Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Turkey and Georgia: The Black Sea, Kars and Tbilisi
11 days, 10 nights proposed from Trabzon to Tbilisi: Sumela, Ani, a Georgian church stop, the Sarpi crossing to Batumi, Kutaisi and three nights in Tbilisi.
11 days · Trabzon to Tbilisi · up to 12 guests
Sumela Monastery in its cliff, photographed in August 2014, before the 2026 safety works Photo: Hamdigumus, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, resized
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 11 days, 10 nights
- Start and end
- Trabzon to Tbilisi
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4.5 h on day 3
- Activity level
Moderate
Easy to moderate walking of 2 to 3 hours on most days, on cobbles, forest paths, stone steps and uneven rock at Sumela, Ani, Gelati and Uplistsikhe. The hardest part is the road: three consecutive days of 4 to 4.5 hours in the vehicle in eastern Turkey, and a proposed border crossing on foot. No altitude trekking, though Erzurum and Kars are high plateau towns.
- Meals included
- 10 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Season
- May to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Sumela Monastery in its cliff, reported reopened on 25 June 2026 after rockfall safety work (opening and access confirmed at quoting)
- Uzungol lake and the Ovit pass road to the high plateau
- Ani, the ruined medieval Armenian capital beside the Turkey-Armenia frontier (opening and access confirmed at quoting)
- A Georgian church stop on the road to Artvin, old Tao-Klarjeti
- A proposed land crossing from Turkey into Georgia at Sarpi, with a seaside night in Batumi
- Gelati Monastery, Uplistsikhe, Mtskheta, and Kakheti wine in qvevri clay jars
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 4.5 h, on day 3.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4.5 h, on day 3.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Trabzon
Trabzon Airport (TZX) to your hotel in Trabzon
- Dinner
- Stay in Trabzon
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Trabzon Airport (TZX), a few kilometres east of the centre on the Black Sea coast. Flights from North America often connect through Istanbul. Your See Sight Tours guide or a driver is planned to meet you at arrivals (proposed arrangement: the airport meeting depends on the local operator we appoint). The rest of the day is yours: walk the hillside streets above the harbour, look out over the sea, or sleep off the journey.
Evening
In the early evening the group meets for a short briefing: the route over the next eleven days, the two border-region days in Kars and Artvin, how the crossing into Georgia is proposed to work, what to carry for the weather in the Pontic mountains, and the drive times, which are longer here than on our usual trips. We then have a proposed welcome dinner nearby with Black Sea dishes such as anchovy, cornbread and kuymak, and a first glass of tea. Please tell us about allergies and diets when you enquire.
Included
- Meeting at Trabzon Airport (TZX), proposed and subject to the local operator
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Activity: Agree your arrival time and meeting arrangements before booking flights; late-arrival transfers and any missed dinner or briefing need confirmation.
Sumela Monastery and Trabzon
Trabzon to Sumela Monastery and back, then Trabzon on foot
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Trabzon
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
We plan to leave after an early breakfast for Sumela, a Byzantine-era monastery built into a cliff face high in the Altindere valley, roughly 45 km from Trabzon and a drive of about 45 minutes. Press reports say it reopened on 25 June 2026 after rockfall safety work, with conservation continuing, so some areas may be fenced off. Published opening hours differ between sources, from 08:00 to 17:00 to 08:00 to 19:00, and we confirm access and hours for your date when we quote. From the car park a forest path climbs to the monastery gate, then a long stair brings you to the rock church with its faded frescoes. Allow about three hours on site.
Afternoon
We plan lunch in the valley, then a return to Trabzon for a gentle afternoon walk through the old quarter and the harbour area.
Evening
The evening is free, so try a fish restaurant, or sit in a tea garden above the sea.
Included
- Sumela Monastery with your guide (entry planned as included)
- Lunch in the Altindere valley
- Old Trabzon walk with your guide
Easier option: Skip the final stair at Sumela and enjoy the setting from the terrace below.
More active option: Walk the old forest path from the lower car park, subject to its condition.
Free time: Evening free in Trabzon
Activity: About 3 hours on foot at Sumela on steps and uneven stone, with a long stair to the rock church; the step count is not yet checked. Mist and rain are common; bring a waterproof.
Uzungol and over the mountains to Erzurum
Trabzon to Uzungol, then over the Ovit pass to Erzurum
- Breakfast
- Stay in Erzurum
- Drive about 4.5 h
This is the first long day and it is over our four-hour driving cap: about 286 km, around four hours of road in the router estimate, and nearer four and a half with stops. There is no way to reach the east without crossing the Pontic and Kackar mountains, and we have split the old Trabzon to Kars stage at Erzurum, which would otherwise be about 500 km and seven hours or more. We would start at 8 am and drive about 1 hour 15 minutes east to Uzungol, a mountain lake in a green valley ringed by spruce and small wooden houses, where we walk the lakeshore for about an hour and take a tea break. We then climb through Ikizdere over the Ovit pass, which is a road that can close for snow outside the season, and drop into the dry Anatolian plateau, reaching Erzurum by about 5 pm.
Evening
The evening is free in the old city.
Included
- Uzungol lakeshore walk with your guide
- Ovit pass drive
Free time: Evening free in Erzurum
Activity: The road and times are estimates from a public router and have not been driven by us. We will test the exact route before any departure is dated.
Erzurum to Kars and Ani
Erzurum to Kars, then the Ani archaeological site and back to Kars
- Breakfast
- Stay in Kars
- Drive about 4.5 h
Morning
A morning start for the high plateau: about 204 km, or 2 hours 45 minutes, across open steppe from Erzurum to Kars, a garrison town of wide streets and elegant stone buildings from the period of Russian rule in the late nineteenth century.
Afternoon
We reach Kars around noon and have lunch, then drive about 45 minutes east to Ani, the ruined medieval Armenian capital on the Akhurian river, which marks the frontier with Armenia. UNESCO listed the site in 2016. Ani is a grassy plateau with the Cathedral, the Church of the Redeemer and the ruined walls, and we plan to walk for about two and a half hours. Because the site lies beside the frontier, we carry passports and follow the site staff's instructions on access. The museum page publishes 08:00 to 17:00, with ticket sales to 16:30; some summer listings show a later close, and we confirm hours for your date at quoting.
Evening
We drive back to Kars for the night.
Included
- Ani archaeological site with your guide
- Kars by car and on foot
Free time: Evening free in Kars
Activity: A long day over our four-hour cap, with one road stage of 2 hours 45 minutes and a 45-minute drive each way to Ani. Carry your passport all day. Opening hours and any group procedure at Ani are confirmed when your date is fixed.
Kars to Artvin by Ardahan and Savsat
Kars through Ardahan and Savsat to Artvin, with a Georgian church stop
- Breakfast
- Stay in Artvin
- Drive about 4.5 h
We take the road north-west out of Kars through Ardahan, a high farm and border country of rolling pasture, and then down the Savsat valley towards Artvin and the Coruh river gorge. The road is about 204 km and about three hours in the router, so we plan four hours with a long stop. This is old Tao-Klarjeti, the medieval Georgian kingdom whose churches stand in what is now north-east Turkey. We plan one church stop on the way in the Savsat area; which one, and whether it is open inside, depends on the reconnaissance we have yet to do, and we do not yet name it.
Evening
Another group of well-known Tao-Klarjeti churches, Oshki and Ishkhani near Yusufeli, lies on a different road, about 70 km from Artvin each way, and does not fit in this 11-day, 10-night outline; it is a possible private extension. We reach Artvin in the late afternoon, then have dinner on our own in the town.
Included
- Drive through Ardahan and Savsat
- One Georgian church stop in the Savsat area (site and access to be confirmed)
Free time: Evening free in Artvin
Activity: A mountain road that can be closed or slow in winter and early spring, which is why the season is May to October.
