Gems of Georgia Svaneti and Vardzia tour – 10 days

Ten days through Georgia’s full spectrum—from Tbilisi’s cobblestones through Svaneti’s alpine towers, across the Zekari Pass to Vardzia’s cliff monasteries and the volcanic plateaus where Armenia begins

This is the tour for travelers who want to see Georgia properly—not a rushed highlights reel, but a genuine journey through the country’s most compelling landscapes and historical sites.

Over 10 days, you’ll move from Tbilisi’s cobblestone streets through the alpine towers of Svaneti, then south to the cave monastery of Vardzia and the volcanic plateaus of Javakheti. Two UNESCO World Heritage sites. Four distinct regions. One route that connects Georgia’s medieval past to its mountain present.

We run this as a private tour, meaning your group travels alone with your own driver-guide. The itinerary adapts to your pace and interests—want more hiking in Svaneti? Done. Prefer wine tasting over monastery visits? We’ll adjust.

This tour suits: Travelers who want Georgia’s full geographic and cultural range in one journey, history enthusiasts interested in medieval churches and cave cities, photographers seeking diverse landscapes from alpine peaks to volcanic plateaus, anyone who prefers private touring with flexibility over fixed group schedules, and visitors with 10 days who want to see beyond the standard tourist circuit.

This tour doesn’t suit: Travelers uncomfortable with long driving days (5-6 hours on some days), anyone requiring luxury hotels throughout (mountain regions have simpler accommodations), visitors who prefer staying in one place, people with serious mobility limitations (sites involve climbing and uneven terrain), or those seeking beach vacations or nightlife.

Why This Itinerary Works

Most Georgia tours focus on either Svaneti or the south—rarely both, because connecting them requires commitment. The Zekari Pass crossing isn’t on standard tourist routes, which is exactly why we include it: you’ll see a Georgia that organized tours skip.

This itinerary balances UNESCO sites (Mtskheta, Ushguli, Vardzia) with places that deserve more attention: the Javakheti plateau’s austere beauty, Sapara’s hidden frescoes, the megalithic ruins at Saro. You get the highlights without feeling like you’re on a checklist.

Ten days is enough to feel the country’s variety—the lush west, the alpine north, the volcanic south—without exhausting yourself or rushing through sites.

Four Distinct Regions in One Journey

Days 1-2: Eastern Georgia foundation. Tbilisi’s layered history, Mtskheta’s sacred churches, Uplistsikhe’s Iron Age caves, and a family winery in Kartli. This establishes context for everything that follows.

Days 3-6: The alpine north. Martvili Canyon, the Enguri Dam, three nights in Svaneti with time for museums, hiking, and the full Ushguli experience. Prometheus Cave on the way back. This section alone justifies the trip.

Days 7-8: The crossing. Zekari Pass takes you from western Georgia’s subtropical lushness to the austere southern highlands. Abastumani’s observatory, Akhaltsikhe’s Ottoman fortress, Sapara’s hidden monastery, Khertvisi’s ancient walls.

Days 9-10: The volcanic south. Vardzia at dawn before crowds arrive, then the Javakheti plateau—treeless grasslands, volcanic lakes, Armenian villages—before returning to Tbilisi through landscapes most visitors never see.

Private Touring Advantage

This is your tour with your own driver-guide, not a fixed group itinerary. Want more hiking in Becho Valley? We’ll add it. Prefer wine tasting over monastery visits? We’ll adjust. Need an extra rest day? Built into the pace.

The flexibility matters especially for the Zekari Pass—if conditions are poor, we take the alternative route via Borjomi without affecting your experience. Weather changes our plans? We adapt the schedule, not your expectations.

Activities: Airport pickup, Old Town walking tour | Walking: 3-4 km, flat terrain

We collect you from Tbilisi International Airport and transfer to your hotel in the historic center. After settling in, we begin with a walking tour through Old Tbilisi—the dense, layered city center where sulfur baths sit beneath a 4th-century fortress and wine bars share alleys with Armenian churches.

What You’ll See

Metekhi Plateau: The clifftop viewpoint overlooking the Mtkvari River, with the equestrian statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali who founded the city in the 5th century.

Narikala Fortress: The ancient citadel walls visible from everywhere in the old town. Cable car up for city views or save it for your free time.

Abanotubani: The sulfur bath district with its distinctive domed roofhouses. The baths have operated continuously since the city’s founding.

Shardeni Street and Erekle II Square: The restaurant and café hub where Tbilisi’s social life concentrates in the evenings.

