EL CAMINO SMALL GROUP TRIP
Georgia
Come along as we dive deep into the rich and surprising culture of Georgia, a living, breathing point of origin for two continents.
Day 1
Arrive: Mogesalmebit! Welcome to Georgia! Touch down in Tbilisi, where east meets west. Get swept away to your home base for the next few nights. At every turn, your eye finds something new from Roman, Byzantium, Persian, Ottoman, Russian, and hyper-modern architecture. Breathe in the smells of fresh almonds, cheesy bread, chocolate, dumplings, grapes, hazelnuts, and walnuts wafting through the air as snacks abound and colorful orange wines are poured into glasses.
From its peaks, this mountain town serves as an intriguing gateway to the silk road. Markets built on bridges, gastronomic food halls, and up-and-coming designers are at your fingertips. From Tbilisi, we will venture to church-capped mountain tops and the wine-filled valleys below. For now, explore at will, tapping into the Eat, Play, Shop guide that we prepared for you. Or relax at the hotel, enjoying the gardens, rooftop, and extensive wine cellar.
Evening: There’s only one thing to do on our first night in Georgia—supra! We’ll be heading about forty minutes outside the city to a country home and winery where a supra (feast) will be prepared. Most notably, you'll have the chance to get involved in a very important tradition. Like many places, you can expect a lot of delicious, homemade food, but it's the role of the tamada (or toastmaster) that makes feasting in Georgia unique. This role is taken seriously—the tamada is responsible for being good-humored, intelligent, and witty while honoring the guests’ past, present, and future. Usually, this honor is relegated to one individual, but tonight everyone will wine, dine, and experience the job of a tamada.
Meals included: Dinner
Day 2
Morning: Enjoy a leisurely morning and breakfast at the hotel before heading out to our favorite flea market—offering everything from antiques, art nouveau, and art deco to Bohemian crystal and Soviet-era x-rays. There’s so much to see that it’s often referred to as a museum. As you cruise through the market, keep an eye out for Khachapuri samples (Georgian cheese bread).
Afternoon: Wander freely through the markets, or check out local Georgian food halls and indulge in as many tasty treats as you want for lunch.
Regroup after lunch for a private tour of some of Georgia’s up-and-coming fashion designer’s studios. Traditional silk textiles meet modern, architectural design, bold color blocking, and eye-catching prints. Some items will look familiar, even reminiscent of the 70s and 80s as Georgia copes with being denied cultural expression under Soviet rule during those eras while pushing forward into the future. We’ll visit two designers, but your local hosts and ECT resources will highlight many, many more to visit in your spare time that are now getting some notoriety in cities like Barcelona and London.
Evening: Tonight, we begin to explore the regional differences of Georgian food by visiting a pioneering female chef who is turning traditional, rustic Georgian food into something modern and chic. Dishes like their chicken in cherry sauce and lamb risotto are the type of things you can expect to find but don't worry, there’s plenty of vegetarian options too.
Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 3
Morning: Today is a big day! Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before we head out to the heart of Georgian wine country. Our first stop will be at one of Georgia’s (and maybe the world’s) last silk producers and weavers, who uses the ancient technique of growing silk from silkworms and weaving it by hand. Georgian silk was once as valuable as gold, and although thin, is very strong. Thanks to our local host's skill and dedication to carry on the centuries-old practice of silk raising, the tradition lives on. Lunch is nearby, overlooking the Caucasus Mountains and vineyards, and made from freshly foraged ingredients. Prepared by a husband and wife duo, the meal represents a reemergence of centuries-old local and endemic recipes after decades of Soviet attempts to “standardize” Georgian food. This couple is taking back ownership of traditional Georgian cuisine, and we’re incredibly lucky to get to indulge in daily surprises they stir up.
Afternoon: Wander narrow, cobblestone streets lined with pastel-colored cottages and local markets. At every turn, mountain views will peek over the roofs of the quaint village with major Tuscany vibes. Eventually (there's really no rushing in such a charming atmosphere), we’ll make our way to a local spot for a light tasting menu paired with sparkling wine and coffee before we head back to Tbilisi.
Evening: The evening is yours to explore as you wish. The Persian-style bathhouses in the Abanotubani neighborhood (which are built over natural sulfuric springs) are a great choice to relax after long days. Tap your resource guide for inspiration and details on our favorite bathhouse.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Snacks and Drinks
Day 4
Morning: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before embarking on our next adventure. Buckle up and get ready for spectacular views as we drive north to the Georgian wilderness, dotted with ancient castles, fortresses, and monasteries. Among the preserved ruins are drinkable mineral springs and two rivers of distinct colors that merge. Watch in awe how the colors never combine. We’ll rise to the peaks of the mountains to visit a still-active Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church built in the 1300s with panoramic views of the Caucuses (NOTE: Women should bring a scarf as the church requires a head-covering).
Afternoon: After exploring the wilderness, there’s no doubt that you’ll be hungry. We’ll meet up with a group of local women to prepare and more importantly—eat—Khinkali (or Georgian soup dumplings). It’s hotly debated whether or not the Mongols brought the dumpling or if the Georgians always had it. Larger, with slightly thicker skin than typical Chinese-style dumplings, they are filled with ground beef or pork with broth. They are then boiled instead of steamed and served with plenty of pepper. They’re the perfect snack or meal in the mountains.
