Tbilisi 7-Day Itinerary: Kazbegi, Kakheti & Old Town

How should you spend 7 days in Tbilisi?

Spend days 1 and 2 on Old Tbilisi and Rustaveli, day 3 on Mtskheta with an easy afternoon, day 4 on Kazbegi in the Greater Caucasus, day 5 slowly in Sololaki and Marjanishvili, and day 6 on Kakheti’s wine country around Sighnaghi. Keep day 7 for a last bath and the airport.

A week turns Tbilisi from a city break into a base for Georgia’s two classic day trips. The Tbilisi 3-day itinerary fits the old town, Rustaveli and Mtskheta into three days; this plan keeps those visits, adds Kazbegi and Kakheti, puts a slow day between them and leaves room for weather. Hours, fares and road times were checked on official sites on 16 October 2026.

It assumes one central base for seven nights; where to stay in Tbilisi explains why Sololaki, Old Tbilisi or Rustaveli suit it and why Vera works for slower weeks. For timing, see best time to visit Tbilisi.

Which days of the week work best for this plan?

Keep day 2 off a Monday and official holidays, when the Georgian National Museum closes, and keep Rustaveli Avenue away from Saturday evenings, when the FCDO says protests are most likely. Put Kazbegi on your clearest forecast day, and check 14 October and 16 July for church feasts at Mtskheta and Gergeti.

The Georgian National Museum opens from 10am to 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday, with last entry at 5:30pm, and closes on official holidays including 7 January, 26 May, 28 August, 14 October and 23 November. The FCDO says demonstrations centre on Parliament on Rustaveli Avenue and can spread, particularly on Saturday evenings and nights and on political anniversaries.

Feast days change the feel of the day trips. Svetitskhovloba on 14 October is the feast of Mtskheta’s cathedral and an official holiday (Georgian National Museum), and on 16 July Gergetoba fills Gergeti Trinity Church with people, according to Georgia Travel. Choose those dates for atmosphere or avoid them for space.

What should you do on days 1 and 2 in the city?

On day 1, ride the Rike–Narikala cable car, walk down through Old Tbilisi and end in a sulphur bath in Abanotubani. On day 2, see the Georgian National Museum, which charges foreign adults 40 GEL, walk Rustaveli Avenue and take the three-minute funicular up to Mtatsminda Park for the evening.

These two days follow the 3-day itinerary at a gentler pace. The cable car from Rike Park costs 2.5 GEL one way and accepts the Metromoney card, which costs 2 GEL (TTC). At the top, Georgia Travel describes Narikala and the rebuilt St Nicholas Church; below, the national tourism administration describes the 17th-century domed baths of Abanotubani, fed by naturally hot sulphur water.

On day 2, the museum’s ticket page lists 40 GEL for foreign adults and free entry for children under six, with tickets at the desk or online. Rustaveli Avenue runs for 1.5 km past Parliament, the Opera House and the National Gallery (Georgia Travel), and the funicular to Mtatsminda leaves from Daniel Chonkadze Street 22 (Georgia Travel).

With seven days, there is no need to cram: if you arrive late, treat day 1 as an evening walk and a bath, and move Narikala to day 5.

Why make day 3 a half-day in Mtskheta?

Mtskheta is about 20 minutes from Tbilisi by road, so a morning covers Jvari Church on its hilltop and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, built in 1010–1129. Coming back by early afternoon leaves time to rest before the long Kazbegi day, then watch the evening from the Metekhi cliff and dine in Avlabari.

Georgia Travel dates Jvari Church to the 6th–7th century and Svetitskhoveli to 1010–1129, and suggests a guided tour at Jvari to understand its history. The walk to the cathedral passes stalls of local crafts, wine and souvenirs, so allow time for a coffee in town.

Back in Tbilisi, the Metekhi Church stands on a cliff above the river with a statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, and Georgia Travel calls the view of Old Tbilisi from there one of the city’s finest. Avlabari, behind it, has its own metro station, one stop from Liberty Square.

An app-booked taxi is the simplest transport for Mtskheta; the FCDO advises pre-booking through an app rather than hailing in the street, and checking that the seatbelts work.

How do you plan the Kazbegi day trip?

Start early: Georgia Travel puts Stepantsminda, the town below Mount Kazbek, about 2 hours 55 minutes from Tbilisi by road. The 14th-century Gergeti Trinity Church stands at about 2,200 metres, reached by local taxi or a 30- to 40-minute uphill walk. Bring warm layers in any season, and turn back if weather closes in.

Georgia Travel gives Mount Kazbek’s summit as 5,054 metres and says the town is always somewhat chilly, especially at night, so warm clothes are needed whatever the season. Its Gergeti page describes the walk up as a hike of intermediate difficulty ending at about 2,200 metres, with a local cab as the alternative.

With nearly six hours of driving in the day, a guided tour or a pre-booked driver is the practical choice; the tourism administration’s regional transport search and its *9898 hotline can help if you want to try public options. Its Stepantsminda page also notes that the Gudauri ski resort can be reached by cable car from Kobi, nearby, and recommends khinkali as the local dish.

The FCDO warns that heavy rain, flooding and high-altitude snow can make roads impassable, that landslides are common in heavy rain, and that lightning and wildfires are summer risks in the mountains. It also notes that emergency response for hikers may be limited, so check that your insurance covers mountain activities.

What should you do on the slow day 5?

