Vardzia, Rabati, and Borjomi Ancient Georgia Group Tour
Recommended by 91% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Tbilisi, Georgia
- 12 to 13 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Visiting Vardzia, Rabati, and Borjomi on a day trip from Tbilisi is only possible if you have a vehicle. This small-group tour makes things easy, thanks to included transportation and a guide to provide commentary and help bridge language barriers. Visit beautiful Borjomi, famous for its mineral water, marvel at the medieval fortress of Rabati, and check out the cave city of Vardzia, all in one day.
- Learn about Georgian history form your guide
- Travel in the comfort of an air-conditioned vehicle with Wi-Fi
- Small group sizes ensure personal attention from your guide
- Enjoy convenient pickup from a centrally located spot
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- WiFi on board
- Proffesional guide
- Admission to The Borjom's Park - 5 GEL(Lari)
- Admission to The Vardzia - 15 GEL(Lari)
- Admission to The Rabati - 17 GEL(Lari)
- LunchEnd of tour we visit restaurant, it's not included in tour food and drink salary
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 15 Abano St, T'bilisi, Georgia
Look for our guide holding a sign with our tour company name. The meeting point is easily accessible by public transport or taxi.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Start time.7:00 am
Itinerary
1
Vardzia
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Rabati Castle
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Borjomi Central Park
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Time for transportation is already included in the total duration
- Indulge in the rich flavors of Georgia with our team, as you sip on Chacha, a traditional Georgian brandy, and savor Churchkhela, a sweet and savory snack made of walnuts and grape juice
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.6
based on 118 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Maria_A, Aug 2026
Very good experience with Georgi. Very complete tour. Recommended for all kind of tourists. Some activity and relaxing time
Shelby_L, Aug 2026
David is an excellent guide. I was one of only 2 English speakers amongst a group of Russians and he made sure that he translated everything for us and made sure we never felt left out.
The sites are very cool with lots to do and see. It's a very long day, but I highly recommend it.
gkimissis, Jul 2026
It was a long but enjoyable trip. A big thank you to our driver and our tour guide. Vardzia and Rabati are incredible. We also had great lunch and the best beer I have had.
Julianna_Y, Jul 2026
Awesome experience! Beautiful scenery and a fantastic guide. Vardzia and Rabati are must-sees—truly unforgettable!
Clare_C, Jul 2026
An amazing day out of the city exploring the natural and historic sites. Vardzia is the highlight of the day. Well worth the trip despite the long hours. Definitely recommend!
Ricardo_B, Jul 2026
Out of all the tours we took in Georgia, this one was quite disappointing. The only real highlight of the day was Vardzia, which was absolutely beautiful and worth visiting.
Unfortunately, the overall experience fell well below expectations. Unlike two other tour operators we booked with, there was no WhatsApp confirmation or reminder the evening before. The meeting point was also unclear, with no visible branding, signage or flags to help us locate the bus.
The itinerary is simply too ambitious for a single day, which made the entire experience feel rushed. Borjomi was underwhelming, and a significant portion of Rabati Castle was closed due to a concert that evening. As a guest booking through a tour operator, I expect the itinerary to be properly planned and for any major disruptions or closures to be communicated in advance.
To make matters worse, the bus was uncomfortably hot throughout the journey, as the air conditioning was not functioning properly.
Overall, this was a disappointing experience that I would not recommend. Two stars only because Vardzia was a fantastic destination and the highlight of the trip. And the tour guide? Better to find someone new that takes pride in his work, and in representing his country. He seemed very unbothered…
Yue_C, Jun 2026
Very long day- back after 11pm, 16hours total not advertised 12hr. It’s Russian-English tour. Initially the guide spent more time with Russian explanation, but later someone complained and he improvised with the English. The bus is uncomfortable in most seats especially in the back near the wheel and the back row- very little leg room; two passengers dropped out of the group after 30 minutes bus ride. Russian-English groups initially didn’t get along but after a day it’s much better dynamics. The sites are worth visiting on the other hand.
