Georgia · Kakheti
Telavi
The capital of Georgian wine country, with qvevri cellars, royal fortresses and the Caucasus on the skyline.
Telavi is the old royal town and main base of Kakheti, Georgia's wine heartland. It sits on a ridge over the Alazani Valley, with the Greater Caucasus rising on the far side. Georgians have made wine here for thousands of years in clay qvevri buried in the ground. The town has King Erekle II's fortress and a giant old plane tree, and it makes an easy base for the region's monasteries, headed by the soaring cathedral at Alaverdi.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
Georgian
Currency
GEL
Timezone
UTC+4
Why you'll love Telavi
Qvevri wine family cellars pour amber and red wines fermented in buried clay jars, a method on UNESCO's heritage list
Monasteries Alaverdi, Ikalto, Nekresi and the Gremi citadel lie scattered across the valley within an easy drive
The view the Alazani Valley runs flat and green below town, backed by a wall of Caucasus peaks
Supra culture long feasts of khinkali, mtsvadi and shoti bread, steered by a tamada's toasts
Best time to visit
Apr, Jun-Oct
18-30° days
41.920° N, 45.470° E
UTC+4 · Asia/Tbilisi
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Weather & when to go to Telavi
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Apr, Jun-Oct
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Telavi
January is the month to skip: cold, grey and quiet, with snow sometimes slowing the Gombori Pass road from Tbilisi. May is greener but wetter than the months either side. The grape harvest, rtveli, runs through September and October, the valley's busiest and most rewarding season.
Top things to do in Telavi
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Kakhetian wineries - qvevri tastings in the Alazani Valley
food 👍 PopularKakheti grows most of Georgia's grapes, chiefly Saperavi for deep reds and Rkatsiteli for amber wines left on their skins in qvevri. Tastings range from family marani cellars in the villages around Telavi to big estates, and a hired driver can link several in a day.
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Alaverdi Cathedral - the tall 11th-century church of the valley
history culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedRising alone from the vineyards north of Telavi, Alaverdi's cathedral was for centuries the tallest church in Georgia. The monastery was founded by one of the Assyrian Fathers who spread monasticism here in the 6th century, and its monks still make wine. Modest dress is expected.
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Batonis Tsikhe - King Erekle II's fortress and palace
history 👍 PopularThe walled compound in the centre of Telavi was the seat of the Kakhetian kings, and holds the modest palace of Erekle II, who was born and died in the town. Inside are a small museum and gallery, and his equestrian statue stands outside the walls.
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The Giant Plane Tree - Telavi's ancient chinar
scenicA huge oriental plane tree, said to be around 900 years old, spreads over a small square near the centre. It is a quick stop, but a good place to start a walk through the old town and its viewpoints over the valley.
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Ikalto Monastery - the medieval academy
historyJust outside Telavi, this 6th-century monastery later housed one of Georgia's great medieval academies, where tradition says the poet Shota Rustaveli studied. The ruined academy walls stand beside the churches, along with old qvevri from the monks' winery.
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Tsinandali - the Chavchavadze estate and gardens
history culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedThe country house of the Chavchavadze princes, a few kilometres east of Telavi, is a museum of 19th-century aristocratic life set in landscaped English-style gardens. Its old wine cellar keeps bottles dating back to the estate's early vintages.
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Shuamta monasteries - forest churches on the Gombori road
history scenicUp in the wooded hills west of town, Old Shuamta keeps three early churches in a quiet clearing, while New Shuamta is a working convent a short way below. Both are easy to stop at on the road to or from Tbilisi.
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Kakhetian supra - khinkali, mtsvadi and churchkhela
food 👍 PopularEat at a guesthouse table if you can, where dinner turns into a supra of bread from the tone oven, grilled mtsvadi, khinkali dumplings and homemade wine. Look for churchkhela, walnuts strung and dipped in thickened grape must, sold at the town market.
Best areas to stay in Telavi
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Telavi old town
First-time visitors $Hilltop royal town with valley views
Explore hotels in Telavi old town →
Kvareli
Wine lovers $$Wine town under the Caucasus
Explore hotels in Kvareli →
Sighnaghi
Couples $$Walled hill town, polished and romantic
Explore hotels in Sighnaghi →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Telavi
Getting to & around Telavi
Getting there
Fly into Tbilisi, then about 2 hours by road over the Gombori Pass
Flight
Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)
From Tbilisi airport, most visitors take a taxi or pre-booked driver east over the Gombori Pass, about 2 hours. The longer route round via Sagarejo takes over when snow slows the pass.
