Mtskheta-Ancient capital
2 UNESCO sites in 4 hours- Ancient capital of Georgia
Brief description
There is not enough space in this paragraph to describe how unforgettable this 4 hours excursion is.
We will visit 2 UNESCO sites near Tbilisi and have fun. Everything about this tour is a hit.
We take you to places older than most of the sites you will see in most other countries in Europe.
6th Century Monastery,11th Century Church, and the ancient capital of Georgia.
You feel the Georgian history and culture in the beautiful countryside.
The views from all the visited places are breathtaking.
This short excursion is an excellent opportunity to meet other travelers at the beginning of your holiday.
During these four hours, you also will meet the company’s fantastic,
knowledgeable, super-cool tour guides.
All team members of our company are highly informative but also hilarious and fun.
We try to tell you many exciting stories about the places and in general.
Inclusions:
Guide service
Transportation service
Exclusions:
Hotel pick-up and drop-off.
(Service Included if you are a group of 4 or more or live at our partner hotels)
Tips:
-Take scarves with you to visit the monastery.
-Take cash with you if you buy local souvenirs or local foods.
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Detailed Itinerary
Regarding your reservation time, we’ll meet you near Radisson Blu Iveria at 09:30 am or 1:30 pm.
Our company meeting point is located at Rose revolution square.
You will see the Big Bicycle monument and our tour leaders wearing a red scarf.
If you are coming by subway, the Shota Rustaveli metro is a 50-meter distance from the meeting point.
Because this is the central area, you have an extensive choice of hotels within walking distance.
If you prefer to take a hotel far from Tbilisi city center,
you can always use the Taxi app and come by car.
Taxi is exceptionally cheap in Georgia.
If you are a group of more than four people or you live at our partner hotel,
we will pick you up 15 minutes before the meeting time and take you to the meeting point.
-Enjoy the view from Jvari monastery.
After 30 minutes drive from Tbilisi, we will arrive at Jvari Monastery.
Sometimes there is traffic in the city, and diving takes more time.
The name of this monastery is translated as the “Monastery of the Cross.”
Jvari Monastery is a sixth-century Georgian Orthodox monastery near Mtskheta.
Along with other historic structures of Mtskheta, UNESCO lists it as a World Heritage site.
Jvari Monastery stands on the rocky mountaintop at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers,
overlooking the town of Mtskheta, formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Iberia.
-Visit the ancient capital of Georgia.
After a 20-minute drive from Jvari monastery, we will arrive at Svetitskhoveli in Mtskheta.
Mtskheta is one of the oldest cities in Georgia, founded by the ancient Meschian tribes in the 5th century.
Due to its historical significance and several cultural monuments,
it is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
It was the capital of the early Georgian Kingdom of Iberia from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD.
However, Mtskheta continued to serve as the coronation and burial place for most Georgia kings
until the kingdom’s end in the 19th century.
The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (literally the Cathedral of the Living Pillar) is currently the second-largest
church building in Georgia after the Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Known as the burial site of Christ’s mantle, Svetitskhoveli has long been one of the principal Georgian
Orthodox churches and is among the region’s most venerated places of worship.
After visiting the church, we have around 1-hour of free time in Mtskheta, which you can use for shopping,
wine tasting, boat trips, or other activities.
Regarding your tour start times, we will return to Tbilisi at 2 or 6 pm.
Abhinav K
I’m actually at loss of words to describe the experience. You guys are super ! Thank you.
2021-12-13 at 10:33
Yitse Winkelmans
Tradition, culture and mindblowing views
Great combination between history, culture and nice views. Really enjoyed the dinner with a local family, where we were surprised with a dance performance by 4 young guys in traditional clothes. Our guide as well has a great knowledge about history and constantely used humour to make it pleasant.
2022-05-29 at 10:56
Musa
As someone who likes to learn about history I had a wonderful time and would recommend this trip to mu friends as well.
The best part of the experience was Jvari monastery, the tour was amazing and learned a lot from the guide.
2022-05-29 at 10:57
Celeste May V
Tour
I love the whole experience. It was so amazing and cheap. Our tour guide Tanuma rocks! We had a very welcoming native family where we were surprised with dances and yes we were taught how Georgian dance. Thank you! Surely I will choose them! 😉
2022-05-30 at 06:57
Ziyad A
Great day with my daughter
I am so glad that my daughter and I went with this touring company. We could not have asked for a better tour company. Our guides and driver get five stars, and I can not thank them enough for the extra things they did for me. I recommend this company and this tour to anyone who wants to experience Georgia’s country, the people who are so friendly and welcoming, the culture, and the beauty.
