10 Days in Georgia Day 1 Tbilisi Mtsketa

10 Days in Georgia

Day 1 – Tbilisi - Mtsketa

Mtskheta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has been inhabited since before 1, 000 BC and was once the capital of the early Kingdom of Iberia (today’s Eastern Georgia). Just 20 km from Tbilisi, at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, the city is located on an ancient trade route. Archaeologists have unearthed evidence of Mtskheta’s status as a major trading post. Glass perfume bottles, Greek and Aramaic writings, pottery, metalwork and jewelry have all been unearthed in abundance here, and many examples are on show in the town’s museum. The ancient geographer Strabo described Mtskheta as a highly developed city with a water supply system, markets and stone houses. Mtskheta was also the religious centre of the country, with a number of major shrines to Georgia’s pagan pantheon; these would later be replaced by churches when St. Nino converted the country to Christianity in around 337 AD. Although the capital was moved to the more easily defended Tbilisi at the beginning of the VI century, Mtskheta continued to be the coronation and burial place of Georgian kings, and the seat of the Patriarch, who is also known as the Bishop of Mtskheta. Today, the lovely old town has a laid back, village feel, especially compared to the more hectic pace of Tbilisi.

Day 2 -3 -4 Kakheti Experience Kakheti country on this 2 -day tour from Tblisi. You'll have the opportunity to explore the ancient wall of Sighnaghi (known as the city of love), lagodekhi, ikhalto, views of the Anazani Valley. Discover Numisi museums with thousands of archaeological items, and luxurious dinners. You'll visit the house museum of Aleksandre Chavchavadze and the Tsinandali Garden, famed for its diverse selection of exotic plant species and for its unique urban planning. • • • Sighnagi Lagodekhi Protected Areas Ikhalto academy. Telavi Ananuri Castle Sameba museum of Aleksandre chavadze tsinandali Garden kvareli lake Back to Tbilisi –day 4

Day 5 - Borjomi • Borjomi is a resort town in central Georgia. It's known for its mineral waters, with springs in Borjomi Central Park. Defined by its striking exterior, the Romanov Palace contains ornate furniture and a billiards room. Nearby, trails wind through the vast wilderness of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park. In the park, the centuries-old Mtsvane Monastery (Green Monastery) is made of green-tinged stones. • Visit the amazing Green Monastery • visit the national park of borjomi • Taste famous Borjomi mineral water • Travel by the romantic Kukushka train • Explore sulfur pools in the forest • visit Romanov place

Day 6 - akhaltsikhe • Akhaltsikhe is a town in Southern Georgia, founded in Middle Ages. Its name means “a new fortress”, because the town’s fortress used to be the most important landmark of the region. In 1579 it was a center of a region of Ottoman Empire, then, during Russian – Turkish war in 1828 – 1829, it was brought back to Georgia, which used to be a part of Russian Empire. • Now, the huge freshly renovated fortress of Rabati remains the main landmark of Akhaltsikhe. Its upper part includes the castle of Jakeli family, where the Museum of Samtskhe-Javakheti region is situated; there also an Akhmediye Mosque, an orthodox church, an amphitheatre and a citadel. The other part of Rabati includes touristic objects as hotels, cafes, restaurants, an information center, and even a marriage hall. It is a very beautiful place for a wedding ceremony and a romantic photo shooting, indeed! • Beside this, there also several interesting places near Akhaltsikhe: an ancient fortress of Atskuri, which has been constructed in the X century, and also Saphara monastery, which kept its beauty even after the most difficult years in Georgian history. • If we talk about important landmarks of Samtskhe-Javakheti region, we can’t avoid mentioning Vardzia, an impressive cave town founded by King George III in the XII century. During its golden time it accommodated around 50. 000 people. The infrastructure included living quarters, religious places like churches or monasteries, and even a library. There was even a sewerage system in the town! Hard to believe, that already in XII century far in the mountains people could live in such a developed town hewn in rocks… That’s why you have to go to Vardzia to see it with your own eyes!

Day 7 - Kutaisi, the capital of Imereti, is Georgia’s second largest city after Tbilisi. Elegant, tree lined streets with 19 th century houses stretching down to the banks of the Rioni River, along with several attractive parks, make Kutaisi a very beautiful place to stroll around and take in the many sights things to do in kutaisi : Bagrati Cathedral Gelati Monastery Motsameta Monastery Kutaisi State Historical Museum Historical District Of The City Vani Archeological Museum Sataplia Nature Reserve Prometheus Cave Katskhi Pillar Colchis Fountain

Day 8 – tskaltubo-Okatse Canyon

Tskaltubo is located in the central part of west Georgia, in the lowland, at the foot of the Southern Caucasus, 98 meters above the sealevel, in the valley of the river Tskaltubo. It is in 9 km distance from Kutaisi and 240 km from Tbilisi. The climate in Tskaltubo is warm and moderately mild. Average annual temperature +150 C; average annual precipitation 76%. Winters here are warm and mild. The “Waters of Immortality” in Tskaltubo were probably known already in the 7 th-9 th centuries, when the oldest historical records are dated. Since the 18 th century several foreign researchers gave word of the healing properties of these springs: Berlin Society of Friends of Natural Science (1782); J. Klaproth (1815); A. Jolenberg (1897). By 1920, after chemical analysis had revealed the uniqueness of the water, Tskaltubo was officially declared a medical spa resort and achieve the status of city in 1953. In 1920 the territory of Tskaltubo became state property and it acquired the function of balneology resort. The building of the resort started in 1926. In 1931, a decree by the government of Georgian Soviet Republic designed Tskaltubo as a spa resort and balneology center. In 1950 -1951, architects I. Zaalishvili and V. Kedia prepared a project plan for the town where sanatoriums form a circle around a park, recreation and balneology facilities. Tskaltubo was divided into the following zones: balneological, sanitarian and living.

Day 9 - Tbilisi

Things to do in Tbilisi: • • • Old Town Tbilisi taste national food Narikala Fortress Metekhi Cathedral Tbilisi Funicular Tbilisi Aerial Tramway Georgian National Museum Mtatsminda Park Château Mukhrani Open Air Museum of Ethnography Tours • National Botanical Garden of Georgia • opera • Shopping areas