SuomeksiGeorgian villages and monasteries
Date: 22-30.10.2010. Duration: 9 days and 8 nights.
Route: Helsinki - Tbilisi - Ananuri and Kazbegi - Gori -Borjomi - Timotesubani - Kutaisi ja Gelati - Vardzia - David Gareja, Bodbe ja Sighnaghi - Kakheti - Helsinki.
Price: 1 615 e
- accommodation: hotel Vere Palace in Tbilisi 2 nights, families in Kazbegi 1 night, Guest House in TImotesubani nea Borjomi 3 nights, hotel Rcheuli Pirosman in Sighnaghi 1 night and last evening and the beginning of the night in the wine yard of Gurdjaani and early morning in the plane to Helsinki, breakfast and 1 meal/day,
- city tour in Tbilisi, Museum of Fine Art, Holy Trinity church, Mtatsminda mountain,
- guided tour in Ananuri, the old capital, Kazbegi mountains, Gergeti monastery, Caucasian countryside life,
- Mtskheta, old capital of Iberia, Uplistsikhe, Gori town and mineral water springs,
- Kutaisi village, old church of Bagrati (UNESCO), old spiritual center of Gelati,
- Vardzia cave town and monastery, Mtkvari valley, convent nearby,
- David Garedja monastery in the border of Azerbaidsan, old frescos,
- grave, well and monastery of St Nina on Bodbe, tour Sighnaghi,
- tour in wine yards in Kakheti, handicraft center,
- farewel dinner in Gurjaani wine yard,
- flights Helsinki - Riga - Tbilisi - Helsinki,
- transfers, local guides, tour leader from Finland,
Other costs: sgl supplement 104 e/person.
Hotels
Hotel Vere Palace was opened in 1998 and reconstructed in 2006. It locates in the center of Tbilisi, in Vere area just walking distance from the down town. There are 42 rooms in the hotel with all fascilities, restaurant, bar, swimming pool and gym as well as meeting rooms.
www.verepalace.com.ge
Families in Kazbegi is organiseg by local village people where meals are also served. One family will accommodate several travelers. People are very friendly and the meals are delicious and from traditional Caucasian kitchen.
Guest House in Timotesubani locates in the country side around 15 km from Borjomi. All the rooms have toilet and showe. In this place there was a famous spiritul center and monastery in the 12th and 13th century. Its frescos are best preserved in the whole Georgia.
Hotel Rcheuli Pirosman in Signnaghi is part of the hotel chain which have hotels in different towns in Georgia. Hotel locates in the center of this small town Signnaghi, which has been totally newly built with sculptures and houses reminding some Saxon or old German culture. All the rooms have fascilities and there is a restaurant and a bar in the hotel
www.rcheuli.ge
Wine yard Gurjaani locates in the village in Kakheti area in South-West of Georgia. The area is famous of Georgian wine and wine yards. In Gurjaani wine yard the wine is produced according to the centuries-old, traditional method. They have own vintage, red wine. The quality is guaranted by their own grapes in this area. There are some rooms available for accommodation and delicious kitchen in the wine yard. www.winehousegurjaani.ge
Itinerary
Friday 16.4.2010 At 13.00 weeting the tour leader at Helsinki airport. At 15.50 flight via Riga arriving at 16.55. Connection flight to Tbilisi depart at 20.25 arrving at 01.55. TRansfer to the hotel.
Saturday 17.4.2010
After late breakfast city tour in Tbilisi visiting Museum of Fine Art where the works of Georgian artists Niko Pirosmani and Lado Gudiashvili. Again the tour continues to Mtatsminda Holy Mountain where a beautiful view over the city. Tbilisi is a mixture of east, west and south. In the middle of the city there is an old sulfur spa which has been popular among politicians, kings and artists. Numerous churches, beautiful wooden and modern houses create a colourful athmosphere over the city. For snack you can buy delicious pastries and sweet cakes. The tour ends to Rustaveli, the main street in Tbilisi. In the evening traditional, Georgian dinner.
Sunday 18.4.2010
At 7.00 breakfast. After leaving the hotel depart for Kazbegi mountains in the north. The first stop is in Ananuri, which was an old capital and fortress town from the time of King Aragvi in the historical period of Ersitavi. Eristavi is actually an honorary title (prince), which one noble Georgian family took for their own family name. There are many buildings in this center still left, but the most impressive is the old church of Holy Trinity.
