick 3 of 3Families and groups filling a car
Private Sighnaghi day
from about$119a person for a full car, private car, 310 GEL
Sighnaghi private wine tour with supra. Run by Eat This! Tours.
Your own car and guide, qvevri and steel tasted side by side, then a family supra.
Private covers the car and guide; other groups may share the winery and supra table.
- 9 hoursor 6.5 from Sighnaghi
- Privateyour own car and guide
- About 8wines at two cellars
- Supralunch at a family winery
The day08:30 to 17:45
- 08:30Pickup at your Tbilisi hotel (10:20 in Sighnaghi)
- 09:15Bread and cheese at Badiauri, on Tbilisi starts only
- 10:30Bodbe Monastery and the Sighnaghi walls
- 12:15Cellar tour and 4 wines at an independent winery
- 13:45Supra lunch and 3 to 4 wines at a family micro-winery
- 17:45Back in Tbilisi (in Sighnaghi by about 17:00)
Why it's great, and who should skip it
Why it's great
- One grape from qvevri and from steel, side by side: the quickest lesson in what clay does.
- Supra lunch at a family micro-winery, usually hosted by the winemaker, with three or four more wines.
- Pickup where you stay in Tbilisi or Sighnaghi, and children are welcome, because the car and guide are yours.
Skip it if
- Your dates might move: take the private day with free cancellation, below the picks.
- You are a couple watching the budget: the first Kakheti day costs far less.
In the price
- Private car and driver-guide
- Bodbe Monastery and the Sighnaghi walls
- Cellar tour and 4 wines with a snack plate at an independent winery
- Mini-supra lunch with a tamada at a family micro-winery
- Entry fees and water
Not in the price
- Khinkali class (optional, book ahead)
- Tips and travel insurance
CancellationPrivate bookings may count as custom tours, with a 20% deposit (at least 250 GEL) kept; 50% charged within 7 days; no refund within 36 hours
Price checked 28 October 2026.
What does a Kakheti wine day involve?
A Kakheti wine day is a drive, a monastery or a market, two or three cellars and a meal, on the Sighnaghi side or the Telavi side of the Alazani valley; the side decides which wineries you can reach.
| The Sighnaghi side | The Telavi side | |
|---|---|---|
| From Tbilisi | About 113 km, 1.5 to 2 hours | About 94 km over the Gombori Pass, about 2 hours |
| Sights on the way | Bodbe Monastery and the walls of Sighnaghi | The Gombori Pass, Telavi market and Alaverdi Monastery |
| Wineries to know | Kerovani, a family qvevri cellar in Sighnaghi; Pheasant’s Tears, a winery with a restaurant in the town; Giuaani at Manavi, on the road, making wine since 1894 | Rostomaant Marani, a family cellar in Telavi; the Tsinandali Estate, the Chavchavadze house museum and old winery; the Khareba wine tunnel at Kvareli, across the valley |
| Our picks that go | The first Kakheti day; the private Sighnaghi day | Wine first, from Telavi |
To choose the cellars yourself and book them direct, see the wineries to visit in Kakheti, set out by side of the valley.
How much does a Kakheti wine tour cost?
A Kakheti wine tour from Tbilisi costs from $39 a person on a shared day to about $221 (575 GEL) a person for a couple on the private wine-first day, where lunch, dinner and all the wine are in the price.
The first Kakheti day
from$39a person
$78 for 2
$117 for 3
$156 for 4
$195 for 5, $234 for 6
$273 for 7
Lowest price- 10 hours, up to 18
- Lunch extra
- Free to cancel 24h ahead
Lunch in Sighnaghi and bread and cheese (3 GEL) are extra.
BookWe may earn a commission. You pay the same.
Wine first, from Telavi
about$221a person
about$192a person
about$184a person
about$173a person
about$165a person
575 GEL each
500 GEL each
480 GEL each
450 GEL each
430 GEL each
About $442 for 2
About $576 for 3
About $737 for 4
About $864 for 5, $1,037 for 6
About $1,156 for 7
- 12 hours, your own car
- Lunch, dinner, all wine
- A 20% deposit may be kept
A sedan for 2 or 3, a minivan from 4. Shared dates ran until late August. Lunch, dinner and all the wine included.
BookWith Eat This!
Private Sighnaghi day
from about$119a person
310 GEL each, for a full car
Quoted by group size- 9 hours, your own car
- Supra lunch
- Deposit may be kept
From 310 GEL a person for a full car; the operator's booking form quotes each group size.
Ask for a quoteWith Eat This! Tours
Sources and exchange rates
First Kakheti day, shared: Tripadvisor, 26 September 2026; GetYourGuide, 25 September 2026, prices in USD. Wine first, Telavi, private day: Eat This! Tours booking widget, private tour, checked 28 October 2026, prices in GEL. Private Sighnaghi day: Eat This! Tours, checked 26 September 2026, prices in GEL. Checked 28 October 2026. Dollars and euros at the official rate of the National Bank of Georgia in force on 5 October 2026 (2.6039 GEL to the dollar, 2.9257 GEL to the euro), rounded.
