Two valleys, six days, one thousand years. Cross the Likhi range from forested Racha — Georgia's smallest, sleepiest wine region — into Svaneti, the high-Caucasus frontier where 9th-century stone towers still rise from villages perched at 2,200 metres. Along the way: Khvanchkara wine in family qvevri cellars, the UNESCO-listed monasteries of Gelati and Ushguli, and a slow afternoon in the shadow of Shkhara — Georgia's highest peak at 5,193m. Small group, expert local guides, and the kind of mountain hospitality that turns guests into family by Day 2.
Day 1: Day 1 — Tbilisi → Kutaisi: Gelati & Motsameta
Pickup in Tbilisi and drive west through the rolling hills of Imereti (~3.5 hours, comfort stops along the way). We arrive in Kutaisi — Georgia's medieval capital — in time for a late lunch, then visit two of the country's most important monasteries: Gelati (UNESCO, founded by King David IV in 1106) with its golden mosaics and Academy ruins, and Motsameta perched dramatically over a river canyon.…
Day 2: Day 2 — Kutaisi → Racha: Nikortsminda & Khvanchkara
After breakfast we drive 2.5 hours north into Racha — Georgia's smallest, quietest wine region, tucked between forested ridges. We stop first at Nikortsminda church (11th century), every inch of its interior covered in continuous frescoes painted across six centuries. Lunch in Ambrolauri, then we descend into the valley for an afternoon at a family Khvanchkara estate: walk the vineyards, watch qv…
Day 3: Day 3 — Racha: Shovi, Glola & Oni
A slower day exploring the alpine heart of Racha. Morning drive up to Shovi, a former Soviet sanatorium town tucked in a basin of mineral springs and pine forest. Easy walks through the valley and a stop at the abandoned 1970s spa architecture (a strangely beautiful relic). Lunch at a mountain guesthouse, then down to Oni — a tiny town with a centuries-old Jewish community and Georgia's third-old…
Day 4: Day 4 — Racha → Svaneti: The Long Scenic Crossing
Today is a travel day, but the road IS the destination. We descend from Racha to Lentekhi, then climb again into Svaneti through the gorge of the Enguri river — every bend reveals new ridges and the first Svan towers on the horizon. ~6 hours total drive with several photo stops and a riverside lunch. Arrive in Mestia in the late afternoon, golden hour throwing long shadows from the towers. Check …
Day 5: Day 5 — Mestia & Ushguli: UNESCO at 2,200 metres
An early start for the unforgettable drive to Ushguli — at 2,200m, Europe's highest year-round inhabited village and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The road follows the Enguri gorge and gets rough in places (our 4x4 handles it). Two hours of slow climbing reveal four hamlets clustered under Mt. Shkhara (5,193m, Georgia's highest peak). We visit Lamaria Church with its 12th-century frescoes, walk b…
Day 6: Day 6 — Chalaadi Glacier Hike & Departure
Final morning in the mountains. We take an easy 4-5 km return hike (about 2 hours) through cool pine forest along the Mestiachala river to the foot of Chalaadi Glacier — a wall of blue ice that visibly retreats each year. Back in town we visit the Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography for context: hammered silver icons, Bronze Age artefacts, the photographs of Vittorio Sella. Lunch in Mestia,…