Across the Sarpi border to Batumi
Artvin through Hopa to the Sarpi crossing, then Batumi
- Breakfast
- Stay in Batumi
- Drive about 2 h
Today we plan to leave Turkey. We drive about 95 km down the Coruh valley and along the Black Sea coast towards the Sarp and Sarpi border. We have not found an official notice of crossing hours, so hours and rules are confirmed at quoting. If it goes ahead, we would expect to walk through with luggage and meet a Georgian vehicle and driver on the far side, because a Turkish vehicle may not be allowed to carry on (proposed arrangement, unconfirmed). Border waits are unpredictable, so keep the day flexible. From Sarpi it is about 20 minutes to Batumi, a subtropical port of glass towers, an old town and a long seafront boulevard.
Evening
After a proposed lunch we walk the Old Town and Piazza, then the evening is free in Batumi.
Included
- Border crossing at Sarp and Sarpi with your guide, if confirmed
- Batumi Old Town and seafront walk
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Batumi
Activity: Border delays are out of our hands. Carry your passport and your proof of travel insurance in hand luggage.
Batumi to Kutaisi and Gelati
Batumi to Kutaisi, Gelati Monastery
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kutaisi
- Drive about 3 h
We would leave Batumi at 9 am and drive about 150 km inland through tea and citrus country to Kutaisi, one of the oldest cities in Georgia, in about 2 hours 20 minutes.
Afternoon
In the early afternoon we visit Gelati Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site reported to lie about 11 km from the centre and founded in the early twelfth century by King David the Builder and decorated inside with golden mosaics and murals. Access to the buildings and any conservation work are checked when we quote. We then plan to drive back to Kutaisi for a walk around the centre, including the Colchis fountain and the Green Bazaar, subject to opening hours.
Evening
Dinner is free so you can find a table at a bar or restaurant of your choice. The hotel and its distance from evening venues have not been confirmed.
Included
- Gelati Monastery (entry planned as included)
- Kutaisi walk with your guide
- Green Bazaar tasting (planned)
Free time: Evening free in Kutaisi
Activity: About 2 hours on foot on stone steps and uneven paths.
Kutaisi to Tbilisi by Uplistsikhe
Kutaisi to Gori and Uplistsikhe, then Tbilisi
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Tbilisi
- Drive about 4 h
We would leave Kutaisi at 8:30 am and take the cross-country highway east to Gori, about 140 km, then continue to Uplistsikhe, a cave town cut into a sandstone ridge above the Mtkvari river reported to have been inhabited since the early Iron Age. We walk the rock-cut streets, halls and the small brick church on top for about an hour and a half, on uneven rock, with a local site guide where one is required.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a village table nearby. The last leg to Tbilisi is about 80 km and one hour. The whole day is about 225 km and about three hours in the router estimate, four hours with stops. We reach Tbilisi in the late afternoon and settle in for three nights, which is the longest stay of the trip.
Evening
The evening is free: cross the Bridge of Peace, find a wine bar in the Old Town, or rest.
Included
- Uplistsikhe cave town with a local site guide (entry planned as included)
- Village lunch near Uplistsikhe
Free time: Evening free in Tbilisi
Activity: Opening days and hours for Uplistsikhe are confirmed when your date is fixed.
Old Tbilisi and Mtskheta
Tbilisi Old Town on foot, then Mtskheta
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Tbilisi
- Drive about 1 h
We start at 9 am with the cable car from Rike Park to Narikala Fortress, which has guarded the city since the fourth century, then walk down through the Old Town lanes past Sioni Cathedral and the sixth-century Anchiskhati Basilica.
Morning
Late morning we drive about 20 minutes to Mtskheta, the old capital where Georgia adopted Christianity in the fourth century, and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Afternoon
We go first to Jvari Monastery, a sixth-century church on a hilltop above the meeting of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers, then down to lunch in town and the eleventh-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.
Evening
We are back in Tbilisi by mid-afternoon with free time before the evening. A private bathhouse room in the Abanotubani sulphur quarter is the classic way to end the day, and we can help you book one, paid locally.
