6 Day Svaneti Tour in Georgia

Tbilisi - is the ancient capital of Georgia, where about 1 500 000 inhabitants live. It was founded in 5th century AD by the Georgian King Vakhtang Gorgasali. Nowadays Tbilisi is the main industrial, cultural and social center of Georgia.

Old Tbilisi and Sulfur Baths - Foundation of Tbilisi is related to Tbilisi sulphure baths. According to the legend, King Vakhtang Gorgasali discovered these sulphure baths while hunting. So the name Tbilisi derives from Georgian word Tbili, meaning warm.

Narikhala fortress - It was built in 4th century. It was occupied by Iranian, North Caucasian and Byzantine, Arab conquerors in various periods of time. Nowadays Church of St. Nikoloz built in 13th century is now located within the castle.

Metekhi Church - It was first built in 5th century when Vakhtang Gorgasali was the king of Kartli. There are breathtaking views of Old Tbilisi from the church.

Trinity Church -is the biggest cathedral not only in Georgia, but also in whole Caucasus region. The height of cathedral is 100 meters. There are 12 churches within the interior of the church. Great ecclesiastical relics are kept there. Among them there is the unique manuscript of the Gospel written during 1984-2004.

Mtskheta, beautiful and small town of Mtskheta is considered the centre of Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral - First church was built in 4th century. Afterwards during the centuries it became the largest and the most impressive church of Georgia. The Mantle of Christ is buried here, which was brought here from Jerusalem. The church is in UNESCO world heritage sites.

Jvari Monastery - is a Georgian Orthodox monastery of the 6th century. There are picturesque views of both Tbilisi and Mtskheta from monastery territory. Nowadays Jvari monastery is an active church and the monks live there.

Overnight in Tbilisi.

Historically and ethnographically, Mestia has always been regarded a chief community of Zemo or Upper Svaneti province. It was formerly known as Seti. Despite its small size, the town was an important centre of Georgian culture for centuries and contains a number of medieval monuments. Churches and forts, includied in a list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 1968 it was granted a status of a borough (Georgian: Daba) Laghami Saint George’s church (7th – 12th c.c) and Svan dwelling complex.

Mestia State Museum - The museum houses more than 4.000 items: archaeological objects discovered in Svaneti region, unique samples of engraved and painted icons (of special interest are X-XII c.c. icons), religious objects (IX-XIV c.c.), manuscripts (XI-XIII c.c. New Testaments from Adishi, Labskaldi, Ienashi, Mestia), weapons and armor, iron and cooper items, wooden ethnographic objects, adornments, silverware, textiles, etc.

Overnight in Mestia

Ushguli  is one of the most beautiful places in Svaneti and has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.   Ushguli is actually the joint name of four small villages which are located at around 2 200 metres above sea level. At such an altitude, Ushguli is possibly the highest village in Europe. North of Ushguli, the mighty Mount Shkhara rises to 5 068 metres. That makes Shkhara the highest mountain in Georgia. Ushguli is reknown for its stone tower houses where people lived, and also used as guard towers. The two most well-known towers are probably those where it is claimed that Georgia’s grand queen Tamar stayed at various  periods towards the end of the 12-th and the beginning of the 13-th century. During the summers, she and her court is supposed to have lived in a tower on the top of a mountain, while during the winters, she moved down to a tower on a little hilltop above Chazhashi  – one of the four villages in Ushguli. In the very upper part of Ushguli, there is a former monastery which shows the way further on towards Mount Shkhara.  It is also possible to organise a mountain hike through the Inguri valley towards Mount Shkhara.

Overnight in Ushguli

Chalaadi glacier - one of the most spectacular views in Svaneti region.This route takes us to the approaches of the Chatini peak, up to the tongue of the Chalaadi glacier. The total length of the trail is six kilometres, the first stretch of which is 4.5 km and varies in elevation by 180 m. The second stretch (from the bridge to the finish) is 1.5 km and varies in elevation by 420 m. The trail can be walked in 5-6 hours.

Overnight in Mestia

Uplistsikhe -  the Fortress of the Lord, which is an ancient rock-hewn town in eastern Georgia. Built on a high rocky left bank of Mtkvari River, it contains various structures dating from the 2nd ML BC to the Late Middle Ages, and is notable for the unique combination of various styles of rock-cut cultures.is an ancient rock-hewn town in eastern Georgia, some 10 kilometers east of the town of Gori, Shida Kartli. Built on a high rocky left bank of the Mtkvari River, it contains various structures dating from the Early Iron Age to the Late Middle Ages, and is notable for the unique combination of various styles of rock-cut cultures from Anatolia and Iran, as well as the co-existence of pagan and Christian architectureUplistsikhe is identified by archaeologists as one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia. 

Gori is located 76 km west of Tbilisi, at the influence of the rivers Mtkvari and Greater Liakhvi, 588 metres above sea level.

Gori - Joseph Stalin Museum – The main corpus of the complex is a large palazzo in Stalinist Gothic style, begun in 1951 ostensibly as a local history museum, but clearly intended to become a memorial to Stalin, who died in 1953. The exhibits are divided into six halls in roughly chronological order, and contain many items actually or allegedly owned by Stalin, including some of his office furniture, his personal effects and gifts made to him over the years. There is also much illustration by way of documentation, photographs, paintings and newspaper articles. The display concludes with one of twelve copies of the death mask of Stalin taken shortly after his death.

Return to Tbilisi

Dinner and Folk show at the restaurant