Trip to Vardzia, Rabati and Borjomi from Tbilisi

Minimum age: 3

Highlights

• Taste healing Borjomi mineral water
• Cave town of Vardzia dating back to the 12th century
• Asian style Rabati Castle Complex in Akhaltsikhe

All about the trip

The guide meets you with our company’s branded flag in front of the Avlabari metro station at 8:30. We have three destinations to visit in southern Georgia: Vardzia Cave Monastery, Rabati Castle, and Borjomi. We will start our trip at 09:00.

9:00 Departure from Avlabari metro station

Congratulation! Your journey has just started!

10:30-10:45 Coffee break

The first stop for 15 minute-break will be on a highway near the Supermarket “Smart” to grab a cup of coffee and use the bathroom.

12:45-14:10 Rabati Castle in Akhaltsikhe and lunch

We go on the way to Rabati Castle, which is a medieval castle complex of Asian style in Akhaltsikhe. Built in the 13th-century, Rabati castle was developed under the influence of different cultures over subsequent centuries and this is reflected in its architecture. The fortress occupies about 7 hectares and is divided into two sections: modern and historical. In the modern part, there is a restaurant, hotel, cafes, and shops. In the old part of the fortress, there is the Ahmediyeh Mosque, church, a family castle of Jakeli, and a historical museum. After visiting Rabati Castle we will have a lunch break.

15:00-16:50 Khertvisi viewpoint and Vardzia cave town

After lunch, you will go straight to the Khertvisi viewpoint that will amaze you with its beauty.

Here you will be able to see the unique fortress. It is one of the oldest fortresses in Georgia and was functional throughout the Georgian feudal period. It is situated in Southern Georgia, in the Meskheti region. The fortress was first built in the 2nd century BC. The church was built in 985, and the present walls were built in 1354. As the legend says, Khertvisi was destroyed by Alexander the Great. 

The next point of our journey is Vardzia Cave Monastery dating back to the 12th century. The road follows the upper Mtkvari River, passing through narrow canyons at Aspindza along a particularly beautiful valley cutting like a green ribbon between arid rocky hillsides. Excavations have shown that the area of Vardzia was inhabited even earlier during the Bronze Age. Giorgi III did not succeed in completing the building of Vardzia. The construction was brought to an end by his daughter Queen Tamar. During the reign of Tamar, the importance of Vardzia considerably increased and achieved great prosperity, amazing the contemporaries.

Vardzia’s paintings represent a significant monument of the Georgian majestic painting. There you can find a bell tower, main church, cave dwellings, rooms, chapels, pharmacy, and wine cellars. Infrastructure involves access tunnels, water facilities, and provision for protection.

18:40-19:40 Borjomi Park

Our last destination is Borjomi. Borjomi is a hydro-thermal health spa resort in the southern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti. Borjomi has an international reputation for its geothermal spring mineral water resources. We walk in Borjomi Central Park and taste mineral water Borjomi which has unique healing qualities. Borjomi water won its first gold medal in 1907 in Belgium. The water has been bottled since 1896. At the end of the day, we can visit some attractions and enjoy incredible nature in Borjomi Central Park.

After this, we come back to Tbilisi at 22:00-23:00.

What is included in the price

• Guide service
• Bottle of water
• Transportation service

What is not included in the price

• Lunch
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off
• Entrance fee to Rabati Castle
• Entrance fee to Vardzia Complex
• Entrance fee to Borjomi Central Park 

Instructions

Please dress according to local weather conditions.

This activity is organised by Gamarjoba Georgia, Vladimer Meskishvili street 14, Tbilisi, Montenegro, +995599329275, gamarjobageorgiatours4@gmail.com.