# Georgia in 3 days: the best long-weekend itinerary (Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kazbegi, Kakheti)

> gtour.ge — G Tour, Gateway to Georgia. Cite as: GTour desk, gtour.ge.

- Canonical: https://gtour.ge/georgia-itinerary-3-days/
- Author: Nino Gelashvili (GTour desk, Tbilisi)
- Published: 2026-10-28
- Updated: 2026-10-28
- Language: en
- Russian edition: https://gtour.ge/ru/georgia-itinerary-3-days/

Yes, three days is enough to cover Georgia’s four essential stops in one loop: [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/)‘s old town and sulphur baths, the UNESCO-listed churches of [Mtskheta](https://gtour.ge/georgia/mtskheta/), the high Caucasus at Kazbegi, and the vineyards of [Kakheti](https://gtour.ge/georgia/kakheti/). The trick is logistics, not ambition: base yourself in Tbilisi for both nights and treat Kazbegi and Kakheti as long day trips on either side of a half-day in Mtskheta, rather than packing and unpacking at a different hotel every evening. That is the structure GTOUR uses on its own Georgia Essentials in 3 Days — Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kazbegi and Kakheti departures, and it is the structure below.

This guide gives an hour-by-hour plan, realistic costs for marshrutka, private car and guided options, where to sleep and eat, and two variants worth planning differently: winter, when the [Georgian Military Highway](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gudauri/) over the Jvari Pass can close without warning, and families with children, who need shorter driving blocks and fewer museum queues. Road, visa and heritage-site details change; where that matters we link the official source so you can check before you travel.

### Day 1: Tbilisi and Mtskheta, hour by hour

- **09:00–12:30** — Old Tbilisi on foot: Narikala Fortress, the Abanotubani sulphur bath district, Metekhi and the Bridge of Peace. A licensed guide covers this in three hours; GTOUR’s Old Tbilisi Walking Tour follows this exact route.

- **12:30–13:30** — Lunch in the old town (khinkali and khachapuri, see “Where to eat” below).

- **14:00–17:30** — Drive 25 minutes to Mtskheta, Georgia’s ancient capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site for its 11th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the hilltop Jvari Monastery above the Mtkvari-Aragvi confluence. Allow two hours for both sites and the small riverside town; GTOUR’s Mtskheta Half-Day — Jvari and Svetitskhoveli from Tbilisi and the longer Tbilisi & Mtskheta — The Essential First Day both run this leg.

- **18:00–19:30** — Back in Tbilisi for sunset from Mtatsminda by funicular.

- **20:00** — Supra-style dinner with a tamada if you want the full experience on night one; GTOUR’s Supra Evening with a Tamada can be booked for any evening of the trip.

### Day 2: the Georgian Military Highway to Kazbegi

- **08:00** — Depart Tbilisi (the drive is roughly 150 km and takes 3–3.5 hours each way with stops, longer in snow).

- **09:30** — [Ananuri](https://gtour.ge/georgia/ananuri/) fortress and its fortified churches above the Zhinvali reservoir.

- **11:00** — Gudauri, for the Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument viewpoint and, in season, a chairlift ride.

- **12:30** — Cross the Jvari Pass (2,379 m) and arrive in [Stepantsminda](https://gtour.ge/georgia/stepantsminda/) (Kazbegi town) for lunch.

- **14:00–16:00** — Transfer up the village track by 4×4 (or hike, 3–4 hours round trip) to Gergeti Trinity Church, with Mount Kazbek (5,047 m) behind it if the weather cooperates. The surrounding land is managed as Kazbegi (Mkinvartsveri) National Park.

- **16:30** — Begin the return drive, reaching Tbilisi by around 20:00.

GTOUR runs this as a single day from Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Highway — Ananuri, Gudauri and Gergeti in a Day tour, or as a two-night version with a Kazbegi hotel on the Kazbegi — 2-Day Mountain Journey if you would rather not do the round trip in one day.

*Image: View of Gergeti Trinity Church and Mount Kazbek from the village of Stepantsminda. Photo: Carole Raddato / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0*

### Day 3: Kakheti wine country

- **08:30** — Depart Tbilisi for Kakheti (roughly 1.5–2 hours to [Sighnaghi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/sighnaghi/) or [Telavi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/telavi/)).

