Bicycle Tour The amazing Georgia.

Day 1 Tbilisi - Tbilisi - 0

Arrival at Tbilisi International Airport and transfer to the hotel.

Day 2 Tbilisi - 0

After breakfast (included), we start the adventure exploring the capital of Georgia: Tbilisi with all its beauty, with its narrow streets, colorful houses, carved balconies, old quarters and excellent samples of modern architecture.
We start the tour from the Meteji Church and enjoy the spectacular view of the Old Town.
We will stroll through the beautiful narrow streets and visit the main sights of the city.
Then we will enjoy the magnificent panorama of the old city and passing through the old Fortress of
Narikala we will visit the historic Sulfur Baths, from which the name of the capital comes.
Departure to the ancient capital and religious center of Georgia - Mtskheta (3000 years), where we will see the places
landmarks: the ancient Jvari Monastery (6th century) and the impressive Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century), where
buried the Tunic of Christ. Both the Jvari Monastery and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral are declared
World Heritage by UNESCO.
Return to Tbilisi. Accommodation at the hotel.
Lunch and dinner are not included.

Day 3 Tbilisi - Akhaltsikhe - 61

In the morning, after breakfast, transfer to Mtskheta. We start our bike route from Mtskheta to Uplistsije.
Picnic along the way.
During the route you will visit the rock city of Uplistsije, which was the most important part of the famous Silk Road. The visit of this place will make you travel to the past. This impressive complex includes ancient dwellings, halls, temples, cellars, secret tunnels, and theaters. Uplistsije literally, 'the fortress of the lord', this city carved into the rock on a high cliff on the left bank of the Mtkvari (the Kurá) river, has several buildings dating from the Iron Age to the Late Middle Ages, and stands out for the unique combination of various styles of rock cultures from Anatolia and Iran, as well as the coexistence of pagan and Christian architecture.
After Uplistsije we will go to Akhaltsije. Dinner and overnight at the family hotel in Akhaltsikh.

Day 4 Akhaltsikhe - Vardzia - 63

After breakfast, we ride our bikes again to reach Vardzia. There we will have lunch in a family home that will make us enjoy the local gastronomy.
Then we will visit Vardzia, which together with Uplistsije and Signagui are the three most visited places in Georgia. And you soon discover why: The old city of Vardzia is a large complex of caves (it once had more than 3,000 and housed more than 50,000 people). And although it was born in the Bronze Age, its greatest splendor was during the government of Queen Tamar, a great ruler of the country in the 12th century. It is without a doubt an amazing place, with its excavated caves and connected by long tunnels, all of them dug by hand more than 800 years ago. There we will find a beautiful monastery, with beautiful frescoes that are still displayed in the brilliant colors with which they were painted, as well as a natural spring that emerges from the rock. Dinner and overnight in a family hotel in Vardzia.

Day 5 Vardzia - Akhalkalaki - 45

Today after breakfast in Vardzia we will have dinner in Ajalkalaki. During the first 17 km you have to follow the same route as yesterday until you reach the confluence of two rivers. There is the Jertvisi Fortress (or Khertvisi). It is one of the oldest fortresses (currently half-ruined) in Georgia. The first fortress was built in the 2nd century BC. C., but over the centuries it expanded, being its maximum splendor during the origin of the Georgian feudal period (S. X and XI), which was the center of the entire Meskheti region. The church was built in the year 985 , and the present walls date from the year 1354. Be that as it may, legend has it that Khertvisi was destroyed by Alexander the Great.

After the visit, continue along a road with a little more traffic (there are some trucks) until the ascent to Ajalkalaki begins, following the Paravani river through the valley.
There is a late lunch on arrival (own expense). In the afternoon we will have the opportunity to make the typical Georgian dish: the Khinkali. Khinkalis are small dough bags filled with juicy meat. In fact, originally from the shepherds, it has evolved and currently in each region they have their own method to prepare the filling.

We will spend the night in a hotel in Ajalkalaki, a typical town of the region, calm and peaceful. Like practically all of today's Georgia, its origin is found in the ancient Armenian peoples (Armenia historically occupied the entire area between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea) and therefore 97% of the population of Ajalkalaki is of Armenian origin.
Lunch and dinner are NOT included.

Day 6 Akhalkalaki - Tbilisi - 77

Today's route is relatively calm and relaxed… After breakfast we will head towards Lake Paravani by car (90km, 1.5 hours). It is the largest lake in Georgia; Of volcanic origin and at more than 2,000 meters above sea level, it feeds on rainwater and other underground waters. But what is most surprising about this enormous lake is its shallowness, between 2 and 3 meters.
Located on the Javakheti Plateau (popularly known as Georgian Siberia) this area enjoys a very cold winter that often reaches -30 C, with ice thicknesses on the lake ranging from 40 cm to more than 70, according to the years... But now, with the good weather, it is usually frequented by fishermen.
The route continues (this time by bike) from Lake Paravani towards the city of Tsalka. Along the way, we will have a picnic lunch (included). In fact, today's cycle route is calmer and for the first 30 km to Tsalka it is almost a walk. From there, there are some long downhill sections (some unpaved) until you reach Tbilisi. Overnight at the hotel in Tbilisi. Dinner NOT included.

