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Kakheti Nature & adventure

Our most recommended Kakheti Nature & adventure

From Tbilisi: Rainbow Mountain & David Gareja Monastery Trip

1. From Tbilisi: Rainbow Mountain & David Gareja Monastery Trip

Immerse yourself in Georgian history and culture on a guided day trip from Tbilisi. Visit the impressive David Gareja Monastery and Rainbow Mountains. Explore the mountainous region and visit a stunning salt lake. The first place where you can stop to stock up on snacks for the trip. The second stop is at a salty lake, where you have an outstanding possibility to take some nice pictures. After the lake, we continue driving through Udabno Village, which translated as a desert. The area where you will be traveling is the only semidesert Georgia has, and it's more than amazing to see how diverse Georgian nature is. You will start walking toward the famous Rainbow Mountains at the end of the drive. The most impressive feature of the landscape is the mineral-rich sedimentary rock, which looks like it’s been painted with brightly colored stripes. It’s possible to hike through the Rainbow Mountains, which astonish visitors with their colors. You will walk through the Rainbow Mountains, take many mesmerizing pictures, and prepare for the David Gareji Lavra historical tour. David Gareji Monastery Complex is one of the most spiritual places in the country. You will hear the stories of the monastery, do a bit of hiking and see a Georgian soldier at the border of Georgia and Azerbaijan. It’s believed that St. David chose this isolated location because he wanted his Disciples to lead a life of holiness independent from the rest of society. After David Gareji Lavra, you will return to Tbilisi and finish the tour at 5 pm.

Off-road Tour to David Gareja Monastery and Rainbow Mountain

2. Off-road Tour to David Gareja Monastery and Rainbow Mountain

Explore the rainbow mountains of Eastern Georgia on this guided 4-wheel drive safari tour. Feel like Indiana Jones as you speed through the colorful mountains and visit the David Gareja Lavra monastery complex, as well as the St. John the Baptist cave monastery. Departing from Tbilisi, start your journey with a low-difficulty 1-hour walk among the colorful hills around the Mravaltskaro lake. This is one of the best places in Georgia for bird watching, and specialists from all over the world come here during the season. If you don't want to hike, you can just enjoy the beauty of the area and snap some great photos.  Next, head to the monastery of St. John the Baptist, a cave monastery founded in the 6th century in the desert. Get acquainted with the lives of the monks who live here and visit the church and tower which are built in the cave. You can even see the border with Azerbaijan from the tower.  Finally, head to the first monastery in the desert, David Gareja Lavra. On the way back to Tbilisi, stop for lunch at an oasis club restaurant and enjoy a tasting of various Georgian wines.

From Tbilisi: David Gareja Monastery and Sighnaghi Tour

3. From Tbilisi: David Gareja Monastery and Sighnaghi Tour

In the morning, the guide and driver will pick you up from your accommodation in Tbilisi (if you choose the private option). Then, head to the desert where the main complex David Gareja lavra is located via the Kakhetian highway. The complex was established in the 6th century AD by one of the 13 Assyrian monks and expanded through the centuries. Here, have a tour of the rainbow mountains and monastery. On your way to Sighnaghi, you’ll visit the Bodbe monastery. The monastery is one of the major pilgrimage sites in Georgia, due to its association with St. Nino, the 4th-century female evangelist in Georgia. In Sighnaghi, a small town surrounded by 18th-century defensive walls and remnants of fortifications, take a relaxing walk in the town, explore the defensive wall and fortifications, and enjoy the views of Alazani Valley. In the evening, drive back to your place of stay or Europe Square in Tbilisi.

Other Sightseeing Options in Kakheti

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What people are saying about Kakheti

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 130 reviews

Lado is a fantastic guide. The day was so incredibly beautiful :) there were only three of us at the end, the path was complete muddy mud and we couldn't climb around between the rainbow mountains, but the view, the colors and the atmosphere were very nice. The monastery is also really worth seeing. Lado provided us with a lot of information, patiently explained everything to us and thus brought us closer to the culture and history. The guides are all very well informed and trained and really just smart - don't know it from Azerbaijan, for example, and was grateful that this tour operator is really service and customer-oriented. He showed us around and answered questions. We spent the time after the trip in the office and it was so, so, so nice. We sat together, drank wine - hospitality is a completely different thing in this country. Lado and his kind were a highlight of my trip and I heartily recommend this trip :)

The experience was unforgettable and our tour guide Alex was great. He was knowledgeable and kind. Plus, the drive was long, and he didn't let us feel that not for a second. In addition, this tour is unlike others. First of all, the hike was very nice, you don't feel stuck in a car all the time. Second, some of the stops we made were magical as the places were very old, authentic and not very popular to tourists. We also had lunch in a humble restaurant owned by a family, which was actually nice as it makes you experience the kindness and generosity of the people and their tradition. I highly recommend this tour.

Genuinely the best thing i’ve done in Georgia so far, the tour guide Alex and the driver were so fun and knowledgable about the places we visited. The walk and the views were incredible and we even climbed up to a cave that wasn’t on the usual route. I had so much fun and would recommend this to anyone! Thank you so much!

The whole trip went great. Excellent guide, gorgeous views of the mountains, excellent organization of the trip. I advise everyone!

It was a really nice experience! They made the tour for only 2 of us and took us to every place even in snowy weather!