Cave rooms and a bell tower carved into the cliff at Vardzia

Vardzia cave city and Borjomi

The 12th-century cave monastery carved into the Erusheti mountain under Queen Tamar, Rabati Castle in Akhaltsikhe, and the mineral springs park in Borjomi.

At a glance

Duration
13 hours1 long day, private car, leaves 07:30
Difficulty
ModerateVardzia is a lot of steps and some low, narrow tunnels. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours on site at your own pace.
Meeting point
Your hotel in Tbilisi, 07:30Private trip, so the time can move. Earlier starts mean a quieter Vardzia.
Best season
  • January: Possible, with trade-offs
  • February: Possible, with trade-offs
  • March: Possible, with trade-offs
  • April: Good time to go
  • May: Good time to go
  • June: Good time to go
  • July: Good time to go
  • August: Good time to go
  • September: Good time to go
  • October: Good time to go
  • November: Possible, with trade-offs
  • December: Possible, with trade-offs
April to October. Winter trips run, but the days are short and Vardzia is cold and icy in places.

The day, hour by hour

  1. 07:30

    Leave Tbilisi

    West on the highway, then south into the Borjomi gorge.

  2. 10:00

    Borjomi springs park

    Taste the salty, fizzy mineral water straight from the spring. Most people try it once.

  3. 11:30

    Rabati Castle, Akhaltsikhe

    A restored fortress complex with a mosque, church and synagogue side by side. Coffee on the walls.

  4. 13:30

    Lunch by the Mtkvari

    Trout from the river at a simple place near the cave city.

  5. 14:30

    Vardzia

    Hundreds of rooms, a church with frescoes of Queen Tamar, and tunnels between levels, all cut into the cliff above the river.

  6. 16:45

    Khertvisi fortress

    A short photo stop on the way back.

  7. 20:30

    Back in Tbilisi

    Drop-off at your hotel.

What's included

  • Private car and English-speaking driver-guide for your group
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Tbilisi
  • Bottled water

Not included

  • Entry fees, about ₾20 in total
  • Lunch, about ₾35
  • Tips

Before you book

  • It's about 8 hours in the car across the day. The road is good, but it's a long day.
  • The price is per person for two or three travelers sharing the car. Solo travelers pay ₾290; groups of four or more pay less.
  • If tight spaces bother you, you can skip the tunnels and use the outside paths between levels.

Who usually runs it

  • Levan

    4x4 driver, Tusheti

    Has driven the Abano Pass every summer for twelve years. Calm on the hairpins, loud at the supra.

  • Kazbegiყაზბეგი

    Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church

    Up the Georgian Military Road past Ananuri fortress and over the Jvari Pass, then a short hike to the 14th-century church under Mount Kazbek (5,054 m).

    Duration
    1 day
    Difficulty
    Moderate
    Best season
    May–Oct
    Format
    Small group

    from ₾95 per person

  • Kakhetiკახეთი

    Kakheti qvevri wine day

    Two family marani (wine cellars), the hilltop town of Sighnaghi, and Bodbe Monastery. Taste amber and red wines made in UNESCO-listed qvevri, with a supra-style lunch.

    Duration
    1 day
    Difficulty
    Easy
    Best season
    Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
    Format
    Small group

    from ₾130 per person

  • Tbilisiთბილისი

    Old Tbilisi and the sulphur baths

    Narikala fortress, the balconies of Sololaki, bakeries for shoti bread, and the brick domes of Abanotubani, the bath district that gave Tbilisi its name.

    Duration
    3 hours
    Difficulty
    Easy
    Best season
    Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
    Format
    Small group

    from ₾60 per person

Send us your dates. We'll plan the rest.

Tell us how many people, which regions interest you, and how active you want to be. We reply within a few hours, every day from 08:00 to 22:00 Tbilisi time. Nothing is charged until you confirm.

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