Georgia rewards a short trip better than almost anywhere within four hours of Dubai, but only if the route is built around the roads rather than the map. This itinerary keeps Tbilisi as the base for four nights, so you unpack once, and breaks out for a single night in Stepantsminda, the village most people still call Kazbegi. Sleeping up there is the part most packages skip, and it is the reason to book this one: you see Gergeti Trinity Church at first light, before the day-trip minibuses arrive from Tbilisi around eleven.
The drive north follows the Georgian Military Road past the Zhinvali reservoir and the fortress church at Ananuri, then climbs through Gudauri to the Jvari Pass at 2,379 metres. Allow about three hours without stops and closer to five with them, which is why we never rush it into a same-day return. Coming back, we add Mtskheta, the old capital, with Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, before you are dropped at your hotel in time for dinner.
The Kakheti day heads east for about two hours to Sighnaghi, a walled hill town above the Alazani Valley, with a stop at Bodbe Monastery and a family winery where wine is still made in clay qvevri buried in the ground. Non-drinkers are well looked after: the tastings include churchkhela, fresh bread from the tone oven and local cheese, and the views are the real draw.
Expect hearty food, generous portions and very friendly service. Order khinkali by the dozen, khachapuri to share and a plate of badrijani nigvzit. In Tbilisi our standard hotels sit in Sololaki or near Freedom Square, so the old town, the sulphur baths in Abanotubani and the cable car to Narikala are all walkable. Pack layers: Kazbegi can be 12 degrees colder than Tbilisi on the same afternoon, and between November and April the pass can close after snowfall, in which case Layla Haddad's team swaps the overnight for a second Kakheti or Borjomi day.
Highlights
- A night in Stepantsminda with sunrise at Gergeti Trinity Church
- Georgian Military Road via Ananuri fortress and the Jvari Pass
- Guided Tbilisi old town walk, sulphur baths and Narikala cable car
- Sighnaghi, Bodbe Monastery and a qvevri winery in Kakheti
- Mtskheta's Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
- Private car and English-speaking driver-guide on every tour day
Day by day
Day 1Arrive in Tbilisi, evening in the old town
The direct flight from Dubai takes about three hours. Your driver meets you at arrivals with a local SIM and drives 25 minutes to your hotel in central Tbilisi. After check-in, walk down through Sololaki to the Abanotubani bath district and the waterfall in Leghvtakhevi gorge, then up to the Metekhi church viewpoint as the city lights come on. Dinner is free tonight; we leave a shortlist of family-run restaurants within ten minutes of your hotel. Overnight Tbilisi.
Day 2Tbilisi walking tour and welcome supra
After breakfast your guide walks you through the old town: Sioni Cathedral, the leaning clock tower by the puppet theatre, Anchiskhati Basilica and the Bridge of Peace. Take the cable car from Rike Park up to Narikala fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue for the best view over the city, then wander back through the Dry Bridge flea market. The afternoon is free for the sulphur baths. In the evening we host a traditional supra dinner with live polyphonic singing. Overnight Tbilisi.
Day 3Georgian Military Road to Kazbegi
Leave at 9am with your private driver and head north along the Georgian Military Road. Stop at the Zhinvali reservoir and the 17th-century Ananuri fortress, then climb through Gudauri to the Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument with its painted balcony over the Aragvi valley. Cross the Jvari Pass and descend to Stepantsminda by mid-afternoon, about three hours of driving in total. A 4x4 takes you up to Gergeti Trinity Church for sunset with Mount Kazbek behind it. Overnight Stepantsminda.
Day 4Gergeti at dawn, Dariali gorge and Mtskheta
Early risers can walk the trail back up to Gergeti in about 90 minutes for an empty church at sunrise. After breakfast drive 20 minutes to the Dariali gorge and Gveleti waterfall, an easy 30-minute walk. Begin the drive south around 11am, with lunch at a roadside khinkali house in Pasanauri. In the afternoon visit Mtskheta, Georgia's ancient capital: Jvari Monastery on its hilltop and the 11th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. Arrive back in Tbilisi by about 6pm. Overnight Tbilisi.
Day 5Kakheti wine country and Sighnaghi
Drive east for about two hours across the Gombori range into Kakheti. Visit Bodbe Monastery, then walk the 18th-century walls of Sighnaghi with views across the Alazani Valley to the Greater Caucasus. Lunch can be taken at a family winery, where you will see the clay qvevri buried in the cellar floor and taste wines, chacha and churchkhela, with grape juice and tea for non-drinkers. Return to Tbilisi by early evening for a final dinner in the old town. Overnight Tbilisi.
