Tripster Georgia — Travel agency

I took a wine tour to Kakheti in June, and it was quite disappointing. I can't recommend it.

On the positive side, the driver was very safe, we were always informed about our schedule, and we returned to Tbilisi on time. The bread we bought was delicious.

However, the experience didn't match what was promised. The tour started off chaotically, with no clear information for the first 15 minutes, leaving us unsure if we were with the right group.

Even though the tour was advertised in both English and Russian, the guide, Georgi, focused mainly on the Russian-speaking guests. He spoke in Russian first and provided more detailed information to them. When they asked questions, there were no translations for us, and we were told to ask for information ourselves. I expected to learn about the region during a guided tour without having to dig for information.

At one point, the guide promised to repeat something in English on the way back but claimed he had already explained it, which left me in the dark.

I was especially let down by the lack of educational content. There were hardly any details about Georgian wine culture, winemaking history, grape varieties, or the significance of Kakheti as a wine region. The tour was supposed to offer an authentic introduction and visits to traditional wineries and local producers, but that wasn't the case. One "winery" felt more like a restaurant with a wine cellar, and it was unclear where the wines were sourced.

The tour description mentioned tasting traditional cheese, bread, wine, and chacha, but the cheese portions were so small that you barely got any unless you pushed to the front, which was uncomfortable. The atmosphere at several stops felt overcrowded and very touristy.

The wine tastings included three wines at the first stop and about seven wines plus two chachas at the second stop. While taste is subjective, I found several of the wines disappointing, especially since I've had excellent Georgian wines before. Other participants seemed to share my sentiments.

Overall, this felt more like a tourist trap than the authentic experience that was described. I would have happily paid more for a smaller group and a more informative experience.

What frustrates me the most is that I feel I wasted a whole day of my vacation on something that didn't live up to expectations. I can't recommend this tour.

🇬🇧 This was an outstanding excursion and definitely one of the best parts of my trip to Georgia. The itinerary was well-planned, covering the Zhinvali Reservoir, Ananuri Fortress, the viewpoint of the Aragvi rivers, Gudauri Panorama, the travertine springs, and the stunning Gergeti Trinity Church near Kazbegi. The scenery throughout the day was truly breathtaking.A big thank you to our guide, Nino, who was exceptional. She was friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and always attentive to the group. Her insights made each stop more engaging and enjoyable. She played a key role in making this an unforgettable experience. Highly recommended.🇪🇸 Esta fue una excursión excelente y sin duda una de las mejores partes de mi viaje a Georgia. El recorrido estuvo muy bien organizado e incluyó el embalse de Zhinvali, la fortaleza de Ananuri, el mirador de los ríos Aragvi, el panorama de Gudauri, los travertinos y la impresionante Iglesia de la Trinidad de Guergueti, cerca de Kazbegi. Los paisajes durante todo el día fueron realmente impresionantes.Un agradecimiento especial a nuestra guía, Nino, que fue excepcional. Era amable, profesional, conocedora y siempre atenta al grupo. Sus explicaciones hicieron que cada parada fuera más interesante y agradable. Sin duda, ayudó a que esta experiencia fuera inolvidable. Totalmente recomendable.

Rent a car instead of going with them. I don't understand the positive reviews. They were extremely disorganized at the meeting point. When I asked the guide, "George," if I was with him, he didn't respond. Eventually, he pointed to another guy who, for some reason, asked me where I was from to guess my country code and check a list on WhatsApp! They got upset when I questioned this ridiculous method. Of course, he couldn't find my number in the chaotic list of unnamed numbers! They ruined our day from the start. On the bus, the guide switched personalities, trying to be nice and asking again where I was from. When I mentioned that he and his colleagues were rude, he lied about it and, when confronted, said, “There are 1000 people on this tour; I won't answer every question,” and “Not my problem someone broke your heart.” So unprofessional and definitely not recommended. The tour itself was mediocre. On a 10+ hour trip, we only got 30 minutes at each stop, plus unnecessary tourist traps disguised as “honey & wine tasting.” The 4x4s were just old vans… just another way to collect extra Laris.

I booked a VIP Wine and Spa experience in Tbilisi. The location was nice, but the experience fell short of what I expected. We were met at the I ❤️Tbilisi sign and given a bottle of wine, but then I found myself walking down the street carrying it. There was nothing in the room—no wine glasses or fruit platter, just a room and some towels. For the $350 we paid for this supposed elevated experience, it felt like just booking a regular room. I mentioned my disappointment to my contact on WhatsApp. When I tried to leave a review on Get Your Guide, I noticed a 5-star rating already there, which was surprising. You can find similar experiences for much less.

Excursion fantastique à Kazbegi avec un passage par Ananuri, Gudauri et Gergeti. Nino est très professionnel et amusant, ses anecdotes sont captivantes ! Le bus était propre, confortable et le chauffeur conduisait très bien. Merci beaucoup 😁

The trip to Kazbegi was fantastic, but Nino as our guide made it even more amazing!

It was a wonderful day, and the guides were very friendly.

It was nice.