Day 1. Mtskheta - Jvari - Chateau Mukhrani - Stalin museum - Borjomi

We're leaving Tbilisi. We'll first visit the Jvari Monastery (6th century), which inspired Lermontov to write his poem "Mtsyri". Then we'll go to the ancient capital of Georgia, Mtskheta, where we'll visit the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century). We'll also stop at the Chateau Mukhrani winery and estate of the Bagration-Mukhrani princes, where we'll have a wine tasting. Our next stop is the city of Gori, where we'll visit the Stalin Museum, see the house where he was born, the interesting museum exhibits, and the armored train car he traveled in around the country. We'll have lunch in the Borjomi Gorge. Our next stop is the city of Borjomi, where we'll walk through the historical park and drink mineral water straight from the source. We'll spend the night in Borjomi.

Day 2. Fortress Rabati - cave city Vardzia - Tbilisi

We're leaving Borjomi and making a stop in the city of Akhaltsikhe, where we'll visit the massive, fully restored Rabati fortress complex. From there, we'll head to the cave city of Vardzia, which was carved into a sheer cliff face back in the 12th century. We'll walk through the streets and underground passageways, visit the church also carved into the rock, see the underground lake, and explore the ancient halls and rooms. We'll have lunch by the Kura River. Then we'll return to Tbilisi.