The short answer: Georgia, the country in the South Caucasus on the Black Sea, packs a lot into a small space. What to see in Georgia on a first trip: Tbilisi's Old Town, the old capital Mtskheta, Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church under Mt Kazbek, the wine country of Kakheti with Sighnaghi, and the rock-cut town of Uplistsikhe. With more time, add Svaneti's tower villages, Vardzia, Kutaisi with its caves and canyons, and Batumi on the Black Sea. Below are 15 places worth the trip, with the drive time from Tbilisi and what to know before you go.
Tbilisi and around
1. Tbilisi Old Town
The capital is the start of almost every trip: the cable car to Narikala fortress, the brick domes of the sulphur baths in Abanotubani, the wooden balconies of the Old Town and the 19th-century streets of Sololaki. One full day covers the Old Town; two or three days let you add museums, Rustaveli Avenue and day trips. Our plan for Tbilisi in 1, 2 or 3 days goes street by street.
2. Mtskheta
Georgia's old royal capital is about 20 km north of Tbilisi, roughly 30 minutes by car. Jvari Monastery on its hill and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in the town are part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Historical Monuments of Mtskheta" [1], and they fit in half a day. See our Mtskheta guide.
3. Uplistsikhe and Gori
Uplistsikhe, about 100 km west of Tbilisi (1.25–1.5 hours), is a town carved into the rock, with traces of people going back to the end of the 2nd millennium BC. Give it 1.5–2 hours. Gori and its Stalin Museum are 12–15 km away, so the two make an easy day with Mtskheta. Read Uplistsikhe or Vardzia to choose between the cave towns, and our guide to Gori and the Stalin Museum.
The mountains of the north
4. Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church
The picture most people have of Georgia: the 14th-century Gergeti Trinity Church at 2,170 m, with Mt Kazbek (5,054 m) behind it. Stepantsminda, the town below, is 152 km north of Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Highway, about 3–3.5 hours without stops, over the Jvari Pass (2,379 m). As a day trip it takes 10–12 hours in all; a night in Stepantsminda is easier. From the town, the Truso and Juta valleys make good walks: see Truso or Juta. See also our Kazbegi day-trip guide and the Gergeti Trinity Church hike.
5. Ananuri and the Georgian Military Highway
On the way to Kazbegi, the fortress of Ananuri stands over the Zhinvali reservoir, about an hour from Tbilisi. The road beyond it climbs past Gudauri and the Friendship Monument to the pass; with the stops worth making, the drive takes closer to 6 hours. Our guide to the Georgian Military Highway lists them in order.
6. Svaneti: Mestia and Ushguli
A high valley of stone tower houses under Georgia's highest peaks; Upper Svaneti has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996 [2]. Mestia is about 460 km from Tbilisi, 8–10 hours by road, so most people take the train to Zugdidi or break the drive in Kutaisi. Ushguli, one of Europe's highest villages, is 47 km further. Give Svaneti at least three nights. Read our Mestia guide and the Svaneti guide.
7. Tusheti
Georgia's most remote region, with tower villages and sheep pastures near the Dagestan border. The only road crosses the Abano Pass (2,826 m), unpaved and 4x4-only, and is usually open from late June to the end of September. Local drivers cross it only in daylight and dry weather. Plan at least three nights. See our Tusheti guide.
8. Khevsureti: Shatili and Mutso
Two fortress villages on the northern side of the Caucasus, at least 4–5 hours from Tbilisi, the last part on a dirt road over the Datvisjvari pass (about 2,600 m). Go by 4x4 with a local driver, from about July to September, and stay a night in Shatili. Our guide to Shatili and Mutso covers the road.
Kakheti, the wine country
9. Sighnaghi and Bodbe
A hill town ringed by 18th-century walls, about 113 km and 1.5–2 hours east of Tbilisi, looking over the Alazani Valley to the Caucasus. Two kilometres away is Bodbe, the convent where St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia, is buried. See our Sighnaghi and Bodbe guide.
