7-Day Georgian Wine and Culinary Private Tour with Cooking Class

Discover the delicious scope of Georgian food and wine on a private 7-day tour across Georgia in a climate-controlled minivan, accompanied by a local guide. Begin in Tbilisi, Georgia’s atmospheric capital city, and explore the Sarajishvili brandy factory. Savor local cuisine at Chateau Mukhrani, a restaurant with its own vineyard, and taste their wines. Following lunch, learn how to cook Georgian delicacies at a culinary masterclass.

The following day, leave Tbilisi for the Kakheti region in eastern Georgia, which is known for its wines. Stop in Telavi and explore the Alexander Chavchavadze Estate Museum, the Alaverdi Monastery, and the Gremi Monastery. Taste the wines at the Twins Wine Cellar in Napareuli, a rustic vineyard and museum, before feasting on lunch at Ikano Winery with another wine tasting. After lunch, visit the Khareba Winery, located in a former bomb shelter, and have a special tasting in an underground tunnel.

On the third day, savor churchkhela, a traditional Georgian sweet from grape juice, and partake in a wine tasting at Teliani Valley Winery. Enhance your regional cooking skills with a masterclass at Shumi Winery and then continue on to the red-roofed town of Signaghi, in the heart of the wine region. Experience the interpretive modern cuisine of Pheasant’s Tears Winery with their rich wine selection. In the afternoon, sample local bread and cheese before returning to Tbilisi in the evening. Tuck in for a traditional Georgian feast at Barbarestan, a home-style restaurant with seasonal ingredients in a stylish district of the city.

The following day, drive west to the town of Kutaisi for a tasting in a family wine cellar. Visit the ancient cave town of Uplistsikhe and Stalin's museum before partaking in an afternoon wine tasting. Explore the striking medieval Gelati Monastery. Spend the night in Kutaisi.

Continue on to the Racha region of northern Georgia. Experience this region’s wine first at the Bugeuli Winery and later at a family wine cellar near Ambrolauri. Between those two tastings, discover the Barakoni Monastery, tucked between wild green mountains. Stay overnight in the historic town of Oni.

In the morning, continue on to marvelous Shaori Lake, a clear body of water high in the mountains. Admire the 11th-century Nikortsminda Cathedral and the Prometheus Caves before returning to Kutaisi for a city tour.

On your final day, return to Tbilisi by the scenic upper Imereti Road and discover the Katshki Pillar, a natural limestone formation with a church perched on top. Stop in Mtskheta, Georgia’s ancient capital, and view Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, the second-largest church in the country. See the 6th-century Jvari Monastery on a cliff’s edge. Upon returning to Tbilisi, celebrate with a gala dinner and a national folk show.

At the end of your tour, you will have a deeper understanding of Georgian cuisine and wine.