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Home , Abanotubani, Alazani, Chavchavadze, Ekvtime Takaishvili, Erusheti, Gergeti Trinity Church

Oct 7 - Day 1

Departure from New York JFK airport at 11:55pm on Turkish Airways flight # 12

Oct 8/9 - Day 2

Arrival to – Transfer and overnight at the hotel

Oct 9 - Day 3

Breakfast at the Hotel

Explore Wine Region of - Departure to Sighnaghi,

The Monastery of St. Nino at Bodbe - is a Georgian Orthodox Monastic complex and the seat of the Bishops of Bodbe located 2 km from the town of Sighnaghi, Kakheti, Georgia. Originally built in the 9th century, it has been significantly remodeled, especially in the 17th century. The monastery now functions as nunnery and is one of the major pilgrimage sites in Georgia, due to its association with St. Nino, the 4th-century female evangelist of , whose relics are shrined there.

Sighnaghi – is a town in Georgia’s easternmost region of Kakheti and the administrative center of the Sighnaghi district. It is one of the country’s smallest towns with the population of 3000. The town was developed in the 18th century by the king Erekle II as a refuge for the population against Lezgin and Persian attack. The name sighnaghi comes from a Turkish word for shelter - “signak”. Sighnaghi has wonderful views over surrounding hills, the Alazani valley and the beyond Most of Erekle II’s 4km-circumference defensive wall still stands, with 23 towers and each of its six gates named after a local village the town is surrounded by. Part of the wall runs along on the hilltop on the northwest side of town, where you can enter the tiny Stepan Tsminda Church inside a tower. The 19th-century Tsminda Giorgi Church abuts another stretch of wall, lower down on the northeast side of town. A little further down you can climb up inside one tower and walk atop the walls down to the gate over the road

Sighnaghi was one of Georgia’s leading trading centers in the 19th century. The majority of the houses of Sighnaghi still date back from 17th, 18th and 19th century and a large part of its 4km. defensive wall still stands. Sighnaghi’s economy is dominated by the production of wine, traditional carpets and traditional food. The town and its environs are also known for their landscapes and historical monuments. The town has recently undergone a fundamental reconstruction and has become an important part of Georgian Tourism Industry being known as “the City of Love”. This excellent, well-displayed, modern museum has good exhibits on Kakheti archaeology and history, and a room of 16 paintings by the great Kakheti-born artist Pirosmani – the biggest collection of his work after the National Gallery in Tbilisi. Explanatory information is in English as well as Georgian.

Lunch in Sighnaghi – Pheasant’s Teras

Pheasant’s Tears – a winery that produces artisanal natural wines according to ancient Georgian traditions. All wines are fermented and aged in Qvevri – clay vessels lined with organic beeswax and buried in the earth. The ancient traditional Qvevri wine-making method was inscribed on the UNESCO representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of Humanity in 2013.

The Pheasant’s Tears wines are fermented using naturally occurring yeasts and painstaking attention to achieve wines of character and sophistication deeply rooted in the richness of the Georgian soil and Georgian culture.

Departure to

Gremi - is an architectural monument of the 16th-century, the royal citadel and the Church of the Archangels – in Kakheti Region, Georgia. The complex is what has survived from the once flourishing town of , which was the capital of the in the 16th and 17th centuries and is located in the Kvareli district, 175 kilometers east of Tbilisi, capital city of Georgia. The town of Gremi was founded by Levan of Kakheti, it functioned as a lively trading town on the Silk Road and royal residence until being razed to the ground by the armies of Shah Abbas I of Persiain in 1615.

In the year of 2011 the Gremi Complex was fully restored together with all the small churched around the area. It leaves all the visitors under strong impression with its uniqueness and simplicity.

Dinner in Kvareli – Winery Khareba

“Winery Khareba” is established upon the ancient traditions. The company works over maintenance of the unique vine culture and wine making both using ancient methods and modern technologies; consequently, the company produces high quality wines.

According to the modern market and technological developments, “Winery Khareba” reorganized and considerably improved technical equipment of the winery. The company owns the land plot where the high quality wines are produced. Wines are made in two regions: Kakheti – in the east and – in the west Georgia.

