Photos: ალ-ო (CC BY-SA 3.0) · G.N. (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Yasuhiro Kojima (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Lanakharaishvili (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Racha: Nikortsminda, Shaori Lake & Khvanchkara Wine — 3-Day Private Tour
Nikortsminda Cathedral · Ambrolauri · Oni · Shaori Lake
Overview
A private 3-day tour from Tbilisi to Racha, a quiet mountain region in north-west Georgia: the carved façades of the 11th-century Nikortsminda Cathedral, a day in Upper Racha around Oni and the upper Rioni valley, and tastings of semi-sweet red Khvanchkara at family wineries. You drive west past Kutaisi, then north over the Nakerala pass by Shaori lake, so days one and three each have about 5 hours of driving; the mountain section is slow and winding. Both nights are in Ambrolauri, Racha's small capital. Day two is gentler: Oni with its 1895 synagogue, a walk in the upper Rioni valley and, from June to September, optional rafting from Oni down to Ambrolauri. On day three you taste at two family wineries around Khvanchkara before heading back. It suits travellers who have already seen the classic sights and want a region with few visitors, Racha ham and bean-filled lobiani, and wine you rarely find outside Georgia.
Itinerary
4 stops: Nikortsminda Cathedral, Ambrolauri, Oni, Shaori Lake
1Day 1Tbilisi to Racha via Nikortsminda
About 5 hours of driving via Kutaisi, Tkibuli and the Nakerala pass.
Pickup in Tbilisi; west on the E60 highway
Lunch near Kutaisi (not included)
North via Tkibuli, over the Nakerala pass past Shaori lake
Nikortsminda Cathedral
- Nikortsminda CathedralDay 1: Nikortsminda Cathedral (early 11th century), known for the carved reliefs on its façades (about 45 min).
Day 1: Nikortsminda Cathedral (early 11th century), known for the carved reliefs on its façades (about 45 min).
Nikortsminda Cathedral of St Nicholas stands on a small hill in the village of Nikortsminda in Racha, about 15–16 km south of Ambrolauri on the road from Tkibuli and Shaori. Built in 1010–1014 under King Bagrat III, it is one of the finest examples of Georgian stone carving: the facades and drum are covered with reliefs of the Transfiguration, the Last Judgement, the Exaltation of the Cross, saints, animals and fantastic beasts. Inside, 17th-century wall paintings in bright reds and yellows fill the walls and dome.
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Ambrolauri; evening walk
- AmbrolauriNights 1–2 in Ambrolauri, Racha's small capital on the Rioni. Day 3: Khvanchkara tastings at two family wineries nearby (included).
Nights 1–2 in Ambrolauri, Racha's small capital on the Rioni. Day 3: Khvanchkara tastings at two family wineries nearby (included).
Ambrolauri is the small main town of Racha, a quiet mountain region on the upper Rioni river in north-western Georgia, about 250 km (4.5–5 h) from Tbilisi and 1.5–2 hours from Kutaisi. It is the base for Racha's wine villages, where Khvanchkara, a naturally semi-sweet red, is made from Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli grapes, and for the carved 11th-century cathedral of Nikortsminda. Travellers come for wine tastings, village food, green valleys and very few crowds.
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Overnight: Ambrolauri (hotel or guesthouse, breakfast)
2Day 2Upper Racha: Oni and the Rioni valley
About 2–3 hours of driving on mountain roads.
- OniDay 2: Oni, with its 1895 synagogue from the town's once-large Jewish community, then a walk in the upper Rioni valley.
Day 2: Oni, with its 1895 synagogue from the town's once-large Jewish community, then a walk in the upper Rioni valley.
Oni is the small main town of upper Racha, on the Rioni river at about 800 m, some 27 km (30 min) north-east of Ambrolauri. Its synagogue, built in 1895, is one of the largest in Georgia and a reminder of the town's once-large Jewish community. The town is also the gateway to the upper Rioni valley, the Shovi area and the high passes towards the Russian border, and the start of rafting trips down the Rioni.
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Drive up the Rioni valley to Oni: the 1895 synagogue and the old town
Walk in the upper Rioni valley above Oni
Lunch (not included)
Optional Jun–Sep: Rioni rafting from Oni to Ambrolauri (quoted separately)
Back in Ambrolauri
Overnight: Ambrolauri (hotel or guesthouse, breakfast)
3Day 3Khvanchkara tastings and Shaori lake
About 5 hours back to Tbilisi via the Nakerala pass, Tkibuli and Kutaisi (about 2 h if you finish in Kutaisi).
Khvanchkara tastings at two family wineries
Shaori lake viewpoint
- Shaori LakeDay 3: Shaori lake, a reservoir at the foot of the Nakerala pass, on the road out towards Kutaisi (short photo stop).
Day 3: Shaori lake, a reservoir at the foot of the Nakerala pass, on the road out towards Kutaisi (short photo stop).
Shaori is a mountain reservoir at about 1,100–1,200 m in the forested Nakerala range, beside the road from Tkibuli over the Nakerala pass into Racha, about 25 km from Ambrolauri. It is about 7 km long, with forest down to the water. For most travellers it is a 20–40-minute photo and coffee stop on the drive between Kutaisi and Ambrolauri, with a longer break for a picnic or a walk along the shore.
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Lunch near Kutaisi (not included); drop-off in Kutaisi possible
In Tbilisi
Make this tour your own:Build your own tour
What's Included
Included
- Private car or minivan with fuel and parking (sedan for 1–3 travellers, minivan for 4–8)
- English-speaking driver-guide throughout
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Tbilisi
- 2 nights in an Ambrolauri hotel or guesthouse, twin/double rooms, breakfast included
- Khvanchkara tastings at two family wineries
- Bottled water
Not included
- Lunches and dinners (about 25–40 GEL per person for lunch)
- Rioni rafting (quoted separately)
- Drinks
- Single room supplement
- Tips (optional)
- Travel insurance (mandatory for visitors to Georgia from 1 January 2026)
Map
Good to know
- Best Time to Visit
- June–October (grape harvest in October)
- Physical Requirements
- Suitable for most fitness levels. Involves some walking on mostly flat terrain with minimal elevation changes.
- Cancellation Policy
- Nothing to pay now. Your quote includes the cancellation terms before you pay anything.
- Driving
- about 5 hours each way on days one and three, the last part on winding mountain roads; bring a remedy if you get car-sick.
- Rafting
- the Oni–Ambrolauri section (about 26 km) is at its biggest in June and gentler from mid-July; you should be a confident swimmer.
- Heads-up
- Racha has few restaurants outside Ambrolauri and Oni, so we plan lunch stops in advance.
- Accommodation
- Ambrolauri has small hotels and family guesthouses, not large resort hotels.
Categories:
Short trip (2–5 days)
Mountains
Wine & food
