Skip to main content
Geotour
David Gareja Lavra monastery cut into the rock of a semi-desert ridge
Sighnaghi's red-roofed houses on a wooded hilltop above the Alazani Valley, Kakheti
Bodbe convent with its bell tower and cypress trees above the Alazani valley, near Sighnaghi
Tour photo

David Gareja Monastery & Sighnaghi — Private Day Trip from Tbilisi

David Gareja · Sighnaghi · Bodbe

  • 1 day
  • Private, 1–8 travellers
  • Moderate
  • Starts in Tbilisi
  • March–June and September–Novem…

Overview

A private day trip from Tbilisi to the David Gareja Lavra, a 6th-century monastery partly cut into a semi-desert ridge on the Azerbaijan border, then across Kakheti to the walled hill town of Sighnaghi for a walk and an included wine tasting, and to Bodbe convent, where St Nino is buried. Be ready for a long day: 10–11 hours, with about 320 km and 6 hours of driving, the last stretch to Gareja on a rough road. The Udabno cave monastery on the ridge above the Lavra is often closed because of the border, so we don't promise it; if it is open, the walk above the striped hills takes 1.5–2 hours on a steep, exposed path. Spring and autumn suit the trip best: in July and August the semi-desert passes 35 °C, so we start at 07:00.

Itinerary

3 stops: David Gareja, Sighnaghi, Bodbe

David Gareja Lavra, Sighnaghi and Bodbe

A 10–11 hour day with about 320 km and 6 hours of driving. The last stretch to Gareja is a rough road.

    • David GarejaThe Lavra, founded in the 6th century by St David, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers, with cells and churches cut into the rock; about 2 hours. The ridge walk to the Udabno caves only if border access allows on the day.

      The Lavra, founded in the 6th century by St David, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers, with cells and churches cut into the rock; about 2 hours. The ridge walk to the Udabno caves only if border access allows on the day.

      David Gareja is a monastery complex cut into the sandstone cliffs of a semi-desert ridge on the Georgia–Azerbaijan border, about 100 km (2 h) south-east of Tbilisi by road. The Lavra, the working monastery founded in the 6th century by St David Garejeli, has cave cells and churches around a courtyard. Above it, a steep ridge path leads to the Udabno caves, painted with frescoes from the 10th to 13th centuries, when the border situation allows. The striped hills, steppe and wide views feel unlike anywhere else in Georgia.

      View destination details

  2. Pickup in Tbilisi; drive via Sagarejo and Udabno to the Lavra (about 100 km, 2 h)

  3. Lavra monastery (2 h); the ridge walk above the striped hills only if it is open on the day

  4. Lunch in Udabno village (not included)

  5. Drive to Sighnaghi (about 2 h)

    • SighnaghiAbout 2 hours across Kakheti to Sighnaghi: a walk on the 18th-century town walls and through the old town, and a tasting at a small natural-wine cellar (included).

      About 2 hours across Kakheti to Sighnaghi: a walk on the 18th-century town walls and through the old town, and a tasting at a small natural-wine cellar (included).

      Sighnaghi is a small walled town at about 790 m on a ridge above the Alazani Valley in Kakheti, about 113 km (2 h) east of Tbilisi. Its 18th-century defensive wall with towers looks across the vineyards to the Greater Caucasus. You walk a section of the wall, see Niko Pirosmani's paintings in the Sighnaghi Museum, taste qvevri wine in the town's cellars, and visit Bodbe convent, the burial place of St Nino, 2 km away. It works as a half-day stop or a relaxed overnight in wine country.

      View destination details

  6. Sighnaghi walls and old town, with a wine tasting (included)

  7. Bodbe convent

    • BodbeBodbe convent on the way out of Sighnaghi, burial place of St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century; about 30 minutes.

      Bodbe convent on the way out of Sighnaghi, burial place of St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century; about 30 minutes.

      Bodbe is a working convent 2 km from Sighnaghi in Kakheti, about 115 km (2 h) from Tbilisi, and the burial place of St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century. Her tomb lies in a small basilica first built between the 9th and 11th centuries, set among cypress trees and flower gardens with a wide view over the Alazani valley to the Caucasus. From the convent a long, steep path of steps leads down to St Nino's Spring, where pilgrims collect water and bathe.

      View destination details

  8. Drive back (about 2 h); 19:30 at your hotel

Make this tour your own:Build your own tour

What's Included

  • Private car or minivan with fuel and parking (sedan for 1–3 travellers, minivan for 4–8)
  • English-speaking driver-guide for the whole day
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Tbilisi
  • Wine tasting at a small cellar in Sighnaghi
  • Bottled water

  • Lunch (about 30–40 GEL per person)
  • Sighnaghi National Museum, if you want to go in (we confirm the current fee)
  • Off-road 4x4 to the painted hills near Udabno (quoted on request)
  • Drinks
  • Tips (optional)
  • Travel insurance (mandatory for visitors to Georgia from 1 January 2026)

Map

Good to know

Best Time to Visit
March–June and September–November; July–August with a 07:00 start; December–February on request
Physical Requirements
Moderate fitness level required. Includes longer walks, some uphill sections, and possibly uneven terrain.
Cancellation Policy
Nothing to pay now. Your quote includes the cancellation terms before you pay anything.
Pace
a long day with about 6 hours in the car; if you prefer a gentler pace, we can split Gareja and Sighnaghi into two separate days.
Dress code
the Lavra is an active monastery with a strict dress code: long trousers for men, long skirts and headscarves for women, and covered shoulders for everyone.
What to bring
closed shoes, a hat, sun cream and plenty of water; there is little shade at Gareja.
Heads-up
the Udabno ridge caves sit on the disputed border line with Azerbaijan and access changes at short notice; we tell you on the day whether the walk is possible.
Snakes
vipers live in the semi-desert in the warm months; keep to the paths and wear closed shoes.
Categories:
Day trip from Tbilisi
History & culture

You Might Also Like

Guides for planning your trip

All travel guides

This page in other languages