12 Day Escorted Tour
AGTG 12 day sample tour
12 Day Tour
Day 1: TBS Arrival – Tbilisi International Airport
Day 2: TBS Tbilisi – The Capital of Georgia
Day 3: KAK Sighnaghi and Kakheti
Day 4: KAK Telavi
Day 5: TBS Kakheti and Tbilisi
Day 6: KUT Uplistsikhe/Gori/Kutaisi
Day 7: QTA Prometheus Cave, Travel to Svaneti/Mestia
Day 8 : QTA Tour Mestia and Ushguli
Day 9: BUS Travel to Batumi
Day 10: TBS Batumi and travel to Tbilisi
Day 11: TBS Tbilisi
Day 12: TBS Return to US…or travel to other countries
Rates include:
- Transportation by top quality suitable vehicles as mentioned in the itinerary
- English Speaking tour guide throughout the itinerary
- All entrance fees, wine tasting fees, parks, parking fees, highway tolls and donations as detailed in the itinerary
- Meals as detailed in the itinerary
- Accommodations in hotels and inns
- Service charges and local taxes
- Travel insurance is included
- All hotel porterages
- All restaurant tips
- Complementary bottle of Georgian wine
Rates exclude:
- All drinks excluded except water
- Room service at hotels
- Visits and services not mentioned in the itinerary
- Optional programs / tours
- Gratuities for guide and driver
- All personal expenses / extras
- Flights to the next destination
- Day 1 - Arrival in Tbilisi
After clearing passport control, customs and baggage claim, you will be met by staff of AGTG, board the van and take a 20 minute drive to the four star Hotel. Tbilisi was founded in the 5th century by Vakhtang Gorgasali, the Georgian King of Iberia, and made capital in the 6th century.
- Day 2 - Tbilisi- Mtskheta
Guided tour of parts of Tbilisi and then Mtskheta, the onetime capital of Georgia, Tbilisi located 10 miles north of Tbilisi. Agents will see Jvari Monastery and Svetickhoveli Cathedral. Lunch in Mtskheta and an evening tour of Old Tbilisi.
- Day 3 - Sighnaghi & Wine Country
Breakfast at the hotel and a 1 hour 45 minutes van trip to Sighnaghi (approximately 113 km). It is known for its landscapes and historical monuments including a fortress erected to defend the area from marauding attacks by Dagestan tribesmen in 1762. Visit the Monastery of Saint Nino at Bodbe, the resting place of St. Nino, the Christianizer of Georgia who came to Georgia in the first part of the 4th century. Lunch and wine tasting at Pheasant’s Tears Wine Cellar where traditional Georgian music is presented. Relax and enjoy the best of seasonal foods. Depart Pheasant’s Tears for a short ride to climb or just view the 18thC wall in Kakheti (UNESCO protected site), the Alazani Valley and Greater Caucasus Ridge. Overnight in Kakheti.
- Day 4 - Winery & Wine Tasting
After breakfast, a tour to the best wineries in Kakheti to see wine production and taste many different variety of wines at “Kindzmaraulis Marani”, “Telavis Marani”, and “Bagrationi& Eniseli” wineries. Lunch while tasting wines. Visit Gremi and Shuamta Monastery. Dinner at the “Shato Mere” followed by a short drive to Tbilisi. Overnight in Tbilisi.
- Day 5 - Uplistsikhe /Gori/ Kutaisi
Depart Tbilisi for a visit to Uplistsikhe, an hour’s ride away. Uplistsikhe is a cave city located in central Georgia(Georgian: literally, "the lord's fortress") is an ancient rock-hewn town in eastern Georgia, 10km (6 miles) east of Gori. It is one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia. It was a Georgian stronghold during the Muslim conquest of Tbilisi in the 8th and 9th century; Mongol raids in the 14th century marked the ultimate eclipse of the town; it was virtually abandoned, and only occasionally used as a temporary shelter in times of foreign intrusions. The Uplistsikhe complex has been on the tentative list for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage program since 2007. Visit the Stalin Museum in Gori. The museum is dedicated to the life of Joseph Stalin. Leave Gori and travel to Kutaisi, a distance is 135 km (84 miles) on new highways and beautiful mountain roads. Check into a Kutaisi hotel and then visit the Gelati Monastery. Dine at a fashionable restaurant followed by a short walking tour of Old Kutaisi.
- Day 6 - Svaneti - Mestia
Breakfast and a short drive to the fantastic Prometheus Cave, a part of the Imerti Cave Protected Area. There are five spectacular halls in the Prometheus Cave and it has a sensational exit - 300m (990’) of underground river transited by boat. Following lunch, depart for Svaneti/Mestia. The distance is 243km (151 miles) and the time en route is 5 hours. The road goes through Senaki and Zugdidi and then starts a gradual climb to Mestia through the mountains. Mestia elevation is 1,460m (4800’). Arrive at Hotel Tetnuldi and dine at the Hotel Mestia, a short walk away.
- Day 7 - The Highest settlement in Europe
Today enjoy an extra cup of coffee and breakfast at the hotel. Board the van for a trip to Ushguli (approximately 2 hours) through gorgeous mountains roads that twists and turns through the mountains. Ushguli is located at the foot of Shkhara, one of the highest Caucasion summits. Along the way you will see more defensive towers know as “Svan towers” erected in the ninth and twelfth centuries. Lunch in Ushguli where you will experience “kubdari”, a fabulous freshly baked bread with veal. Be patient – all the food is cooked to order. Return to the Tetnuldi Hotel, freshen up and relax before dinner at the Hotel Mestia.
- Day 8 - Batumi - Black sea
An early breakfast today and departure to Batumi on the Black Sea. Looking back at the breathtaking Caucasus Mountains, the trip to Batumi promises to be a picturesque trip to the Black Sea. About halfway to Batumi, lunch will be in the city Zugdidi in western Georgia. Historical sites will be pointed out while driving through Zugdidi. Arrive late afternoon at the four star Hotel just in time for a late afternoon swim at the pool or in the Black Sea. Enjoy dinner at this highly rated hotel.
- Day 9 - Enjoy Black Sea
Today you can take in the sea air and enjoy breakfast and lunch in the hotel then relax on the beach or at poolside or take advantage of spa services. After breakfast an optional visit to the Batumi Botanical Gardens (established in the 1880s) can be arranged. After a short van trip from the hotel, dinner will be at a riverside restaurant where you can continue to enjoy unspoiled nature, delicious cuisine and fresh air. The day in Batumi ends with an evening walking along the promenade of Georgia’s main port of Batumi.
- Day 10 - Back to Tbilisi
After another day of relaxation, depart late in the afternoon for Batumi Airport and a short flight to Tbilisi. Arrive in Tbilisi around 5:00pm and return check into a four star hotel. After freshening up and relaxing, dine at a restaurant with a view of Tbilisi and the wonderful cuisine.
- Day 11 - Museums in Tbilisi
The last day of the tour will be spent in Tbilisi touring Old Tbilisi and a visit to the Georgian National Museum. The museum has a glittering exhibition of ancient gold from the fabled land where legend has it that Jason and the Argonauts searched for the Golden Fleece. View the exhibits at your own pace. Lunch in Old Tbilisi. Topping off the day is a farewell dinner and traditional singing and dance performance at “In the Shadow of Metekhi” restaurant.
- Day 12 - Departure Georgia
Sadly, we must leave Georgia. You will feel sadness for the new friends you must leave behind but the memories will last a lifetime…or until you return! Most departure flights leave between 3:30 am and 5:00 am. If you are staying for a few more days, sleep in and the AGTG staff will be available to assist your “self directed” efforts to explore more of Georgia.
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