South Caucasus & Turkey

Itinerary

• Days 1-3: Tbilisi (Georgia), Mtskheta

  Start your Georgian experience by getting to know hip, picturesque Tbilisi, the country’s capital and by far its largest city. A day of touring includes wandering the narrow streets of the red-roofed Old Town; a stroll down broad Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi’s main thoroughfare; and a funicular trip into the surrounding hills to see the 4th century Narikala Fortress and the towering Mother Georgia monument. You’ll then go underground to a cellar wine bar to sample a cross-section of Georgian wines. Dinner is a supra, a traditional feast with dozens of dishes and a tamada (toastmaster) leading the festivities.

  Next, take a day trip to the surrounding Kartli region. Visit UNESCO-listed Mtskheta, capital of the eastern Georgian kingdom of Iberia from the 3rd century BC through the 5th century AD. Continue getting to know Georgian wines with tastings at the Saguramo Wine Research Station and the Mukhrani Chateau vineyard.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Landmarks in and around Tbilisi, including the 4th century Narikala Fortress, the hillside Mother Georgia monument, and the elaborately carved balconies of the Old Town
  • A thorough introduction to Georgian wine, with tastings at three sites
  • A supra – a traditional feast – showing off Georgia’s splendid cuisine and unstinting hospitality
  • UNESCO-listed Mtskheta’s two exceptional early Orthodox churches
• Days 4-6: Kutaisi, Svaneti

  Drive into Imereti, a region of small farms, vineyards, villages, and orchards. Lunch with a local winemaker, then pause to wonder at Katskhis Sveti, a 140-foot-tall limestone monolith on top of which medieval monks built a tiny church and hermitage. At your overnight destination, the town of Kutaisi, have a dinner featuring Imeretian cuisine, some of Georgia’s most creative and complex cooking.

  On the following two days, explore UNESCO-listed 12th century Gelati Monastery; drive through the steep,  stunning Caucasus Mountains of the secluded Svaneti region, known for its UNESCO-listed medieval watchtowers; visit a Svanetian home for a gourmet lunch; and have a dinner accompanied by Svan singers performing in a traditional polyphonic style.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • A dinner of traditional Imeretian cuisine; typical dishes include kid baked in a clay oven and wild mushrooms with tarragon and local cheese
  • The frescoes and mosaics of Gelati Monastery
  • The steep, remote mountains of Svaneti, studded with medieval watchtowers
  • A home-cooked Svanetian lunch, which might feature hen roasted in rose petals and eggplant slices stuffed with garlic-walnut paste
  • A performance of traditional songs in a centuries-old polyphonic style that developed independent of European rules of harmony
• Days 7-9: Borjomi, Vardzia, Tbilisi

  Descend from the mountains to the town of Zugdidi, where lunch features another regional cuisine, Megrelian. In the afternoon visit a maker of qvevri, the giant earthenware vessels used to ferment Georgian wine, and then continue to the resort town of Borjomi. On subsequent days explore the medieval cave city of Vardzia and the delightful Phoka Nunnery, where the nuns make cheese and chocolate by hand, before returning to Tbilisi.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Traditional Megrelian cuisine, known for its adjika (pepper sauce), satsivi (spicy walnut chicken), and ghomi (a dish resembling polenta)
  • Borjomi, a resort town situated on a beautiful gorge and famed for its mineral water
  • Exploring the network of hundreds of caves that make up Vardzia
  • Handcrafted chocolates, cheeses, and beeswax candles made at Phoka Nunnery
• Days 10-13: Telavi, Signagi, Tbilisi

  Head into Georgia’s most esteemed wine region, Kakheti. In and around the charming towns of Telavi and Signagi, walk through the vineyards and sample the renowned natural wines at Pheasant’s Tears Winery; visit the estate of Alexander Chavchavadze, a 19th century aristocrat and poet who was also a groundbreaking winemaker; tour the 9th century Bodbe Monastery; and continue indulging in exceptional meals. On your final day, join a local chef on his morning rounds at Signagi’s food market before returning to Tbilisi for a visit to the Dry Bridge Market, where you can search through the handmade jewelry and crafts for a souvenir from your Georgian journey.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Touring, tasting, and a farm-to-table meal at Pheasant’s Tears Winery
  • The narrow streets and intricate wooden balconies of the hill town of Signagi
  • The beautifully restored mansion of Alexander Chavchavadze
  • The basilica and gardens of Bodbe Monastery
  • Local jewelry and crafts at Tbilisi’s Dry Bridge Market