Georgia - Where Europe meets Asia

8 days from £1409.00pp

To book this holiday please contact our Sales Team directly on

0330 160 7700

TBILISI AND THE CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS

Discover the spectacular scenery and welcoming people of one of Eurasia’s most fascinating countries.

At the crossroads of two vast continents, on the route of the great Silk Road and in the shadow of the Caucasus Mountains, Georgia is one of the world’s most beautiful countries. It’s also a place with an ancient, fascinating history that includes some of the oldest known beginnings of wine-making, and that boasts the legendary hospitality of a population that believes guests are blessings. With a burgeoning tourism infrastructure now bringing 21st-century comforts to its spectacular setting, Georgia is one of the world’s foremost “must see now” destinations.

Tour Highlights

Explore Tbilisi – Georgia’s ancient capital – on a guided tour
Enjoy guided tours of Gori (Stalin’s birthplace) and Uplistsikhe’s astonishing cave town
Drive to Bodbe Monastery, burial place of Georgia’s Patron Saint
Take in the views from pretty Sighnaghi
Taste Georgian wines in Kakheti
See Mtskheta’s cathedral, Jvari’s monastery and Ananuri’s castle on your way to Stepantsminda, in the shadow of the Caucasus
Ride a 4x4 up to Gergeti church’s lofty perch

What does this price include?

Six nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation at four-star hotels in Tbilisi (4 nights) and Gudauri (2)
Three lunches and three dinners, all with wine
Early check-in at your hotel in Tbilisi
Return flights to Tbilisi (overnight on the way out)
Coach travel and transfers throughout
Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Your Itinerary

View a full breakdown of your holiday to help you plan your trip

Day One – Overnight flight to Georgia

Fly to Tbilisi’s Rustaveli International Airport.
Day Two – Included Tbilisi tour

Upon arrival, meet your tour manager and transfer to your hotel, where your rooms will be ready for you. After the chance to rest and have breakfast, enjoy an afternoon’s guided tour of the compact, historic Georgian capital.

The country’s capital for over 1500 years, Tbilisi sits beside to the Mtkvari River in a dramatic gorge, next to a natural spring and beneath the vast, imposing Narikala Fortress. For centuries, it was the most important trading centre in the Caucasus, a key stop on the ancient Silk Road. Its colourful old town – a cosmopolitan mix of cultures and faiths living in harmony and watched over by the statue of its founder, King Vakhtang Gorgasali – boasts a delightful maze of narrow streets lined with shops, stores and an increasing number of modern bars, cafés and restaurants catering to visitors.

Your tour will also include a chair-lift ride up to the Narikala Fortress above to take in the views of the city, and this evening dinner will be served in a restaurant, accompanied by some traditional Georgian singing and wine.
Day Three – Included day trip to Gori, the Stalin Museum and Uplistsikhe

Re-board the coach today for the journey west out of the city and into the beautiful, rolling countryside, heading first to ancient Gori, beneath its own imposing fortress, and famed as birthplace of Soviet leader Josef Stalin. A fascinating museum houses over 60,000 exhibits, including the house in which the dictator is said to have been born, and the train in which he travelled.

You’ll also visit the ancient cave town of Uplistsikhe, where dwellings, some from the 1st century BC, as well as temples and whole streets with houses and merchants’ shops, are hewn from the barren rock, and enjoy an included lunch.

Return to Tbilisi for the evening, to dine at your leisure.
Day Four – Included visits to Bodbe Monastery and wine-tasting in Sighnaghi

Today’s tour takes you east to the picture-book Alazani valley, overlooked by impossibly pretty hilltop town Sighnaghi, and offering spectacular views of the towering Caucasus beyond. Here, you’ll pay a visit to 9th-century Bodbe Monastery, where the remains of Georgia’s Patron Saint, St Nino, are enshrined, before heading to Sighnaghi. This being the centre of the Kakheti wine-growing region, you’ll also enjoy a pleasant lunch and tasting of traditionally grown organic wines at a local wine cellar, and learn about life in rural Georgia through the ages before returning to Tbilisi this evening.
Day Five – Journey into the Caucasus Mountains

On a remarkably scenic day, you’ll head north towards the foothills of the mighty Caucasus, pausing first at the former capital of the Georgian kingdom, Mtskheta. The country’s cultural and spiritual home, and cradle of its Orthodox Christianity, riverside Mtskheta stood at the crossroads of the Roman, Persian and Byzantine empires, and boasts sacred Svetiskhoveli cathedral (burial place of kings) and the Jvari Monastery of the Cross among its UNESCO-listed treasures.

