Kakheti wine tour: Signagi, Bodbe Monastery, Telavi

Taste qvevri wine in the valley where Georgia's winemaking began

A private guided tour of Kakheti, Georgia's eastern wine region, visiting Bodbe Monastery, the hilltop village of Signagi, and a traditional winery where you taste 5-6 wines made in qvevri clay vessels. The 11-hour day includes lunch in a home restaurant where you help prepare khinkali, views from Gombor pasture at 1,620 meters, and stops to watch Georgian bread and cheese being made. A live guide speaks English, Italian, German or Russian, and pickup is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Kakheti region highlights

• Visit Bodbe Monastery and holy spring
• See Georgian bread and cheese making
• Attend Churchkheli and bread master classes
• Walk Italian-style streets in Sighnaghi
• Enjoy lunch and prepare khinkali
• Tour winery and learn Kakheti wine methods
• Taste 5-6 types of wine, cognacs, chachi
• Climb to Gombor pasture for mountain views
• Taste local tea and coffee at pasture

The Experience

The day starts at Bodbe Monastery, perched above the Alazani Valley, where you follow the story of Saint Nino and the Christian roots of Georgia. The monastery sits on a site of pilgrimage—believers have visited the holy spring for generations, and you can walk the grounds and understand why this place matters to Georgian faith and history. From there the route drops into Signagi, a village built on Italian town planning with a long fortress wall running its length. You walk the streets, see the panoramas across the valley, and settle into a home restaurant where the owners walk you through the traditions of a Kakheti feast and let you join in making khinkali by hand.

Along the way you stop to watch Georgian bread (shoti) being baked and cheese being made according to local tradition. Then comes the winery—a place where local experts explain the qvevri method, the clay vessels that sit underground and shape how Georgian wine ferments, and why this technique made it onto UNESCO's list of intangible heritage. You taste 5-6 red wines from Kakheti, plus cognacs and chachi, tasting what the region is known for. The route climbs to Gombor pasture at 1,620 meters, where the views open across the mountains and you can drink local tea or coffee before heading back.

What’s included

• Pickup from your location.
• 11-hour private guided tour with a live guide in your choice of English, Italian, German or Russian.
• entry to Bodbe Monastery.
• lunch at a home restaurant in Signagi with khinkali preparation.
• wine tasting of 5-6 Georgian wines plus cognacs and chachi at a traditional winery.
• stops to watch Georgian bread and cheese being made.
• WiFi on board.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availableInfants must sit on laps

Operated by ushba travel

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English, Italian, German or Russian, so you follow the commentary in whichever language you book—no translation lag, no missing the details about the monastery or the winemaking. The 11-hour day suits travelers who want to move through multiple stops without rushing any of them, and the private format means the pace and the stops adjust to your interests.

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Top questions

What is the qvevri method and why does it matter for Georgian wine?

The qvevri method uses large clay vessels buried underground to ferment and age wine, a technique so central to Georgian winemaking that UNESCO listed it as intangible cultural heritage. At the winery, local experts explain how the clay shapes the wine and show you the vessels themselves before you taste the results.

Will I actually help make khinkali, or just watch?

You participate in making khinkali at the home restaurant during lunch—the owners teach you how, so you are part of the preparation, not watching from a table.

What happens at Gombor pasture and why climb to 1,620 meters?

Gombor pasture sits at 1,620 meters and offers mountain views and landscapes across the Alazani Valley and surrounding peaks. You climb there near the end of the day to drink tea or coffee and take in the panorama before returning.

Can the guide speak a language other than English?

The guide speaks English, Italian, German or Russian—you choose the language when you book, so the commentary and explanations happen in whichever language you need.

Is lunch included in the price, or do I pay separately?

Lunch is included as part of the tour—you eat at a home restaurant in Signagi where you also help prepare khinkali, and the owners explain Kakheti dining traditions.