3 Nights 4 Days Getaway to Georgia

Few years ago if someone had asked me about Georgia the country, I wouldn’t have a clue of its existence. The only Georgia I knew was the Georgia state in USA. But now Georgia the country has become a major tourist attraction in the GCC, especially the UAE and all over the world.

Couple of years ago, during Eid holidays, we made an impromptu plan of visiting Georgia as the visa was on arrival for the UAE and GCC resident visa holders.

From Dubai, FlyDubai flies to Tbilisi the capital of Georgia daily. If you’re traveling from Sharjah, Air Arabia flies to Tbilisi. We went by FlyDubai and in 3 hours we were in Tbilisi and there is no time difference as well.

Tbilisi offers many kinds of accommodation from high end to mid-range to budget hotels and home stays. We had just got back from an expensive trip from Japan and we wanted to be economical so we opted for the budget option.

About Georgia

Georgia is a small country that was a part of the former Soviet Republic. It is a country that is at the intersection of Europe and Asia. Georgia is bounded by Caucasus mountains and Black sea.

Georgia’s neighbors are Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Georgian language is the spoken language, but people also speak Russian and English is not spoken widely. Their currency is Georgian Lari.

They are Orthodox Christians and follow the Georgian Orthodox Church. Tbilisi is the capital and largest city in Georgia. It is home to beautiful architecture, galleries, museums, parks, plazas, bars and clubs.

April to September is the best time to travel to Georgia. If you’re into skiing, then winter travel is a good idea but the temperature will be freezing cold. The weather in September when we visited was hot but the evenings were pleasant.

Tbilisi offers numerous options for getting around, which includes taxis, buses and metros. We mostly used taxis to get around the city as they’re easily available and not expensive at all.

You can do sightseeing with a travel company or on your own. We booked a private car through a travel company and did all our tours.

Here is the list of places to visit and things to do in Georgia for 3 days:

Tbilisi & Mtskheta Day Trip

We visited modern and ancient capitals of Georgia in one day trip to Tbilisi and Mtskheta. The private car and guide picked us from our hotel. The places we visited were:

• Holy Trinity Cathedral or Sameba Cathedral is the symbol of new Georgia and it was built in 2004.
• Tbilisi Old City.
• Narikala, the ancient fortress overlooking Tbilisi.
• Tbilisi Sioni Cathedral and monastery.
• Sulphur Baths in Abanotubani in the old city.

• Great view of Tbilisi from Metekhi St. Virgin Church.
• Kartlis Deda Viewpoint has the statue of Mother Georgia and the view of Tbilisi.
• Mtatsminda Park, the landscaped park at the top of mount Mtatsminda overlooking Tbilisi.
• Rustaveli Avenue is the central avenue in Tbilisi and there are many public, cultural, business and government buildings are located in and around it.
• Freedom Square is in the heart of Tbilisi. Its good for shopping, restaurants and entertainment. A must-visit.
• The Bridge of Peace is a bow-shaped pedestrian bridge. It symbolizes peace and has a cool design.
• Ride up mount Mtatsminda in the Tbilisi Funicular.

• Jvari Monastery near Mtskheta is listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
• Svetitskhoveli Cathedral located in the historical town of Mtskheta.
• Samtavro Monastery in Mtskheta.

Day Trip to Gudauri & Kazbegi

Next day it was hectic, our private car and driver picked us around 9 in the morning from our hotel for the tour.

Our first stop was to see Jinvali Water Reservoir, it is one of the largest hydroelectric stations in Georgia which is located on the river Aragvi.

After that we proceeded to Ananuri Fortress. It is a castle complex on the Aragvi river. In the ancient times the fortress was the scene for many battles. And we also saw the confluence of the 2 Aragvi rivers.

We also had a quick stop at the Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument which is located close to the ski resort town of Gudauri. We also spent few minutes at Gudauri. As it was not winter, we couldn’t go for skiing.

From there we headed to the town of Kazbegi, on our way we had Georgian meal in a local restaurant which was overlooking the glacier Kazbegi.

We traveled via a 4 by 4 vehicle to the Gergeti Trinity Church which is at 2,200 meter above sea level. The view from there was spectacular, it was the best part of our trip.

After an eventful day, we were dropped off to our hotel.

One Day Wine Tour in Kakheti Region

As a connoisseur of wine, I had to go for the wine tour and this tour is a must for all wine lovers. It was a wine filled tour where we got to taste some of Georgia’s best wines that were fermented traditionally.

Kakheti region is the main wine producer of the country, it is in the eastern part of Georgia. Our first stop on the way to Kakheti was a small village, Badiauri where we had fresh Georgian bread directly from the fireplace and did cheese tasting.

Next we visited Sighnaghi known as town of love, it was a town with breathtaking views of Alazani valley and great Caucasus mountains. After that we had wine tasting at Okro’s Winery, a boutique wine producer.

Lunch was at an authentic family museum and wine cellar at Velistsikhe. We had traditional Georgian cuisine and homemade wine.

Khareba Winery is a large and unique Georgian Winery offering tours and tastings inside long man made tunnels lined with wine. We tried a variety of wines.

Our last stop was at Gremi Citadel and after that we headed back to our hotel in Tbilisi. In the evening we went on our own and explored the city of Tbilisi.

We had a fabulous time in Georgia, I wish we had 2 more days as we could have explored other regions, especially Batumi.

From food, wine to restaurants, hotels and shopping, everything is very reasonable and affordable in Georgia. It is also one of the safest countries to travel.

Georgian cuisine and Georgian wines are amazing. The people are friendly and laidback. Georgia is a beautiful country with scenic beauty. It offers history, culture, great architecture and art. Tbilisi is also popular for its nightlife. Georgia is a country worth visiting.