ONE DAY TOUR — KAKHETI – SUN AND WINE

• DAYS TOURS

Duration: 8 – 10 hours

Tour programme : Tbilisi  – Ujarma – Shuamta – Ikalto  – Telavi – Tsinandali – Shumi – Tbilisi

Kakheti – the most beautiful region of Georgia, is becoming more and more popular every year among travelers from all over the world. Numerous vineyards and, accordingly, excellent Georgian wines, natural and historical and architectural sites, many shrines – these are the main reasons why you should pay attention to Kakheti, a region with a rich history and, of course, delicious Georgian cuisine.

Departure to Kakheti through the Gombori pass. In order to enjoy nature, you just need to go along this road and watch how the road, like spilled wine, winds between the mountains. Watch mountain snow-covered ridges, low-lying vegetation along a hilly road, winding streams. At the same time, behind each next turn, the view will be completely new, fundamentally different from the previous ones.

Visit to the Fortress of Ujarma –  historical fortified city and one of the most important monuments of medieval architecture in Georgia, due to its location and historical significance. St. Nino placed one of the three crosses here, symbolizing the Christianization of Georgia. Under King Vakhtang Gorgasali, a palace was built here, and his residence became the de facto capital of Kakheti. The panorama that opens from the upper part of the fortress to the Iori River, the Gombori Range and the surrounding nature is simply mesmerizing.

Visiting  the monasteries Dzveli-Shuamta and Akhali Shuamta (Old Shuamta and New Shuamta). There are two monasteries in the village of Shuamta, which at one time were important religious centers of Christian Georgia.  Dzveli or Old Shuamta consists of several temples built in the 5th-7th centuries. The very first of them is a small church in the foreground. The current nunnery – Akhali or New Shuamta was built later, in the 16th century. The monastery complex consists of the Church of the Virgin, the bell tower and outbuildings.

Visit to the medieval academy of Ikalto. Currently, the complex has a functioning church, where the relics of its founder, Zenon Ikaltoeli, are exhibited for worship. As well as in Gelati, the monastery had its own academy built in the XII century by King David IV  and was one of the cultural centers of Georgia. The famous philosopher Arsen Ikaltoeli taught there, one of whose students was the great poet Shota Rustaveli. The majestic temple has the oldest wine cellar in Georgia.

Visit of Telavi. The city has been known since the 1st-2nd centuries AD. e., and for a long time was an important trading center on the caravan route from the Middle East to Europe.  The landscapes of Telavi and its environs are very impressive. Here you can simultaneously enjoy the greenery of the river valleys, the slopes of the mountains of the Greater Caucasus, crowned with thousand-meter peaks, its slopes, overgrown with hornbeam and oak forests, turning into alpine meadows.

Visit to the Residence of King Erekle II. The house-museum of Erekle II in the castle of Batonis-Tsikhe is located in the center of the city of Telavi, which served as the residence of the kings of Kakheti in the 17th-18th centuries. The castle includes two churches, the ruins of the royal baths of the XI century, the pantheon and the palace of Heraclius II. Today there is a house-museum of Erekle II, an ethnographic museum and an art gallery. In the museum you can see numismatic collections, an early medieval sarcophagus, late medieval weapons and a collection of copper household items from the 18th-18th centuries.

Visit to the house-museum of A. Chavchavadze in Tsinandali, largely symbolic place. The current Tsinandali Palace was built in the early 1800s by the famous Georgian poet and thinker Alexander Chavchavadze. He often hosted guests (Griboyedov, Pushkin, Lermontov and Alexander Dumas Sr. were here), entertained them with music, witty conversation and, in particular, fine wines produced in his manor marani (winery). Now the estate houses a museum with well-preserved interiors and artifacts from a bygone era. Around the elegant mansion was laid out a regular park in the English style with various rare plants.

Visit of Winery “Shumi”. The winery of the company is located in Tsinandali. The plant is equipped with the most modern equipment that allows you to control all stages of the wine production process, making it possible to guarantee the stability of product quality. The Schumi company has created its own museum of vines and wine “Vazioni”. There are collected 294 names of Georgian grapes and 92 foreign varieties.The museum provides an excursion program for tourists. It includes a story about the history of the emergence and development of winemaking, tasting several types of wines.

* If desired, you can organize:

• Hiking between 1 – 2 hours, for all levels of difficulty;
• Picnic on the nature or feast in a peasant family (Lunch, Dinner with organic products) (If desired, with an overnight stay);
• Master classes in the preparation of  “Churchkhela”, “Khinkali”, “Khachapuri”, …. and other national dishes (if desired, with a feast);
• Master classes in the preparation of  Kakhetian  barbecue “Mtsvadi” and “Shoti” bread on the vine (if desired, with a feast);
• Visit the pottery workshop “Kvevri” (clay jugs for wine) and other artisans. (if desired, with a feast et with folk songs performed by a folklore ensemble (professionals));
• Visit  the peasant “zaoti” (“Chacha” mini-factory) (if desired, with a feast et with folk songs performed by a folklore ensemble (professionals))
• * If desired, you can combine the programs: 1. Kakheti – “Sun and Wine”  and  2. Kakheti – “Mountains and Wine”.

The price of excursions $ ( US Dollars)                             

From 20 USD 

The price depends on the number of people and varies(±)  from 20 USD  to 40 USD.

The cost of each excursion is discussed individually.

For more information, do not hesitate to call or write Viber/WhatsApp +995 599 25 65 19  or in mail : info@georgiavoyage.ge 

Price Includes:  Transport, Service of professional guide.

*Timetables : on request

*The tour programs are based on our experience and the opinions of our completely different customers. These are semi-finished circuits, whose programs can be easily redone. Add or subtract the number of excursion days. Sort or redo the excursion day, change the sequence, the duration, prices …

Every day excursion is a stand-alone destination. It is the separate route with the calculation of the distance and the comfortable movement between the excursion points. Each tour and each itinerary is examined at the time of the request. Also, at the desire of the tourists, they can change the already booked and paid program.