Self driving tour around Georgia
On our website you will come across many tours guided or accompanied by a car but if you want more independence and flexibility during your stay, if you are ready to drive on the beautiful roads of our country in this case, we invite you to discover Georgia in full freedom. Your trip will be a good example of cooperation: we will take care of your travel plan, we technically prepare your stay, we will always be there for useful advice and assistance and you can manage the pace of your trips by yourself.
The 15-day program will allow you to discover the best places in the whole country. The landscapes will be very different from each other. The mountainous region of Svaneti, the wine region of Kakheti, the Black Sea, the semi-desert region of David Gareja – this is an incomplete list of your visits during this trip.
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Destination
From our gallery
Tour Plan
Arrive - Tbilisi
Arrive in Tbilisi - the capital of the country. Our driver welcomes you at the airport. Transfer to the hotel.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 00h30, 20 km. Overnight in Tbilisi.
Visit the capital of Georgia
In the morning pick up the car near your hotel or at car rental office.
Walking city tour of Tbilisi, explore its old district with paved streets and traditional houses with wooden balconies, at the bank of Mtkvari river. We visit the landmarks of the city: Metekhi church and its plateau which unfolds a superb view of the old city, Narikala Fortress - the ancient symbol of the city, the district of baths (Abanotubani) known for its Sulphur hot springs.
In the afternoon visit the National Museum and its collections of “golden treasure” from the ancient period.
Optional: Instead of visiting the museum, we suggest to go up to Mtatsminda to discover the splendid panorama over the city or visit the recently renovated Marjanishvili district with its Art Nouveau buildings.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 1h. Walking hours: around 3h. Overnight in Tbilisi.
Wine region and its cultural heritage
We depart to discover one of the most beautiful sites of Kakheti region, the East part of the country.
Explore the ruins of Ikalto academy where was studied the eminent poet Shota Rustaveli in the 12th century, an author of the great masterpiece of Georgian literature "The Knight in the Panther's Skin “.
Visit local wine cellar, where the locals show us their traditional methods of winemaking, very different from European practice. Degustation of wine.
The next step allows us to discover the 11th century Alaverdi Cathedral.
Arrive in the capital and historical city of Kakheti – Telavi. Continue to Tsinandali - palace and historic winery-estate which once belonged to the 19th-century aristocratic poet Alexander Chavchavadze, the palace combines Georgian architecture with Italian inspiration.
Departure to Sighnaghi – a small medieval village.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 4h, 200 km. Walking hours: 1-2 h. Overnight in Sighnaghi.
Panorama of Alazani Valley and semi-desert area of David Gareja
Visit small and charming village Sighnaghi, stroll through its cobbled streets and along the wall, admire the splendid panorama of Alazani Valley and the Caucasus. Visit remarkable ethnographic museum with the exhibition of Niko Pirosmani - famous Georgian painter.
Short break at Bodbe monastery where St Nino stop of rest during spreading the Christianity in Georgia, this visit allows us to learn the history of the holy evangelizer, very important figure of Georgian religion.
Continue to discover David Gareja monastic complex located in semi-desert area at the border of Azerbaijan. The complex includes hundreds of cells, churches, chapels, refectories and living quarters hollowed out of the rock face. (Currently only the lower part of the site is possible to visit).
Arrive in Tbilisi.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 3h30, 210 km. Walking hours: 2 h. Overnight in Tbilisi.
Discover UNESCO sights and Greater Caucasus
Departure for Mtskheta – an old capital of Iberia kingdom, visit Jvari (Cross) monastery perched on a hill and overlooking the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers. Visit Svetitskhoveli Cathedral ("Life-giving column") dated back to the 11tcentury. Shopping of Georgian national handmade souvenirs. Possibility of buying national handcrafted souvenirs.
On the way of Kazbegi visit Ananuri Fortress offers picturesque views over the Jinvali Reservoir. Cross the legendary Georgian Military Highway, one of the world’s most beautiful roads, through the valleys, ravines and finally over the 2300-meters Cross Pass. Arrive in Stepantsminda, Kazbegi.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 3h, 160km. Walking hours: around 2h. Overnight in Kazbegi.
From the North to the central part of the country
Early in the morning, visit Gergeti Trinity church situated 300 m above the village.
