Georgia - Where Europe meets Asia

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Georgia - Where Europe meets Asia

SEE IT - SAVE UP TO 10% ON ALL HOLIDAYS

Discover the spectacular scenery and welcoming people of one of Eurasia’s most fascinating countries.At the crossroads of two vast continents, on the route of the great Silk Road and in the shadow of the Caucasus Mountains, Georgia is one of the world’s most beautiful countries. It’s also a place with an ancient, fascinating history that includes some of the oldest known beginnings of wine-making, and that boasts the legendary hospitality of a population that believes guests are blessings. With a burgeoning tourism infrastructure now bringing 21st-century comforts to its spectacular setting, Georgia is one of the world’s foremost “must see now” destinations.

Holiday Highlights

Explore Tbilisi – Georgia’s ancient capital – on a guided tour
Enjoy guided tours of Gori (Stalin’s birthplace) and Uplistsikhe’s astonishing cave town
Drive to Bodbe Monastery, burial place of Georgia’s Patron Saint
Take in the views from pretty Sighnaghi
Taste Georgian wines in Kakheti
See Mtskheta’s cathedral, Jvari’s monastery and Ananuri’s castle on your way to Stepantsminda, in the shadow of the Caucasus
Ride a 4x4 up to Gergeti church’s lofty perch

What's Included

Six nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation at four-star hotels in Tbilisi (4 nights) and Gudauri (2)
Three lunches and three dinners, all with wine
Early check-in at your hotel in Tbilisi
Return flights to Tbilisi (overnight on the way out)
Coach travel and transfers throughout
Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Itinerary

Day 1

Fly to Tbilisi’s Rustaveli International Airport.

Day 2

Upon arrival, meet your tour manager and transfer to your hotel, where your rooms will be ready for you. After the chance to rest and have breakfast, enjoy an afternoon’s guided tour of the compact, historic Georgian capital.The country’s capital for over 1500 years, Tbilisi sits beside to the Mtkvari River in a dramatic gorge, next to a natural spring and beneath the vast, imposing Narikala Fortress. For centuries, it was the most important trading centre in the Caucasus, a key stop on the ancient Silk Road. Its colourful old town – a cosmopolitan mix of cultures and faiths living in harmony and watched over by the statue of its founder, King Vakhtang Gorgasali – boasts a delightful maze of narrow streets lined with shops, stores and an increasing number of modern bars, cafés and restaurants catering to visitors. Your tour will also include a chair-lift ride up to the Narikala Fortress above to take in the views of the city, and this evening dinner will be served in a restaurant, accompanied by some traditional Georgian singing and wine.

Day 3

Re-board the coach today for the journey west out of the city and into the beautiful, rolling countryside, heading first to ancient Gori, beneath its own imposing fortress, and famed as birthplace of Soviet leader Josef Stalin. A fascinating museum houses over 60,000 exhibits, including the house in which the dictator is said to have been born, and the train in which he travelled. You’ll also visit the ancient cave town of Uplistsikhe, where dwellings, some from the 1st century BC, as well as temples and whole streets with houses and merchants’ shops, are hewn from the barren rock, and enjoy an included lunch. Return to Tbilisi for the evening, to dine at your leisure.

Day 4

Today’s tour takes you east to the picture-book Alazani valley, overlooked by impossibly pretty hilltop town Sighnaghi, and offering spectacular views of the towering Caucasus beyond. Here, you’ll pay a visit to 9th-century Bodbe Monastery, where the remains of Georgia’s Patron Saint, St Nino, are enshrined, before heading to Sighnaghi. This being the centre of the Kakheti wine-growing region, you’ll also enjoy a pleasant lunch and tasting of traditionally grown organic wines at a local wine cellar, and learn about life in rural Georgia through the ages before returning to Tbilisi this evening.

Day 5

On a remarkably scenic day, you’ll head north towards the foothills of the mighty Caucasus, pausing first at the former capital of the Georgian kingdom, Mtskheta. The country’s cultural and spiritual home, and cradle of its Orthodox Christianity, riverside Mtskheta stood at the crossroads of the Roman, Persian and Byzantine empires, and boasts sacred Svetiskhoveli cathedral (burial place of kings) and the Jvari Monastery of the Cross among its UNESCO-listed treasures. Journeying further north, you’ll pass beneath striking Ananuri castle in its commanding position above the Aragvi River, to arrive in the village Gudauri for an included dinner at your hotel.

