10 days in Georgia: mountains, wine, and the Black Sea

Overview

Ten days allows a genuinely comprehensive Georgia experience — the capital, mountains, wine country, western Georgia’s cave and canyon landscape, and the Black Sea coast at Batumi. This itinerary requires a rental car for maximum flexibility, though it can be done with a combination of day tours and overnight marshrutkas with some compromises.

The circuit is roughly Tbilisi → north (Kazbegi) → east (Kakheti) → south and west (Kutaisi) → southwest (Batumi) → return east or fly home from Batumi.

Days 1–2: Tbilisi

Arrive and spend two full days exploring Tbilisi — the Old Town, Mtskheta day trip, sulfur baths, museums, wine bars, and markets. This sets the cultural foundation for everything that follows. See the 7-day itinerary Days 1–2 for detailed Tbilisi programming.

Day 3: Kazbegi

Full day trip to Kazbegi — Ananuri fortress, Gudauri, Gergeti Trinity Church hike, mountain lunch. Return to Tbilisi.

Book the Kazbegi, Gudauri, Gergeti, and Ananuri day trip

Day 4: Kakheti — drive and stay overnight

Drive east to Kakheti (1.5–2 hours). Spend the morning visiting Telavi (the regional capital with a good market and the Batonis Tsikhe castle) and 1–2 wineries in the Telavi area. Afternoon and evening in Sighnaghi — walk the walls of the fortified town, explore wine shops, taste at Pheasant’s Tears or another local wine bar. Stay overnight in Sighnaghi.

Day 5: Kakheti deep dive

Full day in Kakheti wine country with the car. Visit David Gareja in the morning (1.5 hours south of Sighnaghi) — the desert rock-cut monasteries and Rainbow Mountain hike. See our David Gareja guide. Return to Kakheti for a late afternoon winery visit in the Kvareli area (Khareba Winery’s underground tunnel is spectacular).

Overnight in Sighnaghi or Kvareli.

Day 6: Gori, Borjomi, and westward

Drive west via Gori — brief stop at Uplistsikhe cave city (90 minutes). Continue southwest to Borjomi for lunch and the mineral water park. Drive on to Kutaisi (3 hours from Borjomi) arriving by evening. Overnight in Kutaisi.

Day 7: Kutaisi and western Georgia canyons

Kutaisi and western Georgia’s cave and canyon landscape in one spectacular day. Start at Gelati Monastery (12th century, UNESCO World Heritage) above Kutaisi — extraordinary frescoes and golden age architecture.

Afternoon: the canyon circuit. Prometheus Cave (underground stalactite cave with boat ride), then Martvili Canyon (emerald boat ride through a limestone gorge) or Okatse Canyon (suspended walkway). See our canyon guides for details.

Book the Kutaisi canyon and cave tour

Overnight in Kutaisi.

Day 8: Drive to Batumi via Svaneti highway or coast road

Two options for the drive from Kutaisi to Batumi:

Coastal route (3 hours): Drive southwest through Senaki and Poti, then south along the Black Sea coast to Batumi. Flat, fast, scenic coastline.

Via Zugdidi (4 hours, more interesting): Drive northwest through Samegrelo toward Zugdidi (the gateway to Svaneti), then south to the coast and Batumi. This adds distance but gives a glimpse of Samegrelo and potentially time at Martvili Canyon (if not done on Day 7).

Arrive Batumi by afternoon. Spend the evening exploring the Old Town and the boulevard.

Day 9: Batumi and Adjara

Full day in Batumi and the Adjara region. Morning: Batumi’s extraordinary Old Town — Ottoman, Russian Empire, and early 20th-century architecture in extraordinary density. The covered market, Piazza square, and the view from the top of the Alphabetic Tower.

Afternoon: choose between the beach (in summer) or the mountain road into inner Adjara — the mountain road toward Khulo through gorges and forest is one of Georgia’s most dramatic drives. Alternatively, the Batumi Botanical Garden above the city is spectacular.

Evening: the Batumi boulevard, restaurants serving Adjaruli khachapuri (the best in Georgia), and the city’s nightlife strip.

Book a private guided Batumi walking tour

Day 10: Vardzia and return or flight home

Two options for Day 10:

If flying from Batumi: Full day leisure in Batumi — beach, market, botanical garden — then evening departure from Batumi Airport (BUS).

If returning to Tbilisi: Drive via Akhaltsikhe and Vardzia — the cave monastery city carved into volcanic cliff (90-minute visit), then the 4-hour drive back to Tbilisi for a late flight, or overnight in Tbilisi before a morning departure.

Day-by-day food guide

The 10-day circuit covers four distinct regional food cultures. Each stage has its defining dishes:

Days 1–2 (Tbilisi): The capital’s food is the widest — from market bread and suluguni to the Old Town wine bars. Begin with the full Georgian spread: khinkali, khachapuri, pkhali, and a pitcher of amber wine. Spend Day 2 evening at G.Vino or Pheasant’s Tears for a guided food-and-wine pairing. See our street food guide for Dezerter Bazaar morning options.

