Tbilisi, Kazbegi, Kakheti, Batumi: 10-day Georgia route

Although Georgia is a two-hour flight away from Türkiye, it is late on most travel lists. However, the country contains four different landscapes in a small area: 5,000-meter peaks of the Caucasus, vineyards with the world's oldest wine production tradition, cave cities carved into the rocks and the Black Sea coast. Prices are around one-third of Western Europe and visa-free entry is possible with a Turkish passport.

This route is based on 10 days: It starts in Tbilisi, goes north to the Caucasus, goes east to the wine region and goes down to the Black Sea in the west.

Day distribution: how many nights where?

Tbilisi and its surroundings

• Tbilisi Old Town & Narikala is the heart of the city: houses with carved wooden balconies, narrow slopes and the 4th-century Narikala Castle at the top. You can reach the castle in a minute by cable car and see both the old city and the Kur river from above; If the descent is made on foot, you pass through the botanical garden.
• Abanotubani Sulfur Baths brick-domed baths built on natural sulfur springs beneath the old city; The name of the city comes from these sources. Private rooms are rented and charged per hour, with a separate fee. The sulfur smell is strong but the water is really hot and loaded with minerals.
• Mtskheta & Svetitskhoveli 25 minutes from Tbilisi: the country's former capital and the place where Christianity entered Georgia. The 11th-century cathedral remains the country's most important religious structure; The confluence of two rivers is visible from the Jvari Monastery on the hill. Half a day is enough.
• Uplistsikhe Rock City A 3,000-year-old rock-cut settlement near Gori; temples, halls and tunnels are directly in the rock. The area is unshaded and the ground is slippery, flat-soled shoes are required.

Caucasus and wine region

• Kazbegi & Gergeti Trinity Church The 14th-century church standing on a hill at 2,170 meters and the 5,047-meter Kazbek peak behind it; Georgia's most well-known landscape. You can reach the church by 4x4 vehicle or by walking for two hours; The probability of clear clouds is highest in the early morning hours. The wind is strong at the top, so dress in layers.
• Kakheti Wine Region is the region where the world's oldest known wine production tradition continues: grapes are fermented in clay jars buried in the ground called qvevri, and this method has not changed for 8,000 years. Family-run businesses offer tastings by appointment, and many also provide meals; If you are going to drive, one of the group should not do the tasting.
• Signagi is a small walled town in the middle of the vineyards; It overlooks the Alazani valley and the Caucasian ridge behind it. The two most relaxing nights of the route are spent here.
• Vardzia Cave City in the south, a monastery city carved into the rock in 13 layers; It once housed two thousand people. It is 4 hours from Tbilisi and requires a whole day, but it is the most extraordinary area of ​​Georgia.

Batumi and the Black Sea

• Batumi Boulevard walking and cycling line stretching for seven kilometers along the seaside; There is a pebble beach on one side and an unusually eclectic architecture on the other. The city contains new skyscrapers side by side with Soviet-era structures, and the mix is ​​unlike the rest of Georgia.
• Borjomi National Park On the way between Tbilisi and Batumi: the forested park behind the town, famous for its mineral water, offers a one-day break with its walking routes and open-air sulfur pools.
• Svaneti (Mestia) for those who can add three days to the route: The most isolated region of the Caucasus, villages full of medieval defense towers and 4,000-meter peaks. 1 hour by flight from Tbilisi, 9 hours by road.
• The night train from Tbilisi to Batumi is a practical option: it takes 9 hours by sleeping car and saves one hotel night; The daytime train is 5.5 hours.

Transportation and practical notes

• Minibuses called Marshrutka go all over the country, they are very cheap but do not have a fixed tariff: they leave when they are full. If time is limited, renting a car with a driver is a common and affordable solution.
• You will drive yourself, the driving culture is aggressive; Lane use is lax and overtaking is common on mountain roads. If you are not experienced, a car with a driver is safer.
• The currency is lari (GEL). Payment by card is common in cities, cash is required in rural areas.
• The Georgian table (supra) is long and abundant; Don't make plans after lunch, the calculations will be wrong.

When to go?

May-June and September-October are the best periods: the mountain roads are open, the weather is walkable in Tbilisi, and September is harvest time in Kakheti, which is the liveliest time to see the region. July-August exceeds 35 degrees in Tbilisi and the city becomes sweltering; During that period, concentrate the route on the mountains and Batumi. Between November and April, Military Road may be closed due to snow, while Gudauri operates as a ski resort.