Breakfast at the hotel with Georgian tea, fresh cheeses, yogurts and homemade jams. Take a walk around the center of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia since the 5th century. We will take a cable-car up to 4th century Narikala fortress and then visit the Dry Bridge flea market, known for its antiques and handicrafts.  Afterwards, we will go to the newly opened Cheese School to learn about Georgia’s artisanal cheesemaking traditions and its Soviet history when they almost disappeared. Led by researcher Ana Mikadze-Chikvaidze, who re-discovered more than 60 varieties of cheese in villages all over Georgia. Masterclass of cheese making followed by tasting with a glass of wine. Return to hotel or enjoy some free time before dinner tonight at a local restaurant. 

This morning, depart from Tbilisi to discover 8,000 years of qvevri winemaking traditions in Georgia (designated as Intangiblle Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO). Drive to the Kakheti region, famous for its vineyards and wine-producing villages. First stop will be Vardisubani, the center of traditional pottery in Khaketi and a very special place to learn how qvevri are made. Taste a wine and a family chacha (schnapps). Visit Alaverdi Cathedral of the 11th century and continue the road to Zemo Alvani to have a wine tasting in local family-run winery. Taste two types of wine (Kakhuri Mtsvane and Rkatsiteli) and turn your hand in making churchkhela (a traditional sweet). Dinner will be at a restaurant in Telavi where we'll spend the night at a special hotel.

This morning, drive to Sighnaghi which is perhaps Georgia's single most attractive town, perched on a lofty hilltop facing the snowcapped Caucasus Mountains in the distance. The town was a nexus point on the Silk Road between Central Asia and Europe and not much has altered since then. has the same cozy streets from which to enjoy the beautiful views of the Alazani Valley and the Caucasus Mountains. Next, visit Bodbe Monastery, which was originally built in the 9th century and now functions as a nunnery. It’s one of the major pilgrimage sites in Georgia, due to its association with St. Nino, the 4th-century female evangelist, whose relics are enshrined in a beautiful tomb, partly silver-covered, with a bejeweled turquoise cloisonné halo,

Afterwards, lunch will be at a brewery & horse ranch in a rural village overlooking the mountains. Enjoy a tasting of craft beers, and then go horseback riding before lunch (not included) or just relax in the hammocks taking in the views. Lunch will be prepared with seasonal ingredients in an outdoor kitchen, and like any traditional supra (feast), there might be singing!  Evening transfer back to Tbilisi and overnight at the hotel.  Return to Tbilisi for the evening at leisure.  

After breakfast, depart for Mtskheta, capital of Georgia from the 3rd to the 5th centuries. It was an important political and cultural center from the 3rd century BC, and in 1994, it was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, due to its historical significance and several cultural monuments. Among the most significant structure is the stunning Javari Monastery which overlooks the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers and formerly a sacred pagan site. It is considered one of the most sacred place in Georgia.  

Continue to Kutaisi in Imereti, a lush and fertile region and Georgia’s second-biggest wine producer. On the way, stop at a small wine cellar for a tasting of several wines and chacha. Dinner at a local cosy restaurant with music.

This morning begins with a guided walking tour of the city center. Kutaisi, in the Imereti region, was once the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Georgia, including the kingdom of Colchis, going back as far as 2000 BC, and has been the center of multiple conflicts between Georgian kings, Russians and Ottoman rulers. The tour will include the White Bridge, the State Opera & Ballet Theater, and the famous and charming Green Bazaar.  

Lunch to day will be a supra of traditional Imereti cuisine at a winery.

After breakfast, visit Sisatura, an open-air museum and ethno-village of Magrelian culture. Experience life in a traditional oda house and stroll through a hazelnut tree orchard. Enjoy a demonstration of traditional corn grinding method and try your hand as well! There will be a cooking class, preparing traditional megrelian khachapuri (a filled bread with melted cheese), gebzjalia, and adjika.  

Afterwards, drive to Bagdati and the small, woman-owned winery. Taste wines made from older varieties, including otskhanuri sapere and tsolikouri grapes. This evening, enjoy a traditional Georgian supra (feast) with the winemaker. Continue on to Sairme and check into the hotel. The rest of the evening will be at leisure. 

After breakfast, leave on the exciting and beautiful journey to Vardzia via the Borjom-Kharagauli National Park over Zekari pass in all-wheel drive vehicles. Stunning views of the valleys from an altitude of 7,100 feet. 

Stop for a tasting of qvevri-made beer in a family home before visiting winery with ancient vines. Some are 400 years old - some of the oldest in the world. Lunch with paired wines overlooking the terraced vineyards.  

Continue down a country road which follows the river, along the cliffs away from Vardzia, lies the tiny village of Chachkari, a mostly-abandoned village where you can see the very rare Darbazi-style houses. Talk a walk around the village and absorb the atmosphere of a lost time. Travel on to the hotel and check-in. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. 