- **10:30** — Sighnaghi’s walled old town and [Bodbe](https://gtour.ge/georgia/bodbe/) Monastery, burial place of St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century.

- **13:00** — Lunch and a cellar visit, with a qvevri wine tasting (Georgia’s clay-vessel winemaking method is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage).

- **15:30** — A second cellar or Tsinandali’s manor house and gardens if time allows.

- **18:00** — Drive back to Tbilisi, arriving in time for a final dinner and the airport transfer the next morning.

This matches GTOUR’s Kakheti Classic — Sighnaghi, Bodbe and Two Cellars in a Day. Families or anyone pressed for time can shorten it to the Sighnaghi at Sunset afternoon trip and sleep in a bit longer.

### Where to stay

Sleep in Tbilisi’s old town or the adjoining Vera/Sololaki districts both nights; it puts you within walking distance of day one’s sights and cuts the Kazbegi and Kakheti drives to a single pickup point each morning.

| Night | Area | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 and 2 | Old Tbilisi or Sololaki | Walkable, close to restaurants, one hotel for the whole trip |
| Optional extra night | Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) | For sunrise at Gergeti Trinity without the same-day round trip; the Rooms Hotel Kazbegi is the best-known option in town |
| Optional extra night | Sighnaghi | For a slower Kakheti pace and a second morning among the vineyards |

GTOUR offers free hotel recommendations for your dates and budget, and will book on your behalf for a flat €15 service fee per reservation, shown before you confirm.

*Image: Red-tiled rooftops of Sighnaghi, the hilltop wine town in Kakheti. Photo: Avisadehh / Wikimedia Commons, CC0*

### Where to eat

- **Khinkali and khachapuri** — any old town cellar restaurant; order khinkali by weight or count, not “per person”, and eat them by hand without cutlery.

- **Supra feast** — best arranged in advance with a tamada (toastmaster) and live polyphonic singing; GTOUR’s Supra Evening with a Tamada runs for about four hours.

- **Cooking instead of just eating** — a half-day class such as GTOUR’s Cooking Class in Tbilisi — Khinkali, Khachapuri and a Family Lunch works well on a rest afternoon if you arrive a day early.

- **Kazbegi and Kakheti** — lunch is usually included at a guesthouse or cellar on day trips; standalone restaurants are thinner on the ground outside Stepantsminda’s main street and Sighnaghi’s old town square.

### Marshrutka, private car or tour: costs compared

All three methods cover the same three days; the differences are time, flexibility and whether you want to manage logistics yourself.

| Method | Typical cost (per person, solo traveller) | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Marshrutka (shared minibus) | Low, cash-only, fares change by route and season | Didube station for Kazbegi, Ortachala-area stands for Kakheti; no fixed schedule to Jvari or Gergeti, confirm fares and departure times on the day |
| Car with driver, by the day (sedan) | €150 for a Tbilisi-based day including Kazbegi or Kakheti | GTOUR’s Car with Driver by the Day; up to 10 hours and 250 km included, extra km at €0.35 |
| Point-to-point private transfer | Tbilisi–Kazbegi sedan €150, Tbilisi–Telavi/Sighnaghi sedan €110 (fixed, per car, one way) | No guiding or stops included; good if you already know the route |
| Full guided tour (Georgia Essentials in 3 Days) | €1,264 solo, €790 each for two, €672 each for four to six | Hotels, driver, licensed guide and entries bundled; see the Georgia Essentials in 3 Days itinerary for inclusions |
| Licensed guide only, by the day | €224 solo, €119 each for a group of four to six | Add to your own rental car or the day-rate driver above |

A full day-by-day price list for every GTOUR itinerary, transfer and guide rate is kept current at the price table page.

