Georgia Photography. Tour Culture and Easter Celebrations

Itinerary

Day 1: Tbilisi / Introduction City tour (B/L/D)

Stop At: Old Town (Altstadt) Tbilisi, Tbilisi Georgia
Transfer to the hotel to enjoy some rest. Meet each other for the introduction tour of Tbilisi. Explore historic parts of the town. Enjoy the walk in the narrow streets of Tbilisi to explore the local architecture and its people.
The tour will include visits to well-known historic parts of the town to get familiar with the city and its character.
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Lunch: Lunch and dinner will be served at the town’s charming restaurant where you will enjoy delightful Georgian cuisine.
• Dinner: Lunch and dinner will be served at the town’s charming restaurant where you will enjoy delightful Georgian cuisine.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Tbilisi at Rooms Hotel www.roomshotels.com

Day 2: Tbilisi / hidden corners of the old city and Soviet architecture (B/L/D)

Stop At: Bank of Georgia Headquarters, 29a Iuri Gagarini St, T'bilisi, Georgia
Enjoy the walking tour of the town, explore the hidden parts of the 19th century Tbilisi with its long balconies, hidden yards, faded paintings in the entrance hall and gilded stair railings. After lunch, explore the Soviet blocks of the city rich in Brutalist architecture built throughout the Soviet period where the majority of the population of the city lives.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Lunch: Lunch and dinner will be served at the town’s charming restaurant where you will enjoy delightful Georgian cuisine.
• Dinner: Lunch and dinner will be served at the town’s charming restaurant where you will enjoy delightful Georgian cuisine.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Tbilisi at Rooms Hotel www.roomshotels.com

Day 3: Tbilisi / Travel to the west via highlands of Imereti region / Overnight in Tskaltubo (B/L/D)

Stop At: Cableways Chiatura, Chiatura 5500 Georgia
After breakfast, drive towards West Georgia. After a few hours drive, we will arrive to Chiatura, a town located in a beautiful valley. Due to the rich manganese resources, the town has been heavily industrialized by the Soviets. Up to present there are massive buildings of Brutalism architecture that we will be able to explore during the visit. Enjoy lunch en route.
Duration: 5 hours

Stop At: Katskhi Pillar, Katskhi Georgia
Visit Katskhi Pillar en-route.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Tskaltubo Tourist Information, Rustaveli Street, Georgia
Continue trip towards Tskaltubo, a famous Spa town build in 1930’s. The area is famous with its mineral waters and was a popular destination for vacations for Soviet-Union citizens. Nowadays, the town has been partly renovated, though there are still numerous abandoned sanatoriums, buildings of former sanatoriums built in 1940’s – 1970’s. Of course, we will explore them.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Road to Gelati Monastery, Kutaisi 4600 Georgia
An optional visit at night to Gelati Monastery to attend the celebration and liturgy of Christ’s Resurrection.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight and dinner at Tskaltubo Spa Resort. http://sanatoriumi.ge.

Day 4: Tskaltubo to Guria to photograph Lelo Game / Overnight in Batumi (B/L/D)

Stop At: Lanchkhuti Community Centre, Tbilisi St, ლანჩხუთი, Georgia
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Guria province to attend to a Lelo game. a traditional Georgian game held every Easter in a small village Shukhuti. The number of players in each team is not set, neither is there a fixed time limit, the game has no specific rules except a simple one – the game ends only after one team successfully pushes its way through opponents and brings the heavy leather ball, tightly stuffed with sand, on the outer edge of its opponent’s field. The game is rather brutal „no rules street rugby“, but fascinating. It is about traditions and respect. Once the game is ended, the ball is placed to the grave of the recently deceased as a sign of respect. The game usually ends with a feast and numerous toasts.
After the game, continue trip towards Batumi. Check in the hotel and enjoy some rest. Dinner at the local restaurant in Batumi.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Le Pot Hotel www.leport.ge

Day 5: Batumi Street Photography (B/L/D)

