DAY1

Receive a group in Tbilisi international airport by a representative of "G&T Georgia"
the group meets with the guide at the hotel accompanying them to start the program.
Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
Overnight: 5 night in Tbilisi
1 night in SIGNAGI
1 night in AKHALTSIKHE
DAY2
TOUR IN TBILISI

The name “Tbilisi” derives from old Georgian word “tbili” which means “warm”. This name (literally “warm location”) was given to the city because of the area’s numerous sulphuric hot springs that came out of the ground. According to the old legend King Vakhtang I Gorgasali went hunting to the woods with a falcon. His falcon caught a pheasent after which both birds fell into the hot spring and died from burns. The king was fascinated with the features of those springs and gave order to cut down the woods and build a city on the location. Tbilisi is located in the south Caucasus at 41° 40’ North Latitude and 44° 47’ Eastern Longitude. The city lies in eastern Georgia on both banks of the river Mtkvari. The elevation of the city ranges from 380-770 meters above sea level. It has the shape of an amphitheatre surrounded by mountains on three sides.
ABANOTUBANI

There were numerous baths in Tbilisi called Erekle, Bebuta, Melicki, Meitri (Sumbatovi), Gogilo, Orbaliani, Tbileli, Mirzoevi, Khoja, “Grili” (Shioevi), “Chreli” and others. Baths that are still present up to this day were built in XVII-XVIII centuries under the influence of Iranian architecture. These baths were located in the district that was called Seidabadi located near botanical garden of Tbilisi. That is why this place was called Abanotubani. Baths were not only a place of cure and bathing, but also a significant place for communication. Here citizens would come to spend the whole day: they bathed, had rest and feasted. It was here that future mothers-in-law inspected the beauty of their future daughters-in-law.
LIBERTY SQUARE

Central square of Tbilisi is located in the old district of the city. There is Tbilisi City Hall there and in the centre of the square there is St. George statue. Branching out from this square are six streets: Rustaveli Avenue, Pushkin Street, Leselidze Street, Shalva Dadiani Street, Galaktion Street, and Leonidze Street.
Central square of Tbilisi has approximately two-century-old history. The square used to be just a desolate place out of the castle wall of the city.
AGMSHENEBELI STR

The avenue was called after the Russian marxist George Plekhanov in 1918. The avenue had the same name during the times of the Soviet Union. In 1990 it was named after David IV the Builder. Since 2009 the avenue has seen major rehabilitation works and according to the plan, after the work was done, the street gained the function of cultural and trade avenue.
BRIDGE OF PEACE

Bridge of peace is a pedestrian bridge over the Mtkvari river in downtown Tbilisi, between the bridges of Baratashvili and Metekhi. The bridge connects Erekle II street (and the adjoining bank of the river) and Rikhe. The bridge was built by the initiative of Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili and by the order of Tbilisi City Hall in 2009-2010. The official opening took place on May, 2010. The bridge was designed by the Italian architect
Michele De Lucchi (who had also designed the buildings of the
Presidential Administration of Georgia and
Ministry of Internal Affairs in Tbilisi); the lighting design was created by the French lighting designer Philippe Martinaud.
MTSKHETA

Mtskheta is a city and administrative centre of
Mtskheta-Mtianeti, one of the provinces of
Georgia. Due to its historical significance and several cultural monuments, the "Historical Monuments of Mtskheta" became a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. There are numerous cultural (institutes, theatre, museum) monuments in the city that are distinguished by their architecture.
MTAWMINDA

- Mtatsminda – plateau, ending part of the eastern edge of Trialeti mountain range (within the borders of Tbilisi). Its height is 770 meters. Mtatsminda was named after Mount Athos where there is an eastern orthodox monastery called Iviron, in northern Greece. This monastery was one of the most important educational and spiritual centres where many Georgian monks lived. There were other monasteries on the Mount Athos and that is why it was named as “Mtatsminda” (“saint mountain”) afterwards. According to tradition one of the thirteen assyrian fathers Davit Garejeli lived in the cell which he himself made in the eastern side-hill.
There are several churches there and the road, going up to those churches, was built in 1817. Untill the beginning of XIX century Mtatsminda was covered by the woods. The present wood is artificial. There is a park of culture and leisure on the plateau which is connected to the city with the help of rope-way, funicular railway and car road
DAY 4-5
TBILISI-TELAVI-SIGNAGI- KVARELI-TBILISI
KAKHETI TRADITIONS

Kakheti is one of the ancient regions of viticulture and winemaking. There are about 80 species of grapevine in Kakheti. Kakheti is also known for its Churchkhela.
Almonds,
walnuts,
hazel nuts and sometimes raisins are threaded onto a string, dipped in thickened
grape juice called Tatara or fruit juices and dried in the shape of a candle. This candy is called ‘Churchkhela’ in the eastern part of Georgia and ‘Janjukha’ in the western part of the country. Good quality Churchkhelas and Janjukhas can be kept until spring. Georgian warriors carried Churchkhelas with them because they contain many calories.
SIGNAGI

Sighnaghi is one of the most beautiful towns of Georgia. Its charm is conditioned by its architectural design formed during the centuries and its natural location: situated on a steep hill, Signagi overlooks the vast Alazani Valley, with the
Caucasus Mountains visible at a distance.
TELAVI

Telavi is the main city and administrative centre of
Georgia's eastern province of
Kakheti. Telavi is situated on Alazani Valley at the botom of north-east hillside of Gombori range. Telavi is an important transit route, industrial, agricultural (winamaking) and cultural centre. There is the State University (former Pedagogical Institute), theatre and Telavi State History and Ethnography Museum. The sights of the city are: Ghvtaeba Church (VI-VII c.), the fortress “Dzveli Galavani” (old walls) (X-XI c.).
DAY6
VARDZIA-RABATI-TBILISI
VARDZIA

Vardzia is a cave complex in southern
Georgia, historical Meskheti, in the region Aspindza. 300 kilometres from Tbilisi. The rock cut monument of Vardzia has been submitted for future inscription on the
UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural site since 2007.
The main period of construction was the second half of 12
th century. Vardzia stretches along the cliff for some five hundred metres and has 13 storeys. Cave town is located at the altitude of 1,300 metres above sea level. The total area of the complex is 40 000 square metres.
RABATI

Rabati Castle is a medieval fortress in Akhaltsikhe, Georgia. It was the main town of Samtskhe and the residense of Samtskhe Atabags. Rabati Castle is located on the left bank of the river Fotskhovi. The history of the castle begins in IX century. In XII–XIII centuries the fortress became the residence of ruling dynasty of the Principality of Samtskhe the House of Jaqeli. They restored and broadened the castle. The toponym “Akhaltsikhe” (“new castle”) appears exactly in this period.
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