2022-05-31 at 20:50
ana
Amazing trip
I moved to Tbilisi one year ago, and I have tried to do many different excursions. This 4 hours tour was one of the best trips I ever had! A fantastic experience and, most importantly, with an amazing company! Our guide Soso made this trip even more fun. He made sure every one of us had fun and made us socialize, dance, and laugh while taking the best pictures! I have booked four more excursions with the same company, and all were well done. I am thrilled to explore this company. Thanks to Soso, Luka, Lasha, and Sofia.
2022-05-31 at 20:50
Omar
Unforgettable trip
I had unforgettable trip with some friends and with the guide of Luka. Our guide Luka has an extensive knowledge about the history of Georgia which he gladly shared with us. As a history lover, I added a lot of historical information and details about Georgia, starting from the 4th century until now. We have visited a local family’s house which was built 2 decades ago, and we had lunch there, and we all loved thdi food .
2022-06-02 at 17:51
Mateakz
Amazing tour with Luka!
We had amazing tour guide called Luka with whom we got unforgettable experience during our day trip. Everything was well planned, we saw many interesting spots, had a lunch with a local famiy, got pick-up from the hotel. We loved so much that 2 days after we went on tour again with the same agency. Definetly to recommend.
2022-06-02 at 17:53
Paula B
Great day tour from Tbilisi!
We had a great day with our guide Luka! All of the sites are really interesting and beautiful, and he was always kind and helpful. Our driver was also great, and lunch was delicious. Overall, we have nothing but good things to say about this tour and we would highly recommend it to anyone! It was also very good value for money.
2022-06-02 at 17:54
Max S
Can’t miss this tour
We were the only two guests that day and Luca(the tourguide) gave us a private tour.
Very friendly and explained really a lot. Answered all our questions and we visited some magnificent places. During lunch we ate at local family, we truly felt the Georgian hospitality and also very good food.
Loved the trip,
I would surely recommend it and also the other tours of the company.
2022-06-10 at 19:00
Cuqs
Perfect tour with a perfect guide
My wife and I went on this tour on New Year’s Eve and what a way to end the year. It was easily one of the best tours we’ve ever been on. The guide was super sweet and always ready to answer any questions we had. We followed the itinerary perfectly, the sights and history were amazing, and our guide did her best to make sure we were always enjoying the tour and always felt comfortable. We can’t leave a good enough review for this tour, everything was perfect!
2022-06-10 at 19:03
Nicolas de Guzman
Jvari Monastery-Mtskheta Tour
This is so amazing tour. You will feel blessed so much because of the two monasteries we visited. The tourist guide Annie shared and explained well all the informations about the places we visited. As christian couple, we felt so blessed visiting this places where they preserved the the original image and materials used in building the said monasteries. I am humbly recommend to all my friends who are planning to visit Georgia for tour, please use Budget Friendly Tour in Travel Advisor. You will not regret their package which the name itself, it is Budget Friendly Tour.!!!
2022-06-10 at 19:06
KLS
Great trip!!
Katrina & Guga were our tour guides – they were both very friendly & informative. It was a great trip! Lots to see & learn and they both had interesting stories to share. Highly recommend!!
2022-06-15 at 19:04
Anton L
Excellent organisation, valuable trip!
I took this because my time in Georgia was limited and I wanted to see something of the country outside of Tbilisi. It’s a very nice tour with great highlights. Guide Keti entertained us very well during the ride, time really flew. Very neat organisation also.
Would definitely recommend!
2022-06-15 at 19:05
MijaDrop
Great trip to learn a lot about Georgia and taste georgian food
This was our frist trip in Georgia and we’re glad we took it. It was a great way to start to learn about the georgian history, because you visit a lot of places, specially Mtskheta, which are of a great improtance for the history of Georgia. Budget friendly tours was a great choice, they picked us up at the hotel, everything was on time, and the program was great. The lunch place we visited was such a joy, would like to visit it again. Everything was easygoing, we had time for everything, but also saw lot of places. Would like to recommend everyone who wants to learn more about Georgia, see important places and taste real georgian food. The trip was a blast. Thx again for the great time we had.
2022-06-15 at 19:25
Megan
The Best of Georgia
So happy i booked this trip. Magnificent sceneries, perfect weather plus authentic Georgian lunch. Loved this tour! And of excellent guide.
2022-06-15 at 19:27
Ritienne B
Enjoyable trip
We really enjoyed our tour with Budget friendly tours. It is a small tour (8 persons)and well planned. Given that this company keeps tours to small groups is an added plus as it makes the tour more manageable. The lunch at the family run place is also highly appreciated: tasty fresh food and wine and interesting chats with local people. Kitty our guide was well prepared and very knowledgeable on the places we visited. It was a pleasant trip. We highly recommend this tour.
2022-06-15 at 19:31
Tony A
Fantastic and enlightening!
An absolutely wonderful experience, allowing us to travel out of Tbilisi and see some stunning sights! Our guide was tremendously knowledgeable and we found out so much about the sites we were visiting through him!
