🍷 One-Day Kakheti Wine Route: From Sagarejo to Sighnaghi Without an Overnight Stay

Kakheti is usually recommended for two or three days, but a wine day from Tbilisi is perfectly realistic if you choose the right road. The first stop is very close to the capital: the monastery complex in Ninotsminda near Sagarejo, where the ruins of a 6th-century cathedral and a tall bell tower still stand. Further along the highway come the wine village of Manavi, bread-baking Badiauri, a wine museum in Velistsikhe, a double-domed church in Gurjaani, Bodbe Monastery and, finally, Sighnaghi. Below we lay out the route hour by hour, tell you where to taste wine and how to get around, so that you are back in Tbilisi by evening.

🍇 What to See in Sagarejo on the Way to Kakheti

Sagarejo, a small district centre, is usually driven through without a glance. That is a mistake: this is where wine country begins, and a couple of stops around the town set the tone for the whole day.

The main one is the village of Ninotsminda. The cathedral was built around 575 AD, and for its time it was very bold: four apses around a dome. Earthquakes in 1824 and 1848 brought it down, and today only the eastern apse and part of a wall remain. What survived well is the brick 16th-century bell tower, built under the Kakhetian king Levan; its lower floors once served as living quarters. The complex is active again: it houses a convent and restoration work is under way. Dress as you would for any church: shoulders and knees covered, and women need a headscarf.

If you have an extra half hour, look into the town itself. The Cathedral of the Assumption stands in the centre, and the medieval Kvlividzeanta Tower is visible nearby. Those who like local history will enjoy the Sagarejo Historical Museum with finds from the surrounding villages.

🍷 Wineries in Sagarejo and Manavi: Where to Taste Wine Near Tbilisi

The village of Manavi, twenty minutes from Sagarejo, is known among wine lovers for its white wine. Manavis Mtsvane is made from the local Mtsvane Kakhuri grape, and Manavi is on the list of protected designations of origin for Georgian wine. The wine is fresh, with fruity acidity, and after a glass it is easy to see why Kakhetians take such pride in their whites, not only in Saperavi.

In the village and around it there are several family maranis and one large winery with a restaurant and a swimming pool. Most receive guests by prior arrangement, so call the day before. There are small maranis in Ninotsminda itself too: they will show you the wine press and a qvevri buried in the ground, and pour the wine straight from a jug. Before tasting, it is worth walking up to the Church of the Virgin Mary in Manavi, which stands on a slope above the vineyards.

One important detail: the tasting in Manavi will be the first of the day, and two thirds of the way to Sighnaghi still lie ahead. Taste in small amounts and buy the bottles you like right away, because you will not be coming back to Manavi.

🍞 Badiauri: A Bread Stop on the Kakheti Highway

Between Sagarejo and Gurjaani the highway passes through Badiauri, and it is hard to miss: along the road stand bakeries where shoti bread is baked in a tone, a round clay oven. The bread is sold hot, straight from the oven, and people usually take cheese with it. It is the best snack between two tastings: ten minutes, and you can drive on.

🏺 Velistsikhe and Gurjaani: A Wine Museum and a Church with Two Domes

Velistsikhe is where to set aside the most time. The Numisi Wine and Wine Cellar Museum is a private museum opened in 2010. Its collection holds more than five thousand objects: clay, glass and copper vessels from different eras, 18th-century wine utensils, carpets and items of peasant life. Tastings are held under the vaults of the old marani, you can have lunch there, and you can even join a masterclass in making khinkali or khachapuri. For a one-day route this is convenient: the museum, the wine and lunch in one place.

Ten minutes from here, on the edge of Gurjaani, stands Gurjaani Kvelatsminda, a church of the 8th to 9th century. It is one of very few double-domed churches in Georgia, and even among other Kakhetian churches its silhouette is recognisable at once. A narrow road leads to the church, so tell your driver about it in advance.

🌅 Bodbe and Sighnaghi: How to End a Wine Day

The last stretch leads to Bodbe Monastery, where St. Nino, the enlightener of Georgia, is buried. The monastery stands two kilometres from Sighnaghi, among cypress trees. Not only pilgrims come here: the garden and the viewing terrace are among the most beautiful in Kakheti. A path descends the slope from the monastery to the spring of St. Nino. If you have little energy left after a day on the road, you can skip it.

Arrive in Sighnaghi for sunset. The town is surrounded by an 18th-century fortress wall with towers, and from it you can see the whole valley and the Caucasus range on the horizon. In the evening you can sit on the terrace of one of the wine bars and finish the day with a glass of Saperavi. Sighnaghi, by the way, is the only town on the route where wine shops stay open late, so whatever you did not buy in the morning you can add here.

🚗 How to Do the Route in One Day: With a Driver, by Car or by Marshrutka

The main difficulty of a wine day is simple: someone has to stay sober. So there are essentially three options, and they differ a lot in convenience.

Honestly, on public transport you will get a lighter version of the route in one day. For example, Ninotsminda and Sagarejo in the morning, then a marshrutka on to Sighnaghi and Bodbe, with a tasting in the town itself. Manavi, Velistsikhe and Gurjaani cannot be added on this day without a car.

If you travel as a group of three or four, a driver for the day comes out only slightly more expensive than a marshrutka plus taxis between the villages, and it saves you hours. Agree on the route stop by stop, and check whether the price includes waiting at the winery and the drive back in the evening.

🍇 When to Go on the Kakheti Wine Route: Harvest, Summer and Winter

The best time for a wine day is from mid-September to the end of October, when Kakheti holds its rtveli, the grape harvest. Grapes are pressed in the villages, churchkhela is cooked in the maranis, and some farms invite guests to join the picking. There is one downside: the maranis are busy then, so book your tasting in advance.

In summer the Alazani Valley is hot and the route runs mostly through open country, so leave early and keep water in the car. In spring the orchards bloom, the vineyards are green and there are fewer tourists. In winter the route is possible too, but some family maranis receive guests only by phone call, and it gets dark early: sunset in Sighnaghi moves to around 17:00, so it is best to set off at 8:00.

🏜 David Gareja or the Wine Route: Which to Choose for One Day

Sagarejo stands at a fork in the road. To the north and east lies wine Kakheti, while to the south the road leads to David Gareja, a 6th-century cave monastery complex in a semi-desert. The temptation to combine everything in one day is understandable, but we do not recommend it.

It is about 45 km from Sagarejo to Gareja, the last kilometres run along a steppe road, and the walk to the Udabno caves takes two to three hours in the heat and without shade. Together with the wine route that adds up to more than 12 hours on the road, and there will be neither time nor energy left for wine. It is better to give Gareja one day and wine Kakheti another.

Have you driven this route or tasted wine in Manavi and Velistsikhe? Tell us in the comments which maranis you liked and how much the tasting cost: we update the article from your messages.

Last updated: October 2026. Marshrutka timetables and the cost of transfers and tastings are given as of this date and may change, especially during the rtveli season. Before you set off, check the opening hours of the Numisi museum and the conditions for visiting the monastery in Ninotsminda, where restoration is under way.