Off-road Lesser Caucasus

Day 1: Kopitnari Airport – Tbilisi (250 km)

• after arrival pickup of vehicles Kutaisi airport, drive for lunch in the Kutaisi area.
• transfer to Tbilisi via the Rikoti Pass and check-in at the hotel.
• welcome dinner in the old town.
• optional night tour of the old town.
• overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 2: Tbilisi – Rainbow Mountains – David Gareja – Iori River – Signagi (100km off-road)

• after breakfast, drive to the southern steppe region of the country, with off-road driving training.
• drive and brief stop at the Rainbow Mountains, off-road exploration and visit to the rock monastery complex of David Gareja, founded in the 6th century near the Azerbaijan border.
• outdoor picnic with local delicacies.
• off-road journey through expansive steppes and semi-desert landscapes, short stop at the ruins of the Sabereebi and Kolagiri monasteries, crossing the Iori River.
• drive to Signagi, dinner with wine and local dishes.
• overnight stay at a local guesthouse.

Day 3: Signagi – Vashlovani National Park – Pantishara – Mijniskure (60km off-road, 6h)

• breakfast at the hotel/guesthouse.
• departure southeast to Vashlovani National Park on the border with Azerbaijan.
• eegistration at the park office in Dedoplistskaro, shopping before continuing.
• safari in Vashlovani National Park with a unique semi-desert climate and African landscape; drive through the Pantishara Canyon.
• picnic/lunch break.
• off-road through the seasonal river canyon, passing through the Usakhelo viewpoint.
• drive to the Mijniskure campsite, bonfire and dinner preparation.
• overnight stay in bungalows.

Day 4: Mijniskure – Vashlovani – Shiraki – Dedoplistskaro – Signagi (60km off-road, 6h)

• breakfast at the campsite.
• off-road through canyons, dry riverbeds, stops at viewpoints.
• drive towards the highest point in Vashlovani Park – Shavi Mta with a picnic break.
• drive through the abandoned military base and Shiraki airport.
• Georgian evening: supra – a traditional Georgian feast at a friendly host’s vineyard, combined with wine tasting, local cuisine workshops, and barbecue.
• accommodation in a guesthouse, overnight stay.

Day 5: Signagi – Dashbashi – Tsalka (220 km)

• after breakfast, head to the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, visit Dashbashi Canyon – remarkable features include the glass bridge suspended high above the canyon and other attractions on-site. (Additional fee for a bicycle ride over the canyon and a swing.)
• drive to Tsalka, a town away from tourist routes, where time stopped in the 90s, located by one of the largest lakes in Georgia.
• dinner at a local diner, overnight stay in a local motel reminiscent of Stalin’s era.

Day 6: Tsalka – Paravani – Javakheti Plateau – Vardzia – Akhaltsikhe (60km off-road)

• breakfast at the motel.
• departure towards Lake Paravani.
• drive through the vast Javakheti Plateau, visit the largest lake in Georgia, Lake Paravani, surrounded by volcanoes.
• drive to the monumental rock city of Vardzia, founded during the reign of Queen Tamar (12th-13th centuries), with a lunch break.
• stop at Khertvisi Fortress, construction of which began in the 2nd century BCE.
• drive to Akhaltsikhe, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 7: Akhaltsikhe – Abastumani – Zekari – Sairme – Kutaisi (60km off-road)

• breakfast at the hotel, shopping at the local market for picnic supplies.
• departure towards Abastumani, an old spa resort from imperial times, with an optional short dip in the thermal springs.
• off-road through Zekari Pass (2182m), picnic at the pass (in case of closure due to weather conditions, the route from Akhaltsikhe to Borjomi to Kutaisi will be taken).
• drive towards Kutaisi, check-in at the hotel.
• farewell dinner at a local winery, featuring Imeretian cuisine delicacies, local wine, and toasts.
• overnight stay.

Day 8: Transfer to the airport

• transfer to the airport and departure

*possibility of extending your stay