Mtskheta, Jvari & Château Mukhrani — Private Half-Day Wine Trip

About 5.5–6 hours. Mtskheta is 25 km (30 min) from Tbilisi; Mukhrani is about 45 km (45–55 min) from Tbilisi. Afternoon starts follow the same plan.

1. 09:30

   Pickup at your Tbilisi hotel

2. 10:0030 min

   Jvari Monastery

   • Jvari Monastery30 minutes at Jvari Monastery (c. 590–605), with the view down to Mtskheta where the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers meet.

     30 minutes at Jvari Monastery (c. 590–605), with the view down to Mtskheta where the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers meet.

     Jvari Monastery stands on a rocky hilltop above Mtskheta, about 20 km north of Tbilisi, where the Aragvi river flows into the Mtkvari. The church, built around 590–605 on the spot where a wooden cross (jvari) was raised after Georgia's conversion to Christianity, is part of the UNESCO-listed Historical Monuments of Mtskheta. Inside you see the base of the cross; outside, carved donor reliefs and the classic view down to Mtskheta and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. A 30–45 minute visit, usually combined with Mtskheta itself.

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3. 10:451 h

   Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and old Mtskheta

   • MtskhetaAbout an hour at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century, on the site of Georgia's first church) and the old centre of Mtskheta. Free entry; dress code applies.

     About an hour at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century, on the site of Georgia's first church) and the old centre of Mtskheta. Free entry; dress code applies.

     Mtskheta, about 25 km (30 min) north of Tbilisi where the Aragvi meets the Mtkvari, was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kartli (Iberia) and the place where Georgia adopted Christianity in the 4th century. Its churches are a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in the old town, Jvari Monastery on the hill opposite with the classic view over the river confluence, and the Samtavro convent. Allow half a day, or combine it with Gori and Uplistsikhe or a Mukhrani winery.

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4. 12:151 h 45 min

   Château Mukhrani: palace and cellar tour with tasting

   • Château Mukhrani1.5–2 hours at Château Mukhrani: the 19th-century palace, the old barrel cellars and a guided tasting (included). Lunch at the estate restaurant is optional.

     1.5–2 hours at Château Mukhrani: the 19th-century palace, the old barrel cellars and a guided tasting (included). Lunch at the estate restaurant is optional.

     Château Mukhrani is the restored 19th-century palace and wine estate of Prince Ivane Mukhranbatoni in the Mukhrani valley of Kartli, about 45 km (45–55 min) from Tbilisi and 30 minutes beyond Mtskheta. The prince, a member of the Bagrationi royal family, brought French winemaking ideas home and released his first vintage in 1878. Today you tour the palace and the old cellars, taste the estate's wines from Georgian and French grape varieties, and can stay for lunch in the estate restaurant.

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5. Optional: lunch at the estate restaurant (adds about 1 h)

6. 14:4545 min

   Back at your hotel