A Week in Georgia: The Self-Launched Edition

Welcome to Tbilisi! Most flights arrive late, so today is purely about settling in. Take a taxi or the A37 airport bus (~£1.50) into the city centre. Check into your guesthouse in the Old Town, grab a khachapuri from a local bakery, and get your bearings around the historic Abanotubani (sulphur bath district). Wander the twisting cobbled lanes at your own pace and rest up for the adventures ahead.

🚌A37 airport bus (~£1.50) or shared taxi (~£8) into central Tbilisi

🛏Fabrika Hostel or Old Town Guesthouse (e.g. Envoy Hostel), dorm ~£12-16/night

• →Airport to city via A37 bus or shared taxi (~£5-8)
• →Explore Abanotubani sulphur bath district on foot
• →Try khachapuri (cheese bread) and Georgian beer at a local café

Spend the morning exploring freely — visit the Dry Bridge flea market for Soviet-era curios, browse galleries on Rustaveli Avenue, or people-watch at pavement cafés. In the afternoon, join a self-bookable guided walking tour of Tbilisi's Old Town via GetYourGuide or locally arranged through your hostel. See Sioni Cathedral, the ornate synagogue, the sulphur baths, and the Treasury of the State Museum with its extraordinary pre-Christian gold collection. In the evening, head to a local restaurant on Shardeni Street for Georgian wine and traditional dishes.

🚌All on foot or metro (single fare ~£0.30)

🛏Fabrika Hostel or Old Town Guesthouse, dorm ~£12-16/night

• →Dry Bridge flea market (free to browse)
• →Old Town walking tour — book via GetYourGuide (~£15-20pp)
• →Treasury of the State Museum — National Museum of Georgia (~£3 entry)
• →Sioni Cathedral and decorated synagogue (free)
• →Dinner on Shardeni Street with Georgian wine

Take an early marshrutka from Tbilisi's Didube bus station to Gori (~1.5hrs, ~£2). Visit Stalin Square and the Stalin Museum — a uniquely Soviet-era celebration of the dictator's life, including his bulletproof train carriage used at Potsdam in 1945 (entry ~£5). After lunch at a local canteen, take a taxi to Uplistsikhe (~£5), an extraordinary rock-hewn town carved into sandstone cliffs above the Mtkvari River with pagan and early Christian temples side by side (entry ~£3). Walk the ancient steps up for sweeping views across the plains. In the late afternoon, catch a marshrutka or shared taxi from Gori towards Akhaltsikhe (~3hrs, ~£5-8). Check into your guesthouse and explore the illuminated Rabati Castle complex at night.

🚌Marshrutka Tbilisi→Gori (~£2), taxi to Uplistsikhe (~£5), marshrutka/shared taxi Gori→Akhaltsikhe (~£5-8)

🛏Guesthouse in Akhaltsikhe (e.g. Guest House Rabati or similar), ~£15-20/night

• →Marshrutka Tbilisi → Gori (~£2, ~1.5hrs)
• →Stalin Museum and armoured rail carriage, Gori (~£5 entry)
• →Lunch at a local Gori canteen (~£4-6)
• →Taxi to Uplistsikhe cave town (~£5 return from Gori)
• →Uplistsikhe rock town entry (~£3)
• →Marshrutka or shared taxi Gori → Akhaltsikhe (~£5-8, ~3hrs)

Start the morning at Rabati Castle, the vast fortress complex right in Akhaltsikhe that contains a church, mosque, minaret and synagogue side by side — a remarkable symbol of Georgia's multicultural past (entry ~£3). Arrange a shared taxi or day-trip from your guesthouse to Vardzia (~1hr drive, ~£10-15 shared). En route, stop at the 10th-century Khertvisi Fortress perched over a river gorge. At Vardzia, explore the spectacular 12th-century cave monastery carved into the volcanic cliffs by Queen Tamar — hundreds of rooms, churches, and frescoes cut into the rock face (entry ~£3). Return to Akhaltsikhe for the evening.

🚌Shared taxi or locally arranged day trip to Vardzia and back (~£10-15pp shared)

🛏Guesthouse in Akhaltsikhe, ~£15-20/night

• →Rabati Castle, Akhaltsikhe (entry ~£3)
• →Shared taxi Akhaltsikhe → Vardzia (~£10-15 shared, ~1hr)
• →Khertvisi Fortress stop (free, roadside)
• →Vardzia cave monastery entry (~£3)
• →Frescoes of Queen Tamar in the cave church
• →Return shared taxi to Akhaltsikhe

Today involves the most travel but the scenery is spectacular. Take a morning marshrutka back to Tbilisi (~3hrs, ~£6), then pick up a shared taxi or marshrutka north along the Georgian Military Highway — the legendary road linking Georgia to Russia through the Greater Caucasus. Stop at Ananuri, the 16th-century fortress complex perched above the Zhinvali Reservoir (free or small donation). Continue north to Gudauri, the high-altitude ski resort (~2,200m), which makes a great base for the Kazbegi region. Book a guesthouse in advance as options are limited.

