# Telavi, Alaverdi and Tsinandali — Northern Kakheti in a Day

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- Canonical: https://gtour.ge/tour/kakheti-telavi-alaverdi-day-trip/
- Author: 
- Published: 2026-10-27
- Updated: 2026-10-27
- Language: en
- Russian edition: https://gtour.ge/ru/tour/kakheti-telavi-alaverdi-day-trip/

€215 per person10 hoursPrivate · car & English-speaking guideBased on two travellers

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](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/).

The route

[Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/)[Telavi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/telavi/)[Kvareli](https://gtour.ge/georgia/kvareli/)

Why this tour

- —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](https://gtour.ge/georgia/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

Itinerary

08:30Pickup from your [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/) hotel and departure east on the road toward Kakheti, climbing to the Gombori Pass.

10:00Stop at the Gombori Pass viewpoint, the high point of the drive, with forested ridges on one side and the Alazani valley opening up on the other.

10:45Alaverdi Cathedral, an 11th-century working monastery in open countryside. Modest dress is required; opening hours for the grounds checked at booking.

11:30Ikalto Academy, a monastery complex with the ruins of a 12th-century academy associated with Shota Rustaveli, plus old wine press stones still in place.

13:00Lunch at a family-run restaurant above the Alazani valley, Kakhetian home cooking rather than a set tourist menu.

14:30A family qvevri cellar near [Telavi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/telavi/), with the wine still fermented and aged in buried clay vessels. Tasting of amber and red wines included.

16:00Tsinandali estate and the Chavchavadze house, a 19th-century manor with an English-style park and a wine cellar dating to 1814. Entrance fee checked at booking.

17:30Return drive to [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/) over the Gombori Pass.

19:00Drop-off at your [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/) hotel.

Included

- ✓ Private vehicle with English-speaking driver

- ✓ Hotel pickup and drop-off in Tbilisi

- ✓ Fuel, tolls and parking

- ✓ Wine tasting at the family qvevri cellar

- ✓ Bottled water in the vehicle

- ✓ All driving and waiting time within the 10-hour day

Not included

- — Lunch (paid directly at the restaurant)

- — Entrance fee at Tsinandali estate (checked at booking)

- — Any additional wine purchased at the cellar or estate

- — Tips and personal expenses

Good to know

- · 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

Questions

**Is lunch included in the price?**
No. We choose the restaurant for its view over the Alazani valley and you pay for your meal directly, typically a modest amount for a full Kakhetian lunch.

**Is the entrance ticket to Tsinandali included?**
Not in the base price; ticket prices are checked at booking since they change periodically.

**Can the order of stops change if a site is closed?**
Yes. Alaverdi and Ikalto are both working religious sites and occasionally close for services or restoration; your driver has flexibility within the 10-hour day to adjust the route.

**What is the price for a solo traveller or a group?**
€240 for one traveller, €150 each for two, €143 each for three, and €128 each for four to six, all based on private transport for your group only.

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](/verified/).

*Image: Alaverdi Cathedral's distinctive tower and dome stand against a dramatic sky with distant mountains. Photo: GuramGraphy / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

*Image: Panoramic view from Gombori Pass showing rolling forested hills and the Alazani Valley below. Photo: G.N. / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0*

Alaverdi Cathedral rises above golden cornfields with blue mountains in the background. · Photo: GuramGraphy / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0