Itinerary
- Day 1
Tbilisi
You'll arrive in Tbilisi at your own pace during the day and evening. A transfer takes you to Hotel Zeg where you can settle in and rest after your journey. Your tour kicks off tomorrow morning after breakfast, so make sure you arrive with enough time to get comfortable.
Optional Activities
- Explore Tbilisi independently
- Local dining recommendations
- Sightseeing guidance (available upon request)
- Day 2
Tbilisi
After breakfast, you'll explore central Tbilisi with your guide. Walking through narrow streets lined with colorful houses and ornate balconies, you'll start at the 13th-century Metekhi Church. A cable car takes you up to Narikala Fortress for views across the city, then you'll head down to the sulphur bath district to relax in thermal baths. Dinner comes next at a local restaurant where you'll try authentic Georgian cuisine with your guide.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Dinner with guide, sampling delicious local Georgian cuisine)
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Tbilisi old town
- Visit Metekhi Church
- Cable car ride to Narikala Fortress
- Panoramic views from fortress
- Visit to sulphur bath region (thermal baths available)
- Dinner with guide
Optional Activities
- Thermal bath experience (available at sulphur baths)
Landmarks Metekhi Church Narikala Fortress - Day 3
Telavi
You'll travel to the Kakheti wine region to see its mountain scenery and winemaking heritage. The fortified town of Sighnaghi offers views over the Alazani Valley and Caucasus Mountains. Lunch happens with a local family, then you'll make Churchkhela (grape juice and walnut dessert) and Georgian bread in a cooking class. A traditional wine cellar visit includes meeting a local winemaker who explains the ancient Kvevri clay vessel method. Dinner at your Telavi resort wraps up the day.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch with local family, sampling delicious homemade food), Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Sighnaghi fortified town
- Lunch with local family
- Cooking class: making Churchkhela
- Georgian bread baking
- Traditional Georgian wine cellar visit
- Meeting with local winemaker
- Traditional Kvevri winemaking demonstration
- Dinner at family hotel
Landmarks Sighnaghi Alazani Valley - Day 4
Telavi to Mtskheta to Tbilisi
You'll head to Mtskheta, Georgia's ancient capital and religious center. The 6th-century Jvari Monastery and 11th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (both UNESCO sites) are on your list. A local family prepares lunch, and then you'll return to Tbilisi with free time to rest or explore on your own.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch with local family, sampling delicious homemade food)
Included Activities
- Visit Jvari Monastery (6th century)
- Visit Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century)
- Lunch with local family
Landmarks Jvari Monastery Svetitskhoveli Cathedral Mtskheta - Day 5
Tbilisi to Vardzia
Driving toward Vardzia, you'll stop in Tsalka to see Paravani Lake, Georgia's largest volcanic lake. Phoka Monastery comes next, connected to St. Nino who brought Christianity to Georgia. Vardzia's 12th-century cave town complex shows you what Queen Tamara built as a sanctuary during the Mongol invasion, with its 13 floors once housing a monastery, bakery, and throne room carved right into the mountain. You'll stay in local cottages.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Paravani Lake (volcanic lake)
- Visit Phoka Monastery
- Explore Vardzia cave town complex (12th century)
- Historic monastery, bakery, and throne room exploration
Landmarks Paravani Lake Phoka Monastery Vardzia Cave Town Complex - Day 6
Vardzia to Gyumri, Armenia
You'll drive to the Georgian-Armenian border at Bavra checkpoint where your local Armenian guide meets you. From there, you'll head to Gyumri, Armenia's second largest city with 3,000 years of history. The old town walking tour includes the Museum of National Architecture and Urban Life in the 1872 Petros Dzitoghtsyan house, which displays period furniture, artwork, carpets, and handicrafts. You'll also see the Black Fortress (Sev Berd), one of Gyumri's most famous historical buildings.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Gyumri city tour
- Visit Museum of National Architecture and Urban Life
- Visit Black Fortress (Sev Berd)
- Dinner at hotel
Landmarks Black Fortress (Sev Berd) Museum of National Architecture and Urban Life - Day 7
Gyumri to Echmiadzin to Yerevan
You'll travel to Echmiadzin to visit Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the center of the Armenian Church and one of the world's first Christian State churches. According to legend, Jesus Christ descended from heaven to show where the church should be built. At a local house, you'll make traditional Dolmas (stuffed vine leaves) and eat what you've made for lunch. A stop at the Zvartnots Cathedral ruins comes before continuing toward Yerevan and settling into your hotel with free evening time.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch featuring homemade Dolmas (stuffed vine leaves) prepared during masterclass)
Included Activities
- Visit Etchmiadzin Cathedral
- Dolmas (stuffed vine leaves) masterclass
- Lunch featuring Dolmas
- Stop at Zvartnots Cathedral ruins
Landmarks Etchmiadzin Cathedral Zvartnots Cathedral - Day 8
Yerevan
You'll start at Republic Square, architect Alexander Tamanian's masterpiece, then check out the Cascade Complex with its massive stairways and city views. Next, you'll see the Monument to Mother Armenia in Victory Park and tour the Opera House, a key urban architecture gem. The Yerevan Brandy Factory (founded 1887) comes next with cognac tasting in the tasting room, plus its Grand Prix win from the 1900 Paris exhibition. You'll browse the famous fruit market sampling dried fruits, sujukh, basturma, and herbs. Dinner at a local restaurant with traditional folk music finishes the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Dinner at local restaurant with traditional folk music)
Included Activities
- Visit Republic Square
- Cascade Complex (open-air modern art museum)
- Victory Park and Monument to Mother Armenia
- Opera House tour
- Yerevan Brandy Factory museum and tasting room
- Visit fruit market
- Dinner with traditional folk music
Landmarks Republic Square Cascade Complex Victory Park Monument to Mother Armenia Yerevan Opera House Yerevan Brandy Factory - Day 9
Yerevan to Garni to Geghard to Lake Sevan to Yerevan
You'll visit Garni village to see its ancient citadel and Hellenistic pagan temple. Lunch at a local house includes making lavash, traditional bread baked in an underground tonir oven. After that, you'll ascend the Azat River gorge to Geghard Monastery, a UNESCO site and remarkable medieval structure partly carved from the mountainside. The monastery's name comes from the legendary spear that wounded Jesus, reportedly brought to Armenia by Apostle Thaddeus. Lake Sevan comes next, an emerald lake and the world's second largest alpine lake surrounded by mountains. You'll return to Yerevan for your farewell dinner at the house-museum of painter and ethnographer Lusik Aguletsi, eating national dishes in an authentic Armenian house that also serves as an art café.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at local house in Garni with participation in making lavash using underground tonir stove), Dinner (Farewell dinner featuring national Armenian dishes at Lusik Aguletsi's house-museum (contemporary painter and ethnographer), also an art café)
Included Activities
- Visit Garni citadel and pagan temple
- Lunch at local house in Garni
- Making lavash (Armenian bread) in tonir oven
- Visit Geghard Monastery
- Visit Lake Sevan
- Farewell dinner at Lusik Aguletsi house-museum
Landmarks Garni Citadel and Pagan Temple Geghard Monastery Lake Sevan - Day 10
Yerevan
Your adventure through the Caucasus comes to a close as you leave Yerevan. You'll have breakfast before heading to the airport for your flight home, departing rejuvenated after your time in Georgia and Armenia.
- Meals
- Breakfast
