Kakheti is the easiest region to explore by car from Tbilisi: good roads, short distances and something to see in every village. Many of our guests do it as a day trip; two or three days let you slow down and actually enjoy the wine.
Day 1: Bodbe and Sighnaghi
Leave Tbilisi on the Sagarejo road. Bodbe Monastery, where Saint Nino is buried, sits in a garden just below Sighnaghi. Sighnaghi itself — the "city of love" — is a small walled town with a view over the Alazani Valley to the Caucasus. Walk the 18th-century walls, have lunch on a terrace and stay the night if you can.
Day 2: Tsinandali, Telavi and Alaverdi
- Tsinandali Estate — the 19th-century home of the poet Alexander Chavchavadze, with a park and one of the oldest wine cellars in Georgia.
- Telavi — the regional capital, with the Batonis Tsikhe palace and a 900-year-old plane tree.
- Alaverdi Cathedral — for centuries the tallest church in Georgia, surrounded by the monks' vineyards.
- Gremi — a hilltop citadel and church, the former royal capital of Kakheti.
Day 3: Kvareli and the north-east
Drive along the foot of the Caucasus to Kvareli: Ilia Lake, the Khareba wine tunnel cut into the mountain, and nearby Nekresi Monastery with its view of the valley. Nature lovers continue east to Lagodekhi National Park for a waterfall hike.
The fastest way back to Tbilisi from Telavi is over the Gombori Pass — a short, winding forest road. In winter or after dark, take the longer main road through Sagarejo.
Which car for Kakheti?
Kakheti is the one region where an economy car is perfectly enough: the roads are asphalt and the distances short. Take a compact SUV if you combine Kakheti with the mountains or want more space for the wine you bring back.
Wine and driving do not mix. Georgia has a very low alcohol limit and frequent police checks. Let one person be the driver, or book tastings near your guesthouse and continue the next morning.
Good to know
- David Gareja monastery is a separate day trip south of Sagarejo through the Udabno steppe. The last stretch can be rough — drive slowly and avoid it after heavy rain.
- Vashlovani National Park is off-road only and not allowed with our cars.
- Petrol stations are easy to find in Sagarejo, Gurjaani, Telavi and Sighnaghi.
- Harvest (rtveli) season is mid-September to October — the best time to visit, and the busiest.