During the trip, I saw many maps and descriptions of the different regions of Georgia. If the roads through mountainous regions are not one of your favorite destinations, take me at my word: pit stops on a road trip in Georgia are better than beautiful actual destinations. Via Georgia Shida Kartli, Racha, Samegrelo, and Guria to the Black Sea coast I completed an 8-day tour for an adventurous Georgian highway from Tbilisi to Batumi, Georgia, which was somewhat unconventional. Tbilisi girls that I met were really great and helped me with pretty much anything on my trip.
8-day trip to Tbilisi
My complete 8-day itinerary for an adventurous Georgian shore excursion from Tbilisi to Batumi, Georgia, includes everything you need to plan the perfect trip between the two cities. Here you will find a detailed breakdown of the itinerary for Georgia, including travel time, road conditions, and activities in each city, as well as stops along the way.
If you have less than five days, you can plan to settle in a central location such as Tbilisi or take a day trip to nearby attractions. Although five days is a short period of time, I strongly recommend planning some kind of road trip in Georgia or throughout the country. The possibilities are endless when planning a road trip in Georgia, but the most important thing to remember is the road conditions.
Wine and other beverages
If you are interested in wine, I recommend a day trip to Georgia’s premier wine region Kakheti. Along the military highway, the easiest way to get to know Georgia is a short day trip from Tbilisi. Take this trip with Go trip, a private driver picks you up in Tbilisi, takes you to a wine tasting, and takes you to the city.
On your third day in Tbilisi, I recommend a day trip to a nearby city to see more of what Georgia has to offer outside the city. Mtskheta is located half an hour north of the capital and is one of Georgia’s oldest cities and the former capital of Georgia. Georgia is also famous for its beautiful Orthodox monasteries, many of which you can visit on an easy day trip from the capital.
Ushguli is one of those places you probably won’t visit on a day trip from Tbilisi, but it’s worth taking your time. If you are visiting another city on your day trip, you do not need to stay there if you prefer to stay in one place.
The first visit was incredible
In the summer of 2017, my first visit to Tbilisi was in Georgia on my first trip to the Caucasus. In this article, I will introduce you to the 30 best activities in Tbilisi, including free activities, local secrets, and hidden treasures. I encourage you to explore Georgia and Tbilisi, but if you limit your journey to the capital, I hope you will experience Georgian hospitality.
After visiting some monasteries, we started the last leg of our trip to Georgia from Signagi to Tbilisi International Airport. For my second trip to Georgia, from Slavek, I traveled through Georgia by car. From Tbilisi one night I took a night train from Azerbaijan to Georgia, took a minivan to Armenia, and returned to the city by night train.
After spending a night in Tbilisi’s nightlife, our final destination for our Georgia road trip was Signagi. The first two days we spent in the city of Tbilisi to explore the main tourist attractions. We left the rest of the city on our last day in Georgia before returning home from our road trip.
The Ananuri Fortress
The Ananuri Fortress is only an hour’s drive from Tbilisi, which meant you could easily squeeze in a day trip and still have plenty of time to explore the city. The 3-hour drive from the current capital of Georgia’s most populous city was close enough to make a long and interesting day trip from the capital.
Last November, I went to a conference in Tbilisi and spent an extra week there myself. The city is full of interesting sights and activities, it is easy to explore on foot, a great day trip, and a quick Marshrutka (minibus) ride. It is also Georgia, a safe place, safe enough for South Africa to enjoy a visit.
In the case of Tbilisi and Georgia, I made an excursion for students, where we had a tour guide. In Georgia, we learned how depressing driving and road trips can be. The city has something incredible, but to spend the whole trip in Georgia means to miss the city itself.
You can rent a car (I recommend an SUV if you want to go to the mountains) or rent a taxi for a few days in Tbilisi.
Kutaisi
Both Marshutkas and Kutaisi, Georgia’s second-largest city, depart from Didube metro station in Tbilisi. The ride is a short (15-minute round trip) to the city, including a driver waiting for you at the Gelati Monastery, which costs 20 lari (about $10). Both Marshrutka and Mtskheta depart from Didube station, but they run different routes, so if you choose Marshrutka, you will see MTSKheta as a separate half-day ride from the city.
The Georgia road trip starts to fascinate you and the next stop is ready to blow you away on the way to Kazbegi. There is a fortress on a cliff in the town of Gori, but we limited our visit to the Joseph Stalin Museum, which was built next to the house where he had lived before continuing our journey to Tbilisi.
In the end
From Tbilisi, take the E60 motorway, drive through Gori and follow the Khashuri River in the Shida Kartli region of Central Georgia.
A river cruise in Tbilisi was not the highlight of my trip, but it was lovely to walk along its banks, visit the Dry Bridge Market and admire the breathtaking views of the River and churches along the River.