Georgia's Ancient Wine Country and Caucasus Peaks

Georgia is one of those rare destinations that stops you in your tracks and makes you wonder why you waited so long to come. Tucked between the peaks of the Caucasus Mountains and the warm shores of the Black Sea, this ancient land has been making wine for 8,000 years, carving cities from sheer cliffsides, and welcoming strangers like family since before recorded history began. On this eight-day journey with a small group of like-minded women, you will move through a country where every meal is a celebration, every landscape takes your breath away, and every local you meet seems to embody a generous, joyful spirit that is uniquely Georgian.

From the colorful, carved wooden balconies of Old Tbilisi to the windswept peak where a centuries-old stone church overlooks Mount Kazbek, from underground wine cellars to a warm family kitchen where flour-dusted hands teach you the art of khinkali, this trip is an immersion in living culture. You will sip amber-colored wine poured straight from ancient clay vessels buried in the earth, walk a narrow suspension bridge high above a limestone canyon, and sit down to a traditional supra feast where toasts are made to friendship, to women, and to life itself.

Georgia sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and you will feel that fascinating blend in everything you see, taste, and touch. Come ready to be surprised, to be fed more than you thought possible, and to come home with a group of fellow travelers who have become true friends.

DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY

DAY 1 - JULY 13 - TBILISI: ARRIVAL AND FIRST WELCOME

Your Georgian adventure begins the moment you step off the plane and into the warm embrace of this ancient city. Your guide meets you at Tbilisi International Airport for a private transfer through streets where old Orthodox churches rise beside sleek modern architecture and the scent of spiced meats drifts from open doorways. Check into your boutique hotel in the heart of the city, take a moment to breathe it all in, and then join your fellow travelers this evening for a welcome dinner full of Georgian flavors and first-night conversation. The friendships you make tonight will only deepen as the week unfolds.

Meals: Dinner

Accommodations: Hotel Afisha Tbilisi or Equivalent

DAY 2 - JULY 14 - OLD TBILISI: COLOR, HISTORY, AND CREATIVE WOMEN

Old Tbilisi is a feast for the eyes, and this morning you wander deep into its heart. Winding alleyways open onto courtyards where ornate Persian-style houses with carved wooden balconies lean over cobblestones worn smooth by centuries of footsteps. Glide up the cable car from Rike Park to the ancient Narikala Fortress, where panoramic views of the city spread below you in every direction, then descend through the atmospheric sulfur baths district where steam rises in lazy curls. You will visit the riverside Metekhi church, the golden-domed Sioni Cathedral, and Anchiskhati, the oldest surviving church in the city, before strolling the grand sweep of Rustaveli Avenue. The afternoon brings something fresh and unexpected: a visit to Fabrika, a former Soviet sewing factory now buzzing with studios, cafes, and creative energy, where you meet young female ceramic artists and hear their stories firsthand.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodations: Hotel Afisha Tbilisi or Equivalent

DAY 3 - JULY 15 - KAKHETI: INTO THE WINE COUNTRY

Today you travel east into Kakheti, Georgia's legendary wine country, where terraced vineyards roll across sun-drenched valleys beneath the snow-dusted peaks of the Great Caucasus. The morning begins at the 9th-century Bodbe Monastery, a serene hilltop sanctuary where Saint Nino, the woman who brought Christianity to Georgia, is said to rest. From there, the road winds into Sighnaghi, a hilltop town of pastel-painted houses and cobbled lanes that feels lifted straight from a fairy tale. At a celebrated family winery, you taste Georgian wine aged in kvevri, large clay vessels buried in the cool earth, a winemaking tradition that stretches back 8,000 years and holds UNESCO recognition. As the sun sets over the vines, a local family opens their doors to you for an extraordinary traditional supra feast complete with dish after dish of Georgian food and the breathtaking sound of live polyphonic singing that will stay with you long after you have returned home.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Hotel Afisha Tbilisi or Equivalent

