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You can get to Kakheti from Tbilisi by marshrutka, car or order a transfer.
The marshrutka will cost cheap. You can get from Tbilisi to Telavi for 7 GEL ($2.5), and from Tbilisi to Sighnaghi for 6 GEL ($2).
Shuttle service is a convenient, but less budget-friendly alternative, for traveling between regions. There is a convenient Gotrip service for this in Georgia. For example, a transfer from Tbilisi to Telavi costs about 40$.
It is possible to rent a car in Georgia, but it is an amateur's idea. Most drivers drive dangerously, to put it mildly. Driving at speed on the oncoming road head-on or overtaking on the right. Locals know the rules of the game better. So it may be better to be just a passenger.
Cities of Telavi and Sighnakhi, monasteries and wineries, where without it. And also, here is the Alazani Valley and persimmon trees.
Telavi is the largest city of the region, located in the vineyard-strewn Alazani Valley. The town is small and cozy. It is here that you can start exploring the wine, historical and architectural wealth of the region.
Sighnaghi is a kind of Georgian Las Vegas. Simply because you can get married here at any time of the day. For spontaneous travelers in love.
It is one of the smallest and most charming towns in Georgia, with breathtaking scenery and cobblestone streets. The city has been extensively restored since 2005.
Alaverdi - the cathedral was built in the 11th century by the king of Kakheti. The height of the cathedral is more than 50 meters, which makes it the second tallest religious building in the country. Only the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi is taller.
Bodbe is located near the town of Sighnaghi. This monastery houses the relics of St. Nina, who brought Christianity to Georgia.
Gremi - was built in the 16th century during the time of King Levan of Kakheti, who declared Gremi the capital of the kingdom of Kakheti.
Iqalto - this monastery near the village of Ikalto was known as one of the most significant cultural centers of Kakheti. The academy where the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli studied was also located here.
Nekresi is the oldest Christian church in Georgia, which was an important spiritual and cultural center in the past. The monastery is located on a hilltop overlooking the valleys of Kakheti.
Shuamta - in the forest of Shuamta village there are fragments of the Old and New Shuamta monasteries. New Shuamta is still active.
Kakheti is considered the center of traditional Georgian wine production. With such vineyards and valleys here there are all conditions for it.
There are European and Georgian ways of making wine. In Georgia, wine is produced by two technologies. But it is the ancient Georgian method of winemaking that makes the taste and color of the wine distinctive. And here's the bottom line.
In Europe, only the pulp of the grapes is used to make wine. But in Georgia they use the whole grapes and then use kvevri. These are huge clay jars for fermenting and storing wine, which are placed underground.
There are many wineries in Kakheti. The wines of only a few are widely available in Ukrainian stores.
Some wineries of Kakheti to get acquainted with Georgian wine:
I visited the Kindzmarauli Corporation factory in the town of Kvareli. The history of this corporation dates back to 1533. Here you can taste a variety of wines and see how they are produced. Including the very red Kindzmarauli. An interesting experience because Georgia and wine-making are inseparable.
Traveling to Georgia in principle leaves a warm imprint in the soul of the traveler. Everything is somehow atmospheric, hearty and hospitable. And Kakheti is memorable for its original nature, history, and architecture. Stop by here at least for a few days, because Georgia is much more than Tbilisi.
