Kakheti & Sighnaghi Day Tour from Tbilisi with Wine Tasting

3.67

(3 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The morning air in Tbilisi still clung to my jacket as our small group piled into the van, coffee cups in hand. Forty minutes later, we were at Badiauri village, where the smell of baking bread hit us before we even stepped inside. Watching the baker slap dough onto the hot walls of the tone oven—making shoti—was oddly hypnotic. We tried warm slices straight out of the oven, paired with salty local cheese that crumbled just right. Our guide, Nino, explained how every family here has their own twist on cheese recipes. I noticed a tiny stand outside selling homemade churchkhela; if you’ve never tried this walnut-and-grape treat, it’s worth grabbing one for the road.

Next up was Bodbe Monastery. The drive there gave us a peek at rolling hills and sleepy villages—cows sometimes wander right onto the road, so don’t be surprised if we slow down. At Bodbe, soft chanting drifted from inside as we wandered the gardens. Our guide shared stories about St. Nino and why pilgrims come here for healing water from the spring below. I dipped my hands in—it’s cold even on a sunny day—and watched locals fill bottles to take home.

Sighnaghi came into view after a quick 15-minute ride; its pastel houses and winding streets felt like something out of an old postcard. We walked along sections of Georgia’s longest city wall (the stones are rough under your palms), peeking out over the Alazani Valley where vineyards stretch for miles. There’s a quiet buzz here—kids playing near the fountain, an old man selling pomegranates by the gate. We had two hours to wander: some folks ducked into little art shops or grabbed strong Turkish coffee at Café Kabadoni.

The last stop was a family-run winery tucked among rows of grapevines about 50 minutes away. The owner poured us tastings straight from clay qvevri jars buried in the cellar floor—a method Georgians have used for centuries. Lunch was hearty: khinkali dumplings and stewed beans (not included in the tour price), but honestly worth every lari. We lingered over our glasses as sunlight filtered through vine leaves overhead before heading back to Tbilisi.