UNESCO World Heritage Tour

Mtskheta

Mtskheta, one of the oldest and culturally significant cities in Georgia, promises a unique experience for pilgrims and tourists. Mtskheta is a historical city in Georgia, located 20 kilometers north of the capital, Tbilisi. In 1994, the historic center of Mtskheta was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. One of the oldest cities in Georgia, archaeological excavations trace human settlements in the Mtskheta area back to the 3rd-2nd millennium BCE.

David Gareja Monastery, a complex of cave monasteries from the 6th century.

A complex of ancient Georgian Christian cave monasteries and the main religious center of eastern Georgia in the 6th century, located 60 km southeast of Tbilisi, on the Georgian-Azerbaijani border. David Gareja is one of the oldest functioning monasteries in the world. It also serves as a pilgrimage site for believers and attracts tourists with its cultural and religious significance, making it an important subject of study in the art and history of Georgia.

• Date of foundation: 6th century

Shatili

Shatili (Georgian: შატილი) is a high-mountain village in the historic region of Khevsureti in Georgia (Center elevation: 1450 m). Shatili is located on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus Range, in the upper reaches of the Argun Gorge.

Vardzia

Vardzia (Georgian: ვარძია) is a cave monastery complex from the 12th-13th centuries located in southern Georgia. Stretching 900 meters along the left bank of the Kura River in the tuff wall of Mount Erusheti (Bear Mountain), it contains about 600 rooms, including churches, chapels, living quarters, storerooms, baths, dining rooms, treasury chambers, and libraries. The complex extends 50 meters deep into the rock and rises to eight floors in height. Secret tunnels connecting rooms, remnants of aqueducts, and irrigation systems have been preserved. At the center of the monastery is the main church dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Vardzia monastery ensemble was primarily built between 1156–1205 during the reign of King George III and his daughter, Queen Tamar.

• Date of foundation: 12th century

Kutaisi

Kutaisi (Georgian: ქუთაისი, ancient name: Aia) is one of the oldest cities in Georgia. It is the most important historical and economic center of Western Georgia and the administrative center of the Imereti region. Archaeological excavations indicate that Kutaisi was founded in the 6th–5th centuries BCE. The documented history of Kutaisi begins in the 3rd century BCE, as it is mentioned in the "Argonautica" of Apollonius of Rhodes (Book 2, 398–402). From the 8th to the 13th centuries, Kutaisi was the capital of the Kingdom of Abkhazia.

• Date of foundation: 6th–5th centuries BCE

Svaneti - Ushguli and Mestia

Svaneti is a historic mountainous region in northwestern Georgia. The Upper Svaneti is bordered to the north and east by the Greater Caucasus Range with peaks such as Shkhara, Ushba, Tetnuldi, and others, marking Georgia's border with Russia. Upper Svaneti is renowned for its architectural treasures and picturesque landscapes. Notable are the residential towers constructed primarily in the 9th-12th centuries. Ancient stone Orthodox churches have also been preserved. Ushguli and Mestia are popular towns among tourists. Ushguli is situated at an elevation of 2200 meters above sea level; Mestia at 1500 meters above sea level.