Optional welcome dinner at a traditional Georgian restaurant (not included, but we’ll recommend the best spots for your taste and budget).

Overnight: 4-star hotel in Tbilisi

Drive time: 5-6 hours total (with stops) | Walking: 3-4 km across sites

We leave Tbilisi heading west, stopping at two essential historical sites before reaching Georgia’s second city.

Morning: Mtskheta (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Georgia’s ancient capital and spiritual heart. Two monuments here are non-negotiable:

Jvari Monastery (6th century): Perched on a clifftop where the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers meet. This is where Christianity was established in Georgia, and the architecture influenced church building across the Caucasus for centuries.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century): The burial place of Georgian kings and, according to tradition, the robe of Christ. The current structure replaced earlier churches on the same site going back to the 4th century.

Midday: Uplistsikhe

Uplistsikhe is a rock-hewn town carved into a riverside cliff, inhabited from the early Iron Age through the medieval period. Walk through ancient streets, a pagan temple converted to a Christian church, and a theater carved directly from stone. The site gives you a tangible sense of how old continuous settlement in Georgia actually is.

Lunch stop: A family winery in the Kartli region. This area produces wines differently from Kakheti—lighter, crisper styles. Lunch included with tasting.

Evening: Kutaisi

Arrive in Kutaisi, Georgia’s second-largest city and former capital of the Colchis and Imeretian kingdoms. Short evening walk through the compact center before dinner.

Overnight: 4-star hotel in Kutaisi (lunch included)

Drive time: 5-6 hours total | Walking: 2-3 km (canyon + evening walk)

Today we head north into Samegrelo region, then climb into the High Caucasus toward Svaneti.

Morning: Martvili Canyon

A geological wonder where the Abasha River has carved through limestone over millennia. We take a boat ride through the narrow lower canyon (included), gliding beneath 40-meter walls draped in moss and ferns. The upper canyon offers a walking trail to waterfalls—serene in the morning before crowds arrive.

Alternative: If you prefer, we can visit Okatse Canyon instead—a suspended walkway over a 140-meter gorge, better for those who want dramatic heights rather than boat rides.

Lunch: Zugdidi

The regional capital of Samegrelo, known for its spicier, more aromatic cuisine compared to eastern Georgia. Try gebzhalia (cheese in mint sauce) or kupati (spiced sausage).

Afternoon: The Road to Svaneti

The drive from Zugdidi to Mestia is one of Georgia’s great scenic routes. We stop at Enguri Dam—the world’s second-highest arch dam at 271 meters, a Soviet engineering marvel wedged between canyon walls. The road beyond climbs through increasingly dramatic gorges until Svaneti’s towers appear.

Evening: Mestia

Arrive around 5 PM. Walking tour through the historic Lanchvali and Seti districts—neighborhoods packed with medieval defensive towers, the defining feature of Svan architecture.

Overnight: Hotel in Mestia

Drive time: 30 minutes to Becho | Walking/Hiking: 4-8 km depending on options

A day to understand Svaneti’s culture and see Mount Ushba, the dramatic twin-peaked mountain that dominates the western horizon.

Morning: Mestia’s Museums

Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography: The region’s best collection of medieval icons, gold and silver religious objects, and manuscripts. Many pieces here were hidden in towers for centuries to protect them from invaders.

Margiani Tower House: A preserved traditional dwelling showing how Svan families lived—livestock on the ground floor, living quarters above, defensive tower attached.

Mikheil Khergiani House-Museum: Dedicated to the legendary Soviet-era climber known as “Tiger of the Rocks.” Worth visiting even for non-climbers—his story captures Svaneti’s deep mountaineering culture.

Afternoon: Becho Valley

We drive to Becho village for the best accessible views of Mount Ushba (4,710m). Options range from easy to challenging:

Easy: Walk through Becho village, visit the medieval church, photograph Ushba from the valley floor.

Moderate: Hike toward Shdugra Waterfall (4-5 km round trip, 2-3 hours).

Challenging: Continue to the Ushba Glacier viewpoint (additional 4 km, adds 3 hours, steep sections).

Evening

Return to Mestia for dinner. Tonight’s meal can include a cooking demonstration of kubdari—the meat-stuffed bread that’s Svaneti’s signature dish.

Overnight: Hotel in Mestia

Drive time: 2.5-3 hours each way (4×4 required) | Walking: 3-4 km in Ushguli

Today’s destination is the highlight of any Svaneti visit: Ushguli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the highest continuously inhabited settlement in Europe at 2,200 meters.

