A small Georgia tour, big variety. This guided 8-day trip is built around hotel-based touring plus private storytelling, so you move fast and still get context. I especially like the capped group size of 15 and the way the route mixes UNESCO-style classics with memorable food and viewpoints. One thing to weigh, though, is that you will have long travel days, and lunch is not included.

You also get airport transfers and a daily breakfast to keep mornings simple. In the feedback, Ushba Travel head Zurab and guides like Nino, Beso, Roland, Giorgi, and Diana were repeatedly praised for punctual departures and good, flexible guidance.

Key Things That Make This Tour Work Well

• Capped at 15 people: small enough for questions, big enough to meet fellow travelers.
• VIP air-conditioned cars with transfers: less stress on airport day and between regions.
• Daily breakfast included: one less thing to plan during a packed week.
• Entrance tickets are included: you pay less in surprises at each stop.
• Off-road style access to Gergeti: the church viewpoint is the main reason people book this route.
• English-guided with group pacing: consistent narration across multiple regions, not random checklists.

A Small-Group Plan That Keeps Tbilisi as Your Home Base

The biggest practical win here is how the tour is organized. You are mostly based in Tbilisi with 7 nights in a 3-star hotel, then you fan out to the rest of Georgia. That means you get real downtime at the end of the day, instead of constantly packing and changing hotels.

I also like the group cap of 15 travelers. On a route this full, that small number matters. It helps keep pickup timing realistic, and it makes it easier for the guide to adjust on the fly if the group needs a bathroom stop or wants an extra photo pause at a viewpoint.

From the feedback, the experience runs with a steady hand. People specifically called out punctual departures and “everything included as specified,” which is exactly what you want when you are doing multiple day trips. In other words, you can focus on what you came for.

VIP Cars, Airport Transfers, and the Start at 9:00

The tour starts at Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport, with a start time of 9:00 am. You are also covered with two-way airport transfers, and the transport uses VIP class air-conditioned cars. If you have ever landed tired and then spent an hour figuring out how to get to town, you will appreciate this.

There is also a mobile ticket, and that matters more than you think. It cuts down the back-and-forth on your phone the moment you arrive. You just show it, get in the car, and you are moving.

The tour is offered in English, and it has a guide service throughout. That is useful for Georgia, where a lot of the meaning lives in the details, especially around churches, monastic history, and the stories people attach to places.

Day 1 in Tbilisi: The Aerial Tramway to Set Your Bearings

Your first day is light on paper and works in real life: hotel transfer from the airport, then an early taste of Tbilisi from above via the Aerial Tramway (about 30 minutes, with admission included). This is a smart opening move because it helps you understand the geography of the old city.

From the tramway viewpoint, you get a quick mental map. You see how the Old Town sits, how the hills and fort area relate, and where later walking routes will likely feel steep. Even if you are not a “view person,” that orientation reduces the guesswork later.

You also get a free evening on Day 1. That is underrated. After a travel day, you want a couple of hours to settle, grab water, check your phone, and decide where you want dinner without a rushed group schedule.

Day 2 in Kakheti: Signagi, Bodbe Monastery, Telavi, and Wine Country Views

Day 2 is a full day in Georgia’s eastern region, and it has a good mix: monasteries, charming towns, and wine. You start with breakfast at the hotel, then you head to Signagi (Sighnaghi) and Bodbe Monastery.

Signagi and Bodbe Monastery: the calm, spiritual pause

Bodbe Monastery of St. Nino is the emotional center of the day. The tour focuses on legend and meaning, including why St. Nino is connected to this site. You can also access the holy spring water area, which adds a very “Georgia-specific” element.

Then Signagi is the contrast. It is described as a comfortable town with small winding streets and colorful tiled roofs, built on a mountain slope. The tour also calls out the romance side of Signagi, plus viewpoints over the Alazani Valley. If you like photos, you will find angles here that you can only get in this part of Georgia.

Telavi and King Erekle II: a royal stop in wine country

Later, you roll into Telavi, with a stop at the Telavi History Museum, tied to the palace of King Erekle II. The tour also mentions a symbolic 900-year-old chador tree, which gives you a memorable landmark beyond the walls and rooms.

The highlight for many people is the wine segment. You visit a wine cellar on the Gombori road near Telavi and do a wine tasting. The tour says the tasting is free, and it also mentions you can eat where you like in a restaurant of your choice. This gives you some control over your lunch plans, even though lunch itself is not included.