### Winter variant

From roughly November to April the Jvari Pass on the Georgian Military Highway is subject to snow, avalanche control closures and convoy-only crossings, sometimes for several hours at a time. Check the Georgian Road Department’s road condition page before you leave Tbilisi, and build in a buffer rather than a fixed return time. A 4×4 vehicle, not a sedan, is the safer choice for Kazbegi in winter, and GTOUR’s Car with Driver by the Day in 4×4 configuration or the ready-made Winter Kazbegi — Snowshoes, Gergeti and the Rooms Hotel, 2 Days both plan around this. If the pass is closed on your scheduled day, swap it for Gudauri itself (skiing or a chairlift ride without crossing the summit) or move Kazbegi to day one and Kakheti, which has no mountain pass, to day two. Travellers building a longer winter trip around Tbilisi, Gudauri and Kakheti can use the six-day Georgia in Winter — Gudauri Skiing, Tbilisi & Kakheti tour as a template.

### Family variant

With young children, cut the Kazbegi driving day in half by skipping the Gergeti hike and using the 4×4 track both ways, and plan the Jvari Pass crossing for the morning when children travel better. In Tbilisi, swap one museum-heavy block for the cable car to Narikala and the sulphur baths, which read as play rather than sightseeing to most children. In Kakheti, a cellar with a garden and farm animals works better than a formal tasting room; ask your guide to book accordingly. Families extending beyond three days can look at GTOUR’s Georgia with Children in 7 Days — Short Drives, Pools, Caves and Cable Cars for a longer template with built-in rest days.

Travel with GTour

If this guide is part of a trip you are planning, our [Georgia in 4 Days — Tbilisi, Kazbegi and Kakheti](https://gtour.ge/tour/tbilisi-kazbegi-kakheti-4-days/) and [Tbilisi to Kakheti Transfer — Telavi or Sighnaghi](https://gtour.ge/tour/tbilisi-to-telavi-sighnaghi-transfer/) cover the places it describes with a private guide and driver; a GTour travel expert adapts the route to your dates.

[See the tour](https://gtour.ge/tour/tbilisi-kazbegi-kakheti-4-days/)   [Plan my trip](/plan-your-trip/)

### Practical summary

- Base in Tbilisi both nights; treat Kazbegi and Kakheti as day trips to avoid repacking.

- Day 1: Old Tbilisi in the morning, Mtskheta (Jvari and Svetitskhoveli) in the afternoon.

- Day 2: Georgian Military Highway to Kazbegi via Ananuri and Gudauri, back by evening.

- Day 3: Sighnaghi, Bodbe and two Kakheti cellars, back for a final dinner.

- Budget from marshrutka fares (cheapest, least flexible) up to a full guided tour from €672–€1,264 per person depending on group size.

- In winter, check the Jvari Pass status before departing and use a 4×4, not a sedan.

- With children, shorten the Kazbegi hike and add the sulphur baths or a cable car instead.

- Verify entry and visa requirements for your nationality before booking, as rules can change.

### Sources

- [Historical Monuments of Mtskheta, UNESCO World Heritage List](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/708)

- [Qvevri wine method, intangible cultural heritage](https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/ancient-georgian-traditional-qvevri-wine-making-method-00870)

- [Georgia visa and entry information](https://evisa.gov.ge/)

- [Georgian National Tourism Administration](https://georgia.travel/)

- [Georgia Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (UNESCO WHS)](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/708/)

- [Georgian National Tourism Administration – Mtskheta-Mtianeti Region](https://georgia.travel/en/regions/mtskheta-mtianeti)

- [Georgian National Tourism Administration – Kakheti Region](https://georgia.travel/en/regions/kakheti)

- [Georgia e-Visa Portal – Application & Requirements](https://evisa.gov.ge/GE)

- [Georgian Railway – Passenger Timetable](https://railway.ge/en/timetable)

- [Lonely Planet – Georgia Country Guide](https://www.lonelyplanet.com/georgia)

Ask the desk

Questions this guide does not answer? Write to [info@castle.ge](mailto:info@castle.ge) or WhatsApp [+995 577 41 63 14](https://wa.me/995577416314) — a person in Tbilisi replies. See also our [travel services](https://gtour.ge/services/) and [all guides](https://gtour.ge/guides/).

Gergeti Trinity Church with snow-capped Mount Kazbek, a highlight stop near Kazbegi. · Photo: Roberto Strauss from Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

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