The drive itself is an experience—45 km of unpaved mountain road with river crossings and hairpin turns. We travel in a capable 4×4 with a driver who knows every pothole. The route passes through villages that see few visitors, with stops at viewpoints and a waterfall along the way.

In Ushguli

The “village” is actually four tiny settlements—Zhibiani, Chvibiani, Chazhashi, and Murkmeli—home to about 70 families who live here year-round despite winters that regularly bring 3+ meters of snow.

Lamaria Church (12th century): The iconic viewpoint with Mount Shkhara (5,068m, Georgia’s highest peak) as the backdrop. Every postcard image of Svaneti was shot here.

Chazhashi towers: The densest cluster of defensive towers, some dating to the 9th century. Wander the lanes between them.

Ethnographic museum: A preserved tower house showing traditional Svan life, plus a collection of religious icons.

Lunch with a local family: Simple, authentic food in someone’s home. This is how meals work in Ushguli—there are no real restaurants.

Return to Mestia by early evening. Free time to explore, visit craft shops, or simply rest.

Overnight: Hotel in Mestia (lunch included)

Drive time: 5-6 hours total | Walking: 1.5 km (cave tour)

We leave Svaneti, descending back toward the lowlands with a stop at one of Georgia’s most impressive natural sites.

Prometheus Cave (Kumistavi)

Georgia’s largest show cave—1.4 km of developed passages with stalactites, stalagmites, underground rivers, and lakes. The lighting is dramatic (some say overdone), but the geological formations are genuinely spectacular. The tour takes about an hour; an optional boat ride on the underground river adds 15 minutes.

Optional: Tskaltubo Spa

The town of Tskaltubo was a major Soviet-era spa resort, famous for its naturally warm, slightly radioactive mineral waters. The grand sanatoriums are mostly abandoned now (interesting for Soviet architecture enthusiasts), but a few spas still operate. If you want to try a radon bath—allegedly good for joint problems—we can arrange it.

Evening: Wine Dinner

Wine dinner at a family winery near Kutaisi. Imeretian wines are made in qvevri (clay vessels) like Kakhetian wines but with different grape varieties and a lighter style.

Overnight: Hotel in Kutaisi (wine dinner with tasting included)

Drive time: 5-6 hours (mountain roads) | Walking: 1-2 km

Today we cross from western to southern Georgia via one of the country’s most scenic and least-traveled mountain routes.

Morning: Bagrati Cathedral

A brief stop at Kutaisi’s hilltop cathedral, originally built in the 11th century, destroyed in the 17th, and controversially reconstructed in 2012. The views over Kutaisi are excellent regardless of what you think of the restoration.

The Zekari Pass Route

From the spa town of Sairme, we take a gravel road climbing to Zekari Pass (2,182m)—a route that crosses the Lesser Caucasus ridge separating Imereti from Samtskhe-Javakheti. The road is rough but passable in summer; we use a 4×4 for this section.

The landscape shifts dramatically: from the lush, green west to the drier, more austere highlands of the south. You’ll see alpine meadows, shepherds with their flocks, and almost no other tourists.

Evening: Abastumani

A small resort town in a forested valley, known for its mild microclimate and 19th-century sanatoriums (tuberculosis treatment was big here). The real attraction is the Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory, built in 1932 on a peak above town.

Weather permitting, we visit the observatory after dark for stargazing. The altitude (1,650m) and dry climate make this one of the best spots in the Caucasus for astronomy. The Soviet-era telescopes are still operational.

Overnight: Guesthouse in Abastumani

Drive time: 2-3 hours total | Walking: 3-5 km across sites

A day exploring the historical layers of Samtskhe-Javakheti—from Ottoman fortresses to hidden monasteries.

Morning: Akhaltsikhe and Rabati Fortress

Akhaltsikhe (“New Fortress”) was an Ottoman administrative center for 250 years, and the massive Rabati complex reflects that mixed heritage. The recently restored fortress contains a mosque, a synagogue, a church, and a castle—the architectural evidence of the region’s religious diversity. Some find the restoration too polished; others appreciate the clear presentation of history.

Midday: Sapara Monastery

Hidden in a forested gorge 12 km from Akhaltsikhe, Sapara is one of Georgia’s most atmospheric monastery complexes. The 13th-century Church of St. Saba contains exceptional frescoes, and the setting—medieval buildings nestled among trees—feels genuinely remote despite being close to the city.

