The Grand Tour of Georgia by car: a 13-day route

This is Georgia’s biggest road-trip route - a loop that in two weeks gathers up almost the whole country: wine country Kakheti in the east, the Georgian Military Road and Kazbegi in the north, Borjomi and the cave town of Vardzia in the south, the canyons of Imereti in the west and a finale on the Black Sea in Batumi. And all of it with a return to Tbilisi, where you started. The distances, days and budget in the card are guides - you’ll want to adjust them to suit yourself.

Days 1-2: East - Kakheti

From Tbilisi we head east, into wine country Kakheti: Telavi with Batonis Tsikhe fortress, the Alaverdi cathedral and the Gremi citadel, and then Sighnaghi and Bodbe Monastery. A detailed plan is the Kakheti wine route in 2 days. By the evening of the second day you’ll head back closer to Tbilisi.

Days 3-4: North - the Georgian Military Road and Kazbegi

The most spectacular part: Ananuri fortress above the Zhinvali Reservoir, Gudauri and the Jvari Pass, and Stepantsminda with Gergeti Trinity Church against Kazbek. A ready-made plan is Tbilisi → Kazbegi in 2 days. On the way back you’ll drop down to Mtskheta.

Day 5: Mtskheta and Gori

In Mtskheta - Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Jvari, then Gori with its fortress and Stalin museum and the cave town of Uplistsikhe. You’ll overnight on the way south.

Days 6-7: South - Borjomi and Vardzia

Borjomi with its mineral water and cable car, then south to the cave town of Vardzia; along the way are the Rabati and Khertvisi fortresses. A ready-made plan is Vardzia and the south in 2 days.

Days 8-10: West - Kutaisi and the canyons of Imereti

The drive to Kutaisi - the loop’s longest stay in one place, three nights instead of the usual one or two elsewhere: the city becomes a base you don’t have to repack from every morning. From here, day trips: Gelati Monastery and Sataplia, Prometheus Cave, and the Okatse and Martvili canyons. In detail - Imereti: canyons and caves. Kutaisi’s also a branch point: if 13 days doesn’t feel like enough, the road into mountainous Svaneti starts right here (about 220 km, 5-6 hours each way), and so does the quieter drive through Oni and Shovi into Racha - just add 2-3 days to the loop rather than squeezing the detour into the same three nights.

Days 11-13: The sea and the return

The drive from Kutaisi reaches the coast at Batumi: the boulevard, the beaches and coastal cooking (2-3 days of rest). Then we close the loop - back to Tbilisi along the highway over the Rikoti Pass; this stretch is covered in detail in the Tbilisi → Batumi route (in the opposite direction).

What to keep in mind

• Two weeks is elastic by nature: the distances, days and budget in the card are only a starting point, and what you actually spend comes down to your stops, your accommodation and the season.
• The “from” figure is a floor, not a full budget: it covers roughly two weeks of fuel, overnight stays and food, and leaves out car hire, tours and entry tickets.
• This is a loop: you pick up and return the car in Tbilisi - no extra charge for dropping it off in another city (unlike the linear Tbilisi → Batumi).
• The season is late spring through autumn: in winter the Georgian Military Road and the pass to Vardzia can be harder, so check the state of the road.
• The route is flexible: you can drop any edge (Kakheti, Kazbegi, the south) or, on the contrary, add Svaneti.

Book a car for a two-week loop like this well ahead - the car hire section and the how to rent a car guide cover the basics; more trip ideas live in the routes section.