Randy_L, Jun 2026
Roma was my tour guide. Roma was an excellent tour guide, with energy and enthusiasm. We had a safe driver as well. The tour was good, and I got to see several beautiful sites. It is a long day of driving tho, due to distance from Tbilisi, and traffic, so expect a late arrival back in Tbilisi. I would do the tour again.
Robert_R, Apr 2026
Vardzia is one of the most stunning places I've ever seen in my life...this tour was so well planned and executed. Our driver named David did such a great job getting us around such a difficult terrain in such an efficient fashion. Out guide also named David was great at strategically planning this tour to ensure an optimal experience and he was also so knowledgeable. Borjomi was so serene and beautiful....the fortress in Robati is really fun to explore and fascinating while Vardzia is just out of this world. This is a great tour a must while visiting Georgia...
Neftali_O, Apr 2026
Is a very long tour in our case due to a little mechanical issue on the bus took us around 16 hours.
The places we went are worth it to see in Georgia.
Our guide got a chance to tell us a little bit about the history of Georgia and each place we visited.
Joshua_C, Apr 2026
Amazing tour, tour huge George was as better than you could hope for. I would recommend less time in borjomi and more time in Rabati
Pawel_T, Mar 2026
Very interesting trip, the landscapes are amazing and the trip is very well planned, allowing us to see as much as possible despite the unavoidable long drive from and back to Tbilissi.
Zura was knowlegeable and very enthusiast to share the history of his home country.
Ronald_B, Jan 2026
Vardzia is a very unique place to visit. Interesting history, wonderful views. Small steep stairs in some spots make this only recommended for the sure footed. The restaurant near by was excellent. Our guide was great and the tour van was comfortable. Memorable experience.
Jennifer_R, Jan 2026
An amazing tour.
Our guide Timur is so immensely knowledgable and makes the extra effort to ensure the English speaking guests understand and get the full experience with our largely Russian group.
Every stop had a story, a tale and added insight to the history of the place. He also walked much of the routes with us.
Communication was impeccable and he offered good advice
I would reacoment that if one chooses to do this tour in winter l, as I did, ensure you dress very warm in layers that can be taken off and put back on easily. And ensure you have cash for entry to the particular sites.
Driver was always safe and the vehicle was comfy and warm.
Sasha_R, Dec 2025
The trip was pretty awesome!
Our tour guide name was David, and he was very polite, patient, translated everything from English to Russian, funny and interesting.
The tour is very long and we spent a lot of time in the car. So it’s not recommended to people who can’t handle long rides. The bus was very comfortable, with great WiFi and working air conditioning (we needed a lot of warming up as the weather wasn’t very nice to us).
Our first stop was Borjomi where we hear the story of the place, bottling factory and tasted the famous water.
Then we drove to Rabati, historic and very interesting fortress with Mosque and Madrase inside. We enjoyed it very much.
The last stop was Vardzia, breathtaking city in a mountain. It was the most interesting and memorable place of the tour! It’s incredible how people used to live there for centuries and there are few monks that still live there!
We ended the tour in a restaurant which was ok. Nothing more nothing less.
I didn’t notice that none of the entrances were included in the tour package, so it turned out to be more expensive than I expected. But it was my mistake, so no complaints to the company.
It’s my 3d tour with Imperial Tours and this company is the best!
Daren_L, Nov 2025
Great day out. Our guide David was very knowledgeable and made it interesting. The views of Vardzia and the wall through the caves was the highlight
Wendrell_O, Nov 2025
We had an amazing tour of the Vardzia caves with Mamuka. He explained everything beautifully in both English and Russian, sharing fascinating stories and history in a clear and engaging way. His knowledge and kindness made the whole experience unforgettable. Highly recommended.
irina_c, Oct 2025
Great tour combining three important objectives in Georgia, a long but very interesting day, everything well organized. Our guide was very helpfull and professional.