Journeying further north, you’ll pass beneath striking Ananuri castle in its commanding position above the Aragvi River, to arrive in the village Gudauri for an included dinner at your hotel.
Day Six – Included 4x4 journey to Gergeti Church

Continue north to the mountain resort of Stepantsminda, still more commonly known as as Kazbegi, which is surrounded by some of the most beautiful peaks of the Caucasus, including towering Mount Kazbek. Upon arrival, we switch to four-wheel-drive vehicles for the short journey to the hilltop Gergeti, ‘Trinity’ Church, which offers sensational views, on clear days, of the Terek river valley and the towering flanks of Mount Kazbegi.

A wonderful day ends with a visit to a local artist, for the chance to admire intricate felt work and to taste teas and other delicacies. Dinner is at your hotel this evening.
Day Seven – Farewell lunch in Tbilisi

Bidding farewell to your Stepantsminda hosts, today, you’ll return to Tbilisi, where you’ll enjoy a last included lunch – your final taste of Georgian hospitality.
Day Eight – Fly back to the UK

Transfer back to the airport to board your daytime flight home, at the end of a marvellous Georgian holiday.

Prices

To book this holiday please contact our Sales Team directly on

0330 160 7700

Price Per Person

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Adults 2

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Available Cabins

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Single Cabins

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Hotels

Georgia - where Europe meets Asia Touring Hotels

You will be staying in two comfortable, conveniently located four-star hotels.

View Hotels

Tour Extensions

(1 Available)

Georgia - Where Europe meets Asia with Armenia Extension

Explore Tbilisi – Georgia’s ancient capital – on a guided tour - Discover historic Yerevan, Armenia’s capital - Enjoy guided tours of Gori (Stalin’s birthplace) and Uplistsikhe’s astonishing cave town

Further Information

Hotel transfer times

The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately 35 minutes.
Combining hotel transfers

We sometimes need to combine transfers to and from your hotel. We always try to keep any wait to a minimum, but you may be asked to wait at the airport for up to an hour, while other incoming flights arrive, before the transfer to your hotel. Similarly, we may need to transfer you back to the airport up to three hours before your flight home departs.
Special requirements

If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.
Disabled access

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Itinerary changes

Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.
Changes to your hotels

Should circumstances require, we reserve the right to accommodate you in alternative hotels, of a similar standard, nearby. Full details of your hotels will be sent with your Final Travel Documents.
Foreign Office Travel Advice

Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.
Indirect flights

All flights are via Istanbul, except for Gatwick which is a direct flight.
Brexit - leaving the European Union

From 1 January 2021, new rules apply on travel within Europe.

Note that these new rules do NOT apply when travelling within the United Kingdom or to the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland. You do require government issued ID when travelling by air.

New rules apply when travelling to European Union countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The following are useful guidelines which will help you prepare for your next adventure:

Passport

British passport holders need to have at least six months left on their passport and it needs to be less than ten years old.
These rules do not apply to travel to Ireland where you can continue to use your passport as long as it’s valid for the length of your stay.

Visa

If you’re a tourist, you do not need a visa for short trips to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You’ll be able to stay for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. Different rules will apply to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania; if you visit these countries, visits to other EU countries will not count towards the 90-day total. Travel to Ireland will not change and stays there will not count towards the 90-day total.

Border Control

At border control, you may need to show proof of your return journey - your travel documentation issued by us will be sufficient for this. You may also need to use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens when queueing.

Healthcare Cover

You should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before you go abroad. Your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will no longer be valid. It’s particularly important you have travel insurance with the right cover if you have a pre-existing medical condition. This is because the EHIC scheme covers pre-existing conditions, while many travel insurance policies do not. You should understand the terms and conditions of your travel insurance and be happy with its cover for healthcare and travel disruption. Newmarket sell a comprehensive travel insurance policy. Ask our travel consultants for more information.

Mobile Roaming

From 1 January 2021, the guarantee of free mobile phone roaming throughout the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway will end.
Check with your phone operator to find out about any roaming charges you might get from 1 January 2021.