Afternoon: Village Saro and Khertvisi Fortress

Saro: A nearly abandoned village with distinctive stone houses and, above it, the remains of a megalithic fortress (cyclopean walls, pre-Christian era). Few visitors come here.

Khertvisi Fortress: One of Georgia’s oldest fortresses, guarding the confluence of the Mtkvari and Paravani rivers since at least the 2nd century BC. The current walls are 10th-14th century. Brief stop for photos and context before continuing to Vardzia.

Overnight: Hotel or guesthouse near Vardzia

Drive time: 5-6 hours total | Walking: 2-3 km (Vardzia complex)

An early start ensures we reach Vardzia before the tour buses arrive.

Morning: Vardzia Cave Monastery

Georgia’s most impressive medieval monument—a cave city carved into the cliffs above the Mtkvari River in the 12th century. At its peak, Vardzia contained 6,000 chambers, churches, and a complex irrigation system supporting a monastic community of several thousand.

An earthquake in 1283 destroyed much of the original structure and exposed the cave faces you see today. What remains is still extraordinary: 13 levels of caves connected by tunnels, the Church of the Dormition with its famous frescoes (including a portrait of Queen Tamar, who expanded the complex), and a functioning monastery where a few monks still live.

We spend 2-3 hours here, entering before 9 AM to avoid crowds and heat.

Midday: The Javakheti Plateau

The return route to Tbilisi crosses Javakheti—a volcanic highland plateau averaging 2,000 meters, sparsely populated and starkly beautiful. This is Georgia’s “Armenian region,” with villages where Armenian is the first language and churches reflect Armenian Orthodox traditions.

Paravani Lake: Georgia’s largest lake, sitting at 2,073 meters. Brief stop for photos and fresh air.

Sagamo Lake: Smaller, quieter, equally scenic.

The landscape here feels closer to Central Asia than the Caucasus—treeless grasslands, dormant volcanoes on the horizon, scattered herds of cattle. It’s the Georgia most visitors never see.

Evening

Arrival in Tbilisi by 6-7 PM. Final dinner at a restaurant of your choice (we’ll recommend options based on what you haven’t tried yet).

Overnight: 4-star hotel in Tbilisi

Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to Tbilisi Airport according to your flight schedule.

Staying longer? We can extend the tour with additional days in Kakheti (wine region), Kazbegi (northern mountains), or the Black Sea coast. Ask us for options.

End of tour: Tbilisi International Airport (breakfast included)

Accommodation details: In Tbilisi and Kutaisi: proper 4-star hotels with reliable amenities. In Mestia: the best available hotel (standards are improving but still simpler than cities). Near Vardzia and Abastumani: family guesthouses with private rooms—basic but clean, with excellent home cooking.

Ushguli overnight option: Want to spend a night in Ushguli instead of returning to Mestia? Available for an additional €50 per person. Sunset and sunrise in Europe’s highest village—highly recommended for photographers.

Practical Information

Duration: 10 days / 9 nights
Start/End: Tbilisi International Airport
Tour Type: Private with driver-guide
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate—mostly walking on uneven terrain, some optional hiking
Best Season: May to October (Zekari Pass closed in winter)
Language: English-speaking guide throughout

What to Pack

Layers for variable mountain weather (10-25°C range in summer), comfortable walking shoes, a light rain jacket, and sun protection. The southern highlands are drier and sunnier than Svaneti. Bring cash in Georgian Lari—small villages don’t have ATMs or card machines.

Tour FAQ

Why This Tour Works

Ten days is enough to feel Georgia’s variety without exhausting yourself or rushing through sites. You’ll see the lush west, the alpine north, and the volcanic south—landscapes that most tours never connect.

The Zekari Pass makes the difference. This route isn’t on standard itineraries because it requires commitment. You’ll see alpine meadows, shepherds with flocks, and a Georgia that organized tours skip entirely. The landscape shift from subtropical west to austere highland south happens within hours.

Three nights in Svaneti gives you time. Most tours rush in and out in two days. You’ll have time for museums, hiking options, and a full day in Ushguli without feeling pressured.

Vardzia deserves the early start. We arrive before the tour buses, spending 2-3 hours exploring 13 levels of cave chambers and the famous Queen Tamar frescoes before crowds and heat arrive.

The Javakheti Plateau is Georgia’s hidden landscape. Treeless grasslands, volcanic lakes, Armenian villages—it’s the Georgia most visitors never see because it’s not on the standard route between popular destinations.

This tour runs May through October. Contact us with your preferred dates and group size.