Independent driving tour around Georgia

Arrive in Tbilisi - the capital of the country. Our driver welcomes you at the airport. Transfer to the hotel.

Transfer: Private vehicle, around 30 minutes, 20km.

Overnight in Tbilisi.

Walking tour of the city of Tbilisi, discovering its old quarter with its cobbled streets and traditional houses with wooden balconies, on the banks of the Mtkvari River. We visit the city's points of interest: the Metekhi Church and its plateau offering a superb view of the old town, the Narikala fortress - the ancient symbol of the city, the baths district (Abanotubani) known for its sulfurous hot springs.

In the afternoon, visit the National Museum and its collections of "Golden Treasures" from ancient times.

Optional: Instead of visiting the museum, we suggest you climb Mtatsminda for a splendid panoramic view of the city, or visit the recently renovated Marjanishvili district with its Art Nouveau buildings.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 1h.

Overnight in Tbilisi.

Explore the ruins of the Ikalto Academy, where the eminent 12th-century poet Shota Rustaveli, author of the Georgian literary masterpiece "The Knight in the Panther's Skin", studied.

Visit a local winery, where locals show us their traditional winemaking methods, which is very different from European practices. Wine tasting.

Next stop: Alaverdi Cathedral, dating from the 11th century.

Arrival in the capital and historic town of Kakheti - Telavi. Continuing on to Tsinandali - a historic palace and winery once owned by Alexander Chavchavadze, a 19th-century aristocratic poet. The palace combines Georgian architecture with Italian inspiration.

Departure for Sighnaghi, a small medieval village.

Overnight in Sighnaghi.

A short stop at Bodbe monastery, where Saint Nino stopped to rest while spreading Christianity in Georgia, gives us the opportunity to learn about the history of the evangelizing saint, a very important figure in Georgian religion.

We continue our tour of the David Gareja monastic complex, located in a semi-desert area on the border with Azerbaijan. The complex comprises hundreds of cells, churches, chapels, refectories and living quarters carved into the rock face (currently, only the lower part of the site can be visited).

Arrival in Tbilisi.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 3h30, 210km.

Overnight in Tbilisi.

On the way to Kazbegi, visit the Ananuri fortress, offering a picturesque view of the Jinvali reservoir. Cross the legendary Georgian military road, one of the most beautiful in the world, through valleys, ravines and finally the 2,300-metre pass.

Arrival at Stepantsminda, Kazbegi.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 3h, 160km.

Overnight in Kazbegi.

Departure for Gori - Soviet city and central part of Georgia, birthplace of Joseph Stalin - where you can visit Stalin's house-museum and his armoured vehicle.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 3h30, 200km.

Overnight in Gori.

Departure for western Georgia, Kutaisi. According to the Greek poem by Apollonius of Rhodes, Kutaisi was the city of King Aiets, father of Medea, Jason's wife. Kutaisi is the country's second-largest city.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 3h30, 195km.

Overnight in Kutaisi.

Continuation to Mestia, Svaneti, a mountainous region that is one of the significant areas of the Argonauts myth, where gold was recovered using lambskin. Situated on the southern slopes of the Great Central Caucasus, it is surrounded by peaks ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 metres.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 5h, 250km.

Overnight in Mestia.

After visiting Mestia, we take a cable car (weather permitting) to Hatsvali - a ski resort, one of the perfect places to admire the beauty of the region and soothe your soul.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 30 minutes, 20km.

Overnight in Mestia.

Return to Mestia at the end of the day.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 2h, 95km.

Overnight in Mestia.

Departure for Batumi - the modern city on the Black Sea.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 5h15, 265km.

Overnight in Batumi.

Visit Batumi - a seaside town on the Black Sea coast, with attractive European and Asian architecture, churches, cobbled streets and a lively nightlife and daylife, especially in summer.

Visit the Gonio fortress, an archeological site with its museum, followed by a short hike into the mountains to visit the Makhuntseti waterfall and the ancient stone bridge.

Visit the Batumi botanical garden to discover species of flora from different parts of the world.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 2h, 75km.

Overnight in Batumi.

Visit Makhuntseti Waterfall and Queen Tamar Bridge surrounded by beautiful nature before leaving for South Georgia.

Departure to the South part of Georgia, Samthkhe-Javaheti region. Stop in Borjomi, a spa resort remarkable for its natural mineral springs. Visit Borjomi Park and taste Borjomi's special mineral water.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 5h, 275km.

Overnight in Borjomi.

Visit the troglodyte town of Vardzia, located in the Javakheti region, on the left bank of the Mtkvari River. The monastic complex is carved into the rock, high mountains and rocky cliffs. It is a unique and impressive piece of medieval architecture linked to Queen Tamar, the great female monarch (called king) of Georgia in the 12th and 13th centuries. A visit to the complex requires good physical fitness.

Return to Tbilisi via Tsalka. This region is known for its abundance of lakes and is very different from other parts of Georgia, with its alpine landscapes. We discover the Poka monastery and Lake Paravani - the country's largest natural lake.

Arrive in Tbilisi in the evening and return the car to the hotel or rental office.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 5h45, 300km.

Overnight in Tbilisi.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 30 minutes, 20km.