🚌Marshrutka Akhaltsikhe→Tbilisi (~£6), shared taxi/marshrutka Tbilisi→Gudauri (~£8-12, ~2hrs)

🛏Guesthouse in Gudauri (e.g. Gudauri Inn or similar), ~£18-25/night

• →Marshrutka Akhaltsikhe → Tbilisi (~£6, ~3hrs)
• →Shared taxi or marshrutka Tbilisi → Gudauri via Ananuri (~£8-12)
• →Ananuri Fortress complex above Zhinvali Reservoir (free)
• →Scenic Georgian Military Highway through the Greater Caucasus
• →Arrive Gudauri and settle in — evening mountain views

Take a shared taxi or marshrutka from Gudauri north to Kazbegi/Stepantsminda (~45mins, ~£4-6). The drive through Dariali Gorge is breathtaking. From the village, hike or take a 4WD taxi up to Gergeti Trinity Monastery (Tsminda Sameba) perched at 2,170m above the town, with the snow-capped peak of Mount Kazbegi (5,047m) as a backdrop — one of Georgia's most iconic views. The hike up takes about 1.5hrs each way on a steep rocky path. Book a khinkali (Georgian dumpling) cooking class in the village through your guesthouse or via a local family host (~£15-20pp) — make and eat the spiced meat and cheese dumplings yourself. Return to Gudauri by shared taxi.

🚌Shared taxi Gudauri↔Kazbegi (~£4-6 each way)

🛏Guesthouse in Gudauri, ~£18-25/night

• →Shared taxi Gudauri → Kazbegi/Stepantsminda (~£4-6)
• →Hike to Gergeti Trinity Monastery (free, ~1.5hrs each way) or 4WD taxi (~£8-10)
• →Views of Mount Kazbegi (5,047m)
• →Dariali Gorge scenic drive
• →Khinkali cooking masterclass with local family (~£15-20pp)
• →Return shared taxi to Gudauri

Head south from Gudauri by marshrutka or shared taxi back towards Tbilisi, stopping at Mtskheta — the ancient capital of eastern Georgia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (~30mins from Tbilisi, ~£2 by marshrutka). Georgia's conversion to Christianity happened here in 337 CE. Visit the Church of Jvari perched dramatically on a cliff above the city confluence (entry free, taxi up ~£4 return) and Sveti-Tskhoveli Cathedral, the first Christian church in Georgia (entry ~£1.50). In the afternoon, take a marshrutka from Tbilisi's Ortachala bus station to Telavi in the Kakheti wine region (~2hrs, ~£3-4). Settle into your guesthouse and explore the town.

🚌Marshrutka/shared taxi Gudauri→Mtskheta→Tbilisi (~£8-12 total), marshrutka Tbilisi→Telavi (~£3-4)

🛏Guesthouse in Telavi (e.g. Twins Wine House area guesthouses), ~£15-22/night

• →Shared taxi/marshrutka Gudauri → Mtskheta (~£6-10 total via Tbilisi)
• →Church of Jvari on clifftop (free entry, taxi up ~£4 return)
• →Sveti-Tskhoveli Cathedral (~£1.50 entry)
• →Lunch in Mtskheta at a local restaurant (~£6-8)
• →Marshrutka Tbilisi → Telavi (~£3-4, ~2hrs)
• →Evening stroll in Telavi town centre

Start the morning at the Tsinandali Estate — the beautifully restored summer home, gardens and winery of 19th-century aristocratic poet Alexander Chavchavadze (entry ~£5, includes a small wine tasting). Take a shared taxi or local bus to Sighnaghi (~30mins, ~£3), the charming hilltop 'city of love' known for its wine and 18th-century walls. Have lunch at a local wine family or restaurant with a wine tasting of Kakheti's legendary amber qvevri wines (~£15-20 for lunch and tasting). Explore the town walls and panoramic views over the Alazani Valley. In the late afternoon, take a marshrutka back to Tbilisi (~2hrs, ~£3-4). Celebrate your last evening with a feast at a traditional Georgian restaurant.

🚌Shared taxi Telavi→Tsinandali→Sighnaghi (~£6-8 total), marshrutka Sighnaghi→Tbilisi (~£3-4)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Tbilisi Old Town (e.g. Envoy Hostel), dorm ~£12-16/night

• →Shared taxi Telavi → Tsinandali Estate (~£3-5)
• →Tsinandali summer estate and winery tour (~£5 entry with tasting)
• →Shared taxi Tsinandali → Sighnaghi (~£3)
• →Wine tasting and lunch with local family in Sighnaghi (~£15-20)
• →Walk Sighnaghi's 18th-century city walls (free)
• →Marshrutka Sighnaghi → Tbilisi (~£3-4, ~2hrs)
• →Farewell dinner in Tbilisi Old Town

Your adventure ends in Tbilisi. If you have time before your flight, pick up Georgian wine, churchkhela (walnut-and-grape candy), or handmade ceramics from the Dry Bridge market or Deserter's Bazaar. Grab a final khachapuri and coffee at a café in the Old Town. Take the A37 bus or a Bolt/Yandex ride-hail app to the airport — far cheaper than tourist taxis. Well done on completing one of the Caucasus's greatest self-launched adventures!

🚌A37 airport bus (~£1.50) or Bolt/Yandex app taxi (~£6-8) to Tbilisi International Airport

• →Last breakfast at an Old Town café
• →Dry Bridge market or Deserter's Bazaar for souvenirs
• →Bolt/Yandex ride-hail or A37 bus to airport (~£1.50-8)