The best day trips from Tbilisi
The best day trips from Tbilisi are Kazbegi for the mountains, Kakheti for wine, Mtskheta for history close to the city, and Uplistsikhe, Vardzia, Dashbashi Canyon or Borjomi for something different. Each one below is a starting point we can adjust for your group.
Kazbegi and the Georgian Military Road
The road north from Tbilisi to Kazbegi is the classic mountain day in Georgia, in the Caucasus. It follows the Georgian Military Road past Ananuri Fortress on the Zhinvali Reservoir, climbs through the ski resort of Gudauri and over the Jvari Pass, and ends in Stepantsminda beneath Mount Kazbek. Above the town, Gergeti Trinity Church stands alone on a ridge with the glacier behind it. It suits anyone who wants big scenery in a single day, and in winter we plan around the weather on the pass.
Kakheti and Sighnaghi
Kakheti is Georgia's main wine region, east of Tbilisi, with vineyards running across the Alazani Valley to the foot of the Greater Caucasus. Sighnaghi, a hilltop town ringed by old defensive walls, has some of the best views in the country, and Bodbe Monastery, where St Nino is buried, is just below it. The day is about wine tastings, long lunches and gentle walking, so it suits couples, food lovers and older travellers. Our Georgia wine tours page goes further.
Mtskheta
Mtskheta, the ancient capital, is the closest of the major day trips and its historic monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is the spiritual heart of the Georgian Orthodox Church, and Jvari Monastery looks down from its hilltop over the meeting of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers. It is short and easy on the legs, which makes it ideal for a half day, a first day after arriving, or families with young children.
Uplistsikhe and Gori
Uplistsikhe is a rock-cut town on a bluff above the Mtkvari river, carved and lived in over many centuries, with halls, streets and a pagan-era theatre hewn into the stone. Nearby Gori is the birthplace of Stalin, and its museum is a strange and memorable piece of Soviet history. This day suits travellers interested in archaeology and twentieth-century history, and it combines well with a wine stop in the Kartli countryside.
Vardzia
Vardzia is a twelfth-century cave monastery cut into a cliff above the Mtkvari in southern Georgia, built under Queen Tamar, with hundreds of rooms, chapels and tunnels. It is one of the longer drives from Tbilisi, usually paired with Rabati Fortress in Akhaltsikhe and the Khertvisi fortress on the way. It suits travellers who do not mind time in the car in return for one of the most striking sites in the country. There are steps and tunnels to tackle inside.
Dashbashi Canyon
Dashbashi Canyon, near Tsalka on the plateau south-west of Tbilisi, is a deep green gorge with waterfalls, walking paths and the glass-floored Diamond Bridge strung across it. It is a newer, more active day than the monastery trips, and it suits younger travellers, families with older children and anyone who has already seen the classic sights. It also works well as a cooler escape from the city in summer.
Borjomi and Bakuriani
Borjomi is the spa town that gave its name to Georgia's famous mineral water, with a long park along the river where you can taste the water straight from the spring. Higher up, Bakuriani is a ski resort in winter and a quiet base for walks in the forest the rest of the year. The day is relaxed rather than packed, so it suits families and slower travellers, and it is one of the best winter options.
How to choose a day trip from Tbilisi
The easiest way to choose is to start with what you most want to see, then check it against the season and how long you are happy to spend in the car.
- Mountains: Kazbegi first, Borjomi and Bakuriani for something gentler.
- Wine and food: Kakheti and Sighnaghi.
- History and churches: Mtskheta, then Uplistsikhe and Gori, or Vardzia if you can spare a longer day.
- Something active and new: Dashbashi Canyon.
- A short first day: Mtskheta, which is close enough to combine with a walk around Tbilisi.
The seasons matter too. Mountain roads are at their most reliable in late spring, summer and autumn, while Kakheti is at its liveliest during the autumn harvest. Our month-by-month guide explains what each season brings, and our guide to Georgia in winter covers the snow months.
If you still cannot decide, tell us what you enjoy and we will suggest the trip that fits.
Combine two day trips into a multi-day trip
Two day trips often work better as one longer trip, with a night away instead of two return drives to Tbilisi. A few combinations work particularly well:
- Kazbegi and Kakheti: mountains one day, wine the next, with a night in Stepantsminda or Sighnaghi.
- Uplistsikhe, Borjomi and Vardzia: a westward loop with a night in Borjomi or Akhaltsikhe, which turns the long Vardzia drive into an easy one.
- Mtskheta and Kazbegi: Mtskheta sits at the start of the Georgian Military Road, so the two fit naturally into the same journey.
- Kakheti over two days: Sighnaghi and the Alazani Valley one day, Telavi, Gremi and Kvareli the next.
We can arrange the overnight stays for you, whether hotels, guesthouses or apartments, or leave them to you. If you want a car for several days, see our private driver page.
Every day trip is private and customizable
Every day trip we run from Tbilisi is private, for your group only, and every route can be changed. The tours below are ideas to work from rather than fixed packages.
You travel in a private vehicle with a driver and, if you want one, a guide who speaks English, Russian or Georgian. We set the pace for the people travelling, with shorter walks and more comfortable stops for families and older travellers. In the mountains, if a pass or trail is closed, your guide reroutes to something worth seeing.
To learn more about travelling with a guide, see our private tour guide in Tbilisi page.