Private, small-group or on your own: which suits you?
Private suits anyone who wants their own car, guide and hotel pickup; a shared group suits solo travellers and anyone watching the budget; going on your own suits travellers happy to book a driver and cellars themselves.
Your own car, guide and hotel pickup
Worth it for families and groups. The private days are priced per person on a sliding scale, so the gap to a shared day narrows as your group grows.
- Children are welcome on both private days
- For a couple alone, the shared day costs far less
A shared group, and someone else drives
The cheapest way in is the shared day with up to 18 people.
- Nobody in your party has to stay sober to drive
- The Gamarjoba day takes travellers aged 5 to 79
A minibus, a local driver, and cellars you book
Minibuses to Sighnaghi and Telavi leave from the Navtlughi bus terminal beside Samgori metro, and you can hire a driver on arrival to move between cellars.
- Book family cellars a few days ahead, by phone or message
- Whoever drives should not drink: Georgia's limit is lower than the UK's
- Choose your cellars from our Kakheti wineries shortlist
Six questions to ask any operator before you pay
- Is the tasting at a family cellar or a large winery, and how long do you stay?
- How many wines are poured, and is any of them qvevri wine?
- Is lunch included, or a restaurant stop you pay for yourself?
- How many people share the vehicle, and is it a car, a van or a minibus?
- Where does the day start, and is hotel pickup included?
- Until when can you cancel with a full refund?
What does a Kakheti wine tour include?
A Kakheti wine tour includes transport from Tbilisi, a guide or driver-guide and tastings at two or three cellars; the wine-first and private days add a long meal at a family table. To choose the cellars yourself, use our shortlist of Kakheti wineries.
- 2 or 3wine stops on every pick, and at least seven wines
- Qvevriwine made in clay vessels buried in the ground, poured on all three days
- Lunchin the price on two of the three daysThe first Kakheti day: extraWine first, from Telavi: and dinnerPrivate Sighnaghi day: supra
- Family cellarson all three; the first day also ends at KTW, a large wineryThe first Kakheti day: and KTWWine first, from Telavi: small producersPrivate Sighnaghi day: two cellars
How many wineries and tastings?
Each of our three picks stops at two or three wineries and pours at least seven wines. The Gamarjoba day pours nine wines, one at a bakery and eight at two wineries. The Telavi day’s itinerary names 8 or 9 wines and two chachas at three stops, and the operator promises at least 10 wines in all. The private Sighnaghi day pours 4 wines at its first cellar and 3 or 4 more with lunch at the second.
Family cellar or big winery: what is the difference?
A family cellar is smaller and more personal than a big winery. A family marani, the home wine cellar, makes a small amount of wine and is often poured by the family who made it. A large winery pours from a much bigger range to many more visitors. The Gamarjoba day visits one of each, a family winery that shows how qvevri wine is made and pours three wines, and then KTW, a large producer. Both Eat This! days stay with independent and family producers, the smallest of them making under 10,000 bottles a year.
Is lunch included?
Yes, lunch is included on both Eat This! days, but not on the Gamarjoba day. The Telavi day serves a light lunch after a khinkali lesson and then dinner with wine at a vineyard. The private Sighnaghi day ends with a supra, a Georgian feast, at a family winery. On the Gamarjoba day, lunch is an optional restaurant stop in Sighnaghi that you pay for yourself.
What is qvevri wine, and will you taste it?
Qvevri wine is made in a qvevri (ქვევრი), an egg-shaped clay vessel buried in the ground. The pressed juice goes in with its skins, stalks and pips, and the sealed qvevri is left for five to six months while the wine ferments. UNESCO inscribed the method as intangible heritage in 2013. Both Eat This! days pour it, and the Gamarjoba day’s family winery shows how it is made. The Telavi day pours three qvevri wines at a family micro-winery and visits a qvevri maker’s workshop, and the private Sighnaghi day pours the same grape made in qvevri and in steel tank side by side, which is the quickest way to taste what the clay does.
Kakheti wine tour from Tbilisi, Telavi or Sighnaghi?
A Kakheti wine tour from Tbilisi suits a day trip; one from Telavi or Sighnaghi suits a night or two in the region, and two of the picks can start there.
Gurjaani to Kvareli: 40 to 45 minutes, 40 km. Kvareli: about 140 km and 2 hours from Tbilisi.
How long is the drive from Tbilisi to Kakheti?
The drive from Tbilisi to Sighnaghi, about 113 kilometres, takes about 1.5 to 2 hours by car. Telavi is about 94 kilometres away over the Gombori Pass, about 2 hours by car, or 1 hour 50 minutes without stops, and minibuses, which usually take the longer Kakheti Highway, take 3 hours or more. Kvareli, on the far side of the Alazani valley, is about 140 kilometres and 2 hours from Tbilisi by road.
Telavi or Sighnaghi as a base?