Evening: After returning to Tbilisi, the rest of the afternoon and evening are yours. Don't forget to tap into your local resource guide for inspiration.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 5
Morning: Check out of our hotel for the next leg of the adventure. Today, we’re headed west to the countryside for culture, relaxation, and—of course—more wine. We’ll arrive at the rocky cliffs of one of Georgia’s most beautiful monasteries, overlooking the red-roofed, cobblestoned town of Mtskheta that sits at the confluence of two gently flowing rivers, surrounded by mountains. The monastery is a UNESCO world heritage site, built around the year 600, and is virtually unchanged from its original construction. Even more unique (though certainly on-brand for today and our Georgia trip in general!) is that the site is sacred due to the miracles and work of Saint Nino, one of the few female Saints.
Afternoon: We'll continue our exploration of regional Georgian flavors by expanding to central Georgian food, visiting a local vineyard owned by a husband and wife power duo who are involved in the revitalization of the Georgian wine scene. Our host has been one of the primary leaders in reestablishing traditional Georgian wine production in the wake of Soviet occupation, using qvevri—a giant terracotta pot used in the fermentation process. When we say giant, we mean giant. These pots usually hold about 800 liters (211 gallons) of wine. Our other host for the day, runs the seasonally-changing kitchen and is a renowned wine-maker herself, launching Georgia’s first woman-owned wine label, opening the door for countless Georgian women to move into a space traditionally dominated by men. The food, and indeed the wine, is just as incredible as our hosts.
This afternoon features all-things ancient... like 8,000-years-old ancient. We'll head to a cave city built around 1,000 BC that was inhabited until the late Medieval period. It served as a city, trading post, and fortress for refugees. Temples dedicated to a sun goddess stand next to early Christian churches in these cliff-clinging tunnels, offering a unique glimpse into ancient life. From there, we visit one of the few remaining qvevri makers in Georgia. Since the Soviet occupation, many wine-makers have moved toward more automated, standardized processes. It can be hard to find suitable vessels for those that cling to the old ways, which are making a resurgence. Fortunately, there are still some people that make these giant pots as they used to 8000 years ago.
Evening: Check into our new hotel in the town of Kutaisi, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Get oriented among the winding gardens, stone, and tree-lined streets. Listen carefully to the Rioni river as it roars in the spring from the melting winter, and wander the paths of the surrounding forests. The evening is yours.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 6
Morning: Have breakfast at the hotel before we head out to support outstanding female entrepreneurs and wine-makers. Our first stop will explore the wine cellars of a notable Georgian author, literary critic, and one of few female winemakers in Georgia. If that wasn’t enough, her entrepreneurial spirit has persuaded her to pursue food anthropology, writing a food ethnography to preserve local, Megrelian food. Megrelian is a regional & cultural identity, cuisine, and language that has been labeled by UNESCO as endangered. The food ethnography has led to a top-notch Megrelian restaurant that utilized lots of spices like coriander, mint, peppers, and walnuts.
Afternoon: We'll continue toasting to the women of Georgia and good wine by visiting another woman-owned winery. Our next entrepreneur is an active member of the fledgling feminist movement in Georgia, growing and producing wine with only local varieties of grapes.
Evening: The evening is yours to do as you please. Remember to tap into your local resources guide for inspiration and suggestions.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 7
Morning: Venturing further west, we enter the lesser-known, warm, subtropical area of Guria near the Black Sea. Once the fourth-largest producer of tea in the world, the collapse of the Soviet Union caused the region to enter an economic crisis for a prolonged period of time. Now, thanks to a few traditionalist tea producers and another Georgian female entrepreneur, tea is making a comeback. We’ll be soaking up the warmer weather and the prevailing scents of black and green teas, among others, as we make our way to a tea plantation (owned by the female entrepreneur mentioned above) for a tasting of some of the highest quality varieties of tea around the world, accompanied by lunch.
Afternoon: Guria gives us the chance to experience more regional differences within Georgia. Due to its warmer, humid climate, Guria has a distinct architectural style and another difference to not is how they bury their qvevri underground when making wine. Everywhere you look, you’ll see the tops of the terracotta pots peeking out from the ground. The way they grow the grapevines is also quite unique, allowing the vines to grow over other trees. After lunch, we’ll visit a local Gurian house and winery to explore the subtle differences.
Evening: After returning to Kutaisi, the evening is yours. We've got you covered with recommendations for what to do and where to eat.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 8
Morning: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before we begin to make our way back to Tbilisi. We’ll first pass by a cathedral extensively reconstructed and preserved by revered Italian architect, Andrea Bruno. Despite receiving the Domus International Prize for Restoration and Conservation, UNESCO removed the cathedral from its list of World Heritage Sites in 2017 due to concerns over the “authenticity” of the site because of the measures taken by Bruno and the Georgian government to restore the deteriorating monument.
Afternoon: Along the way back to Tbilisi, we’ll be stopping at a country home featuring a stunning courtyard for lunch. Once we're back in the city, the rest of the afternoon is yours to explore or revisit some of your favorite shops to fill those extra suitcases.
Evening: Just a couple blocks away from the hotel, one of Tbilisi’s best restaurants will be hosting our farewell dinner with a beautiful selection of Georgian dishes, featuring tapas and wines. Save some room in your suitcase because they sell hand-crafted ceramics and wines to round out your supplies.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 9
Morning: Say your goodbyes over breakfast before heading to the airport. Leave Georgia inspired by the spirit of Georgia's cultural reclamation experienced over the last few days, and return home feeling renewed by the rugged landscapes and steadfast people found in this wondrous place.
Meals Included: Breakfast