Day 7 Tbilisi - Telavi - 41

After breakfast we board the vehicle that will take us to Otaraani (70 km, 1.5 hours), before the Gombori Pass. Today, by bike, we will head to the famous Kakheti wine region. The bike route begins on the wooded slopes 17 km from El Paso. There are 7 km of gentle ascent and then the last 10 km to the pass are much steeper. If someone does not want to follow the bike route to Gombori Pass, they can continue the route by bus (1,620 m, highest point). There is a picnic lunch (included) along the way. Luckily, the descent is long and mostly through a beautiful forest. Finally you reach Telavi, although the last 3 km are optional: the climb up to the guest house is very, very steep.
A short distance away there is a typical winery of the region and we will taste the wine, made in the jars according to the old Georgian tradition. It is exactly the same wine that the Georgian peasant was already making many, many centuries ago. It should be borne in mind that the Georgian winemaking method is included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity! And we cannot forget that Georgia is considered the cradle of wine: grape juice was fermented here for the first time, thus obtaining a new drink: wine.
Dinner (included) and accommodation at the family hotel in Telavi.

Day 8 Telavi - Kvareli - 43

In the morning we will visit a typical food market in Telavi, with its traditional colored candies (Churchkhela), Lavash, typical breads from the entire Caucasus area and part of Eastern Asia, smoked cheeses with little smell but strong flavor... and the large number of fruits, vegetables, seeds and spices!.
Next, we will take the bike and from Telavi we will head towards Kvareli. Today's bike ride takes place on straight roads, through large expanses of plateau plains. En route we will first visit the Gremi fortress. It is a large architectural construction from the 16th century that was once a royal citadel, in the Georgian region of Kakhetia, next to the Church of the Archangels. In fact, the fortress with the Church of the Archangels is all that remains of the city of Gremi, which was once the capital of the Kingdom of Kakhetia in the 16th and 17th centuries. Founded by Levan of Kakheti, it functioned as a lively trading city on the Silk Road and royal residence until it was razed to the ground by the armies of Shah Abbas I of Persia in 1615. The city never recovered its past prosperity, and the kings of Kakheti transferred its capital to Telavi in the mid-17th century.
It is known that this city of Armenians, at the beginning of the 17th century, Fedor Volkonsky visited the city with an embassy and found that “ the city has an Armenian church, an Armenian courtyard with a stone wall, behind which there was another church. Also, near the royal court, there were as many as 10 more Armenian churches.” Its importance is such that it is currently pending its inclusion in the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
The route then heads to the Nekresi Monastery. It is a historical city and current Orthodox monastery located in the Kakhetia region. Established by King Parnadjom of Iberia (around 2nd century), it was not until the 4th century that the Trdat of Iberia had a church built on this site (one of the oldest in Georgia). This church became a refuge for one of the Assyrian fathers, Abibus, at the end of the 6th century. This site (including the later monastery) was important not only in Georgian Iberia, but in the entire East Caucasus.
The route continues towards Kvareli. In the afternoon we will visit another wine cellar, in order to taste another variety of traditional Georgian wine.
Dinner (not included) and accommodation in Kvareli.

Day 9 - Tbilisi - 18

After breakfast we take the bike and from Kvareli we will pedal to the village of Velistsije. Then by car we will arrive at Signagui.
One of the best known wonders of Georgia is Signagui, known as the fortified city of love. With its enormous wall of 4.5 km in length built in the 18th century, its 23 towers, -each one of which faces a nearby city- and its "only" 6 gates, this city dazzles the most experienced traveler. It is worth exploring the wall on foot and then climbing the beautiful tower of the church of San Esteban, which offers an excellent view of the surroundings and the spectacular Alazani valley where Signagui is located.
But it is also worth going inside the city –despite some of the steep slopes of its streets- to admire its beauty. In fact, it's so beautiful that's why it's called the city of love. In Georgia it is considered the most romantic and beautiful city in the country. In addition, it is small, old and well restored. It's nice just to walk the cobbled streets, stroll between pretty old houses, enjoy the quiet and calm rural life. It is the perfect place for couples in love.

Afterwards, we will visit a local family for lunch, where we participate in the process of making Churchkhela (the walnut sweet, also typical of Armenia and the entire Caucasus area).
We will also see the process of making the traditional Georgian barbecue “Mtsvadi”. Of rural origin (from the ancient nomadic shepherds) this tradition has become famous over time throughout Georgia although it owes its origin to this region.

Later arrival in Tbilisi. We will spend the night in the hotel in Tbilisi.
Lunch or dinner is NOT included (breakfast only)

Day 10 Tbilisi - Tbilisi - 0

In the morning, departure to the airport for home.