Included
- Narikala cable car (proposed as included; price to confirm)
- Old Town walk with your guide
- Jvari Monastery (planned)
- Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (planned)
Optional experiences
- Sulphur bathhouse room, paid locally
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on foot, mostly downhill from Narikala, on cobbles and steps.
Kakheti: Bodbe, Sighnaghi and a qvevri cellar
Tbilisi to Bodbe and Sighnaghi, a winery lunch and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tbilisi
- Drive about 4 h
We leave at 9 am for a day trip into Kakheti, the wine region of the Alazani valley, about 113 km and 1 hour 45 minutes each way to Sighnaghi. First stop is Bodbe Monastery, where St Nino is buried, with gardens that look across the valley to the Greater Caucasus. Two kilometres on is Sighnaghi, a small walled town of cobbled lanes and wooden balconies; your guide walks you along a stretch of the wall.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a family winery which makes its wine in qvevri, clay jars buried in the ground, a method UNESCO lists as intangible cultural heritage (proposed supplier, not yet appointed). You taste amber wines made from white grapes left on their skins and saperavi reds. We drive back and are in Tbilisi by about 6 pm.
Evening
Dinner is a proposed farewell meal in Tbilisi; the restaurant is not appointed. Drinks at dinner are separate from the included cellar tasting.
Included
- Bodbe Monastery (planned)
- Sighnaghi town and walls with your guide
- Qvevri cellar visit, tasting and lunch (supplier to be appointed)
- Farewell dinner
Free time: Evening after dinner free
Activity: A longer day on the road, with a one hour 45 minute stage each way. The tasting is optional and non-alcoholic drinks are expected to be available.
Departure from Tbilisi
Your hotel to Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
The trip ends after breakfast, when your guide says goodbye and checks each person's flight time. Many flights from Tbilisi leave in the early hours, so we plan the airport transfer around your flight; the airport is about 20 km from the centre and the exact timing is confirmed with the vehicle partner.
Evening
If you fly in the evening, leave your bags at the hotel and use the day, subject to the hotel's arrangements. The Georgian National Museum on Rustaveli Avenue holds gold from ancient Colchis and has weekly closing days to check. The Open Air Museum of Ethnography on a wooded hill near Turtle Lake gathers old houses from the regions of Georgia. The Dry Bridge market is the place for Soviet badges, old enamel and paintings. Canada's advice asks for a high degree of caution in Tbilisi because of demonstrations, so check the advice before you travel. If you would like extra nights in Tbilisi or a few days more in another region, tell us when you enquire and we will quote the extension.
Included
- Drop-off at Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)
Free time: Free until your transfer
Activity: Confirm your flight window and transfer arrangements before buying flights. Hotel check-out, luggage storage and breakfast for early departures remain to be confirmed.
- Trabzon2 nights
- Erzurum1 night
- Kars1 night
- Artvin1 night
- Batumi1 night
- Kutaisi1 night
- Tbilisi3 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: The Black Sea coast is humid and rainy all year, with mist at Sumela even in summer. Erzurum and Kars are high and dry, with hot days, cold nights and typically snow from about October. Georgia's coast at Batumi is subtropical and wet; Tbilisi and Kakheti are hot in July and August.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want a land journey between two countries
- History: Byzantine, Armenian and Georgian sites in one trip
- Those comfortable with long days on the road
- Solo travellers who want a small group
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: Sumela, Ani, Gelati and Uplistsikhe need steps and uneven ground
- Travellers who want short drives; days 3 to 5 are 4 to 4.5 hours
- A beach holiday on the Black Sea
- Visits to Armenia, which are not in this trip
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
10 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Trabzon2 nights
- Erzurum1 night
- Kars1 night
- Artvin1 night
- Batumi1 night
- Kutaisi1 night
- Tbilisi3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 10 proposed nights in hotels (to be named in the written quote): 2 in Trabzon, 1 each in Erzurum, Kars, Artvin, Batumi and Kutaisi, 3 in Tbilisi
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Airport meetings at Trabzon (TZX) and Tbilisi (TBS), proposed
- Vehicle and driver in Turkey and in Georgia, with a change of vehicle at the Sarpi border if it goes ahead (proposed)
- The Narikala cable car in Tbilisi (to confirm)
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide planned to travel with the group
- Local site guides where a site requires one
Activities
- Turkey: Sumela Monastery, Uzungol, Ani and a Georgian church stop near Savsat
- Georgia: Batumi Old Town, Gelati Monastery, Uplistsikhe, Tbilisi Old Town, Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
- Kakheti: Bodbe, Sighnaghi and a qvevri cellar tasting
Meals
- Proposed: 10 breakfasts, 5 lunches (days 2, 7, 8, 9 and 10) and 2 dinners (welcome in Trabzon, farewell in Tbilisi)
- Other meals are paid locally
Not included
- International flights to Trabzon and from Tbilisi
- Travel insurance, including the health cover Georgia asks visitors to hold
- Visas, if your passport needs one
- Meals not listed
- Drinks outside the listed cellar tasting
- Tips
- Optional activities
- Extra hotel nights
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- Price on request
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does this Turkey and Georgia trip include?