DAY 4 - JULY 16 - GORI AND UPLISTIKHE: ANCIENT CITIES AND CAVE DWELLERS

Following the ancient Golden Fleece route west, you travel today toward the Imereti region, the legendary Kingdom of Colchis of Greek mythology. A stop in the city of Gori offers a fascinating glimpse into the life of Joseph Stalin, who was born here, through a visit to his birthplace and museum. Then comes one of the true wonders of the journey: Uplistikhe, an entire city carved directly into cliff faces of volcanic rock, with caves, tunnels, throne halls, and streets all hewn from stone by human hands more than three thousand years ago. Walking through those silent passages, you can almost hear the echo of ancient life. En route to Kutaisi, the group pauses in the village of Shrosha to browse beautiful traditional Georgian pottery before arriving in this storied city as evening settles in.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Communal Hotel Kutaisi or Equivalent

DAY 5 - JULY 17 - KUTAISI: FRESCOES, BREAD, AND CANYON WALKS

Kutaisi has history woven into every corner, and today you discover why it has captivated travelers for centuries. A morning walk takes you through the elegant Jewish Quarter and French Quarter, past the graceful Mon Plaisir Arch, before arriving at the 12th-century Ghelati Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose walls shimmer with extraordinary golden mosaics and ancient frescoes. Then comes one of the most intimate moments of the entire journey: joining Maya in her 200-year-old wooden home, which serves as both living space and local museum, to learn the art of baking khachapuri, Georgia's iconic cheese-filled bread, and mchadi cornbread over an open fireplace as she has done for decades. The afternoon shifts to the dramatic outdoors at Okatse Canyon, where you walk a narrow suspended walkway high above plunging limestone cliffs, the valley far below, the sky impossibly wide above. You return to Tbilisi tonight full of stories.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Hotel Afisha Tbilisi or Equivalent

DAY 6 - JULY 18 - THE MILITARY HIGHWAY: HIGH INTO THE CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS

This is the day that takes your breath away in the most literal sense. Early this morning, you set off north along Georgia's famous Military Highway, a route that winds through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery on earth: deep river gorges, ancient watchtower villages, and valleys ringed by peaks that scrape the clouds. As you approach Stepantsminda, you board rugged 4x4 vehicles for the climb to the Trinity of Gergeti church, a medieval stone church perched at 7,120 feet with Mount Kazbek's glacier-draped summit rising above it in breathtaking majesty. Back in the village, a local family welcomes you into their home to fold khinkali dumplings together, share a meal, and experience the beautiful Georgian tamada toast ceremony. The afternoon brings a visit to a village workshop where artisans craft wool felt by hand using techniques unchanged for generations, and a walk through the village of Sno to admire the striking stone heads honoring great Georgian writers and thinkers.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Roshe Hotel Gudauri or Equivalent

DAY 7 - JULY 19 - MTSKHETA AND FAREWELL: GEORGIA'S SPIRITUAL HEART

Your final full day begins at the striking Soviet-era monument near Gudauri, a circular colossus of colorful mosaic tilework set against a panorama of mountain ridges that stretches as far as the eye can see. Then the journey leads to Mtskheta, Georgia's ancient former capital and most sacred city, where the magnificent 11th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral stands at the confluence of two rivers. Legend holds that Christ's robe is buried beneath its foundations, and the cathedral's soaring stone interior, rich with frescoes, carries centuries of devotion in every carved detail. On the road back to Tbilisi, you stop at the Chronicles of Georgia, where enormous carved pillars tell the sweeping story of the Georgian people in stone. Tonight, the group gathers for a farewell dinner that celebrates not just a country, but the friendships forged across a week of shared wonder.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Hotel Afisha Tbilisi or Equivalent

DAY 8 - JULY 21 - TBILISI: FAREWELL AND DEPARTURE

After a final breakfast together, private transportation carries you to Tbilisi International Airport for your departure flight home. You leave with your luggage a little heavier from small treasures gathered along the way, and your heart full of memories: the taste of amber wine poured from ancient clay jars, flour on your hands in Maya's kitchen, the cold mountain wind at Gergeti church, the warmth of a Georgian table where no guest ever leaves hungry. Georgia has a way of staying with you. And so do the women you shared it with.

Meals: Breakfast

Please note: This is a tentative itinerary and is subject to change. International airfare to and from Tbilisi is not included. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.