Tour Around Georgia 16 days / 15 nights Greek calls it Kaukasos, Scythian calls it Kroy-Khasis, and the world calls it Caucasus and the heart of Caucasus is Georgia, country of wonders. Nature that will keeps you speechless, untouched northern slope of Caucasus Mountains, ancient fortresses and towers of south, breathtaking views of green valleys, hidden monasteries in the woods. Day 1 Few words about Tbilisi Even if you only have a short time in Georgia, you have to spend at least a half-day exploring Tbilisi’s Old Town. The architecture in the city’s historic district is a beautiful mixture of Georgian, Byzantine, Oriental and Neo-Classical European styles. It dates back more than 1,500 years and was founded by Vakhtang Gorgasali, King of Georgia (known as Iberia at the time) in the second half of the 5th-Century AD. The name derives from the Georgian word for warm, “T'pili.” Sliced by the River Mtkvari, which divides the city west and east, the lovely setting is ripe for exploring. Arrival in Tbilisi. Accommodation in hotel Free time Overnight in Tbilisi Day 2 Breakfast in the hotel At 11:00 am. Drive to Svaneti region. Svaneti -Beautiful, wild and mysterious - Situated on the southern slopes of the central Caucasus Mountains and surrounded by 3,000–5,000 meter peaks, Svaneti is the highest inhabited area in the Caucasus, so remote that it was never tamed by any ruler. Four of the 10 highest peaks of the Caucasus are located in the region. The highest mountain in Georgia, Mount Shkhara at 5,201 meters (17,059 feet), is located in the province. Svaneti is known for their architectural treasures and picturesque landscapes. The botany of Svanetia is legendary among travelers. The famous Svanetian towers erected mainly in the 9th-12th centuries, make the region’s villages more attractive. Typically bilingual, they use both Georgian and their own .In the province are dozens of Georgian orthodox churches and various fortified buildings. Architectural monuments of Upper Svaneti are included in a list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. On the way visit En route visit Zugdidi and Dadiani’s Palace (XIX century); The way proceeds to Zemo (upper) Svaneti; EngurHES (Enguri Dam). Overnight in Mestia Day 3 Breakfastat the hotel After breakfast in the hotel drive to Ushguli village, the highest standing settlement in Europe (2,200 m). Ushguli has been "saved" by its particularly inaccessible location, which helped preserve the villages' timeless feel. Spend time in Ushguli strolling old narrow streets. Visit Lamaria Church complex with impressive wall frescos (XII). Locals believe that it was under this church that Queen Tamara was buried. Enjoy picturesque view of Mt. Shkhara. Ushguli architectural complex is a valuable architectural and historical monument listed in the World heritage of UNESCO for its exclusiveness. There are about 70 families living in Ushguli (around 200 people). Ethnography Museum of Ushguli - Museum has a superb collection of gold, silver and wooden icons and crosses dating back to the 12th century from Ushguli’s seven churches. Return to Mestia. Overnight in Mestia Day 4 Breakfast at the hotel After breakfast visit Historical and Ethnographic Museum of Mestia which houses manuscripts from the 10th and 12th centuries; Also we visit the museum houses materials belonging to famous Georgian alpinist Mikheil Khergiani (1932-1969) There are: alpinist’s memorial things and different exhibits of life Svaneti. Visit Hatsvali–mountain ski resort which is situated 8 km from Mestia. The road goes through the pine forest and there is a spectacular views of Mt.Ushba and white slopes of Mt. Tetnuldi. Overnight in Mestia Day 5 Breakfast at the hotel Drive to Batumi - the second largest city of Georgia, located on the coast of the Black Sea in the country's southwest. Situated in a subtropical zone near the foot of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains, Batumi is a popular tourist destination known for its varying weather–it is a bustling seaside resort during warm seasons, but can get entirely covered in snow during winter. Overnight in Batumi Day 6 Breakfast at the hotel Batumi Botanical Gardens- the world second largest Botanical Gardens, which is located on the territory of 111 ha 9 km from Batumi. It is divided into 9 phyto- geographical sections: Transcaucasia Humid Subtropics, New Zealand Section,South American Section, Australian Section,Himalayan Section, Mexican Section,East Asian Section, North American Section, Mediterranean Section. The collection of the Garden consists over 2000 arboreal and the same number of herbaceous taxonomic units. Petra - “Charmed Fortress” (VI c.AD.) Historically this territory was the settlement place of one of the Kartvelian tribes - Lazes. The Byzantine Emperor Justinian built a city here because of the unique military-strategic and trade-economical location. The