The capital
Every trip starts or ends in Tbilisi, a city of carved wooden balconies, sulphur baths, churches, wine bars and a very late night scene. It is also the base for the ancient capital of Mtskheta, half an hour away, and the cave town of Uplistsikhe. Plan three or four nights here at least.
Wine country
Two hours east, Kakheti is where most Georgian wine comes from: a broad valley of vineyards and monasteries below the Caucasus, with the walled hill town of Sighnaghi and the old royal town of Telavi as bases. Two nights lets you visit family cellars, eat a long supra and slow down.
The high Caucasus
Three hours north of Tbilisi up the Georgian Military Road, Kazbegi is the easiest way into the big mountains, with Gergeti Trinity Church below Mount Kazbek and day hikes in the Juta and Truso valleys. Further west and much more remote, Svaneti is a land of medieval stone towers, glaciers and Ushguli, one of the highest villages in Europe.
The Black Sea
In the far west, Batumi is the summer seaside city: a long boulevard, pebble beaches, subtropical gardens, casinos, towers and Adjarian khachapuri. It has its own airport and links easily to Turkey just down the coast.
How to combine them
A first week usually means Tbilisi, a night or two in Kakheti and a night in Kazbegi. With ten days to two weeks, add the west: fly or take the train to Kutaisi for caves and canyons, continue to Batumi, and reach Svaneti by road from Zugdidi or on the small flights to Mestia. Our free trip planner can help you shape the order, and the places to visit list has more than a hundred picks across the country.