Road trip · 8 days
Georgia Road Trip: Tbilisi, Kazbegi and the Wine Country in 8 Days
Georgia rewards the driver who accepts two things: the roads are slower than the map suggests, and the detours are the point. Eight days covers the capital, the Military Highway and Kakheti without touching Svaneti — which deserves its own trip.
Day by day
| Day | Route | km | What to see |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tbilisi | 0 | Old town, the sulphur baths and the first supra. Collect the car on day two — you do not need it in the city. |
| 2 | Tbilisi → Mtskheta → Gori → Uplistsikhe | 180 | The old capital's cathedral, Stalin's hometown and a cave city carved into a cliff. Back to Tbilisi or sleep in Gori. |
| 3 | Tbilisi → Ananuri → Gudauri → Kazbegi | 155 | The Military Highway: the fortress at Ananuri, the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument at Gudauri, then Stepantsminda under Mount Kazbek. |
| 4 | Kazbegi: Gergeti Trinity and the Truso valley | 60 | The church on the hill is reachable by paved road now; Truso valley is a 4x4 track to mineral springs and an abandoned village. |
| 5 | Kazbegi → Tbilisi → Sighnaghi | 270 | Back down the highway and east into Kakheti; Sighnaghi's walls and the view over the Alazani valley to the Caucasus. |
| 6 | Kakheti wine villages | 120 | Kvareli, Telavi, and family wineries with qvevri buried in the floor. Somebody must not drink; make it the driver. |
| 7 | Kakheti → David Gareja → Tbilisi | 220 | The cave monastery on the Azerbaijan border across a semi-desert — the strangest landscape in the country. |
| 8 | Tbilisi | 0 | Drop the car early; the Dry Bridge market and a last khachapuri. |
Book the car before the flights sell out the fleet
Summer availability on automatics and SUVs runs out weeks ahead.
Before you go
- Left-hand drive only. Refuse a right-hand-drive import; the Military Highway is no place to overtake blind.
- Speed cameras are everywhere and fines follow the plate; the rental company adds a handling fee.
- Check the Military Highway status the night before — it closes for snow and for the lorry queue at the Russian border.
- Local companies through Localrent deliver to your hotel and take smaller deposits; for this loop a compact is enough, for Svaneti it is not.
Common questions
How many days does this route need?
8 days as written, covering about 1100 km. Add a day for every island or mountain detour you cannot resist.
Where should I rent the car?
Collect in Tbilisi — see our Tbilisi car rental guide for prices, deposits and the desks worth using.
Can a rental car cross the borders on this route?
Armenia is possible with paperwork and a fee from some companies; Azerbaijan and Russia are not. The occupied regions are off-limits entirely.
When is the best time to drive it?
May–June and September–early October: warm, dry, and without the July–August traffic and border queues. Winter closes the high passes.
Rules of the road in Georgia
| Drives on the | RIGHT |
|---|---|
| Speed limits (town / open road / expressway / motorway) | 60 / 90 / 110 km/h |
| Tolls | None. |
| Vignette | None. |
| Winter rules | No legal date; the Military Highway and the road to Mestia close for snow several times each winter. Rent a 4x4 from November to April. |
| Taking the car across borders | Armenia is possible with paperwork and a fee from some companies; Azerbaijan and Russia are not. The occupied regions are off-limits entirely. |
| Local quirks | Georgia drives on the right, but many cars are right-hand-drive Japanese imports — insist on a left-hand-drive car. Speed cameras are everywhere and fines follow the plate. Local companies via Localrent are cheaper and more flexible than the international desks. |
| Currency | Georgian lari (GEL) |