A perfect first-timer itinerary with Soviet charm, mountain views, and the world’s oldest winemaking tradition.

This is the exact route I give all my friends when they finally decide to visit Georgia. 7 days is tight but totally doable, you get the chaotic capital, insane mountains and enough wine to make you book the next ticket back before you even leave.

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Day 1 – Land in Tbilisi, just breathe it in

Flights land at stupid o’clock usually. Grab the 1 gel bus to the city (cheaper than taxi and runs 24h). Check into whatever guesthouse you booked in Vera or Marjanishvili district, drop bags and go wander.

Must do:

Sulfur baths in Abanotubani (book the 40-50 gel private room, not the public one if you’re shy)

Walk to Narikala fortress at sunset, cable car down is 2.5 gel

Dinner at Cafe Leila or any place with live music, order khinkali and a carafe of house amber wine, you’re not driving.

Day 2 – Tbilisi deep dive

Morning: Fabrika courtyard coffee, then Chronicle of Georgia (the giant weird statues), take bolt there for 15 gel.

Afternoon: Dezerter Bazaar for churchkhela and spices, then Dry Bridge flea market for soviet junk.

Evening: Mtatsminda park (funicular up, walk down), dinner in some random cellar with 10 kinds of pkhali you never knew existed.

Day 3 – Day trip to David Gareja + Udabno

Early marshrutka or shared taxi (around 25-30 gel return). Monastery carved into rock on Azerbaijan border, rainbow hills, then lunch in Udabno at that oasis cafe run by Polish guys. Back by 6pm, you’ll be dusty and happy.

Day 4 – Marshrutka to Kazbegi (Stepantsminda)

Leaves Didube station every hour, 10 gel, 3 hours. Book a room with view of the big mountain, you’ll cry when you open curtains.

Afternoon: walk to Gergeti Trinity Church (4x4 guys will chase you, just hike, it’s 2 hours up and worth it).

Evening: drink beer on balcony watching clouds play with Kazbek peak, life complete.

Day 5 – Kazbegi mountain day

Option A: hike to Gergeti glacier (hard but insane)

Option B: Truso valley (easier, abandoned villages, mineral springs that bubble red)

Option C: Juta village (tiny road, even prettier than Kazbegi sometimes)

Whatever you pick, end with khachapuri at Rooms Hotel bar if you feel fancy, or local family dinner for 20 gel.

Day 6 – Back to Tbilisi, then straight to Kakheti wine region

Morning marshrutka down (book the early one to have time). From Tbilisi take minibus to Sighnaghi (15 gel, 2 hours).

Stay in Sighnaghi or Telavi, whichever guesthouse answers first.

Afternoon + evening: visit 2-3 small family wineries, the ones where grandma brings out 2022 qvevri saparavi from the cellar and refuses money. Try Kindzmarauli if you like semi-sweet, otherwise stick to dry amber, it’s their superpower.

Day 7 – More wine + fly out

Sleep in, have cheese and bread breakfast on some balcony overlooking Alazani valley.

Quick stop at Bodbe monastery (St. Nino’s grave, beautiful gardens), then marshrutka back to Tbilisi (last ones leave around 4-5pm).

If your flight is late, squeeze in dinner at Barbarestan (a bit fancy but worth it) or just grab khinkali to go at the station.

Money stuff (2026 prices, roughly)

Accommodation: 25-45 gel per night private room with breakfast

Food + wine: 40-60 gel per day if you don’t hold back

Transport whole week: under 100 gel total

Total for 7 days without flight: 700-900 gel (250-320 euro), easy.

Pro tips nobody mentions

Download offline Georgian alphabet, menus will make sense suddenly

Carry small change, old ladies on marshrutka hate 50 gel notes

Say “madloba” (thank you) and watch faces light up

January-March cheaper and snowy Kazbegi is magic, June-September hotter but greener

Do this route once and I guarantee you’ll be back within two years, everyone does. Georgia just does that to people. When are you booking? Drop your dates, I’ll tell you which winery still has the crazy 90-year-old grandpa making wine with his feet :)

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