GEORGIA

Day 1: Arrive in Tbilisi (The Capital)

• Arrive in Tbilisi. Do not pick up your rental car yet; city traffic is highly congested and lane discipline is loose. Use the Bolt app (local Uber) for cheap, easy urban transport. Walk through Old Tbilisi’s cobblestone streets. Take the cable car up to Narikala Fortress for a view of the city. In the evening, head to the Abanotubani district and book a private room at a traditional sulfur bathhouse (like Chreli Abano) to shake off the jet lag. Follow it up with a heavy dinner of Khinkali (giant spiced soup dumplings) and Khachapuri (cheese bread).

• Stay: Tbilisi Old Town.

Day 2: Advanced Tbilisi & Local Wine Bars

• Spend the day exploring the city’s complex history and modern edge. Check out the Dry Bridge Market—a massive, sprawling flea market where you can find vintage Soviet memorabilia, old cameras, and local art. Walk through the Fabrika district, a converted Soviet sewing factory that is now a hub for street art, cafes, and bars. In the evening dive into a "wine bar crawl" in the Sololaki neighborhood. Visit spots like Vino Underground or 8000 Vintages to taste traditional Qvevri amber wines (wines fermented in massive underground clay jars).

• Stay: Tbilisi.

Day 3: Ancient Capital to the Caucasus Mountains (Tbilisi to Kazbegi)

• Driving Time: ~3 hours north on the Georgian Military Highway.

• Pick up rental SUV from the city or airport and drive north. Your first stop is Mtskheta, the UNESCO-listed ancient capital, to see the stunning 11th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. In the afternoon, continue up the dramatic Georgian Military Highway. Stop at Ananuri Fortress, a lakeside medieval castle, and the colorful Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument perched over a massive gorge near Gudauri. In the evening, arrive in Stepantsminda (Kazbegi), the mountain base town. Grab a drink on the terrace of the famous Rooms Hotel Kazbegi for an unobstructed view of Mount Kazbek (5,054m).

• Stay: Stepantsminda.

Day 4: High Peaks and Hidden Valleys

• Driving Time: Minimal (~1 hour local driving).

• In the morning, make the drive up the winding switchbacks to the iconic Gergeti Trinity Church. Sitting isolated at 2,170 meters with the mountain towering behind it, it’s one of the most famous views in the region. In the afternoon, drive out to the nearby Sno Valley and Juta village. Park your car and do the easy, stunning 1.5-hour walk toward the jagged Chaukhi Massif peaks. It feels like the Dolomites but with zero crowds.

• Stay: Stepantsminda.

Day 5: Soviet History & Cave Cities (Kazbegi to Central Georgia)

• Driving Time: ~3.5 hours.

• In the morning head back down the mountains and drive west toward Gori. This is the birthplace of Joseph Stalin. The Stalin Museum is an eerie, bizarrely preserved time capsule of Soviet-era propaganda, including his personal armored train car parked outside. In the afternoon, just 15 minutes outside Gori, explore Uplistsikhe, an ancient silk-road cave city carved directly into a rocky cliffside dating back to the Iron Age. In the evening, the drive a short distance to the quiet, forested spa town of Borjomi. Taste the famous naturally carbonated salty mineral water straight from the spring at the mineral water park.

• Stay: Borjomi or nearby Akhaltsikhe.

Day 6: The Ultimate Fortress and Cave Monastery (Borjomi to Vardzia)

• Driving Time: ~2.5 hours.

• In the morning, drive south through the rugged Mtkvari River gorge toward the Turkish border. Stop in Akhaltsikhe to explore the sprawling Rabati Fortress, a massive, beautifully restored complex blending Christian and Islamic architecture. In the afternoon, reach Vardzia, a jaw-dropping, 12th-century cave monastery complex. It is a multi-story cliff face containing hundreds of rooms, tunnels, and ancient churches carved out to hide thousands of people from invading empires. It requires some walking up steps and through narrow tunnels, which is great for active exploration.

• Stay: Vardzia or Akhaltsikhe.

Day 7: Journey to Wine Country (Central Georgia to Kakheti)

• Driving Time: ~4 hours (your longest drive, but highly scenic as you bypass Tbilisi via the northern routes).

• In the morning, leave the canyonlands and head east to Kakheti, the primary wine heartland of Georgia. In the afternoon, arrive in Sighnaghi, a beautifully preserved 18th-century royal town built on a hilltop overlooking the massive Alazani Valley and the distant Caucasus mountains. Walk along the ancient defensive stone walls that still surround the town. In the evening, treat yourselves to a massive, traditional Supra (Georgian feast) paired with local micro-winery options at a spot like Pheasant's Tears or Lost Ridge Inn.

• Stay: Sighnaghi.

Day 8: Deep in Wine Country & Return (Kakheti to Tbilisi)

• Driving Time: ~2 hours back to Tbilisi.

• In the morning, drive a short distance north to Telavi. Stop by the local food market to see mountain cheeses, fresh spices, and rows of Churchkhela (walnuts dipped in grape juice and dried). In the afternoon, visit an estate like Tsinandali Palace (a stunning 19th-century noble estate with European-style gardens and a historic wine cellar) or do a lunch/tasting at a local family-run vineyard. In the evening, drive back over the scenic Gombori Pass to Tbilisi airport to drop off your rental car and catch your flight home.

My 8 Day Itinerary

8 Day Itinerary (Found on the Internet)