A seven-day crossing of Georgia from the capital to the Black Sea, taking in Kazbegi in the high Caucasus, the boat ride through Martvili Canyon and two nights in Batumi.
The route2 cities.
Loading map…
7 days, 6 nightsDuration
2 citiesWhere you sleep
Daily breakfast at the hotelMeals
Twin share · land only, flights extra
Why this journey
This is the itinerary that crosses the country. It starts in Tbilisi and the eastern mountains, then turns west through Martvili Canyon and finishes with two nights on the Black Sea at Batumi — a city that looks and behaves nothing like the capital, with palm trees along a seven-kilometre boulevard and a skyline of new towers over a nineteenth-century core.
Georgia is small enough that this is genuinely doable in a week, but the distances are real: the run west to Batumi is 425 kilometres and the return through Mtskheta is 400. Those are long days in the vehicle, and they are the price of reaching the coast. What you get for them is a country seen end to end rather than a capital and its day trips.
Two things on this route are worth booking the trip for on their own. The first is the boat at Martvili, which takes you 300 metres up a limestone canyon on water the colour of jade. The second is the Batumi Botanical Garden on Green Cape, 111 hectares of subtropical planting laid out above the sea in 1912 and still one of the largest gardens of its kind anywhere.
Trip highlights
01A boat ride 300 metres up the jade-green Martvili Canyon, included
02Two nights in Batumi on the Black Sea
03The Batumi Botanical Garden on Green Cape, 111 hectares above the sea
04Gergeti Trinity Church at 2,170 metres, reached by four-wheel drive
05The Gudauri Panorama over the Devil’s Valley
06Jvari and Svetitskhoveli at Mtskheta, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Day-by-day itinerary
What's included
Included in your trip9 items covered in this fare
Hotels1
Six nights of hotel accommodation in the option you select
Transport4
Return airport transfers, timed to your flights
Private air-conditioned transport throughout the programme
Four-wheel-drive transfer up to Gergeti Trinity Church
Bottled water in the vehicle on excursion days
Entrance Fees1
Entrance fees to the Tbilisi cable car, the Tbilisi Botanical Garden, the Batumi Botanical Garden and Martvili Canyon including the boat ride
Guide1
English-speaking driver-guide on all touring days
Meals1
Daily breakfast at the hotel
Other1
Support from our local team throughout the trip
Plan and pay separately6 items not covered by this fare
Not included6
International flights to and from Tbilisi
Lunches and dinners
Travel insurance
Optional activities such as the Argo cable car, the Botanical Garden zip line, paragliding, the funicular and the river boat
Entrance fees other than those listed as included
Tips and personal expenses
Your hotels
Hotels are named on your confirmation — all are of the stated category.
Meeting & drop-off
You're met atTbilisi International Airport, arrivals hallReport by On arrival, timed to your inbound flight
You're dropped atTbilisi International Airport, departuresBy about Timed to your outbound flight
You leave from a different place than you arrive — book an open-jaw flight, not a return.
Return airport transfers are included. We match both transfers to your flight times, so please send us your flight details once ticketed.
Attractions we visit
7 go inside0 walk through0 exterior only
On the route7 places
TbilisiEntrance included in the fare
Goes inside
KazbegiEntrance included in the fare
Goes inside
GudauriEntrance included in the fare
Goes inside
MartviliEntrance included in the fare
Goes inside
BatumiEntrance included in the fare
Goes inside
MtskhetaEntrance included in the fare
Goes inside
AnanuriEntrance included in the fare
Goes inside
When to Go
Georgia
IdealGoodFairAvoid
SepIdeal
Spring (Apr–May) and early autumn (Sep–Oct) offer warm weather, wildflowers, and fewer crowds.
Tbilisi
Average High
26°C
Rainfall
54mm
Batumi
Average High
24°C
Rainfall
157mm
Kazbegi
Average High
17°C
Rainfall
45mm
Before you go
Essential
Check your documents before you travel
Carry a passport valid for the whole of your stay in Georgia.
Visa requirements depend on your nationality and are not included in this package; check them well before you book flights.
Keep a copy of your booking confirmation and your hotel details with you.
Altitude, sun and mountain weather
Gergeti sits at roughly 2,170 metres and is reached by four-wheel drive on a rough track.
Mountain weather turns quickly; a warm layer and a waterproof are worth carrying even in summer.
Travel insurance is not included and we strongly recommend arranging it.
Footwear and layers
Old Tbilisi, Sighnaghi and Mtskheta are cobbled; shoes with grip matter more than anything else you pack.
Shoulders and knees should be covered inside churches and monasteries, and women are asked to cover their hair at some of them.
A scarf in your day bag solves the dress requirement at every religious site on the route.
Currency and card use
The local currency is the Georgian lari; cards are widely accepted in Tbilisi and Batumi and less so in villages.
Wine bought at the cellar door, optional activities and meals other than breakfast are settled locally.
Tipping is discretionary and not included in the package price.
Common questions
Is the Martvili Canyon boat ride included?
Yes. The canyon entrance and the boat are both in the package. The ride runs about 300 metres up the gorge and back, and it is the part of western Georgia most people remember.
How long are the drives to and from Batumi?
The run west is 425 km and the return through Mtskheta is 400 km, both seven to eight hours with the stops included. They are genuinely long days and the honest price of reaching the coast in a week.
Can we swim at Batumi?
In season, yes — the beach runs the length of the boulevard. It is pebble rather than sand, and the water is comfortable from roughly June to September. The itinerary leaves you the evenings in Batumi free.
What is the Batumi Botanical Garden like to walk?
It covers 111 hectares on a headland, so the paths run up and down and the full circuit takes a couple of hours at a relaxed pace. The views down onto the sea are the reason to do it, and there is a zip line inside the garden if you want it, payable locally.
Do we go inside the churches at Mtskheta?
Yes, both Jvari and Svetitskhoveli. Shoulders and knees should be covered and women are asked to cover their hair; a scarf in your bag is enough.
Is this too much ground for seven days?
It is a full itinerary and two of the days are long drives. If you would rather stay east and skip the coast, our shorter Georgia programmes cover Tbilisi, Kazbegi and Kakheti without the 800 kilometres of driving that Batumi adds.
Policies & booking terms
Booking terms
Full payment must be completed 30 days prior to departure, unless otherwise specified.
All bookings are subject to availability at the time of confirmation.
Travel insurance is mandatory and must be purchased prior to departure.
Prices are subject to change due to fluctuations in currency exchange rates, taxes, or supplier costs.
Guests are responsible for obtaining valid passports, visas, and any required vaccinations.
Cancellations or amendments are subject to the applicable cancellation policy outlined in the package.
The company is not liable for delays, cancellations, or changes due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather, strikes, or other force majeure events.
All travelers must adhere to the local laws and customs of the destinations visited.
No refunds will be issued for unused services, including but not limited to meals, accommodations, or activities.
The company reserves the right to modify the itinerary or substitute hotels of similar standards if necessary.
All special requests (e.g., room preferences, dietary requirements) are subject to availability and not guaranteed.
Guests are responsible for any additional costs incurred due to personal expenses, such as phone calls, laundry, or minibar charges.
Check-in and check-out times are subject to hotel policies and may vary by property.
✦AI trip designer
Want this trip a little different?
Tell Tulli what you'd change — hotels, dates, an extra city — and she'll price it with our team and come back to you.