Day 1: Tbilisi — Old Town & Sulfur Baths

Morning: Arrive in Tbilisi. Settle into your accommodation in the Old Town or the vibrant Vera district. Take a slow morning to walk around Freedom Square and down Rustaveli Avenue to get your bearings.

Afternoon: Explore the Old Town’s winding streets. Visit Anchiskhati Basilica (6th century, oldest in the city), Sioni Cathedral, and the Peace Bridge — a striking modern bow-shaped bridge across the Mtkvari River. Ride the cable car up to Narikala Fortress for sunset views.

Evening: Sulfur bath experience in Abanotubani (50–100 GEL for a private room). Then dinner at Machakhela for authentic Adjarian khachapuri and khinkali (30–50 GEL).

Accommodation: Old Town guesthouse: 80–200 GEL/night. Fabrika: 25–40 GEL dorm, 100–180 GEL private room.

Day 2: Tbilisi — Markets & Mtatsminda

Morning: Visit the Dry Bridge Flea Market (opens 9:00, best on weekends). Hunt for Soviet-era memorabilia, vintage jewellery, and hand-painted lacquer boxes. Budget 30–60 GEL for unique souvenirs.

Lunch: Head to Dezerter Bazaar — a feast for the senses. Sample fresh sulguni cheese, churchkhela, Georgian spices, and dried fruits. Grab lunch from a market food stall for 8–12 GEL.

Afternoon: Ride the funicular up to Mtatsminda Park. Enjoy the Ferris wheel views, walk the wooded trails, and visit the Mtatsminda Pantheon — the resting place of Georgia’s most celebrated writers and artists.

Evening: Explore Chugureti and Sololaki districts — Tbilisi’s trendiest neighbourhoods with gorgeous art nouveau architecture, wine bars, and contemporary art galleries. Dinner at Barbarestan (50–70 GEL) — a restaurant based on a 100-year-old Georgian cookbook.

Day 3: Kazbegi & the Georgian Military Highway

Morning (6:30 AM): Marshrutka from Didube to Stepantsminda (15–20 GEL, 3–4 hours). The Georgian Military Highway is an experience in itself — stop at Ananuri Fortress (17th century) overlooking the Zhinvali Reservoir, then climb over the Jvari Pass (2,395 m).

Afternoon: Check into a Stepantsminda guesthouse, have lunch (15–25 GEL). Hike up (1.5 hours) or take a 4×4 (30 GEL round trip) to Gergeti Trinity Church at 2,170 metres. The church against the backdrop of Mount Kazbek (5,047 m) is the most photographed scene in Georgia.

Evening: Home-cooked dinner at your guesthouse. Try local dishes like kvdima (mushroom stew) and lobio (bean stew). Budget: 20–30 GEL.

Accommodation: Stepantsminda guesthouse: 70–150 GEL/night.

Day 4: Kakheti — Telavi & Sighnaghi Wine Trail

Morning: Marshrutka from Stepantsminda back to Tbilisi (15–20 GEL, 3–4 hours). From Tbilisi’s Samegrelo bus station, take another marshrutka to Telavi (13–17 GEL, 2 hours).

Afternoon: Visit the Tsinandali Estate — museum, gardens, and wine cellar of Prince Chavchavadze (25 GEL including tasting). Then taxi (20–30 GEL) to Sighnaghi — the “City of Love” perched on a hill with panoramic Alazani Valley views.

Evening: Visit a local family winery (marani) for a qvevri wine tasting. Saperavi (red) and Rkatsiteli (white) are the local stars. Tasting: 20–40 GEL. Stay overnight in Sighnaghi.

Accommodation: Sighnaghi guesthouse: 80–160 GEL/night.

Day 5: Mtskheta, Gori & Uplistsikhe

Morning: Return from Sighnaghi to Tbilisi by marshrutka (13–17 GEL, 2.5 hours). From Tbilisi, head north to Mtskheta by marshrutka (2–3 GEL, 30 minutes). Visit Jvari Monastery (UNESCO, 6th century) and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century).

Midday: Marshrutka from Mtskheta to Gori (5–8 GEL, 1 hour). Visit the Joseph Stalin Museum (25 GEL) — a fascinating and controversial site that includes Stalin’s birth house and personal railway carriage.

Afternoon: From Gori, take a taxi (15–20 GEL) to Uplistsikhe Cave Town — an ancient rock-hewn city dating back to the 5th century BC. Carved directly into the cliffside, this Silk Road settlement is a remarkable archaeological site (15 GEL).

Evening: Return to Tbilisi by marshrutka or train (8–10 GEL, 1.5 hours). Dinner in the Vera district. Try Prospekt for excellent fusion Georgian cuisine (40–60 GEL).

Day 6: Batumi — Black Sea Coast

Morning: Take the early train from Tbilisi to Batumi (25–40 GEL, 5 hours). The ride through western Georgia is scenic — lush hills, tea plantations, and the Surami Pass. Alternatively, fly from Tbilisi (40 minutes, 80–150 GEL one way).

Afternoon: Arrive in Batumi, Georgia’s subtropical Black Sea resort. Check into a hotel on or near Batumi Boulevard — a 7-km seaside promenade lined with cafes, sculptures, and beaches. Visit the Alphabet Tower and the Georgia Alphabet Monument.

Evening: Walk the boulevard at sunset. Watch the Ali and Nino moving statue — two steel figures that move towards, through, and away from each other every 10 minutes. Dinner at San Remo or Adjarian House for fresh fish and local wine (40–60 GEL).

Accommodation: Batumi budget hotel: 80–150 GEL/night. Mid-range: 200–400 GEL/night. Batumi is pricier in summer (June–August).

Day 7: Batumi & Departure

Morning: Explore Batumi Botanical Garden (15 GEL) on the hillside above the city — a stunning collection of subtropical and tropical plants with Black Sea views. Worth 2 hours. Alternatively, visit the Gonio Fortress (6 GEL) — a Roman fortification from the 1st century AD south of the city.

Lunch: Fresh seafood in the Batumi fish market area (15–25 GEL).

Afternoon: Last stroll along the boulevard. Buy some Adjarian spices and Borjomi mineral water as souvenirs. Head to Batumi Airport (15 minutes from city centre, 20–30 GEL by taxi).

Alternative: If flying from Tbilisi, take the morning train back (25–40 GEL, 5 hours) giving you time to reach Tbilisi airport by evening.

Total Trip Budget (7 days): 1,300–2,200 GEL per person (≈ $475–800 USD) including accommodation, food, transport, and activities. Flights extra.