Things to do in Samtskhe–Javakheti

Explore southern Georgia and see the most important monument, Vardzia Cave Complex. Visit the world-renowned Borjomi Resort. Start your tour at Borjomi Resort, a hydro-thermal health spa resort in the southern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti. Walk in the Borjomi Central Park and taste Borjomi mineral water with unique healing qualities. After visiting Borjomi Central Park, you head toward Akhaltsikhe, stopping at a local restaurant and having lunch with traditional Georgian dishes. In the south of the country, not far from the famous cave town of Vardzia, there is a popular attraction, the fortress of Khertvisi. The ancient fortress perfectly matches nature: Surrounded by mighty mountains, the muscular walls look even more powerful. Follow along the upper Mtkvari River, traversing narrow canyons at Aspindza along a stunning valley with rocky hillsides. Arrive at Vardzia, famed for its paintings and unique architecture. Tour the bell tower, main church, cave dwellings, rooms, chapels, pharmacy, and wine cellars.

Explore southern Georgia and see the most important monuments, including the Rabati Castle complex or the fascinating Vardzia cave complex. Visit the world-renowned Borjomi Resort. Start your tour at Rabati Castle, a 13th-century medieval castle complex, and admire the influence of different cultures reflected in the architecture. See a mosque, orthodox church, catholic church, and a synagog. Follow the upper Mtkvari River through narrow canyons at Aspindza along a valley. Arrive at Vardzia, famed for its paintings and unique architecture. Tour the bell tower, main church, cave dwellings, rooms, chapels, pharmacy, and wine cellars. Finally, arrive at the Borjomi Resort, a hydro-thermal health spa resort in the southern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti. Walk in the Borjomi Central Park and taste Borjomi mineral water which has unique healing qualities.

Your guide will pick you up in the morning in a comfortable car and head first to the Tbilisi sea. You might be surprised by the existence of a sea in the Georgian capital, but in fact, the Tbilisi sea is the unofficial name of the reservoir created in 1952 to serve the city with water. The Tbilisi reservoir is located at a height of more than 500m above sea level and it is a pleasure to spend time here during the summer heat. Here, you’ll also visit a monument that amazes with its size. Known as the Georgian Stonehenge, the monument is officially titled the Chronicle of Georgia and was created by the Georgian-Russian painter, sculptor, and architect Zurab Tsereteli. The memorial was erected in order to celebrate 3,000 years of Georgian sovereignty and 2,000 years of Christianity in Georgia. The next stop will be the Jvari Monastery, the 6th-century Georgian Orthodox monastery built on a hill opposite Mtskheta at the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers. Jvari Monastery is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Continue to the Shida Kartli region where you’ll visit Uplistsikhe, an ancient cave town and one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia. Uplistsikhe — literally “Fortress of God" — is an ancient town that played a significant role in Georgian history over a period of approximately 3,000 years. Archaeological excavations have revealed extraordinary artifacts dating from the late Bronze Age all the way up to the late Middle Ages. The next stop will be at Borjomi Central Park, home to the most remarkable virtues of Borjomi with its striking nature and unique mineral waters. One of the best places to experience this is Mineral Water Park. The park itself dates back to the 1850s and is an attractive destination throughout the year. Here you can taste the natural Borjomi mineral water and relax in a beautiful environment, or you can try riding the cable car up to the top of the park. After this last stop, your guide will drop you off in Borjomi or Bakuriani, or you can return to your accommodation Tbilisi.

From Tbilisi, transfer to Borjomi and visit the Balneological health resort, situated in the southeast of Georgia in the Agura river gorge. Discover this picturesque place and its large-leaved and coniferous forests surrounded by the majestic Caucasian mountains. Borjomi is well known for its mineral waters, the source of which is situated in Borjomi Central Park, where those who wish may sample it.  Then, head towards Akhaltsikhe which is cosily situated on both banks of the small river, Potskhovi. Take a tour of this ancient city and visit Rabati castle, a complex consisting of many historical castles, towers, and churches. Pay special attention to the halls and marvel at the ancient Georgian architecture. In the lower part of the fortress, you will find a tourist information center, a restaurant, café, and gift shops which you may visit as you please.  Next, visit Vardzia, a cave monastery site which delves into the rock half a kilometer and rises up thirteen tiers, which are connected to each other with a complex system of tunnels. Here, see the preserved large reception hall, living quarters, book depository, wineries, water, and spring water baths. Visit the Church of the Dormition, the central spiritual and monumental focus of the site. On the same north wall are ancient portraits of the royal founders, King Giorgi III and his daughter Queen Tamar. Then, return to Tbilisi.

