Georgia in 14 Days — Grand Discovery

King Vakhtang Gorgasali founded Tbilisi in the 5th century on the hot springs that still feed the domed sulfur baths of the Old Town. Climb to Narikala Fortress for panoramic views, wander the cobblestone alleys and ornate wooden balconies of Old Tbilisi, then cross the illuminated Bridge of Peace toward grand Rustaveli Avenue. Evenings bring khinkali, khachapuri, and wine from one of the world's oldest traditions, often paired with Georgian polyphonic singing.

A walled hilltop town in Kakheti's wine country, Sighnaghi keeps one of Georgia's best-preserved fortress walls, whose 23 towers look out over the vineyard-covered Alazani Valley toward the Caucasus. Walk the ramparts, taste qvevri wine made the ancient way at Pheasant's Tears, and see Niko Pirosmani's paintings in the town museum. Nearby Bodbe Monastery holds the tomb of St. Nino, drawing pilgrims to its hillside gardens.

A short drive from Sighnaghi, Bodbe Monastery holds the tomb of St. Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century; the church standing today goes back to the 9th. Walk the rose gardens, take in the wide Alazani Valley views, and follow the path down to St. Nino's Spring, long visited for its healing waters. The small monastery museum fills in the rest of this enduring pilgrimage site.

Telavi is the heart of Kakheti, Georgia's wine country, where vineyard-covered valleys meet centuries of royal history. Once the medieval capital under King Erekle II, it surrounds you with sights like the towering Alaverdi Cathedral, the elegant Chavchavadze Estate, and the cellars of Tsinandali. Days here move from castle walls and monasteries to long tables of mtsvadi, fresh shoti bread, and deep-red Saperavi poured straight from the source. Come in autumn for the grape harvest and you'll taste the region at its most alive.

In the heart of Kakheti, Tsinandali centres on the elegant Chavchavadze Estate, where poet Alexander Chavchavadze brought European winemaking to Georgia in 1818. Stroll the English-style gardens, tour the estate museum, and descend into a cellar whose 1841 winery still pours its celebrated white. With concerts and harvest celebrations through autumn, it pairs aristocratic history with the easy pleasures of Georgian wine country.

Rising over the vineyards of Kakheti, Alaverdi has stood since the 11th century, when King Kvirike raised it as a theological center that would weather centuries of invasions. Its cathedral remains one of the tallest churches in Georgia, and the monks here still keep a living wine tradition in their own cellar. Visit in autumn for the Alaverdoba harvest festival, climb the bell tower for views across the plain, then continue to the nearby wine towns of Telavi and Tsinandali.

Rising above the Aragvi River, Ananuri is a fortified complex that once served as the stronghold of the Dukes of Aragvi, a feudal dynasty whose battles shaped this corner of Georgia. Within its walls stand two churches and a defensive tower, adorned with the intricate carvings and frescoes that define Georgian sacred art. From the ramparts, the view opens across the turquoise Zhinvali Reservoir and surrounding mountains, making it one of the country's most rewarding historical stops.

Kazbegi, formerly Stepantsminda, is the base for Georgia's high Caucasus. The 14th-century Gergeti Trinity Church sits alone at 2,170 meters with Mount Kazbek—the country's third-highest peak at 5,047 meters—rising behind it. Reach the area on the three-hour drive from Tbilisi along the Georgian Military Highway, then hike to the Truso Valley's mineral springs or walk the cliffs of the Dariali Gorge.

Set against the snowcapped cone of Mount Kazbek, this 14th-century church is one of Georgia's most photographed sights and a living Orthodox pilgrimage site. We walk you up from Stepantsminda, roughly a two to three hour climb through meadows that bloom with wildflowers in summer, or arrange a 4x4 for those who'd rather save their legs. Once a refuge that safeguarded Georgia's religious treasures during invasions, its medieval frescoes and alpine isolation still hold travelers spellbound.

Once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Iberia, Mtskheta is where Georgia first embraced Christianity in the 4th century, and that legacy still shapes every street. A short drive from Tbilisi, this UNESCO-listed town pairs the soaring Svetitskhoveli Cathedral with the hilltop Jvari Monastery and the resting place of St. Nino at Samtavro. Come for the pilgrimage atmosphere, the icon-painting tradition, and a bowl of hearty lobio between the churches.

Set in central Georgia, Gori is best known as the birthplace of Joseph Stalin, and its museum confronts that legacy head-on, from biographical exhibits to his personal railway carriage and one of the few surviving statues. But the town has far deeper roots: founded in the Middle Ages on old trade routes, it is still watched over by the hilltop ruins of Gori Fortress. Wander its lively markets, sample lobio and fresh sulguni, then continue to the nearby cave town of Uplistsikhe, just fifteen minutes away.

Uplistsikhe is a whole town carved into the rock above the Kura River, and one of Georgia's oldest urban settlements. Walk among cave dwellings, a stone theater, and tunnel passages that served as homes, temples, and gathering halls from the 2nd millennium BC, when this was a thriving pagan and later Christian center until the Mongol invasions. With its 9th-century church and sweeping river views, it's an unhurried, hands-on encounter with ancient Georgian life etched directly into the cliffs.

High in the Lesser Caucasus, Bakuriani has welcomed visitors since the late 19th century, when it grew into a mountain resort under the Russian Empire and later a Soviet sports hub. Today its slopes draw skiers to Didveli Peak and Kokhta Mountain in winter, while summer opens up the Botanical Garden and scenic trails. Ride the historic narrow-gauge train up from Borjomi, then warm up with khinkali, khachapuri, and trout in walnut sauce.

Wrapped in the forests of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, this spa town has drawn visitors to its mineral springs since the days when it served as a fashionable retreat of the Russian Empire and hosted the Romanovs. Sip the famous water straight from the source in the central park, wander trails alive with wildlife, and tour the regal Romanov Palace. Cap the day with trout in walnut sauce and a slower, restorative pace.

Cut into a cliff above the Mtkvari River, Vardzia is a 12th-century cave city ordered by Queen Tamar during Georgia's Golden Age. A 1283 earthquake sheared away the outer rock and laid the warren of chambers open to view. Inside the Church of the Dormition, original frescoes survive, including a portrait of Tamar herself. You can also trace the Royal Chambers, the qvevri wine cellars, the rock-cut bell tower, and the hidden tunnels of this UNESCO World Heritage site.

One of the oldest fortresses in Georgia, guarding the junction of two rivers in Samtskhe-Javakheti. Functional throughout the Georgian feudal period, it stands on the road to the Vardzia cave city.

Once the capital of ancient Colchis, the kingdom Jason crossed the sea to reach for the Golden Fleece, Kutaisi pairs deep history with the limestone country around it. See the 12th-century frescoes and mosaics of UNESCO-listed Gelati Monastery, the 11th-century Bagrati Cathedral above the city, the stalactite chambers of Prometheus Cave, and the preserved dinosaur footprints at Sataplia Nature Reserve. Cap it with Imeretian cooking: sulguni cheese, mchadi cornbread, and a true Georgian supra.

A UNESCO World Heritage monastic complex near Kutaisi, founded by King David the Builder in the 12th century. During the 12th-13th centuries Gelati was one of Georgia's foremost centres of religion, learning and philosophy, famed for its medieval mosaics and frescoes.

Capital of the western province of Samegrelo and the gateway to Svaneti. Its Dadiani Palace museum holds over 50,000 exhibits, including relics of European royal families and one of Napoleon Bonaparte's death masks.

Set high in the Caucasus, Mestia is the heart of Svaneti, where stone defensive towers built between the 9th and 12th centuries still rise above the rooftops. The isolation that once protected the fiercely independent Svans also preserved a living culture you can still hear in their polyphonic singing and taste at a hearty feast. Spend your days exploring the Ethnographic and Margiani House museums, trekking to the Chalaadi Glacier, or skiing at Hatsvali, with the ancient village of Ushguli within easy reach.

Among the highest permanently inhabited villages in Europe, UNESCO-listed Ushguli sits deep in the Caucasus, where centuries-old Svan defensive towers still rise above the stone houses. The Svan people keep their own language, customs and polyphonic singing alive here, and the village opens onto treks toward the Shkhara Glacier. Reached by 4x4 from Mestia and best in summer, it pairs medieval atmosphere with hearty Svan fare like kubdari.

Batumi puts Georgia's Black Sea coast within one walkable seafront: stroll the 7-kilometer palm-lined Batumi Boulevard, watch the moving Ali & Nino statue tell its love story, and climb the 130-meter Alphabetic Tower honoring the Georgian alphabet for 360-degree views. Wander Europe Square's Belle Epoque facades, then lose an afternoon in the vast Botanical Garden, where plants from six continents spill down the hillside. Every cafe serves Adjarian khachapuri, the boat-shaped cheese bread cracked open around a runny egg.

A Roman and later Byzantine citadel 12 km south of Batumi on the left bank of the River Chorokhi. It guarded the route from the south-western inlands to the Black Sea and is reputedly the burial place of the Apostle Matthias.