Stay in Telavi for the wine-first day, which collects guests there, and in Sighnaghi for the private day, which can start there at 10:20. Telavi is Kakheti’s administrative centre, at the foot of the Tsiv-Gombori range facing the Alazani valley. Sighnaghi stands on a hill at about 790 metres, looking across the valley to the Greater Caucasus, and is the quicker of the two to reach from Tbilisi.
When is the best time for a Kakheti wine tour?
The best time for a Kakheti wine tour is the harvest, in September and October, when some wineries open their harvest days; see our grape harvest picks, or a longer wine and food tour for several days. From December to March the usual route to Telavi is the Gombori road; the lower road through Sagarejo adds about 40 minutes when snow or rockfall closes it, and Eat This! runs its Sighnaghi winter wine tour.
- Harvest (rtveli): Starts some years: August; Harvest (rtveli): September to October.
- The first Kakheti day: Every day, all year, in any weather: all year.
- Wine first, from Telavi: Private only: January to March; Shared dates: April to August; Private only: September to December.
- Private Sighnaghi day: No set season: private, dates it lists: all year.
Sources
Harvest (rtveli): Usually gets under way in late August or early September, with most harvest tours and winery harvest days in September and October. In 2024 it began on 13 August, earlier than usual. (wander-lush.org rtveli guide, Georgian National Tourism Administration and National Wine Agency of Georgia) First Kakheti day, shared: Listed by the operator as a daily tour that runs in all weather. (Gamarjoba Georgia Tours and Tripadvisor, checked 26 September 2026) Wine first, Telavi: Shared until late August, when the Telavi Harvest Tour takes over until November; December to March a Sighnaghi winter tour runs instead. The private day runs all year; its calendar shows open dates. (Eat This! Tours, checked 28 October 2026) Private Sighnaghi day: Private only. The operator publishes no season; its booking calendar shows the dates that run. (Eat This! Tours, checked 26 September 2026) Checked 26 September 2026.
Can you join the grape harvest (rtveli)?
Yes, you can join the grape harvest, rtveli, on the harvest days that some Kakheti wineries open to visitors, with picking, pressing and a supra lunch. The dates move with the ripening of the grapes, so book early and stay flexible.
Kakheti wine tour questions
Is a private Kakheti wine tour worth the money?
Yes, a private Kakheti wine tour is worth the money for families and groups. The private Sighnaghi day is priced per person on a sliding scale, so the gap to a shared day narrows as your group grows. For a couple travelling alone, the 39 USD Gamarjoba day costs far less.
Can you visit Kakheti’s wineries without a tour?
Yes, you can visit Kakheti’s wineries without a tour. Minibuses (marshrutkas) to Sighnaghi and Telavi leave from the Navtlughi bus terminal beside Samgori metro station in Tbilisi, and you can hire a local driver on arrival to move between cellars. Family cellars need booking a few days ahead by phone or message. Driving yourself only works when the driver does not taste, because Georgia has a lower drink-drive limit than the UK.
Is it possible to take a day trip from Tbilisi to Kakheti?
Yes, a day trip from Tbilisi to Kakheti is possible. Sighnaghi is about 1.5 to 2 hours from Tbilisi by car and Telavi about 2 hours, so a full day with several stops and lunch fits between morning and evening. With only an afternoon free, a wine tasting in Tbilisi pours Georgian wines in an hour without leaving the city.
Can you drive yourself on a Kakheti wine day?
Yes, you can drive yourself on a Kakheti wine day, but not if you want to taste. Georgia’s drink-drive limit is lower than the UK’s, so the driver should not drink at all.
Can children or non-drinkers join a Kakheti wine tour?
Yes, children and non-drinkers can join a Kakheti wine tour, with rules that differ by tour. The Gamarjoba day takes travellers aged 5 to 79. The Eat This! Telavi day is adults only (18+) on shared dates, so a family with anyone under 18 books it privately. The private Sighnaghi day welcomes children. Non-drinkers find water and often lemonade or compote on the table on the Sighnaghi day, though the price is the same whether you drink or not.
Can you bring Georgian wine home to the UK?
Yes, you can bring Georgian wine home. Arriving in Great Britain from abroad, each traveller aged 17 or over can bring up to 18 litres of still wine without paying UK tax or duty (GOV.UK, checked 24 September 2026). Anything over that must be declared.
Is Kakheti worth visiting for more than a day?
Yes, Kakheti is worth more than a day when wine is the reason for your trip. A night in Telavi or Sighnaghi lets you visit cellars on both sides of the Alazani valley without the drive back to Tbilisi each evening.
How we picked
We compared the Kakheti day tours sold from Tbilisi on GetYourGuide with those that local operators sell direct, and checked every price, group size, itinerary and cancellation policy on the operators’ own pages and booking listings on 25 and 26 September 2026. The test for each pick was what a traveller gets for the money: the cellars you sit in, how many people share the day, what the price leaves out and how late you can cancel.