2022-06-15 at 19:41
Mrudang Mehta
Fantastic tour, well guided by Luka
Thanks Luka for fantastic tour. Luka took us around. The car was good, heated and clean. He not only explained the history of Georgia and each place, but also was kind enough to take photos.
We had a nice Georgian lunch with a local family.
The day went very good. Me and my family are really happy and satisfied.
2022-06-16 at 15:32
ANB
Best City ever
The Tour is awesome, very organized, comfortable bus the weather was so good and our amazing guide Tiko. Highly recommended
2022-06-16 at 15:32
Low M
A long but interestingly trip
With friendly and helpful guide, Meri, the trip is interesting and informative. The monastery and cathedral are interesting, Meri took us to a comfy and home-like restaurant for lunch where we are able to taste Georgian food. I especially like the taste of Georgian bread. The end of the trip, Meri even goes the extra mile to show me how to take the metro to the hotel. Thanks Meri. We have lots of interest to share.
2022-06-16 at 15:36
Mina R
Highly recommended
On the third day in Georgia we had a relatively short tour to the old capital of Georgia, A monastery on the top of a mountain overlooking the capital, Luka our guide on that day was very informative, passionate and of course friendly like all of our previous guides. I would like also to thank the great team at the office who was always in contact with us. During the day they asked us twice to rate the tour to know if there is anything bothering us to fix. Everything was really well organized.
Highly recommended tour agency 👌
2022-06-19 at 10:05
rouf m
Best tour
Definitely the must should book tour in Georgia if you like history & Beautiful scenery and make sure to request Luka as your tour guide. He is very educated, lovely and takes wonderful pictures 😊 We will visit this company again
2022-06-19 at 10:34
fady
Perfect tour
Our family did this private tour with our guide Luka. His English and the knowledge about the history of Georgia is perfect.. Our visit to the Monasteries it was unforgettable. On the way back we had lunch with a local family. The food and atmosphere was awesome.
2022-06-19 at 10:37
irakl d
A MUST DO TOUR!!!
I dont usually write reviews after the tours i join but this one was exceptional. first of after you book this tour on their website they contacted us in few minutes to make sure that we have their whatsapp number and to ask if we have any questions regarding the tour. then on the day of the tour our guide george picked us up at 9 am sharp when he started by introducing himself and our driver for that day guga.
we had local family lunch, where we were served one of the most delicious meals we had in georgia.
The last stop that day was at the monastery that overlooks the old capital where we had some of the most amazing pics.
to summarize the tour is a must do tour specially if you book with this company and you will be lucky if george will be your guide 😉
good luck everyone.
2022-06-19 at 10:42
tutzirol
A very nice and memorable trip!
The trip was excellent and our guides Luka was very informative! he was also excellent photographer! 😎 he was very nice and kind to us. We had opportunity to taste Georgian national food, luka helped us to find the best place to rest and experience with Georgian cuisine which was fantastic. The driver too drove us very safely through the entire journey. Highly recommended!
2022-06-22 at 15:22
eda
Very Enjoyable tour
We had a lovely tour, spent a very lovely day. Places we had visited were very interesting. we had time to taste a Georgian food also and it was lovely. Overall we enjoyed so much. Thanks to our Tour guide Luka and driver Gela for their hospitality.
2022-06-22 at 15:29
ndquiz
Absolute Must Do!
The “2 UNESCO sites in 4 hours” tour is a must-do tour! My sister and I booked the tour last minute after another plan had fallen through. We were the only two that had booked for the day, so Soso and Anna picked us up personally at our accommodation. Lots of one-on-one attention, conversation, and laughs that made the trip extra special.
The drive to Mtskheta was beautiful and the town is very picturesque, making for great photo opportunities. We walked through the town and were able to sample churchkhela and local spices, along with trying our hand at dipping the churchkhela. We met Maya, a local tour guide, at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral for the tour. The cathedral is beautiful and the history is intriguing. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable on the story of the cathedral and the relics it contains and was able to answer any question we had.
We departed Mtskheta headed for Jvari Monastery. It is located on the top of a hill overlooking two rivers. It was a beautiful place to explore and take pictures of the gorgeous Georgian landscape.
I highly recommend this tour and Budget Friendly Tours. You’re guaranteed to have a great time and feel like you’re traveling with friends instead of tour guides.
2022-06-23 at 17:27
Anton L
Excellent organisation, valuable trip!
I took this because my time in Georgia was limited and I wanted to see something of the country outside of Tbilisi. It’s a very nice tour with great highlights. Guide Keti entertained us very well during the ride, time really flew. Very neat organisation also.