Discover the historical Vardzia Cave, excavated from the slopes of the Erusheti Mountain, which dates back to the 12th century. Explore the wonders of the cave including monk cells, a grand foyer, a treasury and even a cathedral. Trace the steps of Georgia’s first female sovereign, Queen Tamar, as you learn about the many battles that took place there. Then explore the Rabati Castle, a complex Asian-style military building that was erected in the 13th century. Learn about the sieges over the centuries that have destroyed the castle, and how it has absorbed the traces of different cultures and religions.  Continue on to the picturesque town of Borjomi to marvel at the beautiful natural landscapes of this National Park and taste the mineral water, Georgia’s number one export, that Borjomi is famous for.

Borjomi mineral water resort main Springs at the borjomi central park Territory Sulfur pools

On your first day arrive to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Have a yummy lunch, including Georgian national dish. Drive to Mtshketa - the first capital of Christian Georgia, located at the mix-point of Kura and Aragvi rivers. Historical Monuments of Mtskheta are included in Unesco World Cultural Heritage List. See Jvari (Holy Cross) monastery, built in the first half of the 7th century. Enjoy a delightful observing city tour around Tbilisi and have overnight. On the second day visit Bodbe monastery, where the relics of the enlightener of Georgia, St. Nino (4th century), rest. The monastery is popular among tourists and pilgrims. Originally built (9-11 centuries) at the burial place of St. Nino, the temple was not preserved to the present day. A three-nave cathedral was built in its place in the name of St. George. The temple is the center of Sighnaghi eparchy. Have lunch in a cozy atmosphere. Head to Sighnaghi - a "city of Love". This is the only city in Georgia, that has completely preserved the fortress walls. The name of the city comes from the Turkic word signakh (signak), meaning fortified place, shelter. In Sighnaghi, according to a local legend, artist in love Niko Pirosmani covered the square in front of the hotel, where his beloved woman lived (French actress Margarita de Sevres), with flowers. Come back to Yerevan, full of brilliant memories from the tour!

Start your tour after breakfast from your hotel in Tbilisi. During the tour, you will visit the ancient capital of Georgia – Mtskheta. Here you will see wonderful UNESCO heritage monuments. the first being Jvari Monastery from the 7th-century, where the beautiful view on the confluence of two rivers Mtkvari and Aragvi can be seen from. Then go to the Svetisckhoveli Cathedral from the 11th-century – the architectural masterpiece of Georgian Renaissance. Then drive to Borjomi, which is situated in the central part of Georgia. The city is well-known for its mineral waters. You can taste natural mineral waters from the spring in the central park of Borjomi. After Borjomi Park, you will visit the beautiful forest of pine, hornbeam, and beech in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park. Explore one of the easiest trekking routes – “National Park Information Tail”. The route starts from the administration building. After an initial hard ascent, the trail straightens out allowing for an easy trek that takes about 1.5 hours to complete.

Enjoy a day trip to the most scenic sight of central and southern Georgia. After the pick-up from your hotel at 9:00AM, you will soon reach the ancient cave town of Uplistsikhe. Here you can walk through the ruins and beautiful rock formations and see the remains of formal ancient glory of what used to be once the center of Pagan culture. Right next to Uplistsikhe lies Gori, the town known as the birthplace of Stalin, where you can still see the house where he grew up. After about 1.5 hours, you will reach the cozy resort town of Borjomi, surrounded by the largest national park of Georgia. You can wander through the beautiful central park, taste the legendary mineral water of Borjomi directly from the springs and take a bath in the open air thermal pools in the middle of the forest. You can reach the pools by hiking through the forest or taking a ride with a local car operating this route (at own expense). Enjoy a day in nature and historical sights.

Be picked up from your hotel in Tbilisi and start your day trip through southern Georgia. Your guide will be with you throughout the day as you explore 3 different locations and experience the beauty of Georgia. Your first stop will be the cave monastery site, Vardzia. While in Vardzia, you’ll see the bell tower, church, chapels, wine cellars, and cave dwellings. After Vardzia, your next stop will be Rabati Castle. The Rabati Castle is a medieval fortress in Akhaltsikhe. The fortress was constructed in the 9th century. In 2011, many of its destroyed buildings were restored. Your last stop will be Borjomi. Borjomi is a famous resort town known for its mineral water. You’ll be able to visit a traditional Georgina restaurant and taste national dishes and wine. Once your visit to Borjomi is complete, you’ll begin the journey back to Tbilisi, where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel.