1. CONCORD TRAVEL LTD
Tbilisi, Georgia, Barnovi 82
Tel: (+995 32) 222 51 51
contact@concordtravel.ge
www.concordtravel.ge
Guaranteed departures 2013
Georgian Fairytale 2013 EURO 1099
Period dates duration Countries Visited Group Size Tour includes
April – October 2013 Georgia Approx. 8 - 15 Cultural sights, museums, parks,
Day 1: 16th of each month Caucasus Mountains, local food,
Day 9: 24th of each month wine, folk show, jeep drive, hiking,
9 tour days – 10 nights
Detailed Itinerary Tour Map Prices Hotels Visa Requirements Practical Information
Itinerary
Arrival day – Meeting at the airport * – transfer to Tbilisi hotel
Day 1: Tbilisi – Lagodekhi - Kvareli – Gremi – Telavi
Day 2: Telavi - Tsinandali - Signagi - Gareji – Tbilisi
Day 3: Tbilisi - Mtskheta tour
Day 4: Tbilisi - Gori - Uplistsikhe - Borjomi – Akhaltsikhe
Day 5: Akhaltsikhe – Vardzia – Kutaisi
Day 6: Kutaisi – Zugdidi – Mestia
Day 7: Mestia – Ushguli ** – Mestia
Day 8: Mestia – Enguri Dam – Batumi tour
Day 9: Batumi – Tbilisi
Departure day – transfer to Tbilisi airport *** – departure
* Airport transfer is included in the price of the package, doesn’t matter which country and at what time are you arriving
from. Driver will meet you with Concord Travel board
**jeeps are needed to drive from Mestia to Ushguli, they will be ready for you, but payment should be done on the spot
in GEL, please carry with you GEL 50, our guide will collect this money and pay to Ushguli jeep drivers.
***airport transfer is included in the price of the package, doesn’t matter which country and at what time are you
departing to.
Prices per person in DBL/TWIN room
Number of Persons Total
1 Person SNGL ROOM € 3,267
2 Persons € 1,879
3 Persons € 1,498
4 Persons € 1,268
From 5 Persons € 1,099
Supplement SNGL room € 210
Supplement HB* € 84
2. Supplement FB** € 210
Supplement 4* p/p in DBL/TWIN € 67
Supplement 4* SNGL € 167
Supplement 5* p/p in DBL/TWIN € 185
Supplement 5* SNGL € 456
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Package includes:
Transportation (Car (1-2 pax) /Minivan (3-5 pax)/ Minibus (6-14 pax) /Bus (14+ pax)) (transport is
changing on the border of each country)
10 nights Standard Hotel 3 star approx. (4 in Tbilisi, 1 in Telavi, 1 in Akhaltsikhe, 1 in Kutaisi, 2 in
Mestia, 1 in Batumi)
10 Breakfasts
4 Dinners (1 in Akhaltsikhe hotel, 1 in Kutaisi hotel, 2 in Mestia hotel)
1 dinner in Tbilisi at Georgian national restaurant with folk program on day 3
All entrance fees as per program
2 wine tastings in Kvareli (3 sorts of wine) and Tsinandali (5 sorts of wine)
English/Russian speaking guide (guide is changing on the border of each country)
Some local guides in some museums and wine cellars
1lt. of water per person per day
Package excludes:
Flights
Travel insurance
Lunches
Jeeps in Ushguli
Alcohol beverage during included meals
* Two meals per days included in the price (breakfast and lunch/dinner)
** Three meals per day included in the price (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Sample Hotels
Georgia
Tbilisi – GTM Kapan 3*, Astoria Palace 3*, Betsy 4*, Primavera 4*, Sheraton Metekhi Palace 5*
Telavi – Alazany Valley 3*, Rcheuli Marani 3*, Shato Mere 4*
Akhaltsikhe – Rio 3*
Kutaisi – Gora 3*, Lali 3*, Bagrati 1003 4*
Mestia – Villa Mestia 3*, Chubu 3*
Batumi – Era Palace 3/4*, Sheraton Batumi 5*
Comment
*While it is our intention to follow the itinerary printed, tours within Georgia may be subject to change a bit.
The infrastructure for tourism is still developing in this region.
**You’ll need some extra money to cover meals not included in the tour price, other sightseeing, souvenirs
and items of a personal nature such as laundry. Approximately EURO 30 per person per day.
***Local food is not expensive and you can choose local national restaurants and small cafes to eat,
approximate menu price for one person is from EURO 10.
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3. Tour Map
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Detailed Itinerary
Arrival day – Meeting at the airport – transfer to Tbilisi hotel – Overnight in Tbilisi hotel
Day 1: Tbilisi – Lagodekhi - Kvareli – Gremi – Telavi
Drive to Lagodekhi at 13:00 to pick up new members of your group from the border with Azerbaijan. It will
take about 30 – 40 minutes. Afterwards drive to Kvareli. We will visit wine cellar called “Gvirabi”- tunnel.
This unique wine cave represents the tunnel that is cut off in eth stone massif of Caucasian mountain range,
where yearlong natural temperature is 10-12ºC. The length of this construction is 7, 7 Km. The next spot is
Gremi Monastery the 16th century architectural monument – the royal citadel and the Church of the
Archangels – in Kakheti. Afterwards we drive to Telavi. Overnight in Telavi hotel.
Day 2: Telavi – Tsinandali – Signagi – Gareji – Tbilisi
Visit house museum of Prince Aleksandre Chavchavadze, with beautiful garden and wine cellar, where we
will taste 5 sorts of wine. Alexander Chavchavadze inherited this village, lying in the Alazany River valley,
from his father, Prince Garsevan. He refurbished the estate, constructed a new Italianate palace and built a
decorative garden in 1835. It was the place where Chavchavadze frequently entertained foreign guests with
music, wit, and – most especially – the fine vintages made at his estate winery (marani). Familiar with
European ways, Chavchavadze built Georgia’s oldest and largest winery where he combined European and
centuries-long Georgian winemaking traditions. The highly regarded dry white Tsinandali is still produced
there. Afterwards drive to Signagi. On the way visit Bodbe monastery of St. Nino. According to Georgian
tradition, St. Nino, having witnessed the conversion of Georgians to the Christian faith. Have Signagi city tour
and lunch time and drive to David Gareji.1 David Gareji is one of the most important landmarks of Georgia.
This site is characterized by a unique combination of historic architecture, prehistoric archaeological sites,
rich paleontological fields and important bio-geographical features widely spread within the arid and
semiarid landscape of the river Iori plateau. The dozens of cave monasteries decorated with unique frescoes
are the best examples of harmonious interaction of man-made structures with the dramatic landscape. They
bear the traditional principles of sustainable living and are considered as the masterpieces of Georgian
Medieval art. In the evening drive back to Tbilisi. Overnight in Tbilisi hotel.
Day 3: Tbilisi – Mtskheta tour
Drive to Mtskheta (UNESCO Heritage Site), an ancient capital of the Georgian Kingdom from the 3rd
century BC to the 5th century AD. Jvari Monastery (6th c.); Svetitskhoveli Cathedral built in the 11th
4. century. Drive back to Tbilisi. We will visit the Old Tbilisi Sulfur Baths, Georgian Orthodox and Armenian
Gregorian churches, and a Jewish synagogue and a Turkish mosque side by side, reflecting Tbilisi's
acceptance and tolerance of different religions. We can also see a recent monument, the Tbilisi Sameba
Cathedral, the largest cathedral in the Caucasus. Tour includes following sights: Metekhi Church is erected
on the cliff, overlooking the Mtkvari River. The colorful Darejani Palace is also situated on the cliff, like the
nest of a swallow. The Sulfur Baths are located in Old Tbilisi, on the other side of the river, opposite Darejani
Palace. The Orthodox Narikala St. Nikolas Church is in the same district. The church is furnished with
frescoed portraits of martyrs and scenes from the Bible. It is wrapped in a defensive Narikala fortress,
established in the fourth century. At Leselidze Street, we come across the 13th century Armenian St. George
Church and a Jewish synagogue with an elegant facade. On the opposite side of the street is Sioni Church,
leading to the bank of the Mtkvari. Here you discover Shardeni Street with its fashionable cozy cafes and art
galleries. Walking we will come across the Anchiskhati church, the oldest church in Tbilisi keeping the
miraculous icon of Jesus Christ. Finally the tour takes you to Rustaveli Avenue, where attractions such as
the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Parliament, Rustaveli Theatre, different art galleries and cafes
will draw your attention and provide a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Visit national museum to see wonderful
Golden treasury and drive to Open Air Ethnographic Museum, place, where are built all kinds of Georgian
national old country-houses and castles. At 20:00 welcome dinner in Tbilisi at national restaurant with folk
program. Overnight in Tbilisi hotel.
Day 4: Tbilisi – Gori – Uplistsikhe – Borjomi – Akhaltsikhe
After breakfast drive to Gori. The city was founded by one of the greatest kings of Georgia, David the Builder
(1089–1125). Visit The Joseph Stalin Museum in Gori. Afterwards visit Uplistsikhe, "the lord's fortress",
which is an ancient rock-hewn town in eastern Georgia. Built on a high rocky left bank of Mtkvari River, it
contains various structures dating from the 2nd ML BC to the Late Middle Ages, and is notable for the unique
combination of various styles of rock-cut cultures. Afterwards drive to Borjomi. Have a stop to taste the
Borjomi natural mineral water. Drive to Akhaltsikhe. Visit Rabati. A wander around Akhaltsikhe’s Rabati (old
town), with its multicultural architecture, is well worthwhile. This district is on a hill on the north side of the
Potskhovi, just west of the bridge. Rare examples of darbazebi (traditional Georgian houses) cluster around
the castle, which was built in the 12th century and houses a mosque from 1752 and the ruins of a medrese
(Islamic school). The Rabati also has a synagogue, an Armenian church and a Catholic church. Overnight in
Akhaltsikhe hotel.
Day 5: Akhaltsikhe – Vardzia – Kutaisi
After breakfast drive to Vardzia. Vardzia, a rock-hewn complex on the left bank of the river Mtkvari was
founded in the 12th -13th c.c., during the reign of Giorgi III and Queen Tamar. Initially planned as a town-
fortress, the complex became a well-fortified monastery, which had a significant role in political, cultural,
educational and spiritual life of the country. In the middle of the complex there is a Church of Assumption,
richly decorated with mural painting. Afterwards drive to Kutaisi. In Kutaisi we will visit Bagrati Temple and
Gelati Monastery (12th c. UNESCO heritage) and of course the new building of Parliament. Kutaisi was the
capital of the ancient Kingdom of Colchis. Archeological evidence indicates that the city functioned as the
capital of the kingdom of Colchis as early as the second millennium BC. It is widely believed by historians that
when Apollonius Rhodius was writing about Jason and the Argonauts and their legendary journey to Colchis,
Kutaisi/Aia was the final destination of the Argonauts and the residence of King Aeëtes. From 978 to 1122 CE
Kutaisi was the capital of the united Kingdom of Georgia, and from the 15th century until 1810 it was the
capital of the Imeretian Kingdom. From the end of 2012 Kutaisi became the Parliament City of Georgia. The
new building of Parliament is designed by the Spanish architecture Alberto Domingo Kabo. Overnight in
Kutaisi hotel.
Day 6: Kutaisi – Zugdidi – Mestia
After breakfast drive to Zugdidi. Visit Dadiani Palace. The representatives of Dadiani Dynasty were
acquainted with world history, culture latest technical achievements. They were tightly involved in the social
events. The Palace keeps 41 000 museum objects. Most of them are unique and invaluable examples of
Georgian and foreign art. It's time to get ready for the most exciting part of the trip - a journey to Svaneti, the
region of the highest mountains and glaciers and the most abiding ancient traditions. Take some snacks for
the long road, we will not stop for lunch before arrival to Mestia, but here the great surprise is awaiting us,
we will visit small family trout farm and taste for the lunch real Georgian trout, which our host will prepare
for us on fire. Overnight in Mestia hotel.
5. Day 7: Mestia – Ushguli – Mestia
After breakfast drive to Ushguli by Jeeps. Visit Laghami Saint George's church (7th-12th c.c.) and Svan
dwelling complex. Visits to the church of St. George in Nakipari (1130 AD) and Ethnographic Museums in
Ushguli. Ushguli is considered to be the highest populated place in Europe (2200 m above sea level).
Overnight in Mestia hotel.
Day 8: Mestia – Enguri Dam – Batumi tour
After breakfast visit Latali and Lenjeri single-nave basilicas of the 8th-9th-14th c.c., built by stones without
ornamentation, with the interior richly decorated with murals. Afterwards drive to Batumi the most
beautiful city of Georgia. En route we visit Enguri Dam with the height of 271 meters (the highest dam of this
type in the world). The Dam makes a water-storage reservoir in the picturesque gorges of Samegrelo and
Svaneti mountains. Have a free time in Batumi to take a walk across the beach in a famous Batumi boulevard.
Overnight in Batumi hotel.
Day 9: Batumi – Tbilisi
Have free morning in Batumi. 12:00 check out from the hotel and drive to Batumi Botanical Garden.
Afterwards drive back to Tbilisi. Overnight in Tbilisi hotel.
Departure day – transfer to Tbilisi airport – departure
1 it is desert place, so please avoid wearing sandals and shorts this day. Trousers and sport shoes are ideal.
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Visa Requirements
Georgia:
Please check here http://concordtravel.ge/portal/alias__concordtravel/lang__en/tabid__3868/default.aspx
Practical Information
Foreign Exchange
Up-to-date information on exchange rates can be obtained here: http://currency.boom.ge/?lng=en
Local Currency: Lari.
Recommended Currency for Exchange: USD or EURO.
Where to Exchange: Most major towns - your guide will advise you on arrival.
ATM Availability: Only in major towns.
Credit Card Acceptance: Only in major towns.
Travellers Cheques: Travellers cheques are difficult to change.
Climate
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Avg. Temperature 6 5 8 15 18 21 24 24 20 17 12 8
Avg. Max Temperature 10 8 12 19 22 26 28 29 25 21 16 12
Avg. Min Temperature 3 2 4 10 13 16 20 20 16 13 8 6
Avg. Rain Days 4 5 3 3 4 3 5 4 3 4 2 5
Avg. Snow Days 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vaccinations & Protection
Nothing compulsory
Electric Supply & Plugs
For comprehensive information regarding voltages and plug types in use in the countries visited see the link
http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm
6. Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory for all our customers. You should ensure that your policy covers you for
medical expenses and repatriation.
Packing for your Trip
Unfortunately it does occasionally happen that luggage does not always reach its destination on the same
flight as its owner, or possibly it may be damaged in transit. If you are unlucky enough for this to occur, it is
important that you file a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) with the airline before leaving the airport. This is
essential when you come to make a claim either against the airline or from your travel insurance company
Luggage
Remember you are expected to carry your own luggage so don't overload yourself.
One main piece of baggage and daypack. Total allowance: 20kgs.
Clothing
Pack essentially for ‘Hot Conditions’. Weather is changeable in the north and mountains; it can be cool
especially at night, bring a warmer jacket. Raingear is essential at all times. In remote parts of Caucasus you
should avoid shorts and vest tops; long trousers or skirts are ideal. A headscarf is essential for visiting
churches and mosques.
Footwear
Comfortable shoes for visiting sites and hilly towns; sandals; lightweight walking/trail boots for optional day
walks.
Equipment
Swimsuit, Sunhat, Sun Cream and Sunglasses.
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