Georgia, Europe
Tbilisi has practical road connections to Mtskheta, Uplistsikhe, Gori, and the Kakheti wine region. Mtskheta is close enough for a half-day. Kakheti and Stepantsminda involve much longer drives.
| Where | Getting there | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Mtskheta | About 30 min by car or marshrutka | Georgia's ancient royal capital, with Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in town and Jvari Monastery on the hill above it. The center is walkable once you arrive. |
| Kakheti wine country (Telavi, Sighnaghi) | About 1 hr 30 to 2 hr each way | Georgia's qvevri wine region, with family wineries, the hill town of Sighnaghi, and Bodbe Monastery. Rtveli, the grape harvest, takes place in September and October. |
| Stepantsminda and Mount Kazbegi | About 3 hr each way, best as 1 night | A Caucasus mountain town near the Russian border, with Gergeti Trinity Church above the valley and Mount Kazbegi behind it. The return drive takes about six hours before stops. |
| Uplistsikhe and Gori | About 1 hr 30 each way | Uplistsikhe is a rock-cut settlement with occupation dating back to the Bronze Age. Gori is Stalin's birthplace and has a museum devoted to him. |
| David Gareja Monastery | About 2 hr each way | A sixth-century cave monastery complex on the Azerbaijan border, reached across the dry hills southeast of Tbilisi. |