Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, is the perfect starting point for various day trips across the country. Discover the old capital, visit monasteries or the city of love in a day. Scroll down for our selection of the best day trips from Tbilisi, Georgia.
For great insights on touring across Georgia, check out our video where Jaren, a seasoned traveler, shares some important tips about traveling in the country!
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1. See Stalin's home in Gori
Located in eastern Georgia, Gori is the regional capital of the Shida Kartli region. As you drive into Gori, you cannot miss the Soviet era style apartment blocks that line the city center. It is the birthplace of one of Georgia’s most infamous exports – Joseph Stalin. Here in Gori, the humble beginnings of Stalin have been preserved in the form of a house he once inhabited.
Nearby, a train carriage that was used by Stalin is also displayed for viewing. Controversially, one of the few remaining monuments of Stalin can also be found here in Gori. The city’s association with Stalin is memorialized and emphasized in the Joseph Stalin Museum. For Georgian history, monuments of the Gori Fortress Citadel and St. George’s Church of Gorijvari play cultural significance as places of pilgrimage.
Stalin's Home
Address: Stalin Ave, Gori, Georgia
Website: Stalin’s Museum and Home
2. Visit the David Gareja Monastery
Along the semi desert Georgia-Azerbaijan border, an hour away from Tbilisi, is the David Gareja Monastery that was built by Assyrian priests in the 6th-century (David Gareja being one of the 13 ascetic monks that returned to the region to spread Christianity). The complex is yet another rock-hewn feat with dwellings carved into the rocky hillside, that are sure to remind you of the Vardzia Cave town.
Sitting right through the border of Georgia and Azerbaijan, you could easily take claim to being in two places at once! Here, Lavra is the original monastery, around which the complex grew further and where monks still live today. Atop the hill above is Udabno, where as you explore through the numerous caves you will find ancient frescoes that adorn its walls. Once you’re done exploring, make sure you take time to contemplate the views from above!
Book Tours : Tbilisi: David Gareja Monastery Full-Day Tour
3. Visit the old capital - Mtskheta and its historic Jvari Monastery
Mtskheta is located a short drive away from the current capital of Georgia, Tbilisi. Since pagan times, the old capital of Mtskheta, which is set on the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers, has played a significant role in history and more significantly as the birthplace of Georgian Christianity. The cobbled streets lead up to Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and other culturally and historically important monuments that are inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Apart from the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, in whose nave the Robe of Christ and Georgian monarchs are buried, the Samtavro and Shio-mgvime monasteries are noteworthy points of interest. While in Mtskheta, take time to explore the cobbled streets and buy some Tklapi or Churchkela.
You’ll also have to pay a visit to Jvari Monastery while in Mtskheta. “Jvari” the Georgian word for “cross” and the grounds of the monastery are where the missionary St. Nino is said to have erected a cross in the 4th-century, to mark the coming of Christianity in Georgia. It is in this spot, that the Prince Stepanoz built the monastery. Perched over Mtskheta, and the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers, the views from here are spectacular!
Jvari Monastery
Address: Jvari Monastery, Mtskheta, Georgia
Website: Jvari Monastery
Book Tours : Full-Day Tbilisi & Mtskheta Tour
4. Visit the wine region of Kakheti
Apart from hosting the City of Love, the garden province of Kakheti is the heart of Georgia’s wine production. The fertile and picturesque valleys of the region are home to the indigenous Georgian Saperavi, Mtsvane and Kisi grape varietals. Georgia is known as the “cradle of wines” for it is here that the oldest remains of winemaking were unearthed by archaeologists; grape seeds in traditional clay pots called qvervis, dating back to 6,000 BC.
Today, wine culture is still an integral part of Georgian life and in most wineries across the Kakheti region, wine is still made in the traditional way through aging in qvervis. Albeit, some wineries have expanded their wine production to the Western European barrel aging method and with the use of modern technology more recently. A visit to one of the countless wineries in the region is an excellent opportunity to discover the art of traditional winemaking and of course… taste an array of Georgian wines! Apart from wine, there are countless small towns, churches and monasteries to be visited.
Tip from Content Creator
Aayushi
Apart from being the wine region, Kakheti also houses the St. Nino Monastery. Orthodox Christianity being the main religion in Georgia, St. Nino Monastery is of great significance.
According to Georgian Orthodox tradition, Saint Nino - a 4th-century female evangelist who Christianized Georgia, settled in the Bodbe area after her mission and died there.
Local legend also says that St. Nino's spring emerged through her prayers, which is thought to have healing powers. Bodbe is a popular pilgrimage site among the Orthodox Christians.
This is situated in the Kakheti region and thus covered by the tourists who are visiting the wine region.
Visited this place?
Book Tours : Private Wine Tour to Kakheti from Tbilisi
5. Explore the inhabited caves of Vardzia Cave Town
The Vardzia Cave Town is located in the Erusheti Mountain on the left bank of the Mtkvari River, in southern Georgia. This spectacular cave monastery and fortress was sanctioned as a refuge for monastic community from the marauding Mongols, by King Tamar (the most famous woman in Georgian history that was crowned King, not Queen).
The complex of caves consists of thousands of dwellings, The Church of Assumption, a throne room, wine caves and an old irrigation system for watering the terraced farms – some of whose pipes still provide drinkable water to this day. Today, a small group of zealous monks still preside over the halls of the “mountain queen”.
Book Tours : Borjomi, Vardzia, Rabat Castle Private Tour
6. Visit the City of Love "Sighnaghi"
Red tiled roofs, cobbled streets, picturesque views and plenty of wine… what’s there not to love? Sighnaghi is THE destination for a Georgian wedding. Likened as the Caucasus version of Romeo and Juliet’s Verona in Italy, the city of Sighnaghi has much to offer. Located in the Kakheti region that is infamous for its wine, Sighnaghi is also home to Georgia’s most prominent artist, Niko Pirosmani, whose works adorn the walls of traditional taverns across the country.
Born in 1862, Pirosmani’s primitive scenes are celebrated in a museum in Sighnaghi. As you stroll through the cobbled streets, it is hard to miss the fully intact fortress walls and towers from the past. The towers offer stunning views of the city, the Alazani valley and if you’re lucky, the distant mountains.
Book Tours : Full-Day Private Tour of Sighnaghi from Tbilisi
7. Explore the Uplistsikhe Caves
Located approximately 35 minutes from the town of Gori, the Uplistsikhe Caves are carved into the rock above the river Mtkvari. Literally translated as “Fortress of the Lord” the caves form a city complex that once inhabited 20,000 people at the peak of its prosperity. The settlement dates as far back as the Iron Age, making it one of the oldest urban settlements in the region. Findings relating to the worship of the sun goddess prior to the arrival of Christianity have been unearthed by archaeologists amongst several other artifacts.
The settlement that once housed the Kings of Kartli met its demise at the hands of the Mongols in the 13th-century. Once you have explored the caves and the 9th to 10th-century church that was built in the cave city, head down the secret shaft that tunnels almost vertical through the rock down to the river.
There is much more...
Tbilisi is the perfect starting point for day trips close to the capital, but Georgia has so much more to offer. Prepare yourself for some of the most breathtaking treks you can possibly experience in your life. Head north to the Svaneti region for a memorable experience!
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