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How many days in Georgia? 8 days, Tbilisi, the Caucasus and the wine valleys
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Georgia packs high mountains, 8,000 years of winemaking and a capital with a strong café culture into a country the size of Ireland. Eight days is a good first trip: three around Tbilisi with day trips to the old capital and the wine region of Kakheti, two up the Georgian Military Road to Kazbegi, then west to Kutaisi and the Black Sea at Batumi. Distances are short but mountain roads are slow, and Georgian dinners are long, so leave room in the evenings.
Short answer
Five days covers Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kazbegi and Kakheti from one base. Eight adds a night in the mountains and the green west, with its monasteries, caves and the coast.
The 8-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Tbilisi: old town, fortress and sulphur baths
Morning. Start in Abanotubani, the district of brick-domed sulphur baths, and walk up the waterfall gorge behind it. Take the cable car from Rike Park (about ₾2.50) or walk 20 minutes up to Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue for the view over the river.
Afternoon. Walk down through the old town lanes past Sioni Cathedral and the leaning clock tower of the Gabriadze puppet theatre, then cross the glass Bridge of Peace to Rike Park. Continue along Shardeni Street and up Rustaveli Avenue to the Georgian National Museum (about ₾15).
Evening. Book a private room at the Chreli Abano or Gulo's sulphur baths (about ₾100-200 per hour for a room, plus a scrub), then dinner in the old town, where khachapuri and wine cost ₾30-50.
Tbilisi is hilly and its cobbles are slippery; wear shoes with grip. Bolt taxis cost ₾5-12 across the centre.
Day 2: Mtskheta, the old capital, and Fabrika
Morning. Take a minibus from Didube station (about ₾1-3, 30 minutes) to Mtskheta, Georgia's spiritual centre. Visit Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, rebuilt in the 11th century over the burial place of Christ's robe according to legend.
Afternoon. Take a taxi up to Jvari Monastery (about ₾20-30 return), a 6th-century church on a hilltop above the meeting of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers. Return to Tbilisi and browse the Dry Bridge market of Soviet badges, cameras and paintings.
Evening. Spend the evening at Fabrika, a former Soviet sewing factory turned hostel and courtyard of bars in the Marjanishvili district, or at a wine bar on the old town's terraces with natural qvevri wines for ₾12-20 a glass.
Women should bring a scarf and long skirt into churches; many provide wraps at the entrance.
Day 3: The Military Road to Kazbegi
Morning. Take a shared minibus from Didube (about ₾20-25, 3 hours) or a driver (about ₾200-300 with stops) north on the Georgian Military Road. Stop at Ananuri, a fortress church above the turquoise Zhinvali reservoir.
Afternoon. Climb past the ski resort of Gudauri and the Soviet-era Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument, an arc of mosaics over the Jvari Pass at about 2,400 metres, then down to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi).
Evening. Check in at a guesthouse or a hotel with views of Mount Kazbek (5,054 metres) and eat khinkali, the local soup dumplings, at about ₾1-1.50 each.
The road sometimes closes after heavy snow in winter; check the border crossing status online, as lorries queue for Russia at Upper Lars.
Day 4: Gergeti Trinity Church and the mountains
Morning. Hike 1.5-2 hours up from Stepantsminda, about 600 metres of climbing, to Gergeti Trinity Church, the 14th-century church on a ridge at 2,170 metres facing Kazbek. A 4x4 up the road costs about ₾50-70 for the car.
Afternoon. Drive 30 minutes into the Truso valley or Sno, or take a 4x4 to Juta for a 2-hour walk to the Chaukhi lakes below jagged peaks. Return to Tbilisi in the late afternoon (3 hours).
Evening. Eat in Tbilisi's Sololaki district, with its old balconied houses and small restaurants; a supra-style dinner with wine costs ₾60-100.
Even in July, Gergeti can be windy and 10°C cooler than Tbilisi. Carry a warm layer and start before 9:00 to beat tour groups.
Day 5: Kakheti: Sighnaghi and wineries
Morning. Drive about 2 hours east to Sighnaghi, a hilltop town with 4 km of 18th-century walls looking over the Alazani valley to the Caucasus. Walk the walls and visit Bodbe Monastery, burial place of St Nino, 2 km away.
Afternoon. Visit two or three family wineries for tastings of wines aged in qvevri, clay jars buried in the ground (about ₾20-50 per tasting), such as those around Telavi and Kvareli. A day tour from Tbilisi costs about ₾90-150 with lunch.
Evening. Return to Tbilisi, or stay in Sighnaghi for sunset over the valley and a home-cooked dinner in a guesthouse.
The grape harvest, rtveli, runs from mid-September to mid-October; many wineries invite visitors to pick and stomp grapes.
Day 6: West to Kutaisi: Gelati and Bagrati
Morning. Take a train or minibus west from Tbilisi to Kutaisi (about 4-5 hours, ₾15-25), or fly into Kutaisi airport directly from Europe with low-cost airlines.
Afternoon. Visit Bagrati Cathedral above the Rioni river, then take a taxi 20 minutes to Gelati Monastery, a UNESCO site founded in 1106 by King David the Builder, with gold-ground mosaics and his grave at the gate.
Evening. Walk Kutaisi's Colchis Fountain square and the central market, then eat Imeretian khachapuri and pkhali (vegetable and walnut pâtés) for ₾25-40.
Kutaisi is a good base for the west; taxis for a full day to the caves and canyons cost about ₾120-180.