Daniel_s, Oct 2025
We joined the tour today, and unfortunately, it was a very disappointing experience.
The tour was conducted in Russian, even though we specifically requested an English-speaking tour, so we could barely understand anything throughout the day.
Additionally, the website stated that the tour lasts 12–13 hours (until around 11 PM), but it ended up taking much longer — which caused a serious issue for me since I have work in the evening.
The food was cold and poorly organized, and overall the tour management was very unprofessional.
Amale_A, Sep 2025
Not worth it at all.
1- very long trip 17 hours
2- Vardzia is not really easy to walk in with all the stairs that are not safe
3- we reached Rabadi fortress at 7:15 pm (it closes at 8 pm)
4- Itinerary is not as mentioned
5- tour was supposed to start at 7am we left at 7:20 am
6- language was supposed to be English, most of the bus was russian so all the talk was in Russian and than the tour guide was summarizing in English.
Vladimir_M, Sep 2025
Wonderful trip!
Timur, the guide told us lot of interesting information about the sites, and Georgia in overal. Beautiful views, very friendly atmosphere in the group. Highly recommended!
Hadeel_M, Sep 2025
Was a great experience with Timur! Definitely an amazing way to spend a full day in Georgia, beautiful locations and great value. Our guide Timur was able to explain EVERYTHING and managed the group very well. Can’t recommend this more.
Raul_B, Sep 2025
You might get emails saying that it starts at 7:30, but it actually starts at 7:00 sharp. We missed the tour. That said, Imperial Tours quickly arranged for us to get another tour to Gori, the guide was very helpful and knowledgeable, and the driver safe. If our trip to Gori is the standard of this company, then know that the tour to Vardzia should be a great experience for the cost.
Katherine_A, Jul 2025
Company provided regular updates. All three places visited were very interesting, especially the caves at Vardzia. Some of Borjomi was undergoing renovation and was inaccessible. Guide related interesting history and information about the sites. Van struggled a bit with air conditioning. 12-13 hours is optimistic. I was at the meeting place at the specified time of 7:00 am. We left on time, but returned at 10:00pm, despite minimal traffic on the way back. I do recommend this trip, but be prepared for an extremely long day.
Michael_V, Jun 2025
Despite a rocky start, this was a great tour. This is a very long road trip but my guide was just great. Incredibly informative and very knowledgeable, I started to feel bad about taking all of her time from the other tourists. The only thing that worked against this tour was having a combined English and Russian group, just because that made our tour guide split her attention. Otherwise, this was perfect.
Kevin_H, Jun 2025
Journey is extremely long. In terms of scenery, Borjomi is rather boring out of the three places covered in this itinerary, although it has a lot of historical significance in Georgian history, guide did not spend a lot of time explaining.
Moshe_F, Jan 2025
I'm from Israel.
We have a please to be on this tour with Omari and Georgy.
They are very friendly people and explain us all information and answer on all questions.
I'm warmly recommend this tour.
MARTINA_H, Nov 2024
The tour is a long tour due to the distance but it was excellent. All the locations are beautiful and different. Our guide, George, was knowledgeable about the history and a great guide. The driver was very good and safe. I would highly recommend this tour. Not suitable for children as it’s a very long day.
Ekaterina_U, Apr 2024
Georgi 13 is a great guide. Very charismatic and has the ability to make people feel comfortable. I really liked how he put on a playlist with songs from countries the tourists were from. A small but a nice gesture. The trip was great. I especially enjoyed Vardzia.
Khanh_D, Oct 2023
Tour was a long day. Timur was awesome. Started at 7am. Got to Rabati. He gave a history. However if you wanted to venture on your own you could. He gave meeting time and spot. There was 15 min free time. Not enough to see the whole castle. Then drove to Vardzia. Vardzia he gave tour. It's a maze, so don't venture off if youre not good with direction. Lunch after. Last was Borjomi. One hour there. Then drove back. Didn't get back till 10pm. Expect long day.
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