Departure to Gori – soviet city and the central part of Georgia, the hometown of J. Stalin, where you can visit the house-museum of Stalin and its armored car.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 3h30, 200km. Overnight in Gori.
Visit rock-hewn town and departure to the West
Discover an abandoned rock-hewn town Uplistsikhe (about 1h30), dug into the rocks dates back to the 2nd century, is overlooking to the river Mtkvari.
Departure to the West part of Georgia, Kutaisi. According to the Greek poem of Apollonius of Rhodes, Kutaisi was the city of King Aiets, father of Medea, wife of Jason. Kutaisi is the second largest city of the country.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 3h30, 195km. Walking hours: around 2h. Overnight in Kutaisi.
Visit UNESCO sights and departure to Svaneti
Visit Kutaisi and its UNESCO sites: Gelati monastery, which is the illustration of the Georgian culture since X C until the XVIII C, the masterpiece of the Golden Age of medieval Georgia, the center of science and education during that period. After we visit recently renovated Bagrati cathedral – the symbol of the city, dated back to the X century. Visit local market of Kutaisi.
Continue to Mestia, Svaneti, mountain region, which is one of significant areas of the myth of Argonauts, here used to get the gold with lamb leather. Situated on the southern slopes of the central Greater Caucasus, surrounded by 3,000–5,000 meter peaks.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 5h, 250km. Walking hours: around 1-2h. Overnight in Mestia.
Visit Svaneti and its cultural treasure
Sightseeing of Mestia on foot, visit typical watchtowers, picturesque landscapes, small church with mural paintings, ethnographical museum with its extraordinary treasure.
After visiting of Mestia, take a cable car (depends on the weather) which takes us to Hatsvali - ski resort, it is one of the perfect place to admire all the beauty of the region and to calm your soul.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 00h30, 20km. Walking hours: around 3h. Overnight in Mestia.
Visit Upper Svaneti
Take difficult road to Upper Svaneti, Ushguli village (Ushguli is accessible only with 4x4 car, if your vehicle is not 4x4, you definitely need to rent local 4x4 car on spot). Ushguli is one of the two highest villages in Europe and recognized by UNESCO, with very authentic Svanetian towers, located at the foot of the Glacier Shkhara (5068 m). Visit medieval Church Lamaria.
At the end of the day return to Mestia.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 2h, 95km. Walking hours: around 3-5h. Elevation of hiking: +/- 150m. Difficulty level of hiking: easy. Overnight in Mestia.
From upper mountains to the Black Sea
Take the road back to Zugdidi. Visit Dadiani Palaces to see the exhibition of Georgian cultural heritage connected to the emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, Tagiloni treasure materials and the memorial relics of Dadiani dynasty.
Departure to Batumi - the modern city at the Black Sea coast.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 5h15, 265km. Overnight in Batumi.
Black Sea coast and Adjarian mountains
Free time for leisure at the beach.
City tour of Batumi - the seaside city on the Black Sea coast, with attractive European and Asian architecture, churches, cobbled streets, active night and day life, especially during the summer.
Visit an archaeological site - Gonio Fortress with its museum and then a short hiking up the mountains to visit the Makhuntseti waterfall and the ancient stone bridge.
Visit Batumi Botanical Garden to discover the species of flora from different corners of the world.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 2h, 75km. Walking hours: around 3-4h. Overnight in Batumi.
Departure to the South
Visit Makhountheti 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, remarkable with its natural mineral springs, it is possible to visit Borjomi public park, take taste of Borjomi sour water.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 5h, 275km. Walking hours: around 1-2h. Overnight in Borjomi.
Cave town and alpine landscapes
Visit Vardzia Cave Town, located at the left bank of Mtkvari river. The monastery complex caved in a rock, is XII-XIII CC Georgian picturesque monument, surrounded by high mountains and rock cliffs, special kind of architecture. We visit this site which still requires a good physical shape - the multi-storey caves are connected by narrow tunnels, carved into the rocks.
Return to Tbilisi via Tsalka. This region is known for its abundance of lakes and it is very different from other regions of Georgia with its alpine landscapes. Here we discover Poka Monastery and Paravani Lake - the largest natural lake in the country.
Arrive in Tbilisi in the evening and drop off the car at your hotel or at car rental office.
Transfer: Private vehicle, around 5h45, 300km. Walking hours: around 2h. Overnight in Tbilisi.
Tbilisi - Departure
Tour Location
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