Use day 5 to recover from the mountain day: a late breakfast in Sololaki, a wander through Vera’s leafy streets, and an evening at Fabrika in Marjanishvili. Add a second sulphur bath or a Mtatsminda sunset if you skipped it. Everything is on foot or a 1 GEL metro ride.

Sololaki’s older streets climb behind Liberty Square towards Mtatsminda and are good for slow walking between cafés. Fabrika, at 8 Ninoshvili Street, describes itself as a multifunctional cultural centre with cafés, bars, artist studios, shops and an open courtyard, a short walk from Marjanishvili metro.

On the metro, a Metromoney or bank-card payment of 1 GEL buys 90 minutes of unlimited travel, and a 3 GEL day pass needs a subscription card (TTC). If the weather is poor, the Georgian National Museum is the obvious indoor stop, as long as it is not a Monday.

This is also the day to confirm day 6’s Kakheti tour or driver, and to check the forecast for both trips.

How do you plan the Kakheti wine-country day?

Head east to Sighnaghi, about 1 hour 40 minutes by road, to walk its 1762 town walls, four kilometres long with 23 towers, above the Alazani Valley. Visit Bodbe, where Saint Nino is buried, then take a long wine lunch. A tour or driver handles the return so nobody has to drive after tasting.

Georgia Travel dates Sighnaghi’s fortress to 1762, under King Erekle II, and describes walls four kilometres long with six gates and 23 towers, part of them open as a tourist path, overlooking the Alazani Valley, Georgia’s best-known winemaking area. It lists family-run places offering lunch with a wine tasting.

Bodbe is a short drive away: Mirian, the first Christian king of Georgia, ordered a church built over Saint Nino’s grave, now the Saint Nino Convent, and the tourism administration suggests August to October as the best time to visit. Wider Kakheti adds Telavi, with King Erekle II’s palace, and the qvevri, the clay vessel at the heart of Georgian winemaking.

The FCDO notes that Georgia’s drink-driving limit is lower than the UK’s, which is the strongest argument for a tour or driver on a tasting day. It also describes roads outside city centres as often badly lit and poor, so aim to be back before dark.

How should you spend day 7, and what are the alternatives?

Keep day 7 light: a final bath or stroll, then the airport, 17 km south-east of the city by the 337 bus or a 24-hour taxi. If you have an extra day, Davit Gareja, a cave monastery founded in the 6th century about 70 km east of Tbilisi, makes a demanding but memorable tour.

Georgia Travel’s airport page says the airport is 17 km south-east of the capital, served by the #337 municipal bus and by taxis available 24/7 at the entrance. Pay the bus with a Metromoney or bank card for the 1 GEL, 90-minute fare (TTC), and check live times on TTC’s journey planner.

Davit Gareja was founded by the Assyrian father David Garejeli in the first half of the 6th century, and its caves preserve frescoes including portraits of King David the Builder and Queen Tamar. It lies in Sagarejo Municipality, about 70 km east of Tbilisi; go with a tour, and in spring or autumn rather than midsummer.

Wherever you go, the FCDO advises against all travel to South Ossetia and Abkhazia and against all but essential travel to areas next to their administrative boundary lines; the day trips in this plan do not go there.

How do weather and roads change the week?

Match the day trips to the forecast: Kazbegi needs clear weather and open roads, Kakheti suits warm, dry days, and the city days work in rain. In July and August, start early and rest at midday; in winter, check the mountain road before committing, because high-altitude snow can make roads impassable.

The WMO 1991–2020 normals for Tbilisi give July and August about 22 days each at 30°C or more, May the most rain days at 10.4, and January 15.5 frosty nights. Best time to visit Tbilisi has the full table. In the mountains, Georgia Travel says Stepantsminda is chilly year-round, especially at night.

The FCDO says heavy rain, flooding and high-altitude snow can make roads and bridges impassable, especially in remote areas, and recommends a vehicle suited to off-road driving outside Tbilisi. Keep days 4 and 6 swappable with day 5 so a bad forecast costs you nothing.

Which tours are worth booking for a week in Tbilisi?

Book the two long day trips: Kazbegi, with nearly six hours on the road, and Kakheti, where a driver means everyone can taste wine. A guided half-day helps at Mtskheta, where the tourism administration recommends guides for Jvari. City days need no tour, though a walking tour adds context on day 1.

Compare the pick-up point, time on site at Gergeti and Sighnaghi, what is included and cancellation terms. For Kazbegi, check whether the tour drives up to Gergeti or expects you to walk; for Kakheti, check how many tastings are included. GetYourGuide vs Viator vs Klook explains the platforms’ differences.

Who suits this plan? First-time visitors who want Tbilisi plus the mountains and wine country without changing hotels. Hikers can add a night in Stepantsminda, wine lovers can stretch Kakheti over two days with a night in Sighnaghi, and families can skip Davit Gareja. Georgia requires visitors to hold health and accident insurance of at least 30,000 lari (FCDO); for food, see Tbilisi eats.

• Can I do Kazbegi as a day trip? Yes, but it is about 2 hours 55 minutes each way by road.
• Is the national museum open on Mondays? No; it opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm.
• Do I need a car? No; use tours or drivers for the day trips and the metro in town.
• When is Gergetoba? On 16 July, when Gergeti Trinity Church fills with people.
• Where should I stay? Sololaki, Old Tbilisi or Rustaveli; see where to stay in Tbilisi.