Kakheti, Kazbegi & Mtskheta: Food, Wine & Culture Tour

Summary

Four days of Georgian flavors, mountain air, and warm welcomes

You’ll taste fresh-baked bread in Badiauri village, sip wine deep inside Khareba’s cool tunnels, learn to fold khinkali dumplings with locals in Kazbegi, and stand quietly above Mtskheta’s rivers at Jvari Monastery. With every meal and story shared along this four-day tour from Tbilisi through Kakheti, Kazbegi & Mtskheta, you’ll find Georgia gets under your skin in ways you won’t forget.

What’s the experience like?

We hit the road from Tbilisi before I’d even finished my coffee, heading east toward Kakheti. Our guide Nino had this way of telling stories that made the landscape feel alive — she pointed out the rainbow hills near David Gareja Monastery as we walked up to Lavra, dust sticking to my shoes. The wind smelled faintly of sage. At Badiauri village we tried baking bread — I’ll admit mine looked more like a hat than a loaf — but tearing it open hot from the oven with salty cheese was perfect. Sighnaghi in the evening felt almost Italian somehow; cobbled streets, laughter echoing from a wine bar where we ended up tasting something amber and earthy. I didn’t expect to like Georgian wine so much.

The next day started slow with a walk through Sighnaghi’s quiet lanes before we ducked into the Khareba wine tunnel. It’s chilly inside — 16 degrees year-round — and you can smell the damp stone and oak barrels. Lunch at Lagazi was this blur of toasts (so many toasts), homemade khachapuri, and stories from Gia about his family’s vineyard. His wife served us eggplant rolls that I still think about sometimes. Later in Telavi, after wandering Tsinandali’s gardens under soft rain, we spent the evening at another small winery where everyone talked over each other in three languages at once.

Driving north toward Kazbegi felt like moving into another country — the mountains just swallow you up. We stopped at Ananuri fortress for photos (the water below is impossibly blue) and then Gudauri for coffee while paragliders floated overhead like confetti. At the “Friendship” monument our guide explained its Soviet history; I mostly remember the wind whipping my jacket and how small everything looked from up there. In Kazbegi that night we learned to make khinkali with a local family — mine kept leaking but nobody minded. There was laughter and flour everywhere.

The last day was quieter somehow. We paused by Zhinvali reservoir for one last look at those mountains reflected in still water before heading to Mtskheta. Jvari Monastery sits high above two rivers meeting; it’s hard not to feel something standing there in silence with everyone else just watching the light shift over old stones. Lunch at Château Mukhrani was relaxed — more wine (of course), slow conversation under shady trees. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was our final stop, incense heavy in the air and sunlight slanting through ancient windows. I left feeling both full and oddly homesick for places I’d only just met.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Tbilisi to Sighnaghi via David Gareja

• Pass Sagarejo without stopping
• Pass Udabno village without stopping
• Visit Lavra monastery and walk rainbow mountains
• Lunch at Wineria Kakheti
• Bake bread and taste with local cheese in Badiauri
• Visit Bodbe monastery with Alazani valley views
• Wine tasting and dinner in Sighnaghi

Day 2 — Sighnaghi to Telavi via Kakheti wineries

• Morning walk in Sighnaghi
• Visit Khareba wine tunnel
• Explore Gremi village and monastery
• Lunch and wine at Lagazi wine cellar
• Visit Tsinandali estate and botanical garden
• Evening at Gia Togonidze winery

Day 3 — Telavi to Kazbegi via Gudauri

• Visit Ananuri fortress
• Ski lift ride in Gudauri (if open)
• View Friendship monument
• Lunch at Tsanareti restaurant in Arsha
• Visit Gergeti Trinity Church
• Hike to Gveleti waterfalls
• Visit Georgian-Russian border in Dariali gorge
• Khinkali cooking masterclass and dinner

Day 4 — Kazbegi to Tbilisi via Mtskheta

• Photo stop at Zhinvali reservoir viewpoint
• Lunch at Château Mukhrani winery
• Visit Jvari Monastery
• Visit Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

Top questions

How many nights are included on this Kakheti Kazbegi Mtskheta tour?

The tour includes three nights: two in Kakheti region (Sighnaghi/Telavi) and one night in Kazbegi/Stepantsminda.

Is lunch or food included during the day trip?

Yes, lunch is included each day at local wineries or restaurants featuring Georgian specialties.

Are there any hands-on experiences like cooking classes?

Yes, guests participate in bread baking in Badiauri village and a khinkali (dumpling) masterclass with a local family in Kazbegi.

Do we visit UNESCO World Heritage sites on this tour?

Yes, both Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta are UNESCO World Heritage sites visited on the last day.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes, hotel pickup is included at the start of the tour from Tbilisi.

What is special about Khareba wine tunnel?

The Khareba wine tunnel is the largest in the Caucasus; its constant 16°C temperature creates ideal conditions for aging Georgian wines.

Will we have time for sightseeing as well as food experiences?

Yes, each day combines sightseeing—like David Gareja Monastery or Ananuri fortress—with food tastings and cultural activities.

Are service animals allowed on this tour?

Yes, service animals are allowed according to additional info provided.

What’s included

Your four days include hotel pickup from Tbilisi, all entry fees for monasteries and landmarks along the route through Kakheti, Kazbegi & Mtskheta; daily lunches with local wines; hands-on bread baking and khinkali masterclass; guided visits to wineries including tastings; overnight stays arranged each night; plus plenty of stories shared by your local guide before returning you back to Tbilisi.