A practical tip: since lunch is not included, you will want to treat the day like this, drink tasting now, decide your meal later at the restaurant stop.

Day 3: Mtskheta, Jvari, Uplistsikhe, and the Gori Story Bit

Day 3 is the “big culture and big history” day. You start around Mtskheta and work through religious sites, a walking stop, a cave city, and then optionally a stop connected to Stalin.

Jvari and Svetitskhoveli: where views and meaning meet

You visit Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, both central to Georgia’s Christian story. Jvari is also paired with an iconic viewpoint over Mtskheta. Then Svetitskhoveli is the major cathedral, described as one of the most revered places in Georgia, with details like the traditions around early Georgian kings and major Christian relic associations.

Even if you are not religious, places like this land because the story is woven into architecture and landscape. You can feel why these sites became anchors for centuries.

Uplistsikhe: the cave city that feels like time travel

Then comes Uplistsikhe, a cave city carved into rock, with origins reaching far back in time. The tour frames it well: you are not just walking through rooms, you are stepping into a stone labyrinth built for shifting eras and uses. It is also paired with panoramic views of the Kura Valley, which helps you reset after the caves.

Gori and the Stalin Museum: optional, but offered

There is a stop for the Stalin Museum in Gori, and the tour notes it is at the request of the group. That part is not mandatory, but it is there if you want to understand how Georgia sits inside 20th-century world history.

If you prefer strictly pre-modern cultural sites, keep this in mind when you travel with a group. You might want to tell your guide early where you stand on the Stalin stop.

Day 4: Old Tbilisi on Foot, Sulfur Baths, Fortresses, and a Wine Break

Day 4 is about Tbilisi itself, and it leans into the city’s layers: old temples, living markets, baths, and modern bridges. It is also where the tour’s “stories, not just stops” approach really makes sense.

Metekhi Plateau to Meidan Bazaar: origins, then the living city

The walk begins at the Metekhi Plateau, with a viewpoint over the Old Town and Narikala Fortress. You also get background on the early settlement story before the city’s better-known foundation.

Then you head toward Meidan Bazaar and Meydan Square. The route includes talk about the Great Silk Road era and an underground bazaar, which helps you understand why this place became a hub.

Sulfur baths and the Inzhira Gorge waterfall walk

After the market area, you go toward the Sulfur baths. The tour also references the legend of Marco Polo and explains why only some baths remain in number. It is a very “Georgia detail” kind of stop, the kind of thing you would miss if you just wandered.

Then there is a walk toward the Inzhira Gorge and a waterfall. Even if you only have 2 hours here, it gives you a break from heavy sightseeing. It is also a nice moment to stretch your legs and hydrate.

Narikala Fortress and multiple places of faith

You then hit Narikala Fortress plus a route that covers several key religious sites in Tbilisi, including Metekhi church, Sioni Cathedral, Anchiskhati Church, and a juma mosque stop connected to a spiral staircase and narrow alleys.

That mix is valuable because Tbilisi is not one-era. It changes from street to street. A guided route keeps you from missing the “why” behind each location.

The 17th-century wine cellar tasting break

Midday fatigue is real on a walking day, so I like that the tour includes a wine tasting in a cellar tied to a 17th-century setting. It is described as about an hour with no restriction, plus comments from a winemaker. You get a proper pause, not just a coffee break.

If you are the type who drinks slowly, this still works. If you drink fast, pace yourself anyway. Walking plus wine can sneak up on you.

Day 5: The Georgian Military Road, Kazbegi, Gudauri, and Gergeti Trinity by Jeep

Day 5 is long and mountainous, but it is also the day most people remember. You head toward Stepantsminda, stopping along the Georgian Military Road.

You start with connections between viewpoints: Zhinvali Reservoir (weather dependent), Ananuri fortress complex, and then Pasanauri at the confluence of the White and Black Aragvi rivers. You also pause at the Arch of Friendship and reach Gudauri, where the tour notes it as a ski resort area.

Gergeti Trinity Church: the postcard moment, earned

The main event is Gergeti Trinity Church, reached via a transfer to jeeps. The route describes it as the famous monastery on a hill behind the clouds, with the view of snow-capped peaks.

Important practical note: the tour explicitly says there are additional expenses for the jeep to the temple in Gergeti. So do not assume everything is fully included here. Plan to pay that extra cost on the day.

Also, take weather seriously. Mountain viewpoints can change fast, and the tour already flags that the route may pass through the Zhinvali reservoir under extreme weather conditions.