Wine making in the east – in Kvareli wine is kept in 7.7 km. long tunnel cut off in the stone massif of Caucasian mountain range. The massif includes granite surrounded by shale layers. At any time of the year, the temperature is 10-11 C. Wine is being aged there in the oak barrels.

Overnight in Kvareli

Oct 10 - Day 4

Breakfast at the Hotel

Visiting Twin’s Cellar Twins old wine Cellar in Napareuli is a delightful agro-tourism winery and vineyard site. The winery is named for the twin brothers who own the winery. Twins Wine Cellar welcomes large groups and provides many activities for visitors. In 1994, the brothers opened the first modern Georgian winery to bottle a qvevri wine. Twins Wine Cellar in Napareuli opened in a previously built winery. Special techniques are used when making the qvevri wines including cleaning the qvevri with a white cherry bark brush attached to a pole and burning sulfur inside the qvevri prior to placing grapes in the qvevri.

The wine labels for Twins Wine Cellar note, “God gave us the wines and its tradition. We have to care about the wine and the vineyards because wine is alive. When we open the qvevri it is like the sun rising.”

Lunch

Departure to

Tsinandali – is a village in Kakheti region (79 km east of Tbilisi) noted for the estate and the historic winery which once belonged to the 19th century aristocratic poet (1786- 1846). The house-museum often hosts various exhibitions of prominent Georgian and foreign artists. The house is surrounded by a beautiful park with unique and interesting layout with a mixture of natural and decorated gardens that occupies 18 hectares.

Departure to Tbilisi

Free Time

Dinner in Tbilisi

Overnight in Tbilisi

Oct 11 - Day 5

Breakfast at the Hotel

Departure to

Mtskheta – one of the oldest cities of Georgia is located about 20 kilometers north of Tbilisi at the confluence of the and Mtkvari rivers. The city is considered to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and today is populated by around 19 500 people. The town has an extraordinary importance to the Georgian Nation as it was the capital of the eastern Georgian kingdom of from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD. Mtskheta was the site of Georgia’s adoption of in 334 and remains to be one of the headquarters of the . Mtskheta is of primary interest to any visitor interested in Georgian history and/or Orthodox Christianity.

Due to its historical significance and numerous ancient monuments, the “Historical Monuments of Mtskheta” became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The historic churches of Mtskheta are outstanding examples of medieval religious architecture in the Caucasus. They represent the high artistic and cultural level attained by this ancient kingdom.

Svetitskhoveli – the Living Pillar Cathedral is known as the burial site of Christ’s mantle and was the site for coronation and burial of the kings of Georgia.

The Svetitskhoveli complex in the center of the town includes the 11th century cathedral, the palace and gates of the Katolicos Melchizedek from the same period, and the 18th century gates of Erekle II. The cathedral is domed and cruciform in plan. The interior was originally covered with wall paintings, but these were whitewashed over and only recently have fragments of them been revealed again. The facades are ornamented with decorative arcading which unites the separate components of the structure. Severely damaged by Tamurlaine, it was rebuilt in the 15th century; more serious alterations took place in the 1830s on the occasion of a visit to the Caucasus by Tsar Nicholas II, when richly ornamented galleries and subsidiary chapels were ruthlessly swept away.

Jvari Monastery – “the Church of the Holy Rood” is situated on top of the hill on the left bank of the Aragvi River. According to local history, in the early fourth century a wooden cross was erected over a pagan sanctuary on a rocky mountaintop overlooking Mtskehta, the former capital of the Georgian Kingdom of - Iberia. The construction of the cross symbolized the fall of paganism and rise of Christianity in Georgia. In 545, a cruciform church, known as the Small Church of , was built just north of the cross. Between 586 and 605, a larger church was constructed directly above the site of the wooden cross, the base of which is still visible inside the church. Exceptional relief sculptures decorate the exterior facades of the Great Church. Their fine proportions and remarkable technique distinguished the sculptures from the earlier bas-relief carving common in the region. In 2004, the monastery was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the “Historical Monuments of Mtskheta” and was added to the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger in 2009.

