Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Tbilisi, Iota Hotel (or similar)

Today we take a day trip to explore the Kartli region, a very distinguished winemaking region of Georgia due to the many endemic varieties of grapes here. The traditional method of winemaking is the use of qvevri to age and ferment wine, but this region also produces many wines using European technology. 

Morning: Jvari Monastery and Mtskheta

We journey to the Kartli region, an easy drive from Tbilisi. En route, we stop to visit Jvari Monastery, a 6th century monastery with fantastic views. Then we continue on to Mtskheta, the ancient capital of Georgia and the holiest city for Orthodox Georgians. We will take a tour of this charming little city, including a visit to Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.

Afternoon: Riravo Distillery

The afternoon we visit an important winemaker and distiller to try some of the most delicious and unique wines as well as various distilled spirits and a delicious lunch.

Evening:  Enjoy an evening OYO in Tbilisi

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Tbilisi, Iota Hotel (or similar)

Today we take a deeper dive into the culture and food of Georgia, from ancient to modern. We start with a walk through the bright, bursting at the seams food market followed by a cooking class at one of the most famous home chefs in town. The late afternoon is free for exploring and we meet up again for dinner in the city center. 

Morning: Dezerter Bazaar

This morning we will visit the largest fresh food market in Tbilisi, the Dezerter Bazaar. The market gets its name from soldiers absconding from the Russo-Georgian War in the 1920s, who would offload their weapons and gear at the marketplace, earning it the name ‘deserter’. This market is huge, colorful, chaotic and not to be missed! We make sense of it all with our tour guide. This is the perfect place to buy spices for your home collection.

Late morning and Lunch: Cooking Class 

We will enjoy a cooking class in Tbilisi, where we will learn to make a variety of traditional Georgian dishes. Afterwards, we feast on our creations for lunch.

Afternoon: OYO 

This afternoon you’ll have some free time to explore the city on your own. Maybe you want to shop for souvenirs, or try your hand at bargaining for treasures old and new in the Dry Bridge Market. Or perhaps you’d enjoy a visit to The Georgian National Museum to view the collections, including gold work and jewelry thousands of years old to the exhibition of life during the Soviet occupation. We are happy to offer recommendations for your free time.

Dinner: Tbilisi

Dinner tonight will be at one of the hottest restaurants in the city, featuring classic dishes with unique and creative twists.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 

Overnight: Kakheti, Schuchmann Wines Chateau (or similar) 

This morning, we leave the city behind for Kakheti, the premiere wine region of Georgia. Kakheti is known as the cradle of wine: legend has it that wine was born here and slowly spread all over the world. Ancient churches, monasteries, and cobblestone villages characterize this region with the gorgeous Caucasus mountains in the distance. 

Late Morning: Zaza’s 

Our first stop in the region will be to visit a gentleman named Zaza, whose family has been making qvevri for 4 generations. Qvevri are terracotta vessels that Georgian wine is traditionally aged in. Zaza is one of a few qvevri makers left in Georgia. We will learn all about the process of making these unique vessels, as well as taste Zaza’s other passion project: chacha, a distilled spirit similar to grappa. 

Lunch: Jakeli Winery

This afternoon, we will have a relaxed lunch at a very small family run winery. We will lunch on their porch made by the wine-maker’s wife, enjoying their sweet hospitality and delicious food and wine. 

Late Afternoon: Hotel Check-In

Check-in and free time at the hotel, perhaps enjoying the pool, or lounging with a glass of wine (or two) on your porch while reveling in the view of the Caucasus Mountains just across the valley.

Dinner: Ruadze Farmhouse

Tonight’s dinner is at a very special place: the farmhouse and home of one of Georgia’s most famous ‘tamadas’ or toastmasters Simone Ruadze. Simone is a professional tamada and his toasts will make you laugh, they could make you cry, but most of all you will truly feel like a part of Simone’s family and an honorary Georgian for the evening. We will be served a traditional supra, or feast, that will make the table sag with all the delicious dishes!

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner 

Overnight: Kakheti, Schuchmann Wines Chateau (or similar) 

Today we spend most of our time en route to and in the area of Sighnaghi, known as the City of Love, one of Georgia’s many stops on the Silk Road. This ancient town has recently undergone extensive restoration and infrastructure improvements, making it an even bigger pleasure to visit. 

Late Morning: Sighnaghi

We will stroll through one of the most beautiful towns in all of Georgia, Sighnaghi, which overlooks the Alazani Valley and the Caucasus Mountains. The cobblestone streets, traditional architecture, and old city walls make this city unique in the country. Our guide leads us through town, with the chance to visit the museum, as well as climb the ancient city walls. 

Lunch: OYO

You’ll have some free time for lunch, exploring, and shopping this afternoon. 

Early Evening Dinner: Shumi Winery

Tonight we will visit one of the region’s most important wineries, Shumi Winery, which also houses a small, but interesting museum dedicated to the history and culture of wine making in Georgia. We will have a tour with their staff and dinner on their gorgeously manicured lawn with a wine pairing. We eat early tonight so that we can relax and pack for our transfer to western Georgia. 

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 

Overnight: Gori Inn (or similar)

Today we drive to yet another beautiful part of Georgia, this time heading west past Tbilisi towards the lush region of Imereti. We break up our drive with an  overnight stay in the small town of Gori. This will afford us the time to leisurely visit one of the most innovative wine-makers in the country for lunch and the ancient cave city of Uplistsikhe before driving to Kutaisi the following day. 

