Two Caucasian Countries

City tour of Baku - the capital of Azerbaijan, once a small fortified fishing port, the city owes its extraordinary development to oil. Visit to the Martyrs' Cemetery with its panoramic view over Baku Bay, the Chirvan Shah Palace (15th century), the Old Town, the Maiden Tower (12th century), the Bukhara Caravanserai (14th century), mosques, merchants' crossroads, etc.

Visit to the Absheron peninsula, which stretches out to the Caspian Sea, and a strange monument shrouded in an aura of mystery: the Temple of the Fire Worshippers. This is a land full of naphtha, the innumerable will-o'-the-wisp that gave rise to the cult of fire. Fortified since Roman times, the peninsula has preserved several medieval fortresses, including Mardakyan.

Return to Baku.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 1h, 30km.

Walking time: 3h.

Overnight in Baku.

Departure for Gobustan, a volcanic area and archaeological site, located 70km from Baku. Between the Pirsagat and Goslu rivers, over 6,000 petroglyphs and other prehistoric objects have been identified in caves and on rocks. The oldest finds date back to the Stone Age.

Continue to Mamedly to visit Yanardag ("Burning Mountain"), which burns with an eternal fire fuelled by natural gas from underground.

Return to Baku.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 2h35, 160km.

Walking time: 1h.

Overnight in Baku.

Departure for the town of Shamakhi.

Visit Shamakhi, former residence of the Shahs of Shirvan and Museum of the Seven Domes and Mosques. Visit the mausoleums of the Sufi masters Diri Baba and Pirsaat Pir. Explore the mausoleums of Yeddi Gumbaz, from the 12th and 13th centuries.

Drive to Sheki and explore the town. Visit the Upper Town, a heritage area with houses, the 18th century fort and the magnificent palace of the Khans of Sheki. Visit a halva workshop, a popular dessert in Sheki.

 

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 4h30, 300km.

Walking time: 1h.

Overnight in Sheki.

 

Depart for Kish, a small village high in the mountains, where we visit an ancient Albanian church dating from the 1st century.

Arrival in the capital and historic city of Kakheti - Telavi.

 

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 4h, 235km.

Walking time: 1h.

Overnight in Telavi.

 

We visit Tsinandali, a historic palace and winery once owned by Alexander Chavchavadze, a 19th century aristocratic poet. The palace building represents Georgian architecture with Italian inspiration.

Continue on to the small, charming town of Sighnaghi, with its cobbled streets and ancient walls. Take in the stunning panoramic views of the Alazani Valley and the Caucasus Mountains.

The tour continues to the local wine house with an old wine cellar where you can learn about the traditional Georgian method of wine-making, which is very different from European practice. Tasting of local Qvevri wine.

Visit the Bodbe Monastery, where Saint Nino rested during the spread of Christianity in Georgia, and learn about the history of the evangelising saint, a very important figure in Georgian religion.

Arrival in Tbilisi – the capital of Georgia.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 3h, 180km.

Walking time: 2h.

Overnight in Tbilisi.

Discover Tbilisi, the beautiful capital of Georgia, on the banks of the Mtkvari River.

Explore the Old Town with its cobbled streets and typical houses with wooden balconies.

Then, visit the emblematic sites of the city: the Metekhi church and its plateau with a magnificent view of the old town, the bath district (Abanotubani) famous for its sulphurous hot springs, the Leghvtakhevi waterfall, the Narikala fortress - the ancient symbol of the city.

In the afternoon, visit the National Museum and its collections of ancient "golden treasures". Continue to the main Rustaveli Avenue and finish the day with a visit to the Dry Bridge and its flea market.

 

Walking time: approximately 3h.

Overnight in Tbilisi.

 

Depart for Mtskheta - former capital of the Kingdom of Iberia, visit the Jvari ("Cross") Monastery perched on a hill overlooking the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari Rivers. Visit the 11th century Svetitskhoveli ("Life-Giving Column") Cathedral. Shop for handmade Georgian national souvenirs.

On the way to Kazbegi, visit the Ananuri Fortress with its picturesque view of the Jinvali Reservoir. Cross the legendary Georgian Military Road, one of the most beautiful in the world, through valleys, gorges and finally the Cross Pass at an altitude of 2300m. Arrival in Stepantsminda, Kazbegi.

Discover the Trinity Church of Gergeti, 300m above the village, and its magnificent mountainous panorama.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 3h30, 160km.

Walking time: 2h.

Overnight in Kazbegi.

Early departure for Gori - Soviet city and centre of Georgia, birthplace of Joseph Stalin, where we can visit Stalin's house-museum and his armoured car.

Then we discover the abandoned town of Uplistsikhe (about 1h30), carved out of the rock and dating from the 2nd century, overlooking the Mtkvari River.

Departure for Kutaisi via the Rikoti Pass, Georgia's second-largest city in the west of the country.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 6h, 365 km.

Walking time: 2h.

Overnight in Kutaisi.

Visit Kutaisi and its UNESCO sites: Gelati Monastery, illustrating Georgian culture from the 10th to the 18th century, the masterpiece of the golden age of medieval Georgia, the centre of science and education during this period. Then visit the recently renovated Bagrati Cathedral, the city's landmark, dating from the 10th century. Take a stroll around the local market.

Continue to Borjomi, a spa town renowned for its natural mineral springs. Walk in Borjomi Park and taste Borjomi's unique mineral water.

Arrive in Akhaltsikhe.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 2h20, 130km.

Walking time: 2h.

Overnight in Akhaltsikhe.

Depart for the cave town of Vardzia, located in the Javakheti region on the left bank of the Mtkvari River. The rock-cut monastery complex is a picturesque Georgian monument dating from the 12th and 13th centuries. The high mountains and rocky cliffs provide a distinctive type of architecture. We visit this site, which requires a good level of physical fitness - the multi-storey caves are connected by narrow tunnels cut into the rock.

Return to Tbilisi via Tsalka, stopping to visit the Poka Monastery on the shores of the spectacular Paravani Alpine Lake.

Arrival in Tbilisi in the evening.

Transfer: Private vehicle, approximately 5h, 240 km.

Walking time: 3h.

Overnight in Tbilisi.