Coach
Telavi bus station
Marshrutka minibuses run frequently from Tbilisi's eastern bus stations, with shared taxis as a quicker option
Getting around
Walking
The old centre, fortress and market are compact enough to walk, though the streets climb
Free
Private driver
The usual way to see the monasteries and wineries; guesthouses and taxi drivers arrange day routes
TBC
Marshrutka
Minibuses link Telavi with Kvareli, Alaverdi, Sighnaghi and valley villages, though services thin out in the afternoon
TBC
Day trips from Telavi
Gremi and Nekresi
Full dayCitadel and hilltop monastery
Gremi's brick citadel and Church of the Archangels are what remains of Kakheti's 16th-century royal capital. Nearby, Nekresi monastery sits high on a forested slope above the valley. Add a Kvareli winery to round out the day.
Getting there
car | tour
About 30-45 min northeast by car or tour
Sighnaghi
Full dayWalled hill town
A restored 18th-century town ringed by long defensive walls and towers, with sweeping views over the Alazani Valley. Pair it with Bodbe Monastery just below, burial place of St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia.
Getting there
car | bus
About 1-1.5 hr south by car or marshrutka
Alaverdi and Ikalto
Half dayMonastery circuit
Two of Kakheti's great monasteries close to town: Alaverdi's tall cathedral out among the vineyards and the medieval academy ruins at Ikalto. Easy to combine with a winery tasting on the way back.
Getting there
car | tour
About 20-30 min by car or tour
Tsinandali
Half dayAristocratic wine estate
The Chavchavadze family estate, with its house museum, historic cellar and shaded gardens, is the closest of the big sights to Telavi and pairs well with a wine lunch in the villages nearby.
Getting there
car
About 15-20 min east by car
A little history of Telavi
Telavi is one of eastern Georgia's oldest towns, and the Alazani Valley around it has been making wine for thousands of years. Monks arriving in the 6th century founded Alaverdi and Ikalto, and in the Middle Ages the valley became a centre of Georgian church learning.
Kakheti became its own kingdom in the 15th century, ruled from Gremi until Persian invasions under Shah Abbas laid the valley waste in the early 1600s. Telavi then became the royal seat. Erekle II, born here, united Kakheti with Kartli and in 1783 placed his kingdom under Russian protection. Russia annexed eastern Georgia in 1801, and Kakheti's noble estates, Tsinandali above all, helped shape the region's modern wine industry.
Assyrian monks found Alaverdi and Ikalto monasteries
Alaverdi Cathedral built, for centuries Georgia's tallest church
Kakheti becomes a separate kingdom, with Gremi as its capital
Shah Abbas's invasions devastate Kakheti and ruin Gremi
Erekle II born in Telavi
Erekle II unites Kartli and Kakheti, ruling from Tbilisi and Telavi
Treaty of Georgievsk places the kingdom under Russian protection
Russia annexes the eastern Georgian kingdom
Qvevri winemaking added to UNESCO's intangible heritage list
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Limited
Wifi
Workable
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+995
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
FAQs about Telavi
▸ When is the best time to visit Telavi?
April and June to October bring the best weather, with warm to hot summer days. September and October are special because the rtveli grape harvest is under way and cellars are at their busiest. May is lush but wetter, and January is cold, grey and quiet.
▸ Is Telavi or Sighnaghi the better base for Kakheti?
Telavi is more central for the monasteries of the northern valley, Gremi and the Kvareli wineries, and feels like an everyday Georgian town. Sighnaghi is prettier and more polished, and closer to Bodbe and the southern end of the valley. Many people stay a night in each.
▸ What is qvevri wine?
Qvevri are large egg-shaped clay jars buried in the ground, where grapes ferment and age, often with their skins, stems and seeds. White grapes made this way turn amber and gain tannin. It is Georgia's ancient method and is widely offered at Kakheti cellars.
▸ Do I need a car in Kakheti?
Not necessarily, but the sights are spread across the valley and public minibuses are infrequent to the monasteries. Most visitors hire a local driver for a day or join a winery tour from Telavi, which also means nobody has to drive after the tastings.
▸ Can I reach Tusheti from Telavi?
Tusheti's only road climbs the Abano Pass from the valley near Telavi, and it is a rough, 4x4-only track open only in the summer months, weather permitting. It is a multi-day trip rather than a day out, best arranged with a local driver.
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