2022-06-23 at 17:28
MijaDrop
Great trip to learn a lot about Georgia and taste georgian food
This was our frist trip in Georgia and we’re glad we took it. It was a great way to start to learn about the georgian history, because you visit historical places, specially Mtskheta, which are of a great importance for the history of Georgia. Budget friendly tours was a great choice, they picked us up at the hotel, everything was on time, and the program was great. Everything was easygoing, we had time for everything. Would like to recommend everyone who wants to learn more about Georgia. The trip was a blast. Thx again for the great time we had.
2022-06-23 at 17:31
Megan
The Best of Georgia
So happy i booked this trip. Magnificent sceneries, perfect weather plus authentic Georgian history. Loved this tour! And of excellent guide.
2022-06-23 at 17:33
Ritienne B
Enjoyable trip
We really enjoyed our tour with Budget friendly tours. It is a small tour (8 persons)and well planned. Given that this company keeps tours to small groups is an added plus as it makes the tour more manageable. Kitty our guide was well prepared and very knowledgeable on the places we visited. we had some time at Mtskheta for souvenir shopping and short stroll around this small town. It was a pleasant trip. We highly recommend this tour.
2022-06-23 at 17:37
Kenan
A must do trip in Tiblisi
The trip was amazing. I was picked up from my hotel stay and from there we went into 2 iconic churches in Tiblisi. The vibe was great and energetic and the views out of the churches was fantastic. I really loved the market area around it was such a great experience to tour there where I found some interesting spices that I’m happy I ran into.
Overall I really enjoyed the trip and I would recommend 100%
2022-07-01 at 10:28
Paulose A
Amazing
Trip was totally amazing ,gained knowledge on Georgian heritage and culture ,visited couple of historical monasteries,the guide and their services was of top quality.I really enjoyed the whole trip.
2022-07-11 at 08:50
DR.NAGENDER C
Memorable day tour
Lasha is an awesome guide and a wonderful human being…the tour was super awesome… he made sure our tour was comfortable and enjoyable…
Even maya was very knowledgeable and very sweet…
I highly recommend these guys…
2022-07-11 at 08:51
Paulose A
Amazing
Trip was totally amazing , gained knowledge on Georgian heritage and culture ,visited couple of historical monasteries,the guide and their services was of top quality.I really enjoyed the whole trip.
2022-07-17 at 07:22
Jean F
Exploring Mstkheta and Jvari
If you are looking to explore Mstkheta and Jvari areas, this tour is a must. The guide tour Lasha was amazing and Maya met us in Mstkheta to give us more information about the Svetitskhoveli cathedral as well as Jvari monastery.
2022-07-17 at 07:24
Alberto P
Interesting, beautiful and with amazing guide
The experience was great. Abel, the driver, and Marina the guide, are so friendly and professionals.
Marina is very well informed about everything and explains it perfectly.
The best guide in Tbilisi.
Super recommended
2022-07-17 at 07:25
Jessie R
Short and sweet!
Although it was only a few hours, this was one of the best tours I’ve been on! It was the perfect amount of time to visit two amazing locations. We had a tour of the church in Mtskheta with a very knowledgeable guide then went to the Jvari monastery, where we were treated with gorgeous views of the town, river and surrounding hills. I would definitely recommend this tour to everyone!
2022-07-20 at 09:55
Vyomika B
Mtshketa and Jvari Monastery
Amazing experience with our tour guide Luka. He super welcoming and friendly. He was very thorough and possesses a lot of knowledge of the places we visited today, and Georgia in general. We visited Mtshketa and Jvari monastery, and he explained the history of these places in great detail. He also has a sense of humor!
Highly recommend this half day tour during your stay in Georgia.
2022-07-20 at 09:56
rbaty
The best of times
This was a great trip. The bets times with a group of five friends. Always I was updated quickly and never untrue. Thank you Abanoub! We can rely on you and are very happy to have booked all our trips with Budget Friendly tours Georgia.
2022-07-20 at 09:56
Diana
If you like history this a must-do tour
The total experience from the moment of booking till the end was amazing. First of all the communication: that was punctuated, professional and accurate. Secondly the guide Gio was engaged, very knowledgeable, storyteller, a Wikipedia about literary everything we wanted to know – not only about the places we visited but all other questions we had. He managed the time very well, gave space to explore on our own and checked in all the time.
Uplistsikhe – Gori – Jvari – Mtskheta were all very rich experiences and Gio’s knowledge and the way he conveyed it made our experiences invaluable.
The lunch at Tamar’s house was delicious, cozy and amicable.
2022-07-20 at 09:58
Matija B
Astonishing pieces of history
I reserved this tour (but got bumped up to the one that also includes Kartli region with Gori and Stalin museum along with the churches). If you are interested in history it’s the one I recommend. I’ve learned a lot and the guide had strong background in history abd religious studies. The pace was easy and the atmosphere was relaxed. Strongly recommend!
2022-07-25 at 12:08