From Ananuri we continue to Gudauri which is a popular skiing resort in the mountains. After a coffee break we continue upper to the mountains crossing on the road the highest point, Mountain of Cross at the height of 2 395 m. In the afternoon arrive at Stepantsminda village which locates at the height of 1700 meters. Checking in at families for lunch and accommodation. Walk or transfer by taxi to Gergeti monastery where guided tour in the church having miracle making icon of Our Lady. Return to the village where dinner and overnight.
Monday 19.4.2010
After breakfast and farewell to the families we depart for West Georgia. At first the road is the same as it was in the previous day to Kazbegi until Mtskheta which was the capital of Iberia between 500 BC to 500 AC. This is the place where Christianity started to spread all over Georgia. All these buildings are today under protection of UNESCO. In Svetitskhoveli cathedral there is a rare relic, a piece of the cloth of Christ. In this church the first king was baptised. Up in the hill there is an old church where is a cross reminding the first Saint Nina, who brought Christianity to Georgia.
From Mtskheta our tour continues to Gori town, where the last, sad war in August was happening. Gori is the birth town of Stalin and there is even a statue of Stalin in the center of the town.
Again from Gori we drive to the west to Uplistsikhe cave town which was built 1 000 BC. This cave town is a masterpiece of Georgian architecture having more than one hundred rooms, halls, street, theatre and water supply. The town was destroyed by earthquake and wars.
From Uplistsikhe we drive by Borjomi to Timotesubani where checking in at Guest House. Dinner.
Tuesday 20.4.2010 After breakfast we start our day by driving via beautiful Mtkvari valley to the border of Turkey to Vardzia monastery founded in the 11th century. Queen Tamara, very honored saint by Georgians built the monastery where were more than 6 000 brothers in its glorious time. Monastery was nearly destroyed in the earthquake in the 12th century and also in wars between Turkey and Georgia. In the monastery there is still a beautiful fresco of King Tamara and her farther Georg III. Also there is one fresco of Christ still saved from the time when monastery was founded. Being many hundred years empty monastery was opened a few years ago there are now six btorhers.
Near the monastery there has been opened also a convent where are some twenty sisters. Monastery was founded in the place, where is still left a church from the 13th century. After a tea break in the convent we drive back to Timotesubani for overnight and dinner.
Wednesday 21.4.2010 After breakfast we drive to Kutaisi to Gelati founded at the time of King David IV in the 10th century, now protected by UNESCO. Gelati was the spiritul and cultural center, where many politicians, holy farthers and artists have been burried. King David IV was burried from his own will under the step of the church for the reason that while people get into the church it reminds him to pray for them in the eternity.
Near Gelatin in a gorge there is Motsameta monastery which has been dedicated to the martyrs, two borothers, David and Konstantin when they were tortured to death after refusing to change their religion.
After lunch break we drive to Borjomi to visit the mineral water springs and futher to Timotesubani for overnight and dinner.
Thuirsday 22.4.2010
After breakfast we leave the hotel and drive to the border of Azerbaidzan, to the monastery of David Garedji. Monastery is famous of its frescos which were painted on the cliffs, some of them viewing to Azerbaidzan.
After a tour in the cave monastery we continue along the steppe to Bodbe, the convent where Saint Nina has been burried. Visiting the convent and the spring we continue to Sighnaghi town for overnight at the hotel and dinner.
Friday 23.4.2010
The last day of our tour is dedicated to Georgian wine. After breakfast we visit the local handicraft and weaving center where possible to buy souvenirs. Again we drive to Alazani valley where the first destination is the wine yard Kindzmarauli owned by local wine producers. The wine yard is called as "Tears of Wine" (Vazis Tsremlebi) and it has been rewarded many international trophys. After wine tasting its is possible to make shoppings.
The tour continues to Gremi, where is the old spiritul center and church before getting to wine yard Gurjaani. After presentation of wine producing by the traditional way we taste some wines and have farewell dinner with music porgram.
After dinner it is possible to lay down for 2-3 hours before getting to the airport anf flight to Helsinki.
Saturday 24.4.2010 At 01.00 transfer to Tbilisi airport where flight at 3.25 via Riga arriving at 6.00. Connection flight to Helsinki departs at 7.15 arriving at 8.25.