Telavi, Alaverdi and Tsinandali — Northern Kakheti in a Day

Cross the Gombori Pass to Alaverdi Cathedral, Ikalto Academy, a family qvevri cellar and Tsinandali estate, with lunch over the Alazani valley, all in one day from Tbilisi.

• —Gombori Pass viewpoint gives the first open view of the Alazani valley and Kakheti's vineyard plain
• —Alaverdi Cathedral, built in the 11th century, was the tallest church in Georgia for close to a thousand years
• —Ikalto Academy ruins mix a working 6th-century monastery with the remains of a 12th-century school and old wine press stones
• —A family-run qvevri cellar near Telavi for a tasting of wine made in buried clay vessels, the traditional Kakhetian method
• —Tsinandali estate and the Chavchavadze house combine a 19th-century manor, an English-style park and a wine cellar dating to 1814
• —Lunch stop chosen for its view over the Alazani valley rather than for being on the main road

• · Shoulders and knees should be covered at Alaverdi Cathedral and Ikalto Academy; headscarves for women are available at the entrance if needed
• · The Gombori Pass can be foggy in late autumn and icy in winter, which adds time to the drive; your driver will adjust the schedule if conditions require it
• · Wine tastings are generous by Western standards; if the driver is also pouring for themselves that day, a second driver is arranged instead
• · Comfortable flat shoes are useful for the cellar steps and the uneven ground at Ikalto
• · October is harvest season in Kakheti, so cellars and estates can be busier than in summer
• · Bring a light layer, qvevri cellars are cool even when it is warm outside

Prices are per person for two travelling together, in euros; solo travellers and larger groups are quoted on request. Every departure is private and adjusted to you. Hotels, wineries and restaurants on our routes are verified by GTour.