Racha Wine and Mountain Cuisine
Four days around Shaori, Khvanchkara, Ambrolauri and Utsera.
- days
- 4 / 3 nights
- Total distance
- 560 km
- Total driving
- 11:40
- Car needed
- Crossover / SUV
- Season
- May–October
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Click a marker for details. Coloured lines are ready-made road trips.
A slow route linking Racha wine, mountain cooking, churches and mineral springs.
Day-by-day plan
Day 1: Nakerala → Shaori → Nikortsminda. Day 2: Khvanchkara → Ambrolauri. Day 3: Barakoni → Oni. Day 4: Utsera → return.
Stops on this route
Nakerala Pass
A pass above 1,200 metres between Tkibuli and Racha, with a limestone wall and two valleys in view.
1 hNikortsminda Cathedral
An 11th-century cathedral covered in exceptional stone carving, with late medieval frescoes inside.
1 hKhvanchkara Wine Zone
The narrow right-bank vineyards between Tola and Sadmeli, where Georgia's best-known naturally semi-sweet red wine is made.
3 hAmbrolauri
Georgia's smallest regional capital, on both banks of the Rioni — the practical base for Racha and the edge of the Khvanchkara wine zone.
2 hBarakoni Church
A domed church of 1753 at Tsesi, above the meeting of the Lukhuni and the Rioni — the last great work of medieval Georgian architecture.
1 hOni Synagogue
An 1895 synagogue in Oni's old Jewish quarter — among the largest in Georgia, and still in use.
1 hUtsera Mineral Springs
A village and small mineral-water spa in the Rioni valley between Oni and Shovi, just above 1,000 metres.
1.5 hTips
- Reserve tastings ahead.
- Avoid driving after dark.
Booking and enquiries
Send a booking request here. An administrator confirms it after availability is checked and the required payment is completed.