Day trip to David Gareja - Bodbe & Signagi

On this day trip you will experience the scenic, architectural and cultural highlights of eastern Georgia. The steppe landscape of David Gareja, the nunnery of Bodbe and the city of love, Signagi.

A trip to the David Gareja (Known as David Gareji) cave monastery is one of the most exciting and unusual experiences during a holiday in Georgia. The monastery complex is located not far from the capital Tbilisi in a lonely steppe landscape on the border with Azerbaijan and marks the easternmost outpost of historical Christianity.

In Bodbe, you will learn about the origins of the Georgian Orthodox Church and visit the nunnery where the tomb of the missionary Nino is located. She was a young woman who Christianised the country in the 4th century.

In Signagi, also known as the ‘City of Love’, you will discover a different Georgia, reminiscent of Tuscany. You will stroll through this romantic town and enjoy the view of the Greater Caucasus.

Highlights:

√ The steppe landscape of David Gareja
√ Visit to the Lavra Monastery
√ Walk to the Rainbow Mountains
√ Bodbe Nunnery
√ City of Love Signagi

Itinerary

We will pick you up from your hotel in Tbilisi at 8.30 am and drive to David Gareja Monastery. It is only 80 kilometres away and we will reach our destination in around two hours. However, today's destination is more of a journey.

After about 30 kilometres of driving, an endless, idyllic, steppe-like landscape begins - a landscape that has nothing to do with the rest of the country. You will have the feeling that you are not in Georgia, but in a completely different country. We will stop several times to capture these wonderful moments with our cameras.

We drive through the ghost town of Udabno, which means ‘desert’. People from the mountainous region of Svaneti have been living there in the most basic of conditions since 1988. A few years ago, enterprising Poles bought an abandoned house here and opened a very interesting restaurant where several locals work and offer guests tasty regional specialties. The restaurant is called ‘Oasis’. If we like, we can take a short coffee break here.

We dedicate the first part of our day trip to the Lawra Monastery. There we visit the main church, which also houses the tombs of the monastery's founder David Gareja and his disciples Dodo and Lukiane.

We then take a trip to the Rainbow Mountains of Georgia. Although the colourful hills of David Gareja cannot be compared with the dimensions of the famous Rainbow Mountains in Peru, they are still spectacular and definitely worth a visit.

After another two-hour drive, you will visit an idyllically situated nunnery in the village of Bodbe. The foundation stone for the convent was laid in the 4th century, but the current church dates back to the 9th century.

St Nino is buried in the Bodbe nunnery. She came from Cappadocia and converted the Georgian royal family to Christianity in the 4th century. She also played a decisive role in the official Christianization of the country in 337.

After visiting the monastery, our day trip continues to Signagi.

Founded in the 18th century, the town is popularly known as the ‘City of Love’.

Below is a list of the reasons why Signagi bears this name and why it is definitely worth travelling there.

1) In the 19th century, the famous Georgian painter Niko Pirosmanishvili (Pirosmani) lived near Signagi. He sold everything he owned to buy a million roses for the love of his life.

2. Any couple can have a civil wedding in Signagi around the clock, provided they have two witnesses.

3) Signagi has a particularly romantic flair and attracts many lovers from all over the world.

However, Signagi not only has something to offer lovers, but also anyone interested in the landscape, architecture, history, wine and the country's flavorsome cuisine. The town of just under 2,500 inhabitants is located in the center of the Kakheti wine-growing region.

After a walk through the town and a visit to the well-preserved town wall, you have around an hour and a half to explore the town on your own or relax in a cozy café.

The day trip to David Gareja, Bodbe and Signagi takes around 9 hours, so you will be back in Tbilisi at around 7 pm.

Total distance for the day: 290 kilometers

Things to take:

√ Wind jacket
√ Long trousers
√ Sun cap, sunglasses, sun cream
√ Closed shoes with good profile
√ Headscarf for the church visit

Included services

√ Transportation
√ English-speaking Guide
√ All entrance fees 

*** Important: Due to the border demarcation between Georgia and Azerbaijan, it is currently not possible to visit the upper part of the monastery - Udabno and the associated caves and fresco paintings. Status 01.09.2025

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