5-Day Itinerary for Georgia

Georgia invented wine. The archaeological evidence puts winemaking in the South Caucasus at around 6,000 BC, making this the oldest wine culture on earth. That fact alone might not sell you on a trip, but it is a useful lens for everything that follows: a country that has been producing, trading, fighting over, and drinking wine for 8,000 years has a food culture, a hospitality tradition and a self-confidence that most European destinations spend centuries trying to acquire.

Visa: Citizens of most EU countries, the US, Canada, Australia and many others can enter Georgia visa-free for up to one year. Check the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for your specific country; the country is one of the most open in the world for visa-free travel.

Getting in: Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) is 18 km from the city centre. Bus 37 costs 1 GEL (Georgian Lari, roughly USD 0.38) and runs to the city centre but stops at 11pm. A taxi from the official airport taxi desk costs 40 to 60 GEL (approximately USD 15 to 22). Bolt and Yandex Go ride-hailing apps are cheaper at 15 to 30 GEL and are what most locals use. Download Bolt before you arrive and it works immediately.

Currency: Georgia uses the Georgian Lari (GEL). Cards are accepted widely in Tbilisi; outside the capital, carry cash. The local economy is good value: a full restaurant meal in Tbilisi costs USD 8 to 15 per person, and a private room in a guesthouse outside the capital runs USD 20 to 40 per night.

Day 1: Tbilisi

Old Tbilisi (Dzveli Tbilisi) is the place to start. The Narikala Fortress on the hill above the old city dates from the 4th century and is free to enter; take the cable car up from Rike Park (2.5 GEL each way) for the view over the medieval rooftop skyline and the Kura River below. Walk down through the Abanotubani sulphur bath district, where domed bathhouses have been operating continuously since at least the 5th century.

The sulphur baths are the most underrated experience in the city. Public baths cost 10 to 20 GEL per person per hour; private rooms at established spas like Royal Baths or Orbeliani cost 90 to 120 GEL per hour for the full room. The water temperature is 37 to 42 degrees Celsius naturally, emerging from underground sulphur springs. Go in the morning on a weekday when the private rooms are available without a wait.

For the afternoon, walk north to the Fabrika complex on Ninoshvili Street in the Chugureti district. This former Soviet sewing factory is now a courtyard of independent cafes, wine bars, small shops and a co-working space. It is not a tourist trap; people actually work here. The wine bars around the courtyard serve Georgian natural wines (amber/orange wines made in the traditional qvevri clay-pot method) starting from 8 to 12 GEL per glass.

Dinner on Day 1: Shavi Lomi on Mingreli Street (Old Tbilisi) does modern Georgian cooking with a shorter, well-sourced menu. Budget 40 to 60 GEL per person with wine. If you want the classic experience first, any of the khinkali houses in the old town serve the Georgian dumpling (filled minced meat or cheese) at 0.80 to 1.20 GEL per piece. Order 8 to 10 per person; eat them by hand, bite the top off and drink the broth inside before eating the rest.

Day 2: Tbilisi to Mtskheta, Ananuri and Kazbegi

This is a full driving day and requires an early start (8am at the latest). Hire a driver from Tbilisi for the day or the two-day Kazbegi trip; a shared marshrutka (minibus) from Didube bus station also runs to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) for around 15 GEL per person but takes longer and stops less conveniently.

Mtskheta (30 km from Tbilisi) is Georgia’s ancient capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, built in the 11th century over an earlier church on the spot where Georgia’s first bishop reportedly planted Christ’s robe, is one of the best-preserved medieval cathedrals in the Caucasus. Entry is free; allow 45 minutes. The Jvari Church on the hill overlooking the town junction where the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers meet is a short drive up and worth the detour for the view.

Ananuri Fortress on the Zhinvali Reservoir, 66 km north of Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Highway, is a 17th-century castle complex with two churches, defence towers and the turquoise reservoir behind it. Stop for 30 minutes; the road continues north into increasingly dramatic mountain scenery.

Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) sits at 1,740 metres elevation at the foot of 5,047-metre Mount Kazbek, 150 km north of Tbilisi near the Russian border. Overnight here; accommodation ranges from simple guesthouses at USD 20 to 30 per night to comfortable small hotels at USD 60 to 80.

Day 3: Gergeti Trinity Church and Drive to Kutaisi

The Gergeti Trinity Church sits at 2,170 metres above Stepantsminda, reached by a 3.5 to 4 hour round-trip hike (7 km total, moderate difficulty) or a 10-minute 4x4 taxi ride costing 70 to 100 GEL for the whole car. The hike is genuinely worth doing if the weather is clear; the upper section is steep but the summit view of the church against Mount Kazbek behind it is one of the most dramatic scenes in the Caucasus. Start early (before 8am) to beat both the midday heat and the coach groups from Tbilisi.

There is no entry fee to the church itself, but it is an active place of worship; dress modestly and avoid loud behaviour inside.

After returning to Stepantsminda, drive south toward Kutaisi (approximately 4 hours by car via Gori). Stop at the Stalin Museum in Gori (entry around 15 GEL) if Soviet history interests you. The museum is a strange and uncritical monument to Stalin’s legacy, built during the Soviet era and remarkably preserved; it is fascinating precisely because of its unreconstructed perspective. Arrive in Kutaisi by early evening.

Day 4: Kutaisi to Batumi

Kutaisi is Georgia’s second-largest city and has two UNESCO World Heritage sites worth a morning visit. Bagrati Cathedral (11th century) stands on a hill above the city; Gelati Monastery (12th century, 11 km outside town) is better, with original mosaic work in the main apse and a peaceful hilltop setting. Entry to both is free.

Drive two hours west to Prometheus Cave (12 km from Kutaisi), the largest cave system in Georgia with a 1.4 km guided tour through illuminated stalactite chambers and an optional boat ride on the underground river. Entry is around 17 GEL. Continue to Martvili Canyon (45 minutes further), where you can take a short boat trip through a narrow gorge of turquoise water for around 20 GEL.

Continue to Batumi (3 hours from Kutaisi). Batumi is Georgia’s Black Sea resort city and has an odd character: Soviet-era sanatoria mixed with glass towers built during a 2000s construction boom. The Batumi Botanical Garden on the hillside north of town (entry 15 GEL) is the best single site; the Boulevard along the seafront is pleasant for a walk. Stay overnight near the seafront.

Day 5: Gonio Fortress and Return to Tbilisi

Gonio Fortress, 15 km south of Batumi near the Turkish border, is a Roman-era fortification (1st century AD) that later served as a Byzantine and then Ottoman garrison. Entry is around 3 GEL. The site is compact but the views across the estuary to the Turkish mountains are worth the short detour.

Drive back to Tbilisi (5 hours, or 4.5 hours by train if you left the car in Batumi). The David Gareja cave monastery complex in the Kakheti region is sometimes suggested as a stop on this route, but the detour adds 2 hours and works better as a separate day trip from Tbilisi.

Depart from Tbilisi International Airport.

Final tip: If you have any time left in Tbilisi, visit the Dezerter Bazaar (covered market near the Vagzlis Moedani metro station) on a Saturday morning. It is the main food market for the city, full of spice vendors, churchkhela (walnut-studded grape-paste candy), dried fruit, fresh herbs and strong local cheese. It is not a tourist attraction; it is where people shop, which makes it a better place to spend an hour than any of the official sights.