# Mtskheta, Gori and Uplistsikhe — Kartli in a Day

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- Canonical: https://gtour.ge/tour/mtskheta-gori-uplistsikhe-day-trip/
- Author: 
- Published: 2026-10-27
- Updated: 2026-10-27
- Language: en

€185 per person9 hoursPrivate · car & English-speaking guideBased on two travellers

[Mtskheta](https://gtour.ge/georgia/mtskheta/)'s UNESCO churches, [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/)'s hilltop fortress and Stalin Museum, and the cliff-cut cave town of Uplistsikhe in one nine-hour day from [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/).

The route

[Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/)[Mtskheta](https://gtour.ge/georgia/mtskheta/)[Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/)[Village Uplistsikhe](https://gtour.ge/georgia/uplistsikhe/)

Why this tour

- —Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral cover 1,600 years of Georgian Christianity in under two hours

- —Uplistsikhe lets you walk through a Bronze Age to medieval rock-hewn city carved into a cliff above the Mtkvari River

- —Stalin Museum presented with historical context, not as a shrine, covering the [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/)-born leader's life and the Soviet period

- —Lunch at a family-run restaurant in [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/), with regional Shida Kartli dishes rather than a tourist-set menu

- —One licensed guide and driver for the whole day, so you are not re-briefed at every stop

- —Back in [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/) by around 18:00, leaving the evening free

Itinerary

08:30Pickup from your [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/) hotel and drive to [Mtskheta](https://gtour.ge/georgia/mtskheta/), about 25 minutes.

09:00Jvari Monastery, the 6th-century hilltop church overlooking the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers.

09:40Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in [Mtskheta](https://gtour.ge/georgia/mtskheta/), seat of the Georgian Orthodox Church and burial site of Georgian kings.

10:30Drive west to [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/), about one hour on the main highway.

11:30[Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/) Fortress, a medieval citadel on a hill in the town centre, with views over Shida Kartli.

12:15Stalin Museum, covering the life of Joseph Stalin, born in [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/), and the wider Soviet period.

13:15Lunch at a family-run restaurant in [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/) (not included in the tour price).

14:30Short drive to Uplistsikhe, the rock-hewn cave town carved into a cliff above the Mtkvari River.

16:00Return drive to [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/), about one hour forty minutes.

17:45Drop-off at your [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/) hotel.

Included

- ✓ Private vehicle with English-speaking driver for the full day

- ✓ Licensed guide at Mtskheta, Gori and Uplistsikhe

- ✓ Hotel pickup and drop-off in Tbilisi

- ✓ Fuel, tolls and parking

- ✓ Bottled water in the vehicle

- ✓ Flexible pacing between sites, agreed with your guide

Not included

- — Entrance tickets to Svetitskhoveli, the Stalin Museum and Uplistsikhe (checked at booking)

- — Lunch in Gori

- — Gratuities for driver and guide

- — Personal expenses and souvenirs

Good to know

- · Svetitskhoveli Cathedral requires shoulders and knees covered; women are asked to cover their heads, scarves are usually available at the entrance

- · Uplistsikhe involves walking over uneven stone surfaces and some steep sections with no handrails, wear closed shoes with good grip

- · The site has little shade, bring a hat and water in warmer months; late October can bring cool wind on the exposed cliff top

- · The Stalin Museum is covered as a historical exhibit, we do not present it as a memorial

- · Roads between [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/), [Mtskheta](https://gtour.ge/georgia/mtskheta/) and [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/) are paved and in good condition, the drive itself is not strenuous

- · This is a full walking day, comfortable shoes are more useful than formal clothing

Questions

**Is this tour suitable for children?**
Yes, though Uplistsikhe has uneven steps and drops without railings, so young children need supervision.

**Are entrance tickets included?**
No, ticket prices are checked at booking and paid on site; your guide handles the queue.

**Can we skip the Stalin Museum?**
Yes, let your guide know in advance and we can extend time at Uplistsikhe or [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/) Fortress instead.

**What is the group size?**
This is a private tour for your own party only, priced per person based on how many travel together.

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: Gori Fortress crowns a hilltop above the town, a highlight of the day trip. Photo: Andrzej Wójtowicz from Poznań, Poland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0*

*Image: The medieval Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, centerpiece of Georgian Christianity. Photo: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

Visitors explore the rock-hewn cave town of Uplistsikhe above the Kartli plain. · Photo: shankar s. from Dubai, united arab emirates / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0