Return to Tbilisi later in the evening

You come back around 8.9 pm to Meidan Bazaar. That is a late finish, so treat it as an evening for dinner close to your hotel and an early night.

Day 6: A Free Day in Tbilisi, Plus Optional Big Sights

Day 6 is a real breath: you get free day and night in Tbilisi, with breakfast at the hotel. This matters because after days of driving, caves, and viewpoints, your brain needs space.

The tour also offers optional excursions you can book, including Borjomi-Rabati-Vardzia, Martvili Canyon-Prometheus Cave, and Kutaisi. The key word here is optional. If you are tired, skip them. If you feel energized, you can add extra depth.

Practical move: on a free day, I like to do a simple plan. Walk a neighborhood you did not cover, find one good bakery, and revisit one church or street you liked earlier. With a guided week, you want to let one place become familiar.

Day 7: Borjomi, Rabati Castle, and Cave Vardzia in One Big Day

Day 7 is another long one. You start with a road trip concept, then you build the day with nature, fortifications, and cave monasteries.

Borjomi park and mineral water from the source area

You stop in Borjomi, visit the Central Park, and climb a cable car to get views. The tour also includes time at Prometheus, a waterfall, and discussion of mineral water, including that you can taste water right from the source.

If you want the “Georgia is not only churches” side of the story, Borjomi gives you that. It is a break from hard stone and steep old streets.

Rabat Fortress: the Christian Muslim crossroads fortress

Then you go to Rabati Castle in Akhaltsikhe region. The tour frames it as a transit point between Christian and Muslim worlds, with palace halls and rich decoration. Fortress architecture here is meant to impress. Even if you do not read every inscription, the size and the repurposed styles tell you the story.

Vardzia: 12th-century rock-cut monastery with serious scale

Next comes Vardzia. The tour describes it as a cave fortress and monastery built in the 12th century, with 13 levels and 500+ rooms. You also hear about rooms for different functions like churches, residential cells, pantries, baths, refectories, libraries, plus secret passages and water systems.

This is one of those sites where a guide helps, because the layout can feel confusing if you just follow paths without context. You walk through corners and learn what functions the rock city served.

Plan to wear shoes you trust. Vardzia is not a place for flimsy soles.

Price and Logistics: What You Pay For, What You Still Need to Plan

At $499 per person for about 8 days, this is built around value in a very practical way. The tour includes 7 nights in a 3-star hotel, two-way airport transfers, VIP air-conditioned cars, guide service, entrance tickets, and breakfast (7).

That combination is the real math. When entrance fees and hotel nights are bundled, your daily budget becomes more predictable. You are also not spending time arranging transport each day, which is often the hidden cost of “DIY but with transfers.”

What is not included: lunch. You will handle lunch at your stops, including restaurant choices in places like the wine region and mountain areas. Also, remember the jeep to Gergeti is listed as an additional expense.

If you want to travel light, bring a small cash buffer for these extras. Then you can spend your mental energy on views and food instead of budgeting mid-trip.

Should You Book This Tour?

You should book if you want:

• Small-group touring capped at 15, with English guidance
• A week where you get big regional highlights without planning every leg
• Breakfast and entrance tickets included, with predictable day structure
• A Tbilisi base plus day trips to Kakheti, Mtskheta, Kazbegi, Borjomi, Rabat, and Vardzia

Skip or reconsider if:

• You dislike long drive days, because some days run late and include lots of stops
• You hate extra expenses at the last minute, since Gergeti jeep costs are not included
• You want fully independent flexibility every day, because the schedule is designed as a guided set route

My bottom line: this is a solid value, especially if you like the idea of a guide who connects the dots and keeps the week moving. With Ushba Travel leadership such as Zurab and guides like Nino, Beso, Roland, Giorgi, and Diana mentioned in feedback, the service style seems built around punctual pickups and real explanations, not just driving you to photo spots.

FAQ

How long is the tour, and where does it start?

It runs for about 8 days. The tour starts at Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport, Tbilisi, Georgia, with a start time of 9:00 am.

Are airport transfers included?

Yes. Two-way transfers from the airport are included.

What group size is this tour capped at?

The tour has a maximum of 15 travelers.

Is breakfast included?

Yes. Breakfast is included for 7 days.

Are entrance tickets included?

Yes. Entrance ticket fees are included.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch is not included.

Is there any additional cost during the trip?

The tour notes additional expenses for the jeep to the temple in Gergeti.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. The tour is offered in English.