Lunch: Wine Artisans

We will have an outstanding lunch on the patio at Wine Artisans while enjoying some of truly creative and delicious wines of Andro Barnovi. Andro is a former politician and academic, who started making wine as a passion project. We will taste in the cellar and continue the party at lunch on his patio.

Afternoon: Uplistsikhe

Nestled on the rocky slopes of the Mtkvari River, this ancient cave city offers an intriguing glimpse into the past, boasting a history that dates back over 3,000 years. Uplistsikhe, meaning "Lord's Fortress" in Georgian, is an extraordinary archaeological site that once thrived as a bustling center of trade, religion, and culture. Our guide will take us on a tour of this remarkable site.

Early Evening: Dinner in town

After arriving at our hotel and checking in, we will head out for a lighter dinner this evening at a nearby restaurant or at the hotel. 

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 

Overnight: Newport Hotel (or similar)

Today we continue on towards Kutaisi. We will explore the Imereti wine region on our way, which is very different from both the Kakheti and Kartli regions. Imereti's climate, with its mild winters and hot summers, combined with fertile soil and ample rainfall, creates a very unique terroir. Among the prominent grape varieties found here are Tsolikouri, Tsitska, and Krakhuna, which contribute to the distinct character of Imereti wines. We will visit two of the best wineries characteristic of the area.

Late Morning: Baia’s Winery

We head to the village of Obcha to visit Baia’s Winery, owned by the same family for 3 generations, and now run by Baia, a woman in her 30’s who is shaking up the Georgian wine scene. Baia’s wines are not only delicious and award-winning, she’s even won a grant from the Michelle Obama Foundation to convert her vineyard to 100% biodynamic production. This is the future of Georgian wine-making and I love supporting women-owned businesses!

Afternoon & Lunch:  Sopromadze Winery

Located in the village of Baghdati, this winery has been in the same family since 1914 and is now run by the 4th generation of wine-makers, Lasha. Lasha’s father Gaioz established the family's reputation as a producer of some of the best wines in this part of Georgia.

Now in his 70s, Gaioz passed the winemaking baton on to his son, Lasha, in 2018. Since then Lasha has put his own stamp on the family's wines, working with as little intervention as possible to highlight the subtleties of Imeretian terroir. In doing so he has raised his family's wines to a new level of refinement. We will have another tasting and lunch.

Dinner: Kutaisi 

Tonight we have a light dinner in town. 

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Newport Hotel (or similar)

Morning: Martvili Canyon

The canyon is designated as a national park. Carved by the emerald waters of the Abasha River, there are cascading waterfalls, meandering streams, and towering cliffs to admire. We will start at the Visitor’s Center and take a short hiking trail (roughly ½ mile) to Dadiani's historic walkway, and cross a few bridges, and take our time enjoying the different viewing platforms, and 30-step historic staircase that is built from limestone staircase down to the water. Depending on availability and weather, we may even opt for a short boat ride in the canyon

Lunch and Afternoon:  Oda Family Winery

Built in 1933 this oda, a traditional style of western Georgian wooden house, is one of Martvili's oldest. In 2016, the great-grandson of the original owner, Zaza Gagua, moved back to his great-grandparents' Oda, along with his wife Keto and two daughters. Zaza and Keto replaced the existing hazelnut plantation in their yard with vines, buried new kvevri in both open and walled maranis, and began fermenting organically-grown Ojaleshi varietal purchased from several nearby family vineyards in these new kvevri. Keto was the main initiator of this small family winery. We will have a delicious lunch paired with their wines. 

Evening & Dinner: OYO

Enjoy dinner and this evening on your own in Kutaisi.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Newport Hotel (or similar)

Today we drive further west into the Guria region to visit a tea plantation. In Guria, tea is not just a beverage; it's a cherished cultural practice that brings people together and symbolizes hospitality. The region is famous for its unique tea-making technique, where tea leaves are brewed in a large pot called a "chama" and then diluted with hot water to create a communal drink that is shared among friends and family.

Late Morning & Lunch: Tea Farm  

We will visit a working farm, winery, and tea plantation and learn how tea is grown, harvested, and fermented. This will be an inside look at how one of the world’s most beloved beverages is crafted.

Evening & Dinner: OYO

Enjoy a final dinner and this evening on your own in Kutaisi.

*We may an additional activity to this day; TBD

Meals included: Breakfast, Light lunch/snack, Dinner 

Overnight: Tbilisi, Iota (or similar)

We return to Tbilisi early today so you can have free time in the city for shopping, museums, or whatever else is left on your agenda. 

Morning: Transfer to Tbilisi

Lunch: On the road

We will have a very light lunch en route to Tbilisi, perhaps just a quick “to-go” snack so you’ll have more time in the city before dinner. 

Afternoon: Tbilisi OYO

Your final afternoon in Tbilisi is on your own to pick up those last souvenirs around town, make any final visits to the museums, or perhaps take one final constitutional in one of the many thermal baths in town.

Dinner: Supra with Polyphony Group

We celebrate our final meal together with a supra feast while being serenaded in the traditional folk style of polyphonic singing. The traditional Georgian polyphony is an ancient tradition and designated by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It’s a beautiful way to soak up every last bit of Georgian art and culture.

Thank you so much for traveling with us! Your adventure ends with included transfers to Tbilisi International Airport.