Day 6Morning at leisure, fly home to Dubai
Enjoy a slow breakfast and some last shopping: the Meidan bazaar under Freedom Square is good for spices, tkemali sauce and churchkhela to take home, and Rustaveli Avenue has the bookshops and cafés. Your driver collects you about three hours before your flight for the 25-minute drive to Tbilisi airport. The direct flight lands back in Dubai after about three hours, usually in time for dinner if you choose the afternoon departure.
Hotels by tier
Choose the tier in the price box; the difference is priced per adult for the whole stay.
Named hotels or similar of the same standard if one is full; we tell you before you pay the balance.
What is included
Included
- Return direct flights from Dubai to Tbilisi, Economy, 30 kg baggage
- 5 nights with daily breakfast: 4 in Tbilisi, 1 in Stepantsminda
- Private airport transfers on arrival and departure
- Guided half-day Tbilisi old town walk with Narikala cable car ticket
- Private two-day Kazbegi tour via Ananuri, Gudauri and Mtskheta
- 4x4 transfer up to Gergeti Trinity Church
- Private Kakheti day tour to Sighnaghi and Bodbe with winery tasting
- Welcome dinner with traditional Georgian supra in Tbilisi
- Local SIM card with data, handed over at the airport
- 24/7 Dubai support line throughout the trip
Not included
- Visa fees, where your nationality needs one
- Lunches and dinners other than the welcome dinner
- Sulphur bath entry (private rooms from about AED 120 per hour)
- Tips for drivers and guides
- Travel insurance
Departures and prices
Price per adult, twin share, standard hotels. Seats are held with our airline and hotel partners.
| Dates | Departure | Seats left | Per adult | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 21 Nov to Thu 26 Nov 2026 | Flexible | 8 | AED 2,450 | |
| Sat 28 Nov to Thu 3 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 12 | AED 2,700 | |
| Sat 5 Dec to Thu 10 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 12 | AED 2,450 | |
| Sat 5 Dec to Thu 10 Dec 2026 | Group, with tour leader | 2 | AED 2,450 | |
| Sat 12 Dec to Thu 17 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 12 | AED 2,940 | |
| Sat 19 Dec to Thu 24 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 12 | AED 2,940 | |
| Sat 26 Dec to Thu 31 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 9 | AED 2,940 | |
| Sat 2 Jan to Thu 7 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 2,940 | |
| Sat 2 Jan to Thu 7 Jan 2027 | Group, with tour leader | 9 | AED 2,820 | |
| Sat 9 Jan to Thu 14 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 2,450 | |
| Sat 16 Jan to Thu 21 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 2,450 | |
| Sat 23 Jan to Thu 28 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 8 | AED 2,450 | |
| Sat 30 Jan to Thu 4 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 8 | AED 2,450 | |
| Sat 6 Feb to Thu 11 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 9 | AED 2,450 | |
| Sat 6 Feb to Thu 11 Feb 2027 | Group, with tour leader | 11 | AED 2,450 | |
| Sat 13 Feb to Thu 18 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 2,450 |
Tour leader, Georgia and Türkiye groups
Where it is
Questions about this holiday
When is the best time to do this trip?
Do UAE residents need a visa for Georgia?
Is this trip suitable for children?
Is halal food easy to find?
Can I add extra nights or another region?
How cold does it get in Kazbegi?
Travellers on this holiday
Lovely trip overall and our driver knew every bend of the Military Highway. The Kazbegi day was mostly rain, so the church sat in cloud and we only had the view for about ten minutes. Nobody's fault, but a spare half day in the plan would have helped. The Tbilisi hotel was spot on.
Took my parents, who were visiting from Kerala and are both in their late sixties. Elena asked about Dad's knees before booking, made sure the Kazbegi transfer was a proper van with a step and that the Tbilisi hotel had a lift. He is still talking about the bread from the clay oven in the old town.
Five nights was the right length for a first look at Georgia. The airport rep was waiting in Tbilisi at 3am with a name board and cold water, which my wife still mentions. Old Town on foot, the sulphur baths, then up to Kazbegi for Gergeti Trinity Church in fresh snow. We had been sent a day-by-day plan and it matched exactly what happened.
Four Filipino nurses from the same ward, our first trip abroad together. The office split it into a deposit and two instalments so it fitted around our salaries. Khinkali lunch in Mtskheta, the Ananuri fortress stop on the way up, and a wine tasting we had not expected. Every question on the WhatsApp group was answered within minutes.
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