Georgia adopted Christianity as early as the 4th century, and its landscape is dotted with monasteries, fortresses and millennia-old cave cities. These are the places history lovers can’t miss.
Uplistsikhe
A cave city about 3,000 years old carved into the rock above the Mtkvari River, near Gori. At its peak thousands lived there — halls, pagan temples, wine cellars and a pharmacy, all inside the stone. Half an hour from Tbilisi.
Vardzia
An enormous 12th-century cave monastery, from the time of Queen Tamar, dug into the cliff over hundreds of meters. It originally had 13 levels and thousands of rooms, and also served as a fortress against invasions. One of the most impressive places in Georgia — in the south, near the Turkish border.
What it is: the central church of Vardzia preserves original 800-year-old frescoes, including a rare portrait of Queen Tamar painted in her lifetime.
David Gareja
A complex of monasteries in the desert, on the border with Azerbaijan — an arid, dramatic landscape, monks’ caves and ancient frescoes. An exceptional blend of spirituality and lunar scenery.
The Gelati Monastery and the Katskhi pillar
Near Kutaisi: Gelati, a 12th-century UNESCO site with golden mosaics, was an important center of learning. The Katskhi pillar is a 40 m rock with a tiny church on top — an isolated, mysterious place.
Most of these places are ideal for day trips from Tbilisi (Uplistsikhe, David Gareja) or from Kutaisi (Gelati, Katskhi). Vardzia is farther — it’s worth a night in the south.
Booking: Day trips from Tbilisi · Hotels in Tbilisi