Gamarjoba! Day Trips from Tbilisi, Georgia

And now here’s part 3 of my Georgian adventure, where I experienced some impressive highs and some lacklustre lows… After having spent a day in Kutaisi and a day exploring Tbilisi it was time to head out of the city and see what the area around Tbilisi had to offer: the Uplistsikhe – Gori – Mtskheta – Jvari day trip.

Day Trips From Tbilisi – Uplistsikhe Cave Town

Luckily, a Georgian friend of a friend happened to be in Tbilisi and was happy to play chauffeur as he hadn’t been to most of the places since he was a kid. There are organised tours that you can go on, another option is to book a private taxi that drives you around.

Our first stop was Uplistsikhe Cave Town.

Carved in the rocks atop a hill overlooking the area this ancient site is one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia – dating back to the Iron Age! It was such a unique and surreal setting and I had to keep reminding myself that this was not the Flintstones filmset, it was where people actually cried, laughed and danced for centuries.

Look at this view! How would you ever want to leave? We had to … because other places were waiting for us.

Visiting Gori On A Day Trip From Tbilisi

Gori seemed to be a place where everyone stopped. It’s home to the Stalin Museum which (depending on your ethical views) you can visit. It turned out it was more a place housing a random collection of stuff Stalin owned without providing real background info, with everything written in Georgian or Cyrillic. You can always book a tour, but in the end it wasn’t worth the money.

Day Trips From Tbilisi: Exploring Mtskheta

I was really curious to lay my eyes upon Mtskheta as it was supposed to be a real slice of ancient history. But everything seemed to be restored and rebuilt. It was cute and quaint with a market through the high street and a famous cathedral, but it lacked a bit of the history I was expecting. To give you an idea of how big the tourism is in Georgia: we ran into the couple that we shared a taxi with to visit the monasteries two days earlier.

 Georgian Snickers, Bean Soup and Lemonade

If you’re feeling peckish on your travels, I’d recommend stocking up on churchkhela. You’ll see these everywhere, and no, they are not sausages like I initially thought. They are a snack with walnuts and grape juice, also known as Georgian Snickers, and they are actually the most delicious natural sweet I’ve shoved in my mouth.

As we travelled around chowing on our churckhela, we kept spotting the Jvari monastery on the hill calling us to come visit, but more on that later.

Before we trekked up the hill to meet Jvari, we sat down for a quick lunch and our first experience of Georgian lemonade – my advice is skip the vanilla-flavoured version and stick to the original lemon variety, or if you’re feeling daring go for the tarragon infusion!

One of my favourite Bosnian dishes is brown bean soup and I am very picky about it, so you can imagine I was sceptical about trying the Georgian version! Don’t tell my mum … but I LOVED it. The Georgian spices work well and their cornbread was delightfully crunchy. If you see lobio soup on the menu you must try it!

Day Trips From Tbilisi: Stopping At Jvari Monastery

And then it was time for Jvari. And honestly? Jvari is a shameless tease that gets you all excited while driving around it. But once you get on top, it’s not as big or impressive as you might have guessed – Uplistsikhe is a way better experience.

To end the post in bad-luck style: after that we went back to Tbilisi train station and learned that the trains to Batumi were booked for the rest of the week. So where did that leave us? Did we flee off to Armenia? Back to Kutaisi to take the first flight back home? Go to the Kazbegi mountains? Stay tuned!

Other Day Trips To Take From Tbilisi

We did four locations in one day. If I had stayed longer I would have loved to visit the below places as well

Kazbegi
Located about 140 kilometers from Tbilisi, Kazbegi is a mountain town that offers breathtaking views of the Caucasus Mountains. The town is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, and there are plenty of opportunities for hiking, skiing, and sightseeing.

Ananuri
Ananuri is a historic castle located on the banks of the Zhinvali Reservoir, just an hour’s drive from Tbilisi. The castle is surrounded by stunning scenery, and visitors can explore the 17th-century churches and fortifications that make up the complex.

Kakheti
Wine Region The Kakheti wine region is located about 120 kilometers from Tbilisi and is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Visitors can take a tour of the wineries, sample local wines, and learn about the history and tradition of Georgian wine-making.

Signagi
Signagi is a picturesque town located about an hour’s drive from Tbilisi, and is known for its well-preserved 18th-century architecture. The town offers panoramic views of the surrounding hills and valleys, and visitors can explore the many small shops, cafes, and museums.

David Gareja Monastery
David Gareja is a rock-hewn monastery located in the desert, about 70 kilometers from Tbilisi. The complex is made up of several cave monasteries, and offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

Vardzia
Vardzia is a 13th-century cave city located in southern Georgia, about 150 kilometers from Tbilisi. The city was carved into the side of a mountain and includes a church, monasteries, and living quarters.

Borjomi
Borjomi is a resort town located about 120 kilometers from Tbilisi, and is known for its mineral springs and beautiful parks. Visitors can relax in the warm waters of the mineral springs, hike in the nearby mountains, and explore the parks and gardens.