Day 1
Arrival in the International Airport, transfer to the Hotel, accommodation and overnight in Tbilisi.
Day 2
Tbilisi – Tsalka – Tabatskuri – Bakuriani
After breakfast we will drive to Tsalka. The district has a population of 22,000. According to the 2002 census 55% of its population is Armenian, 22% Greek, 12% Georgian, and 9.5% Azerbaijanis. Some of these Greeks are Turkophone, known as Urums, who in the past used to be the majority in the town – their numbers considerably lessened by emigration.
Several thousands of ethnic Georgians who had suffered from landslides in Svaneti and Adjara were settled in Tsalka. The town and its district have experienced occasionally violent ethnic division in the recent decade. After drive to Tabatskuri Lake. Drive to Bakuriani.
Overnight in Bakuriani
Bakuriani – IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Area: 54 km2
Population: 2,400
Highest elevation: 300 meters (984 feet)
Lowest elevation: 125 meters (410 feet)
Languages: Georgian, English, Russian
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Summer Season: 15 degree Celsius
Winter Season: (-5)- (-7) degree Celsius
Day 3
Bakuriani – Akhaltsikhe – Beshumi – Batumi
After breakfast we drive to Akhltsikhe. The city is first mentioned in the chronicles in the 12th century. In the 12th – 13th centuries it was the seat of the Akhaltsikhelis, dukes of Samtskhe, whose two most illustrious representatives were Shalva and Ivane Akhaltsikheli From the 13th up to the 17th century the city and Samtkhe were governed by the feudal family of the Jaqelis. In 1576 the Ottomans took it and from 1628 the city became the centre of the Samtskhe Eyelet of the Ottoman Empire. In 1828, during the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829, Russian troops under the command of General Paskevich captured the city and, as a consequence of the 1829 Treaty of Adrianople (Edirne), it was ceded to the Russian Empire as part of first Kutaisi and then Tbilisi governorates. In the old part of the city one can see an old fortress, castle and mosque, the old fortress of the Jakelis (13th-14th century), and St. Marine’s Church. The hills nearby the city harbor the Sapara Monastery (10th – 14th centuries).After drive to Batumi. Overnight in Batumi
Batumi – IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Area: 70 km2
Population: 121,806
Highest elevation: 10 meters (32 feet)
Lowest elevation: 0 meters (0 feet)
Languages: Georgian, English, Russian
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Summer Season: 29-33 degree Celsius
Winter Season: 5-7 degree Celsius
Day 4
Batumi – Mestia
After breakfast we will continue our way to Mestia. According to the current administrative subdivision of Georgia, Mestia is located in theSamegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, some 128 km northeast of the regional capital of Zugdidi. Mestia and the adjoining 132 villages form Mestia District. Its area is 3,044 km²; population – 14,248 .The population is mostly Svans, a cultural and linguistic subgroup of the Georgians.
Historically and ethnographically, Mestia has always been regarded a chief community of Zemo, or Upper Svaneti province. It was formerly known as Seti.Despite its small size, the town let was an important centre of Georgian culture for centuries and contains a number of medieval monuments – churches and forts – included in a list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 1968, it was granted a status of a town let.
The town let is dominated by stone defensive towers of a type seen in Ushguli . A typical Svan fortified dwelling consisted of a tower, an adjacent house and some other household structures encircled by a defensive wall.
Unique icons and manuscripts are kept in Mestia Historical-Ethnographic Museum. Mestia is also a center of mountaineer tourism and alpinism.
Overnight in Mestia
Mestia – IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Area: 70 km2
Population: 2,600
Highest elevation: 1700 m (984 ft)
Lowest elevation: 1500 m (410 ft)
Languages: Georgian, English, Russian
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Summer Season: 15-20 degree Celsius
Winter Season: (-5)-(-7) degree Celsius
Day 5
Mestia – Ushguli
After having breakfast drive to Ushguli. Ushguli or Ushkuli is a community of villages located at the head of the Enguri gorge in Upper Svaneti. The Ushguli villages contain buildings that are part of the UNESCO Heritage site. Typical Svanetian protective towers are found throughout the village. The Ushguli Chapel located on a hilltop near the village dates back to the 12th century.
The Mikhail Kalatozov documentary”Salt of Svanetia” was filmed in Ushguli.
Overnight in Ushguli
Day 6
Ushguli – Kutaisi
After breakfast we will continue our trip to Kutaisi. . On the way to Kutaisi we will visit Sataplia Cave.
Sataplia Cave is a rather small one, famous for fine speleothems and the dinosaur footprints nearby. The tour enters the through-cave on one hillside, crosses the hill underground and then goes back on the surface past the dinosaur footprints. This cave is hard to reach and not very much visited by individual travelers.
Overnight in Kutaisi
Kutaisi – IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Area: 70 km2
Population: 192,500
Highest elevation: 300 m (984 ft)
Lowest elevation: 125 m (410 ft)
Languages: Georgian, English, Russian
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Summer Season: 28-33 degree Celsius
Winter Season: 5-6 degree Celsius
Day 7
Kutaisi – Tbilisi
After breakfast at the hotel we will drive to the ancient city Mtskheta – (3000 years old) and see its historical places: Jvari church (6th century) and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century) where the Robe of Christ is buried. Both Jvari and Svetitskhoveli are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Arrive Tbilisi.
Overnight in Tbilisi
Day 8
Tbilisi City Tour
In the morning we will start with Tbilisi city tour, sightseeing tour and tasting festival full of colorful celebration.Tuor the main food market, flea market. We will see Metechi church of Holy Virgin – built in 5th century and rebuilt in 13th century. Royal palace was situated here before moving to Narikala Castle. Metechi is a central-domed church. Visit monument of Mother Georgia .After departure to the airport.
Tbilisi – IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Area: 726 km2
Population: 1,152,500
Highest elevation: 770 m (2,526 ft)
Lowest elevation: 380 m (1,247 ft)
Languages: Georgian, English, Russian
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Summer Season: 30-38 degree Celsius
Winter Season: 3-(-5) degree Celsius