The proposal is built on ten proposed hotel nights, breakfast on days 2 to 11, five lunches and two dinners, a vehicle and driver in each country, a See Sight Tours guide and planned site entries. Hotels, the airport meetings and the Sarpi arrangement are proposed until suppliers are confirmed, and your written quote sets what is included.
How big is the group?
We propose a small group of 7 to 12 guests, to be confirmed in your written quote. You can also ask for a private trip for your own party, on dates agreed with us and subject to availability.
What does Canada say about Kars, Ani and the border areas?
Canada's Turkey page, updated 29 September 2026 and read 9 November 2026, advises a high degree of caution countrywide, and avoiding all travel within 10 km of the Iraq and Syria borders and non-essential travel to Hakkari and Sirnak. It does not mention Kars, Ardahan, Artvin or Erzurum. That is not a clearance; read it yourself. Ani lies beside the Armenian frontier, so we check site rules and current advice when quoting.
How long are the drives?
Longer than on our usual trips. Day 3 is about 286 km and 4.5 hours, day 4 about 4.5 hours including the Ani transfers, day 5 about 4.25 hours, and day 8 and day 10 about 4 hours. The other days are 2.75 hours or less. We split the old Trabzon to Kars stage at Erzurum to avoid a seven-hour day.
How does the border crossing from Turkey into Georgia work?
The Sarpi crossing near Hopa is not mentioned on either Canadian advice page. We have not found an official notice of crossing hours, so hours and rules are confirmed at quoting. If it goes ahead, we would expect guests to walk through with luggage and meet a Georgian vehicle. Border waits are unpredictable, so keep the day flexible.
Do I need a visa?
Canada's pages say Canadians need no tourist visa for up to 90 days in 180 in Turkey, with a passport valid for 150 days from entry, and none for up to 365 days in Georgia, where tourists must present accident and health insurance. Other passports differ. Check the official Turkish and Georgian sources and your own government's advice before booking.
When should I go?
We propose May to October. Sumela and the Black Sea coast are wet most of the year, and the high roads around Erzurum and Kars can close or slow in winter. Ani's hours may differ between seasons, so we check them for your date at quoting.
Is Sumela Monastery open?
Press reports say Sumela reopened on 25 June 2026 after rockfall safety work, with conservation continuing. Published opening hours differ between sources, and some areas may be fenced off. We confirm hours and access for your date at quoting, as published and subject to change.
How does booking work?
Send your preferred dates and party size as an enquiry. The enquiry takes no payment and confirms no booking. We reply with a written quote that sets the price, taxes, inclusions, operator and terms, and nothing is confirmed until you have accepted it. Any price shown before that is indicative only.
Can we travel privately, or add Armenia or Oshki?
Yes to a private trip for your party on dates agreed with us, at a price confirmed in your written quote and subject to availability. Oshki and Ishkhani near Yusufeli, and Armenia, are extensions we can quote on request, not part of the group trip.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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