city was crossed by the essential road connecting Western Georgia, Byzantine provinces, Iran and Armenia. Old Batumi (Neptune’s square, amazing Piazza Square with St Nicholas Church, Chacha Fountain,St. Mary Cathedral,Batumi Port, Seaside Park…) Overnight in Batumi Day 7 Breakfast at the hotel Drive to Kutaisi City Tour and visit Sataplia Cave - is famous for fine speleothems and the nearby dinosaur footprints. The cave tour enters the through-cave on one hillside, crosses the hill underground and returns on the surface where the dinosaur footprints can be seen. The name Sataplia is based on the Georgian word tapli (honey), the place was well known for its bees and the locals came here to colect honey. Overnight in Kutaisi Day 8 Breakfast at the hotel Visit Bagrati Cathedral - named after Bagrat III, the first king of united Georgia, the beautiful Cathedral is a well- preserved complex, with wonderful mosaics and wall paintings. The cathedral and monastery represent the flowering of medieval architecture in Georgia. Gelati - the greatest monastery cathedral of Georgian culture “Golden Age” (XII c.); here at the main entrance is the grave of David the Builder. The king wanted to be buried in a place where all people coming to the monastery would step on his grave. Motsameta Monastery – a small and very beautiful monastery with round turrets crowned with peaked tent-shaped domes. The monastery is standing above the rough Rioni river and is buried in coastal vegetation. According to the legend the monastery was constructed on the place where Muslim aggressors executed David and Konstantin Mkheidze, Georgian princes, who refused to accept Islam. In a small monastery hall on an eminence there is a big rectangular ark with the hallows of the pious princes canonized by Georgian Church . Motsameta attracts crowds of tourists with an ancient superstition: if one crawls three times under the ark and makes a wish while touching the hallows, the princes David and Konstantin will grant it. Visit “Prometheus Cave” is one of the richest caves of Europe. It is characterised by the variety of underground rivers and beautiful landscapes. Walking route for tourists is 1060 m. near the main entrance about 60 meters long there is a lake. The cave itself is very breathtaking with its 16 specious architectural halls and each one is distinct by scales and unsurpassed shape. Prometheus cave is one of the richest with it’s with its space, variety and underground rivers and landscape. Overnight in Kutaisi Day 9 Breakfast at the hotel Drive to Akhaltsikhe On the way visit Borjomi - famous for its mineral water industry (which is the number one export of Georgia). Archaeological excavations have revealed the existence of stone baths in the area, proving that these mineral waters have been utilized by people for thousands of years. Because of the supposed restorative and healing powers of the area's mineral springs, it is a frequent destination for people with health problems. Borjomi is also home to the most extensive ecologically-themed amusement park in the Caucasus. Visit a medieval castle complex –Rabati . The fortress was built in the 13th century and was completely reconstructed in 2011-2012. Rabati castle developed under the influence of the different cultures over subsequent centuries and this is reflected in its architecture. Within the 7 hectares castle complex there is a Church, a Mosque, a Minaret and a Synagogue. Drive to Vardzia- a cave monastery site in southern Georgia, excavated from the slopes of the Erusheti Mountain on the left bank of the Kura River, thirty kilometres from Aspindza. The main period of construction was the second half of the twelfth century. The caves stretch along the cliff for some five hundred metres and in up to nineteen tiers. The Church of the Dormition, dating to the 1180s during the golden age of Tamar and Rustaveli, has an important series of wall paintings. Drive to Bakuriani Overnight in Bakuriani Day 10 Breakfast at the hotel Bakuriani is a daba and a skiing resort in the Borjomi district of Georgia. The region around Bakuriani is covered by coniferous forests (mainly made up of spruce). The resort lies 30 km from Borjomi and is located within the so-called Bakuriani Depression/caldera. The resort is connected with Borjomi by an electrified narrow-gauge railway. The present-day area of the town was built up by the lava flows from the Mukheri volcano. Overnight in Bakuriani Day 11 Breakfast at the hotel Start our drive to Gori - a city in eastern Georgia, which serves as the regional capital of Shida Kartli and the centre of the homonymous administrative district. The name is from Georgian gora , that is, "heap", or "hill". Gori was an important military stronghold in the Middle Ages and maintains a strategic importance due to its location on the principal highway connecting eastern and western parts of Georgia.