Private One Day Tour Around Tbilisi and Mtskheta

You will take a glance to the history of the city from early centuries to nowadays by walking in narrow streets of the city and will explore the religious and secular architecture. Here you will find churches, synagogues, mosque as well as famous 19th century houses with wooden balconies. Visit also the sulphur baths and enjoy the superb panoramic views of the Old city from the Narikala.

Mtskheta was the ancient capital of the Eastern Georgian Kingdom from the Third Century BCE to Fifth Century CE. It was also the location where Christianity was proclaimed as the kingdom’s official religion and continues to function as the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The city is very small and is just a 20 minute drive from the capital of Tbilisi. You will not find any fancy, high-end hotels here, nor will you find posh lounges to dress up for and hit for cocktails. It may not the best place to wine and dine someone, but what you will find is a ticket to the 5th century BCE and travel all the way through to mid-antiquity.

Arguably the most well known cathedral in Georgia, Svetitskhoveli is also one of the biggest in the country. Harsh conditions throughout Georgia’s history couldn’t stop the 10-century old building from retaining its beauty. The temple is on another UNESCO World Heritage listing because of its glorious architecture.

About 13 kilometers from the city of Mtskheta is a limestone canyon in which you will find a beautiful medieval monastic complex. In the 6th Century, it was a vibrant religious community, populated by around 2,000 monks. St. John the Baptist’s Monastery was the first to be built with the rest of the Shio Mgvime complex built over time. However, the most intriguing part of this monastery is the various unmistakable caves around the mountain. It is in one of these caves that Shio, the missionary and founder of Shio Mgvime, one of the original 13 Assyrian Fathers who came to Georgia to spread Christianity lived. It is because of Shio that the monastery gets its name: “The Cave of Shio.”