Culinary and Wine Tour of Georgia
Duration: 10 days
Detailed schedule:
Day1.
Arrival to Tbilisi
Meet the guide and driver.
Transfer to the hotel. Check-in.
Day2.
Tbilisi Tour with Sarajishvili factory.
After breakfast meet the guide and have a walking tour in the old City:
Places to visit:
- Abanotbani (sulfur bath district, where your hotel is situated)
- Metekhi Plateau and Metekhi Church of 5th-13th cc, built above the river on a cliff-top;
- Narikala Fortress by the cable car.
- Sharden str. with many cafes, workshops and galleries.
- Sioni Cathedral (6th c) the beating heart of Georgian Orthodoxy;
- Modern glass bridge of Peace.
Lunch time
After lunch visit Sarajishvili brandy factory where you will have a tour in the storages and tasting of the brandy.
Overnight in Tbilisi.
Day3.
Tbilisi -Svetitskhoveli- Ateni Sioni- lunch at Nika Vacheishvili family winery-Borjomi
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to the old capital Mtskheta to visit the 11th c cathedral Svetitskhoveli. This temple is sacred to Georgians. In it the robe of the Lord is buried.
Departure to Ateni Sioni. The 7th century church still preserves fragments of 12th century frescoes and old Georgian inscriptions. The church blends in perfectly with nature and overlooks the beautiful Tana Valley.
There is a cellar of Nika Vacheishvili near Ateni Sioni, which you will definitely visit. Georgian supra with local dishes and wine tasting is waiting for you here. The supper will be accompanied by Georgian polyphonic folk songs, which will be performed by an invited men's ensemble.
Overnight in Borjomi.
Day4.
Borjomi - Chobareti cheese making and culinary masterclasses - Vardzia cave town
Today you have a special day. After breakfast drive to the village near Akhaltsikhe and visit the local family. Here you will have a Chechili cheese masterclass. The cheese specialist will show you how to turn cheese into yarn with a quick motion. Here you will also be shown the method of making layered Meskhetian khachapuri, which also requires great skill.
Drive to Vardzia cave town. Vardzia is the culmination of the development of rock-cut cities in Georgia. Construction was started by King George III and continued by his daughter, Queen Tamar. It was developed, vibrant city with two-story dwelling houses, meeting halls, warehouses, cellars, a water supply system, secret tunnels, and a monastery. The rock-cut church in the city center still holds the 12th-century frescoes of King George and Queen Tamar. Walking tour will last approx. 1 hour.
Dinner and overnight at Vardzia Resort
Day5.
Vardzia-Zemo Vardzia nunnery – Culinary masterclasses in the local family-Vardzia.
Today you will have relatively short day. After breakfast drive to the nunnery. The nuns will conduct master classes in calligraphy, icon painting, embroidery and felt processing.
After that you will visit local farmers, with whom you will prepare Georgian food and, of course, you will taste it.
Overnight at Vardzia resort.
Day6.
Vardzia resort - family beer brewery –Stalin Museum-Tbilisi
Breakfast at the hotel. Travel to a local brewery where you will be able to taste different types of beer with barbecue.
Then you will travel to Gori, Stalin's hometown, to visit the Stalin Museum. You will visit the memorial part of the museum, the house where he was born and raised and the train carriage with which he traveled to various conferences.
Overnight in Tbilisi.
Day7.
Tbilisi – Melaani culinary masterclasses-Numisi wine cellar with bread baking and Churchkhela making – Goat cheese tasting and dinner at Sopo’s – Telavi
Today we will travel to the main wine-producing region, Kakheti. In one of the villages you will visit a family who have restored old local dish recipes and offer them to guests. Here you will have a master class of Kakhetian dish, which will end with a nice lunch. Here you will taste the most delicious rose cockerel tea, the aroma of which will follow you for a long time.
After that you will travel to another village and visit the ancient cellar, where you will take part in baking Georgian bread, shoti and churchkhela. You will have dinner and goat cheese tasting in a wonderful family of goat cheese makers. You will never forget this dinner.
Overnight in Telavi.
Day8.
Telavi – Food market – Workshop of Qvevri – Alaverdi- Organic lunch in the village ethnographic house – Herekle II museum – Telavi
If you want to understand the lifestyle of the local people, you should visit local market. After breakfast visit to the market. Then visit a pitcher craftsman. Here you will see how to sculpt huge pitchers by hand, its burning building and taste the pitcher chacha and wine.
Then you will go to Alaverdi Temple, an 11th century architectural masterpiece.
After Alaverdi you will visit a very interesting woman, who will first show us her knitted rugs and socks, then invite us to a Georgian table, where you will taste delicious food prepared with organic products.
Overnight in Telavi.
Day9.
Telavi – Tbilisi
After breakfast drive to Tbilisi via Gombori pass.
Arrive in Tbilisi. Check-in the hotel.
Free time
Overnight in Tbilisi.
Day10.
Departure.