The eastern region of Kakheti is Georgia’s premier wine-producing area. Almost everywhere you go, you’ll be invited to drink a glass of traditional qvevri brew, and it’s easy to find yourself wandering around in a semipermanent mellow haze.

From 1466 to 1672, Gremi was the capital of Kakheti, but the town down to the west of the citadel was totally devastated by Shah Abbas in 1616. Within the citadel, the Church of the Archangels was built in 1565 by King Levan (who is buried inside) and contains frescoes from 1577.

At 50m tall, Alaverdi Cathedral remained the tallest church in Georgia for nearly a millennium. Situated 20km northwest of Telavi, its exterior is classically proportioned with majestic rounded arches but minimal decoration.

Prince Alexander Chavchavadze (1786–1846) was one of the most colourful and influential characters in Georgian history, and the palace and gardens he created at Tsinandali are a don't-miss stop on any Kakheti tour.

Discover the best attractions in Kakheti including Chavchavadze Estate, Alaverdi Cathedral, and Sighnaghi Museum.

Sighnaghi is perhaps Georgia's single most attractive town, with an amazing position perched on a lofty hilltop facing the snowcapped Caucasus looming in the distance across the vast Alazani valley.

Nekresi’s tiny first church (one of the earliest in Georgia, dating from the 4th century) stands in the centre of the complex. Beside it stands a 9th-century bishop’s palace, complete with a wine cellar and a 16th-century tower.

Kakheti Login Save This interesting smallish winery produces wines of numerous appellations under the Shumi and Iberiuli labels, and has a vineyard of 432 vine varieties, along with a museum housing some astonishingly old wine-related objects.

This remote, 244-sq-km nature reserve climbs to heights of over 3000m in the Caucasus above the small town of Lagodekhi in eastern Kakheti near the Azerbaijan border. The reserve features deep river valleys, alpine lakes and some of Georgia’s best-preserved forests, and is home to several hundred East Caucasian tur, red and roe deer and ...

Kakheti Login Save This monastery, beautifully situated in a cypress grove, was one of two famous medieval Georgian Neoplatonist academies, the other being Gelati near Kutaisi.