After breakfast, visit the Vardzia “cave monastery”. Inhabited since the Bronze Age and developed into a sophisticated monastic and defensive site between the 11th and 13th centuries, Vardzia is a complex of man-made caves hewn from a sheer rock wall. It teeters over the Kura river in the south-western part of Georgia, close to the Armenian border. 

Vardzia was first conceived by King Giorgi III, but most of the building took place during the reign of Georgia’s only female monarch, “King” Tamar who was the first woman in the history of Georgia that was ever crowned king (the word “queen” was used to refer to the wives of the kings in medieval Georgia).

A recent 3D-scan of the site revealed around 641 separate chambers spread over 13 levels, stretching for some 500 meters along the cliff face. Nestled deep in the belly of the rock, the caves are connected by a labyrinth of tunnels (some more than 150 meters long), staircases and terraces. In 2021, Vardzia was awarded the EU’s European Heritage Award for Conservation and is being considered for UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

We will visit the adjacent Abbey while here, meet the nuns and learn about their lives. They will guide us in making beeswax candles as well as demonstrate icon painting and embroidery. We may even enjoy a little surprise! Lunch will be at a local farm shared with the family who own it. Drive onto Tbilisi via Paravani Lake (the largest lake in Georgia) which sits at 6,800 ft above sea level. Enjoy a farewell dinner and overnight at the hotel in Tbilisi. 

Check out of the hotel for transfer to the airport, taking with you amazing memories and experiences of Georgia - and maybe some wines, too!

If you are joining the extension to Armenia, depart Tbilisi for the Armenian border, where the formalities can take an hour. Once we cross, the first stop will be the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Haghpat Monastery complex (admission not included) and then a stop at a special cafe, hidden in the mountains to enjoy the view and a cup of coffee. Visit the town of Dilijan where there will be a late lunch at a great restaurant. Lake Sevan, which means “Black Lake”, one of the biggest freshwater lakes in the world, is next where we will visit the Sevanavank Monastery (9th c.), or “Black Monastery”. Continue to Yerevan, check-in to the hotel, then go out as a group for dinner. 

After a traditional Armenian breakfast, the day begins with a tour of Yerevan. Thirty years before Rome was founded, Yerevan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The tour includes Mother Armenia, the Cascade, Baghramyan Avenue, Armenian Genocide Memorial and Republic Square. One of the highlights will be the GUM Market. Its name comes from the Russian abbreviation for ‘Main Universal Store’, the title given to the main department stores in the former Soviet Union. A large section of the market is devoted to dried fruits and nuts, and you can watch the “lavash ladies” make large sheets of lavash! 

This afternoon we will head to the countryside. First stop is the Arch of Charents, also called the Arch of Ararat because of the spectacular view of the mountain from inside it. The arch was erected in 1957 and named in honor of the poet Eghishe Charents, who wrote a poem dedicated to Armenia. From the arch looking towards the mountain, it seems that Ararat is not connected with the ground, but is “hanging down” from the sky. Continue to the only surviving pagan Temple of Garni. With its ionic columns, it is the best-known structure and symbol of pre-Christian Armenia.

Try your hand at making lavash this afternoon before sitting down with a local family for lunch. The making of lavash is a very special activity and is an expression of Armenian culture. It is even on the representative list of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. After lunch, visit the Geghard Monastery complex. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is partially carved out of an adjacent mountain. Its full name is Geghardavank meaning “Monastery of the Spear” because it is said that the spear which wounded Jesus at the crucifixion was brought here by the Apostle Jude. Returning to Yerevan, enjoy a delicious dinner at a modern restaurant and then live jazz music at one of the best clubs in the city. 

Today, explore Southern Armenia, home to beautiful monasteries and the country’s wine region. The first stop will be Khor Virap, a medieval monastery and pilgrimage site that sits on the Armenian border with Turkey. Gregory the Illuminator, Armenia’s patron saint and first head of the church, is said to have been imprisoned here for 14 years. However, he successfully proselytized Armenia, and in 301 it was the first country to be declared Christian.  

Continue to Areni, one of the oldest settlements in Armenia and the cradle of winemaking here. First, see the ancient “Bird’s Cave”, discovered in 1997 and thought by archeologists to be the location of the world’s oldest winery. 

Enjoy a wine tasting and lunch at the Old Bridge Winery. On the return trip to Yerevan, we will visit a second winery, Trinity Canyon, for a tasting and to learn about Armenian feasts and their toasting traditions.

Leaving the winery, we will visit the Noravank Monastery. Located in a gorge made by the Amaghu River, the monastery is made from the pink stone of the surrounding cliffs. It is best known for its two-story Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) Church, which grants access to the second floor by way of a narrow stone-made staircase jutting out from the face of building. 

Return to Yerevan for a farewell dinner and back to the hotel. Late night/early morning transfer to the airport - technically on the 19th. There is no return trip to Tbilisi, so your return flight home should be from Yerevan. Assistance with flights is available.  B, L, D