Stop At: Batumi Boulevard, 2, Ninoshvili Str 1, K. Gamsakhurdia Str, Batumi 6010 Georgia
Breakfast. Visit the local cemetery the day when families visit the graves of those who have gone, leaving the red Easter eggs and “Paska” cake behind.
Explore old streets of Batumi, the 19th century part of the city with the charming buildings and narrow streets. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant + we might try to have a Adjarian Khachapuri (cheese boat) cooking demonstration and of course savor. Enjoy the nice walk at the Botanical Gardens of Batumi from where we will enjoy panoramic views of the seaside. Free time before dinner which will be served at a local restaurant in old Batumi.
Duration: 8 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Le Port Hotel www.leport.ge

Day 6: Travel to Machakhela region and enjoy the photography of the rural life in highlands of Adjara (B/L/D)

Stop At: Batumi Boulevard, 2, Ninoshvili Str 1, K. Gamsakhurdia Str, Batumi 6010 Georgia
Breakfast. Photograph life in the Batumi market, one of the largest and colorful in Georgia. On two floors, locals sell fruits, vegetables, spices, varieties of nuts, herbs, cheese, meat etc… wander among the aisles.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Machakhela National Park Administration, Vilage Acharisaghmarti სოფელი აჭარისაღმართი, ხელვაჩაური, Georgia
Today we will explore the highlands of Adjara region.Visit Machakhela national park and explore the beautiful nature, also meet the local people, explore their lifestyle, enjoy local food and spend the day in rural countryside. We will visit a bee farm and see how the honey-gathering process happens. Lunch will be served in a local family house where you will get a chance to see how Adjarian cuisine is cooked and participate! Today we will also visit one of the crafts studios: either we can watch how the master creates metal products for the villagers / or we will see how the craftsman weaves baskets / or how a lady sews traditional ornaments. Have a traditional family dinner with local wines in Machakhela and we will meet the local ensemble. In the evening a homestay in the rustic local family guesthouses in Machakhela or nearby.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Homestay in the rustic local family guesthouses in Machakhela or nearby

Day 7: Batumi to Vardzia via Goderdzi Pass / 4X4 drive / (B/L/D)

Stop At: Vardzia, Erusheti Mountain, Aspindza 383770 Georgia
4X4 drive in the breathtaking scenery of Adjarian Highlands, lunch en-route in a local family. Great scenes for village and landscape photography, as we ascend to the Goderdzi alpine meadows, passing wooden houses of Khulo and Adigeni, Muslim minarets, bee farms and valleys. Lunch and dinner en-route; (about 5 hours total drive).
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a hotel in Abastumani near the local astrophysical observatory from Soviet times

Day 8: Abastumani - Vardzia (B/L/D)

Stop At: Vardzia Cave, aspindza tabidze str 4, Aspindza, Georgia
Today we will visit the Rabat Castle. We will meet Giorgi Natenadze for lunch and local wines as well get introduced to local endemic grape varieties. We will explore Varzia Cave Complex.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Meskhetian traditional dinner at Vardzia Resort; www.vardziaresort.com

Day 9: Vardzia – Nichgori – Saro - Tsalka road – Tbilisi (B/L/D)

Stop At: Paravani Lake, Ninotsminda Georgia
Today we will explore Meskhetian traditional architectural constructions “darbazi”, visit villages Nichgori and/or Saro, Vanis Kvabebi complex and/or Charchkari. Traditional Meskhetian lunch en route. Late farewell dinner and drinks.
Then we will drive to Poka Monastery to meet the local nuns, taste their handmade cheese, jams, chocolate and tea, as well as visit their studio. Later we will stop at the largest Georgian volcanic lake Paravani, before heading back to Tbilisi via the scenic Tsalka road (off the highway).
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in Tbilisi at Iota hotel. www.iotahotels.com

Day 10: Departure

Stop At: Tbilisi International Airport, Tbilisi, Georgia
Depart to the airport 3 hours before the flight departure.
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.