Lunch in Mtskheta

Departure to Kazbegi Kazbegi – – formerly Kazbegi is a town situated in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region in the north-eastern part of Georgia. The town is located along the banks of the River Thergi, 157 kilometers to the north of Tbilisi at an elevation of 1 740 meters above sea level. Stepantsminda, literary translated as “Saint Stephan” was named so after a Georgian Orthodox monk Stephan, who constructed a hermitage at this location on what the Georgian Military Highway was laid later on.

Stepantsminda is known for its scenic location in the Mountains, and is a center for trekkers and mountain climbing. Local attractions include the Kazbegi museum and Ethnographic museum in town and the outside the town, as well as Mount Kazbegi itself together with the surrounding alpine meadows and forests. is the third highest mountains in Georgia and the seventh highest peaks overall the Greater . Its name in Georgian “Mkinvartsveri” translates as “Glacier” and it is elevated to 5034 meters.

Dinner in Kazbegi Rooms Hotel

Overnight in Kazbegi Rooms Hotel

Oct 12 Day 6 Breakfast at the Hotel Gergeti Trinity Church – is a popular name for the Holy Trinity Church near the village Gergeti outside the town of Stepantsminda in north-eastern Georgia. The church is situated on the right bank of the river Chkheri (the left tributary of the river ) close to Georgia’s 3rd highest mountain, Mt. Kazbegi.

Built in the 14th century, its isolated location on top of a steep mountain surrounded by the vastness of nature has made it a symbol for Georgia. The church is known to be the only cross- cupola church in province. The separate belltower dates back to the same period as the church itself. According to the 18th century Georgian author Vakhtang Batonishvili wrote that in times of danger the precious relics from Mtskheta, such as St. Nino’s cross, were brought here for safekeeping. During the Soviet Period all religious services were prohibited, but the church still remained to be a popular tourist destination. The church is now an active establishment of the Gergian Orthodox Church. The church is a popular waypoint for trekkers in the area, and can be reached by a steep 3 hour climb uphill, or around 30 minutes by jeep up a rough mountain trail. Lunch in Kazbegi Departure to Ananuri Fortress - The fairy tale Ananuri ensemble is beautifully situated on the Georgian Military Highway, on the shore of the azure blue reservoir. Zurab Aragveli, who is responsible of building much of what is now seen, was a ruthless local prince known for attacking neighboring mountain clans and even blinding his own brother. In spite of this, the complex he produced rates as one of the top sites of Georgia, with two churches and a watchtower squeezed almost impossibly inside massive defensive walls with four huge battlements. The complex consists of a pair of fortresses and two churches. The smaller Church of the Virgin is early 17th century and the brick interior has little remaining decoration except some badly disfigured frescoes. As for the larger Church of the Assumption, it is one of the dominant architectural buildings of the citadel and dates from 1689. Many of the interior frescoes have been lost except for a Last Judgment. Most of the decoration, therefore, is the stone carving on the exterior walls with crosses, dragons, angels and vines, especially rich on the south side. The church represents one of the masterpieces of Georgian architecture from the late centuries. Departure to Dinner in Borjomi Overnight in Borjomi

Oct 13 Day 7 Breakfast at the Hotel

Borjomi - is a resort town in south-central Georgia with a population estimated at 14,445. It is one of the districts of the Samtskhe- region and is situated in the northwestern part of the region in the picturesque Borjomi Gorge on the eastern edge of the Borjomi national park. . The town is famous for its mineral water industry (which is the number one export of Georgia), the Romanov summer palace in Likani, and the World Wide Fund for Nature site Borjomi Kharagauli national park – the biggest national park in Georgia and one of the largest in . The park covers more than 76 000 hectares of native forest and sub-alpine and alpine meadows and is the first national park in the Caucasus to meet international standards and was officially opened in the year of 2001.

Borjomi Mineral Water - is particularly well known in those countries which were part of the former ; the bottling of mineral water is a major source of income for the area. Because of the supposed curative 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. Stretched along the Borjomula River, the park contains the source of the Borjomi mineral water. First part of park contains park amusements and cafes. Distant part of the park is great for long promanades. Near the entrance there is a cable car available, that enables you to get up to the plateau.

