Tbilisi: Jvari, Mtskheta & Uplistsike Private Day Trip

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/33

Duration7h–8h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · RU

PickupAt your hotel

A 6th-century monastery overlooks Georgia's old capital on this full-day private drive

You get picked up at your hotel and driven to four major sites: a 6th-century monastery with views over the old capital, the main cathedral of Georgia, a 3,000-year-old cave town you walk through, and a Soviet monument. Hotel return is included, along with your English-speaking guide and all transport. No arranging separate taxis or timing your own connections.

7h–8h

Step-by-step itinerary

Historical tour from Tbilisi

Meet at hotel in Tbilisi
Visit Jvari Monastery
Explore Uplistsikhe cave city
Coffee break
Visit Mtskheta old capital
Tour Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
See Chronicle of Georgia monument
Return to hotel

The Experience

Jvari Church sits on a ridge above Mtskheta, and from the moment you step inside, you're standing in a 6th-century space that hasn't moved. Your guide meets you at your hotel at 9:30 am, and the drive out takes about an hour. The church is small, stone, and the view down to the confluence of two rivers and the old city below is the kind of thing that makes you understand why someone built a religious centre here in the first place. It's not about the size of the building — it's about the position.

After Jvari, you head down to Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta itself, the main church in Georgia and the burial site of Christ's robe according to tradition. The cathedral is massive, 11th century, and the interior has the weight of centuries in it. Then there's a coffee break before you move on to Uplistsike, a 3,000-year-old cave town carved into the rock face. Walking through the tunnels and chambers, you're moving through one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia — structures dating back to the 12th century BC, though the site goes back much further. The ticket to enter Uplistsike is 15 lari per person. It's not a quick stop; you need time to actually move through it and let the scale of it register.

The final stop is the Monument to the Chronicle of Georgia, a massive Soviet-era structure next to Tbilisi Sea. It's a shift in tone from the medieval sites, but it's part of the story. Your driver brings you back to your hotel by evening. The whole day runs about nine hours, and because it's private, the pace is yours — you're not waiting for a group to catch up or being rushed through a site.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup at 9:30 am, private transportation throughout, an English-speaking guide, visits to Jvari Monastery, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Uplistsike cave town, and the Monument to the Chronicle of Georgia, a coffee break, and return transport to your hotel. Entry to Uplistsike (15 lari per person) and any meals are separate.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Karlo-Georgia

Is this one for you?This works well if you want to see Georgia's main historical sites in one day without arranging your own transport or timing between locations — the private format means you move at your own pace and skip the group-tour waits.