Vardzia & Borjomi Private Heritage Tour
- Day trip · 11–13 hrs
- Best time: Apr–Oct
- Easy
- 2–4 guests
A long day south-west of Tbilisi, in a private 4x4 with your own guide. Pickup at your hotel or the airport.
Your local host speaks English and Georgian
Highlights
- Vardzia, a 12th-century cave town cut into the cliff, with its fresco of Queen Tamar
- Rabati Fortress, where a church, a mosque and a synagogue share the walls
- Borjomi's park and its mineral water, straight from the spring
What's included
Included
- Your own licensed Georgian guide
- Private tour: only your group
- Private air-conditioned 4x4
- Local taxes
- Tbilisi airport pickup and drop-off
- Fuel
- Entrance to Rabati Fortress and Vardzia
- Water and snacks in the car
Not included
- Personal purchases (souvenirs, etc.)
- International flights
- Travel insurance
Day by day
Stop 1Rabati Fortress
Begin your journey with a private pickup from your Tbilisi hotel or Tbilisi Airport, then drive to Rabati Fortress in Akhaltsikhe, a fortress complex built up by Georgian princes and later the Ottomans. Walk through its ancient walls, towers, gardens, and courtyards, where Georgian, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Ottoman influences come together. The complex includes a church, mosque, synagogue, and minaret, all inside the same walls.
- Explore the medieval fortress complex
- Discover its unique mix of architectural styles
- Visit the church, mosque, synagogue, and minaret
- Enjoy views from the fortress
Stop 2Vardzia Cave City
Continue to Vardzia. Carved into the slopes of the Erusheti Mountain during the 12th century, the cave city once held hundreds of rooms connected by tunnels and passages. Explore its ancient chambers and visit the Church of the Dormition, whose 12th-century frescoes include a portrait of Queen Tamar.
- Explore the ancient rock-cut city
- Walk through caves, tunnels, and chambers
- Visit the Church of the Dormition
- The story of Queen Tamar and the cave monastery
Stop 3Borjomi Central Park
Finish the journey in Borjomi, a peaceful mountain resort surrounded by forests and famous for its natural mineral water. Take a walk through the historic Central Park and taste the water at the mineral springs before the drive back to Tbilisi Airport.
- Walk through Borjomi Central Park
- Taste the famous natural mineral water
- Enjoy the surrounding forests and mountain scenery
What to expect
Easy: No hiking: Vardzia is about 1–1.5 h on your feet, with steps, tunnels and narrow passages
- Hiking
- No hiking: Vardzia is about 1–1.5 h on your feet, with steps, tunnels and narrow passages
- Driving
- About 8 h in the car in total (Tbilisi → Akhaltsikhe → Vardzia → Borjomi → Tbilisi)
- Elevation
- Highest about 1,300 m (Vardzia)
- A long day, and most of it is driving. We leave early and are back in the evening.