10. Telavi, Alaverdi, Gremi and the qvevri cellars
Around Telavi, about 2 hours from Tbilisi over the Gombori pass, are the 11th-century cathedral of Alaverdi, the royal citadel of Gremi and the Chavchavadze estate at Tsinandali. This is also the place to taste wine made in qvevri, clay jars buried in the ground, a method on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 2013 [3]. Read Telavi, Alaverdi and Gremi and our guide to Kakheti wine tours.
11. David Gareja
Cave monasteries founded in the 6th century in the semi-desert of south-east Kakheti, about 100–110 km from Tbilisi (1.5–2 hours). The lower monastery, the Lavra, is open; the painted caves of Udabno on the ridge above sit on an undemarcated stretch of the border with Azerbaijan and are often closed. Go in spring or autumn. See our David Gareja guide.
The south and west
12. Vardzia
A 12th-century monastery carved into a cliff above the Mtkvari, from the time of Queen Tamar, 4–5 hours from Tbilisi. Give it 2–3 hours, less while the path is shortened. Since a rockfall on 27 May 2026 part of the visitor path has been closed, so check what is open at Vardzia before you go. Most people combine it with Borjomi and a night on the way.
13. Borjomi
A spa town in a forested gorge, about 160 km west of Tbilisi (2.5–3 hours), famous for its naturally fizzy mineral water. Taste it at the spring in Central Park, walk up to the open-air sulphur pools, or hike in the national park. See our Borjomi guide.
14. Kutaisi, Gelati and the canyons
Georgia's third city is 3–3.5 hours from Tbilisi. Gelati Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site [4], is just outside it; Prometheus Cave is about 20 km away and Martvili Canyon about 50 km. A night in Kutaisi gives you a day for the caves and canyons. Read our Kutaisi day-trip guide.
15. Batumi and the Black Sea
Georgia's summer resort, near the Turkish border, about 4 hours from Tbilisi by train: a seafront of new towers in front of a 19th-century old town, with the Botanical Garden and the green hills of Adjara behind. The swimming season runs from about June to September, with the warmest water in August. See our Batumi guide.
If you have more time
- Racha: a quiet mountain region north of Kutaisi, with the carved cathedral of Nikortsminda and Khvanchkara wine. See our Racha guide.
- Dmanisi: the site of early human remains dated to about 1.8 million years ago, 1.5–2 hours south-west of Tbilisi. See our Dmanisi guide.
- Winter: Tbilisi, its sulphur baths and Kakheti's wine cellars work all year, and Gudauri's ski slopes are about 2 hours from Tbilisi. See Georgia in winter.
- Vashlovani: a semi-desert national park in the far east of Kakheti, reached by 4x4 in spring and autumn. See our Vashlovani guide.
How many days do you need?
- 5 days: Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kakheti and Kazbegi. See our 5-day itinerary.
- 7–8 days: add Uplistsikhe, Borjomi and Vardzia, or Kutaisi. See the 7-day itinerary.
- 10–14 days: add Svaneti and Batumi. See the 10-day itinerary.
The mountains decide the season: Tusheti, Khevsureti and the road over the Zagari Pass from Ushguli open only in summer, and the Jvari Pass to Kazbegi can close after snow in winter. Our guide to the best time to visit Georgia goes through the year month by month.
Seeing it on a private tour
Georgia Highlights in 5 days covers Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kakheti, Kazbegi and Uplistsikhe. Classic Georgia in 8 days adds Borjomi and Vardzia, and the Grand Tour of Georgia in 10 days goes from the mountains to the Black Sea. Each is private, with your own car and driver-guide. See each tour page for the current price, or plan your own route and we send you a private itinerary with a price. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, "Historical Monuments of Mtskheta": whc.unesco.org
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, "Upper Svaneti": whc.unesco.org
- UNESCO, "Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method": ich.unesco.org
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, "Gelati Monastery": whc.unesco.org
Last checked: October 2026. Distances and drive times are approximate; mountain roads open and close with the weather.