Lunch in Borjomi

Often referred to as “Oasis in the middle of a dessert” – is also called Tsar’s sulfur baths. The source of water possessed such magical and useful features, that the Romanovs in the 19th century ordered to arrange a pool in dense forest. The track leading to the spot was paved. The Borjomula River was spanned by bridges, each of them was of different construction and adorned with various handrails.

Walking through the rich alley and taking bath with warm, soft, pleasant and healthy water is th delight and privilege of high society.

During the Soviet era, the consumption of thermal sulphur springs for medical purposes greatly increased. They were well-used in the form of baths – for the treatment as well as pleasure.

The pools have recently been renovated and provide a nice experience to visitors.

Dinner in Borjomi

Overnight in Borjomi

Oct 14 Day 8

Breakfast at the Hotel Departure to Akhaltsikhe – is the capital and biggest town of Samtskhe- Javakheti region. Akhaltsikhe means “New Castle” when translated from Georgian. In fact, far from being new, the castle that dominates the town dates from the 12th century. The local power in Akhaltsikhe from the 13th to 17th centuries was the Jakeli family, but from 1688 until 1828 it was the centre of an Ottoman administrative area governed by a pasha and later in 19th-20th centuries it became part of the . Built in the 13th century, Rabati Castle developed under the influence of different cultures over subsequent centuries and this is very much reflected in its architecture. This medieval complex contains a citadel, castle, and other facilities stretched on about seven hectares on a rocky hill overlooking Akhaltsikhe. The castle has been recently renovated and reopened to visitors in the year of 2012.

Vardzia – is a cave monastery in southern Georgia, excavated from the slopes of the Mountain on the left bank of the Mtkvari River. The main period during which the city was constructed is known to be the second half of the 12th century. The caves stretch along the cliff for 500 meters and in up to 19 tiers. The monastery was established in the city later, during the Golden Age of Queen Tamar, which grew into a virtual holy city housing perhaps 2000 monks. The church itself dates back to the 1180s and has an important series of wall paintings. The site was largely abandoned during the Ottoman takeover in the 16th century. Now part of a state heritage reserve, Vardzia has been submitted for the future inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lunch in Vardzia Departure to Tbilisi Dinner and overnight in Tbilisi

Oct 15 Day 9 Breakfast at the Hotel Tour Old Tbilisi - One of the Must-Dos and probably the most distinctive pleasures of visiting Tbilisi is wandering through the Old City, with its old-style balconies, ancient churches, winding, narrow streets, and charming shops. Here one will notice a number of eclectic sights – sites ranging from churches to and synagogues, as well as the art galleries lining along the way. The uniqueness of attractions and the cultural as well as architectural diversity widely presented at this spot starting from Sulfur Baths, Betlemi - housing two of the city's oldest churches and the stunning views from the Narikala Fortress is simply overwhelming. Church – was built by the Georgian king Demetre II around 1278-1284 years. It is represented as an unusual example of domed Georgian Orthodox Church although it was damaged and restored multiple times. The church is situated at the top of the hill overlooking “Abanotubani” and the river Mtkvari. During the Soviet era the church lost its religious purposes, was demolished and later in 1819 was replaced by a new building that functioned as a jail. In the later part of Soviet period the church was used as a theatre. In the late 1980s Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia Ilia II launched a campaign of restoration of which restarted functioning again in 1988. The equestrian statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali (the founder of the city of Tbilisi) by a famous Georgian sculptor Elguja Amashukeli was hoisted in front of the church in 1961. Opened in 2012, a cable car connects Rike Park on the left bank of the Mtkvari River with Narikala Fortress. For only 2 GEL you can gaze at the fantastic 360˚ views of the city from the large windows of the car as well as have an easy ride to the top of the hill.

