Journey Through Georgia: Vardzia, Rabati & Borjomi Adventure

We took a full‑day tour to Borjomi, Vardzia and Rabati, and it turned out to be a truly unforgettable experience. Although the tour is long (around 14 hours). it didn’t feel tiring at all because of the interesting stops and our excellent guide. Our first stop was Borjomi, a small, cozy town famous for its mineral water. After about two hours of driving we arrived at the park with the mineral springs. The town is very charming and peaceful, perfect if you want to enjoy the healing water and a short walk in nature. We stayed about an hour to an hour and a half – it is a short visit, but enough to feel the atmosphere of this lovely place. Then we went to Vardzia, the cave city, which was the absolute highlight of the tour. I have never seen anything like it. It is a rock‑cut city with rooms carved directly into the cliff, where people once lived, including Queen Tamar. Inside the rock there is a historic church built in the cave, with beautiful frescoes and a special, spiritual atmosphere. A monk lives there and sells handmade religious items and souvenirs. Walking through the caves, climbing inside the rock and seeing the cave rooms up close was an incredible experience – you feel like you are inside living history, surrounded by breathtaking nature. After Vardzia we visited Rabati Fortress, a stunning complex that looks like something from a historical film. Parts of it were built during the Ottoman period, so the architecture has a clear Ottoman style: a mosque, inner courtyards, fountains and defensive walls. The whole place is very picturesque, and you really feel as if you have stepped into another era, almost like being in the set of the Turkish series “Magnificent Century”. A special mention goes to our guide, Irakli. He is a very communicative, energetic and engaging young man, and one of the best guides I have met. The tour was conducted in two languages (Russian and English), which is not ideal and I would count that as a small minus in the organisation. At the meeting point there was some confusion about which group and which bus we should join, and in the end we were put into a mixed group with Russian‑speaking tourists, even though the tour had been advertised as English‑speaking. However, Irakli completely smoothed out these inconveniences. He guided the tour in both Russian and English, translating everything himself, and made sure everyone understood. During the long drives he never stopped sharing stories: legends, historical facts and local anecdotes. Thanks to him, the road did not feel long or exhausting at all. He has a great sense of humour, kept us entertained with jokes, played music on the bus, and created a very friendly atmosphere. There was Wi‑Fi on board and charging ports for phones, so we didn’t have to worry about batteries or staying connected. We also stopped for lunch at the Terrace restaurant near the cave city. The food was absolutely delicious and the staff were incredibly polite, warm and attentive. Overall, this tour offers a perfect combination of nature, history and culture: a charming spa town, an extraordinary cave city and a beautiful fortress complex. Despite a few organisational issues at the start and the two‑language format, our experience was extremely positive, mainly thanks to our guide Irakli, who was professional, talkative, caring and made the whole day feel special. Big thanks to him and the team – I would recommend this tour to travellers who want to see another side of Georgia beyond Tbilisi.