Day 3 (Kazbegi): Mountain food. The trout here is from the Terek River — cold-water fish with firm, clean flesh that needs nothing beyond grilling with herbs and tkemali. Mountain-style khinkali are larger and more rustic than Tbilisi versions. If visiting in April or May, chakapuli (spring lamb with fresh tarragon) may be available.

Days 4–5 (Kakheti): The complete Kakhetian experience. Family winery lunches — a spread of Kakhetian dishes with the family’s own amber or red wine in a courtyard or cellar — are the defining food memory of most Georgia visits. Buy wine directly from the producers at day-visit prices. Sighnaghi’s wine bars in the evening carry the day’s theme into the night.

Day 6 (transit day — Gori/Borjomi): Uplistsikhe and Borjomi are primarily sightseeing days. Pack snacks from Tbilisi or Kakheti markets for the road. Borjomi’s mineral water (drink free from the park springs) is the food highlight — carbonated, slightly sulfurous, with the specific mineral taste that made this water internationally famous in the Soviet era.

Day 7 (Kutaisi/western Georgia): Imereti has its own culinary identity — Imeruli khachapuri (the flatbread with dry pressed cheese) is different from all other khachapuri styles. Kupati (spiced sausage) and gebzhalia (fresh cheese with mint sauce) are Imereti specialities rarely found in Tbilisi. Eat in a local Kutaisi restaurant rather than a tourist-facing place.

Days 8–9 (transit to Batumi): The road through Samegrelo offers Megrelian food — arguably the spiciest regional cuisine in Georgia. Elarji (cornmeal with Megrelian cheese, pulled into strings) is the regional equivalent of polenta and the local comfort food. Megruli khachapuri (with cheese both inside and outside the bread) is available in restaurants from here to the coast.

Days 9–10 (Batumi/Adjara): Adjaruli khachapuri — the boat-shaped bread with egg and butter on top — is best eaten in Batumi, and specifically best here in Adjara where it was invented. Order it from a proper Adjaruli bakery, not a tourist restaurant. Break the crust, stir the egg and butter into the cheese interior, eat from the crust inward. This is also the place for Adjaruli jonjoli (pickled bladder campion flowers) and fresh sea fish.

Adjustments and variations

Without a rental car: This itinerary is feasible on public transport and organised tours, but requires adjustment. Kazbegi: organised day tour from Tbilisi. Kakheti: organised wine tour. Kutaisi: bus from Tbilisi (3 hours) or domestic flight; canyon tours available from Kutaisi. Batumi: overnight train from Tbilisi or direct bus. The David Gareja excursion is difficult without a car (accessible by organised tour).

For wine-focused travellers: Extend Kakheti to 3 nights (Days 4–6) and skip or shorten Gori/Uplistsikhe on Day 6. The extra day allows more wineries and an overnight in Kvareli — a different area of Kakheti with its own producers and landscape. See our wine lovers itinerary for the dedicated wine route.

For adventure-focused travellers: Replace the Gori–Borjomi transit day with an overnight at Kazbegi (2 nights) for a full hiking day in the mountains. The Caucasus passes and higher trails around Kazbegi require more than a single day to fully explore. See our adventure itinerary.

For families with children: Western Georgia (Kutaisi, Prometheus Cave, canyons) is particularly good for families — the cave is magical for children, the canyon boat rides are exciting, and the pace is slower than Tbilisi. See our family itinerary for full guidance.

Adding Svaneti: If the 10-day itinerary leaves you wanting more, Svaneti (the medieval tower-village region in the high Caucasus) is the most natural addition. The 14-day itinerary includes Svaneti as a 3-night section.

What to book in advance

For a 10-day itinerary, advance booking is more important than for shorter trips:

1. Rental car: Book 2–3 weeks in advance in peak season (June–September). Specify automatic if needed; automatics are less common in Georgian fleets.
2. Svaneti accommodation (if adding): Mestia guesthouses sell out in July and August — book 1 month in advance.
3. Kazbegi day tour: Popular tours sell out 3–7 days in advance in peak season.
4. Kakheti wine tour: Capacity-limited; book 3–5 days ahead.
5. Batumi accommodation: Book 1–2 weeks ahead in July–August.
6. Sulfur bath private room: 1–2 days ahead for Tbilisi weekends.

Practical notes

Rental car: Strongly recommended for this itinerary. Book an automatic if you’re not confident with manual on mountain roads. A standard sedan is fine for all routes except David Gareja (which benefits from 4WD).

Accommodation: 2 nights Tbilisi, 2 nights Kakheti, 2 nights Kutaisi, 2 nights Batumi, 2 nights flexible.

Budget: With rental car, allow 150–250 GEL/day per person for accommodation, meals, fuel, and activities.

Best season: May–October for this full circuit. Winter is possible but mountain roads and some canyon sites may be partially closed.

Related guides and resources

• Day trips from Tbilisi — Kazbegi and Kakheti logistics in detail
• Best wineries in Georgia — winery selection for the Kakheti days
• Prometheus Cave guide — western Georgia’s cave in detail
• Martvili Canyon guide — the emerald gorge boat ride
• Okatse Canyon guide — the suspended walkway experience
• Getting around Georgia — transport options for the full circuit
• Budget travel guide — cost breakdown for 10-day Georgia travel