CHEESE AND WINE. GUARANTEED TOUR

CHEESE AND WINE. UNKNOWN GEORGIAN DELICACIES 6 Days / 5 Nights

Accommodation: 4 Nights in Tbilisi, 1 Night in Telavi

DAY 1: TBILISI

• Arrival in Tbilisi, meeting at the airport with a representative of VECTOR TRAVEL GEORGIA.
• Transfer to the hotel.
• Check-in, rest.
• Free evening.  (Overnight at the  hotel in Tbilisi)

DAY 2: TBILISI

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Sightseeing tour of Tbilisi. (Overnight at the Hotel in Tbilisi)

DAY 3: TBILISI - MTSKHETA - SAGURAMO - TBILISI

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Transfer for an excursion to the ancient city-museum of Mtskheta.
• Visiting the monasteries of Jvari and Svetitskhoveli, a walk and visiting wine and souvenir shops in the tourist area near the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.
• Transfer to the Guramishvilis Marani winery owned by the Kakheti Traditional Winemaking company. This enterprise keeps and continues the traditions going deep into antiquity and having a long 8000-year history. Wine tasting conducted by a professional sommelier. You will learn about the culture and traditions of winemaking and wine drinking.
• Here, Master classes will be held on cooking khinkali.
• Lunch in a beautiful restaurant on the territory of the winery.
• Return to Tbilisi. (Overnight at the Hotel in Tbilisi)

Distance: Tbilisi –Mtskheta -30km.

DAY 4: TBILISI - TELAVI

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• The Kakheti region has been considered the cradle of Georgian winemaking since ancient times. This is a very picturesque region with ancient monuments of architecture and hospitable locals.
• A visit to the cheese factory. Many people know and love Imeretian cheeses and Migrelian suluguni. However, in addition to these well-known names, about 30 different types of cheese are produced in Georgia, 14 of which are officially registered. One of the most delicious, with a unique texture, surprisingly tender and fatty - Tenili cheese. It is prepared using unique ancient technology discovered in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, and it is listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
• We will go on excursions in a real cheese factory. This is a true paradise for fans of delicate and fragrant cheese. Here we will see how the process of creating a unique cheese is going on and even will be able to participate in this sacrament. And then you can taste not only tenil, but also suluguni, gudu, smoked cheeses, dambal hacho and others. During the tasting of cheeses, we will try various dishes prepared on their basis: cottage cheese balls rolled in ground pepper, nuts and Georgian herbs, cheeses pressed with spices, cheese rolls with adjika or mint and cheese plaits.
• Then we will visit the Alaverdi monastery, which includes the cathedral of the first quarter of the XI century (St. George's Cathedral) and the monastery complex. Before the construction of Tsmind Sameba in Tbilisi, Alaverdi Cathedral was the highest church building in Georgia.
• Then we will visit the Ikalto monastery - this is actually the very first monastery in Kakheti. In the past, the Academy also had a monastery. Ikalto Monastery was founded in the VI century by Zeno of Ikaltoy, one of the 13 Assyrian fathers. Nothing remained of the buildings of that era. Existing churches were built no earlier than the VIII century.
• (Overnight at the Hotel in Telavi)

Distance: Tbilisi -Telavi 120 km.

DAY 5: KAKHETI-TBILISI

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Today we will visit monastic complex Nekresi and Gremi.
  
• Gremi – a 16th century architectural monument in Kakheti. Complex consists of the royal citadel and the Church of Archangels, and represents the only surviving part of medieval town of Gremi.
  
• Nekresi - We will climb the twisting mountain road to the picturesque monastic Nekresi complex, constructions since 4th century remained here. The monastery is founded by one of the Assyrian fathers of Abo Nekreseli. From here the great view of the Alazani valley opens.
  
• Visit and survey a new type of wine cellars and museum "kvevri"; (a kvevri monument, the museums of wine, the unique, cut kvevri (With their help we can watch process of production of wine in kvevri)). A a guest of the most popular place in Kakheti,we will have a chance to bake the Georgian bread – shot in the “tone”, and  make the Georgian sweet – Churchkhela. During a Lunch on a traditional Georgian feast we will taste the well-known wines of owners of a cellar. 
• Transfer to Tbilisi. (Overnight at the Hotel in Tbilisi)

DAY 6: TBILISI

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• 12:00 Check out.
• Transfer to Tbilisi Airport