Day 6

Continue north to the mountain resort of Stepantsminda, still more commonly known as as Kazbegi, which is surrounded by some of the most beautiful peaks of the Caucasus, including towering Mount Kazbek. Upon arrival, we switch to four-wheel-drive vehicles for the short journey to the hilltop Gergeti, ‘Trinity’ Church, which offers sensational views, on clear days, of the Terek river valley and the towering flanks of Mount Kazbegi. A wonderful day ends with a visit to a local artist, for the chance to admire intricate felt work and to taste teas and other delicacies. Dinner is at your hotel this evening.

Day 7

Bidding farewell to your Stepantsminda hosts, today, you’ll return to Tbilisi, where you’ll enjoy a last included lunch – your final taste of Georgian hospitality.

Day 8

Transfer back to the airport to board your daytime flight home, at the end of a marvellous Georgian holiday.

Hotel transfer times

The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately 35 minutes.

Combining hotel transfers

We sometimes need to combine transfers to and from your hotel. We always try to keep any wait to a minimum, but you may be asked to wait at the airport for up to an hour, while other incoming flights arrive, before the transfer to your hotel. Similarly, we may need to transfer you back to the airport up to three hours before your flight home departs.

Special requirements

If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.

Disabled access

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Itinerary changes

Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

Changes to your hotels

Should circumstances require, we reserve the right to accommodate you in alternative hotels, of a similar standard, nearby. Full details of your hotels will be sent with your Final Travel Documents.

Foreign Office Travel Advice

Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.

Indirect flights

All flights are via Istanbul, except for Gatwick which is a direct flight.

Terms and conditions

Save up to 10% discount applies to specific 2022-2024 holidays and tours only. All tours are marked with the discounted percentage. The ‘See it.’ offer applies to new bookings only for 2022 -2024 departures booked between 1 September and 30 September 2022 inclusive. The Offer does not apply to holidays with late availability pricing and excludes Ocean Cruise, River Cruise, Lapland, Andre Rieu, and Wimbledon. This offer cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other discount, promotion or concession. When booking a holiday as described above, prices shown will automatically have percentage discount applied on our website. The discount applies to the tour price (excluding extras and holiday insurance) at the time of booking. The Offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.

Travelling to Europe

Rules may have changed since you last travelled to European Union countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The following are useful guidelines which will help you prepare for your next adventure. Note that these new rules do NOT apply when travelling within the United Kingdom or to the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland. You do require government issued ID when travelling by air though.

Names - It is very important that all passenger names are exactly as per your passport although we do not require middle names.

Passport - Your passport must meet two requirements to travel to an EU country and to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. It must be: Less than 10 years old on the day you return home (please check the "date of issue") and valid for at least 3 months after the day you return home (please check the "expiry date").

These rules do not apply to travel to Ireland where you can continue to use your passport as long as it’s valid for the length of your stay.

Visa - If you’re a tourist, you do not need a visa for short trips to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You’ll be able to stay for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. Different rules will apply to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania; if you visit these countries, visits to other EU countries will not count towards the 90-day total. Travel to Ireland will not change and stays there will not count towards the 90-day total.

European Travel Information & Authorisation System (ETIAS) - Towards the end of 2022, it is likely that non EU citizens will be required to apply online for an authorisation to visit most European countries. The current details suggest there will be a charge of €7 per person and the authorisation will be valid for all trips made to the EU in a three year period from issue. We will advise you of confirmed details prior to your tour’s departure.

Border Control - At border control, you may need to show proof of your return journey - your travel documentation issued by us will be sufficient for this. You will also need to use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens if manual checks are required.

Healthcare Cover - You should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before you go abroad which covers pre-existing conditions. You should understand the terms and conditions of your travel insurance and be happy with its cover for healthcare and travel disruption. Newmarket sell a comprehensive travel insurance policy. Ask our travel consultants for more information.

You should also apply for a UK Global Heath Insurance Card (GHIC) which lets you get urgent state healthcare in Europe at a reduced cost or sometimes for free. Note GHIC is only valid in EU countries and not in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

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