Narikala Fortress - is one of the most famous, oldest and most favoured historic sites of Tbilisi. It was established in the 4th century and was considerably expended over subsequent centuries. Much of what remains today dates from the 16th and 17th centuries. The initial name of the fortress was “Shuris-Tsikhe” (Invidious Fortress) and was later renamed by Mongols as “Naria Qala” literary translated as a “Little Fortress”. Narikala is situated on a steep hill between the Sulphur Baths and the Botanical Gardens of Tbilisi overlooking the city and the River. Most of the castle is in ruins and the steps that lead to the top are steep and narrow, thus may not be accessible to everyone, although the view from the battlements is quite spectacular and highly appreciated by visitors. The complex consists of two parts – upper and lower sections. At the lower part of the citadel is the recently restored St. Nicholas church (built in 1996-1997 years as a replacement of the original 13th century church). Sulfur Baths - The bath district is called “Abanotubani” and is on the south side of the Metekhi Bridge. It catches one’s eye immediately with its small, brick domes on ground level. The sulfur waters are naturally warm and in a way represent the icon of the city since the well-known legend of how Tbilisi was founded is associated with the warm springs of the sulfur waters. There are several small baths offering different levels of comfort. The baths are relatively small, and you may have to wait for a pool to become available. Massages are also available; however, they are more like a washing, but well worth of the authentic experience. Gabriadze Theatre was founded by and named after Georgian artist as well as screenwriter, stage director, painter, sculptor and puppeteer, Revaz (Rezo) Gabriadze. The first puppet show staged at the theatre in 1981 was a combination of The Lady of the Camellias, the immortal novel by Alexandre Dumas, and Verdi’s magnificent La Traviata. The marionettes and the scenery were all handmade by Mr. Gabriadze himself. On November 6, 2011, the Gabriadze Theater of Tbilisi celebrated its 30th anniversary and its reopening after several years of refurbishment. Along with the theater, the City of Tbilisi received a gift of a magnificent tower with a clock and a golden- winged angel, built by Mr. Gabriadze. The clock-tower presented by the artist has height of nearly four-story building and is designed as a unique architectural object that creates a magic effect of a fairy tale and complements the scenery of old Tbilisi streets. Together with the theatre and the clock-tower, there is a small café, offering Georgian as well as European dishes to customers since 1988. Everything in the interior of the café starting from the paintings and posters on the walls to the sculptures and ceramics, from the tables and chairs to the curtains on the windows were designed by the artist who can frequently be seen at the site. Lunch in Old Tbilisi Area Museum of Georgia – the origins of the museum of Georgia stem from the foundation of the Russian Royal Geographic Society’s Museum of the Caucasian Department in 1852. The first exhibition was held in 1867 and in 1919 the museum was renamed the Georgian Museum. In 1921 the Georgian Menshevik government decided to relocate state treasures from Georgian Museums and Churches out of Tbilisi due to Bolshevik aggression towards Georgia. The treasure was moved to first, then to , although eventually was packed in 248 boxes and transported to . In spite of great obstacles, the famous Georgian public figure Ekvtime Takaishvili preserved and safely returned the treasures to Georgia at the end of the Second World War. After the Soviet occupation, a new development stage of the museum began. Currently the museum houses a unique collection of natural and human history, with animal remains dating back 40 million years, and rich archeological and ethnographic collections from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Bronze, Iron and Middle Ages. The museum has recently been renovated and reopened in summer of 2011, where one can enjoy the permanent exhibition “The Archeological Treasury” as well as temporary exhibitions that are held periodically. Mtatsminda – Literary translated as a “Holy Mountain” is a 770 m. high plateau situated in the center of Tbilisi right across the main avenue of the city. It was named after St. David Garedzhi who lived as a recluse in a cave on one of the slopes of the mountain. The mountain is topped by a Television Tower (276m.), a beautiful building (restaurant) at the end of the funicular railway, a 19th century St. David Church and in the courtyard of the church is the Pantheon of writers and public figures that was established in 1929. The best way to go up to the pantheon from the city center is a funicular railway which was constructed to develop the uninhabited Mtatsminda plateau that overlooks Tbilisi and was opened on March 27, 1905. The railway carriage accommodated up to 50 passengers and the journey took six minutes. The Funicular Railway underwent several reconstructions until being replaced in 2012 with modern equipment and carriages. Farewell dinner in Tbilisi Overnight in Tbilisi Oct 16 Day 10

Transfer to Tbilisi International Airport for early morning departure at 2:35am on Turkish Airways flight # 379. Arrival at JFK at 10:45am

Bon Voyage!!! Please note that program might change without notice.