Day 7: Prometheus Cave and Martvili Canyon
Morning. Drive 30 minutes to the Prometheus Cave (about ₾25-30 for foreigners), 1.4 km of lit halls with stalactites and an underground river; an optional boat ride adds a few lari.
Afternoon. Continue about 1 hour to Martvili Canyon (about ₾20, plus about ₾20 for the boat), a narrow limestone gorge of blue-green water and waterfalls, or Okatse Canyon, with a walkway hanging off the cliff.
Evening. Back in Kutaisi for dinner, or drive on 2-2.5 hours to the coast for a night in Batumi.
Most caves and canyons close on Mondays; check opening days before planning the order.
Day 8: Batumi on the Black Sea
Morning. Arrive in Batumi and walk the Batumi Boulevard, about 7 km of seafront promenade, past the Ali and Nino moving steel statues and the Alphabet Tower.
Afternoon. Visit the Batumi Botanical Garden (about ₾25), 9 km north at Green Cape, with terraces of plants from around the world above the sea, then swim from the pebble beach in summer.
Evening. Eat Adjarian khachapuri, the boat-shaped bread with egg and butter, in the old town for ₾15-25, and watch the city's lit towers from the seafront.
Batumi is busy from July to August with Turkish and Georgian holidaymakers; book ahead. Batumi airport and Kutaisi both have international flights.
Only have 5 days?
With 5 days, stay in Tbilisi and do Mtskheta on Day 2, Kazbegi as a long day trip and Kakheti on Day 4. You lose the west, the caves and the coast.
Got extra days?
Add 3 days for Svaneti: from Kutaisi or Zugdidi it is about 4-6 hours to Mestia for medieval defensive towers and the hike to Ushguli, one of Europe's highest villages. Or visit Vardzia, a 12th-century cave city in the south, via Borjomi.
Where to stay in Georgia
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Tbilisi Sololaki / Kutaisi centre guesthouses | Family rooms with breakfast, walking distance to the old towns. | ₾60-110 |
| Mid-range | Tbilisi old town | Walk to the baths, the fortress cable car and the restaurants. | ₾150-280 |
| Mid-range | Stepantsminda and Sighnaghi hotels | Rooms facing Kazbek or the Alazani valley. | ₾130-250 |
| Comfort | Tbilisi Vera / Kazbegi design hotels | Design hotels in restored buildings, and the famous glass-fronted hotel facing Kazbek. | ₾400-900 |
Getting around
Tbilisi's metro and buses cost about ₾1 per ride with a Metromoney card or contactless bank card; Bolt taxis are cheap. Marshrutkas (shared minibuses) leave from Didube for Kazbegi and Mtskheta, and from Samgori or Ortachala for Kakheti. Trains link Tbilisi with Kutaisi and Batumi (about 5 hours on the modern express to Batumi, ₾30-50). Hiring a driver through GoTrip or similar sites, about ₾200-350 per day, adds stops along the way. Many nationalities can stay visa-free for up to a year.
What to eat in Georgia
Georgian food is reason enough to come. Order khachapuri (cheese bread; Adjarian style comes with an egg), khinkali (dumplings eaten by the topknot, with the broth sucked out first), pkhali, badrijani (aubergine rolls with walnut paste) and mtsvadi (pork skewers). Churchkhela, walnuts dipped in grape-must jelly, is sold on every street. Ask for amber qvevri wines such as rkatsiteli and red saperavi. A full dinner with wine costs ₾40-80 in Tbilisi.
Best time to visit
May to June and September to October are best, with Tbilisi at 20-28°C, green mountains and the wine harvest in autumn. July and August reach 35°C in Tbilisi but are the best months for high mountain hikes in Kazbegi and Svaneti. Winter brings skiing in Gudauri and Bakuriani, but some mountain roads close.
Month-by-month weather for Georgia →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | ₾40 | ₾100 | ₾300 |
| Food & drink | ₾35 | ₾70 | ₾150 |
| Sights & tickets | ₾10 | ₾40 | ₾100 |
| Local transport | ₾10 | ₾40 | ₾120 |
| Total per person, per day | about ₾95 | about ₾250 | about ₾670 |
Approximate 2026 prices in Georgian lari (about ₾2.70 to US$1); private drivers to Kazbegi or Kakheti raise transport on those days, and there is no tourist tax.
Before you go
Common questions
Do I need a visa for Georgia?
Citizens of the EU, UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can enter visa-free and stay up to one year. Others can apply for an e-visa online. Georgia has made travel health insurance compulsory for foreign visitors from 2026, so carry proof of a policy and check the current rules before you fly. Entry from Russian-occupied Abkhazia or South Ossetia is illegal under Georgian law.
Can I visit Kazbegi as a day trip?
Yes: tours and drivers do it in about 10-12 hours, with stops at Ananuri, Gudauri and Gergeti. But it is a long day with 6 hours in the car, and you see the mountains only at midday. A night in Stepantsminda lets you see Kazbek at sunrise, when it is usually clear, and hike up to Gergeti before the groups.
What is a supra?
A supra is a traditional Georgian feast, led by a toastmaster, the tamada, who proposes a long series of toasts to family, the dead, peace and friendship. Guests drink after each toast, often from horns or large glasses. If you are invited, pace yourself; refusing a glass is accepted, but leaving early can offend.
Can I combine Georgia with Armenia or Azerbaijan?
Yes. Tbilisi is the hub: Yerevan is about 5-6 hours by minibus or overnight train, and Baku about 10-12 hours by road or a short flight. The Armenia-Azerbaijan border is closed, so to visit all three you must route through Georgia. Allow 5-7 extra days for each country.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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