In short: Sighnaghi is a small hill town in Kakheti, about 113 km and 1.5–2 hours east of Tbilisi, ringed by 18th-century walls and looking out over the Alazani Valley to the Greater Caucasus [1][3]. Two kilometres away is Bodbe, the convent where St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia, is buried [2]. Together they make half a day; with a winery or two, a full day; and with a sunset on the walls, a very good night away from Tbilisi. You will also see the town spelled Signagi; it is the same place.
The walls and towers
Sighnaghi was founded as a fortified town in 1762 by King Erekle II of Kakheti, to give villagers a refuge from raids [1]. Long stretches of the wall and many of its round towers survive, running up and down the hillside around the old town. You can walk sections of the wall and climb some of the towers for the view. It is free, but the stones are uneven and the steps are steep, with no railings in places, so keep a close eye on children.
The town inside was heavily restored in the 2000s, with pastel houses, carved wooden balconies and cobbled lanes [1]. Some visitors find it a little polished; most enjoy it anyway. It is known in Georgia as the "City of Love", and couples come here to marry [1].
The view over the Alazani Valley
The town sits at about 790 m on the edge of the Gombori range [1]. Below it the flat, vine-covered Alazani Valley stretches away to the north-east, and on clear days the snow peaks of the Greater Caucasus line the horizon. Mornings and evenings are usually clearer than midday, especially in summer haze, which is one of the main reasons to stay the night.
Sighnaghi Museum
The museum near the centre has ethnographic and archaeological collections and a permanent exhibition of paintings by Niko Pirosmani, Georgia's much-loved self-taught painter [4][1]. An hour is enough. There is an entrance fee, and it is worth confirming the opening days before you go.
Bodbe convent
Bodbe stands in cypress trees on a slope 2 km from Sighnaghi, looking over the same valley [2]. The first monastery was built in the 9th century over the grave of St Nino, who died around 338–340; the present church was altered heavily in the 17th century, and the bell tower dates from 1862–85 [2]. Closed in 1924, it reopened in 1991 and is now a convent of nuns, and one of Georgia's main pilgrimage sites [2].
- St Nino's tomb is inside the small church, and the nuns ask for quiet.
- St Nino's Spring is in a chapel downhill from the convent and is believed to have healing powers [2]. The walk back up is steep.
- Dress code: shoulders and knees covered; women cover their hair. Wrap skirts and headscarves are usually available at the gate.
- Entry is free.
Wine in and around Sighnaghi
Sighnaghi is in the heart of Kakheti, Georgia's main wine region, and there are cellars both in town and in the villages below. Two well-known names in town are Pheasant's Tears, a restaurant and natural-wine producer, and Okro's Wines, a family tasting room with a terrace over the valley [5]. Both work with qvevri, the buried clay jars in which Georgian wine has traditionally been made; qvevri winemaking has been on UNESCO's Intangible Heritage list since 2013. For how Kakheti wine works and how to plan a tasting day, read our guide to Kakheti wine tours.
September and October are harvest time (rtveli), when the valley is busiest and the cellars are full of activity. July and August are hot in the Alazani Valley.
Day trip or one night?
As a day trip
A classic Kakheti day from Tbilisi takes in Bodbe, Sighnaghi's walls and old town, lunch with a view, then a winery or the Tsinandali estate, and back over the Gombori pass: about 10 hours. It works, but you see Sighnaghi in the middle of the day, when the light is flat and the tour groups are in town.
With a night
Staying over gives you the walls at sunset, a relaxed dinner without watching the clock, and the valley and mountains in the clear morning light before the day-trippers arrive. It also splits Kakheti into two gentle days: Sighnaghi and Bodbe one day; Tsinandali, Telavi, Alaverdi or a qvevri maker the next. Couples in particular tend to prefer this.
With David Gareja
Some visitors combine Sighnaghi with the cave monastery of David Gareja, about 2 hours away. That makes a long 10–11 hour day; see our David Gareja guide for what is open in 2026 before you decide.
Practical notes
- The old town is hilly and cobbled; wear comfortable shoes.
- Park at the edge of the old town; the lanes are narrow.
- Go to Bodbe early, before the midday groups.
- If you are driving yourself and tasting, have a designated driver, or let someone else drive.
Tours for this: Sighnaghi and Bodbe with us
The private Kakheti wine day trip visits Bodbe and Sighnaghi's walls, then Tsinandali and a family qvevri cellar near Telavi, with two tastings included. For a night on the walls, the 3-day private Kakheti wine tour sleeps in Sighnaghi on the first night, and Romantic Georgia for two ends with a sunset tasting and dinner in Sighnaghi and a morning at Bodbe. The David Gareja and Sighnaghi day trip combines the monastery with the wall town. See each tour page for the current price, or plan your own route and we send a private itinerary with a price. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Sighnaghi": en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Bodbe Monastery": en.wikipedia.org
- Wander-Lush, "How to Travel From Tbilisi to Sighnaghi or Telavi in 2026": wander-lush.org
- Georgian National Tourism Administration, "Sighnaghi Museum": georgia.travel
- TripBox, "Wine Tours in Kakheti 2026": tripbox.ge
- UNESCO, "Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method" (2013): ich.unesco.org
Last checked: September 2026.
