A country · 147 places · 11 regions

Georgia, all of it.

147 curated places across 11 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.

Gergeti Trinity Church · via Wikimedia Commons

The 4 biggest regions — Kakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Samtskhe–Javakheti and Adjara — read below as chapters, with 7 more waiting past them.

Chapter I · Kakheti · 21 places

Kakheti

A small walled town in the Kakheti wine region perched on a ridge above the Alazani plain, Sighnaghi retains its eighteenth-century defensive wall — over four kilometers long with towers and gates — which encircles the town and provides a walkable circuit with views over the vineyards and the Greater Caucasus range beyond. The surrounding landscape of the Alazani Valley is considered the heartland of Georgia's ancient wine culture, with evidence of winemaking dating back over eight thousand years. The Bodbe Monastery, containing the tomb of Saint Nino who Christianized Georgia in the fourth century, lies a short distance outside the town walls.

Sighnaghi

Kakheti, Georgia

✦ April to June, September to November · $

Omalo

Kakheti, Georgia

✦ July to September · $

Telavi

Kakheti, Georgia

✦ September to October · $

All 21 places in Kakheti →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter II · Mtskheta-Mtianeti · 15 places

Mtskheta-Mtianeti

A fourteenth-century Georgian Orthodox church standing on a triangular rock promontory at 2,170 meters elevation above the Kazbegi valley, with the glaciated summit of Mount Kazbek (5,047 meters) directly behind it when viewed from the town below. The church and its detached bell tower are reached by a steep trail from Kazbegi, or by vehicle on a rough track, and the views from the promontory extend down the full length of the Terek gorge. Dawn and alpenglow conditions produce the most intense color contrast between the stone church, the glacier, and the surrounding alpine meadows.

✦ May to October · $

Meet Gergeti Trinity Church All 15 places in Mtskheta-Mtianeti →

Chapter III · Samtskhe–Javakheti · 13 places

Samtskhe–Javakheti

A twelfth-century cave monastery complex carved into the face of the Erusheti Mountain above the Mtkvari River in southern Georgia, Vardzia extends over 500 meters of cliff face and originally contained over 3,000 rooms across 13 stories. The complex was commissioned by Queen Tamar and includes a principal church with original frescoes, a wine cellar cut into the rock, and an intricate system of irrigation tunnels. A thirteenth-century earthquake collapsed the outer cliff face and exposed the interior galleries, creating the dramatic stepped facade of cave openings visible today.

Vardzia

Samtskhe–Javakheti, Georgia

✦ May to October · $

Bakuriani

Samtskhe–Javakheti, Georgia

✦ December to March · $$

Khertvisi Fortress

Samtskhe–Javakheti, Georgia

✦ May to October

All 13 places in Samtskhe–Javakheti →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter IV · Adjara · 12 places

Adjara

A Black Sea port city in the Adjara region of southwestern Georgia, Batumi combines a subtropical coastal setting with an eclectic cityscape that ranges from Art Nouveau buildings in the old town to boldly contemporary towers along the waterfront boulevard. The Batumi Boulevard is a pedestrian promenade extending several kilometers along the beach, lined with sculptures and open-air installations. The city receives some of the highest annual rainfall in the Caucasus, producing a lush year-round greenery that contrasts with the arid landscapes further inland.

✦ June to September · $

Meet Batumi All 12 places in Adjara →