A 12th-century city of six hundred rooms carved into a cliff — Georgia's answer to Cappadocia, without the crowds.
Map: OpenStreetMap · Road route and driving times: OSRM · Times exclude stops.
Is one day enough?
To see Vardzia and Rabati, yes. To enjoy Borjomi and Bakuriani too, take two days.
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.
| Group | Per person | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 traveller | €392 ≈ $437 · 1,134 GEL | €392 ≈ $437 · 1,134 GEL |
| 2 travellers | €245 ≈ $273 · 709 GEL | €490 ≈ $546 · 1,418 GEL |
| 3 travellers | €233 ≈ $260 · 674 GEL | €699 ≈ $779 · 2,022 GEL |
| 4–6 travellers | €208 ≈ $232 · 602 GEL | €832 ≈ $927 · 2,407 GEL for four |
Private tour: your own car and driver and English-speaking guide. Conversions at today's National Bank of Georgia rate.
Free cancellation up to 7 days before the tour. Between 7 days and 48 hours: 50 % of the price. Less than 48 hours or no-show: no refund. If a mountain road closes and the tour cannot run, you choose a new date or a full refund.
20 % deposit confirms the booking. Deposit by card or bank transfer when the date is confirmed; the balance in cash or by card at the start of the tour. No hidden fees — fuel, parking, driver and guide are included; entrance tickets, meals and hotels are listed per tour.
Since 1 January 2026 every foreign visitor to Georgia must hold health and accident insurance with cover of at least 30,000 GEL — see our guide to the rule. Our vehicles carry passenger liability insurance; your travel policy covers you.
Full booking conditions · Terms of use · What "Verified by GTour" means
No published reviews yet for this tour. We publish every review we receive from a traveller who has taken the tour, good or critical, under the traveller's first name.
Read our reviews on Google · Write a Google review
We show only reviews from real guests and carry no star rating until one exists on an independent platform.
Also from G Tour: airport transfers · car with driver · hotel booking help · private guides.
Printable itinerary (save as PDF) · All routes on one map · Trip cost calculator
All G Tour rules and documents in one place: policies and terms.
This is a 12-hour day trip, departing Tbilisi at 07:30 (or a time you prefer, since the tour is private) and returning to your hotel around 19:00-19:30. It's a long day covering a lot of driving, so plan for an early start and a late return.
Included are the private car with driver, an English-speaking guide, and all entrance fees to Rabati fortress, Khertvisi, and Vardzia. Lunch in the Meskhetian village is not included, though it's arranged along the route and you'll have local wine with it.
The listed minimum age is low, so children can join, but note that Vardzia involves stairs and tunnels carved into the cliff, which makes it a long, physically demanding day. Older travellers who are comfortable walking and climbing stairs should be fine, but it's a tiring itinerary either way.
No — the tour text specifically notes that Vardzia involves stairs and tunnels and is not suitable for those with mobility limits. If mobility is a concern, it's worth discussing alternatives with GTour when booking.
Spring and autumn are ideal according to the tour description, likely for milder temperatures on the long walking sections at Vardzia and the drive through the Kura valley. Summer would be hot for the cave-city walk, and winter conditions in this mountainous region could affect comfort, though the route itself isn't noted as closed seasonally.
One day is enough to see Vardzia and Rabati fortress properly. If you also want to enjoy Borjomi park and Bakuriani at a relaxed pace, GTour recommends their 2-day Vardzia, Rabati & Borjomi tour instead.
Yes. Pickup from Kutaisi, Batumi, the airports or any address in Georgia can be arranged; the price adjusts for the extra distance and we confirm it in writing before you book. See also our airport transfers and car-with-driver service at gtour.ge/services/.
Yes, every departure is private with your own car and driver, and the price shown is per person based on two people travelling together. Solo travellers or larger groups are quoted on request.
Private tour, priced per person for two travelling together (see the price table above for 1, 3 and 4–6 travellers). A deposit of 20 % confirms the booking; the balance is paid on arrival or by secure card link before the tour. Free cancellation up to 7 days before departure, 50 % refund up to 48 hours before, no refund after that; if a mountain pass closes we re-route or reschedule at no cost. Full terms: gtour.ge/booking-conditions/.
Eight days from Tbilisi to the Black Sea through the places where Georgia became Christian in 337: Mtskheta and the Robe of Christ, Bodbe and St Nino, the Assyrian Fathers’ monasteries, Davit Gareji, Gergeti under Mount Kazbek, Gelati of David the Builder, the cave monastery of Vardzia and the Catholic villages of Meskheti. Daily Mass or Liturgy arranged for groups travelling with their priest.
A three-thousand-year-old rock city and the strangest museum in Georgia, with Mtskheta on the way.
The complete Georgia: capital and wine, the Kazbegi highway, Svaneti’s towers and the Black Sea, ending in Batumi.
Fourteen days across every Georgian region, from Kakheti and Kazbegi to Svaneti, Batumi and Vardzia, with 4×4 days and one rest day.
Please select date below
[booked-calendar]