If you are interested in Soviet history and architecture, Chiatura is waiting for you. Known for its extensive network of Soviet-era cable cars, Soviet-style apartment blocks dominate Chiatura. Visit ghosts of the past in the Cable Car City of Georgia. You arrive in Chiatura at 12:10 and explore mesmerizing Mgvimevi Convent, a working nunnery, and church embedded in the side of a rocky cliff. There are beautiful stone engravings, a glass box displaying three human skulls and other relics, and a small chapel with beautiful frescoes and a wooden iconoclast. It takes around 15 minutes to scale the stairs. After Mgvimevi Convent, you will go to a local place where you will have a delicious lunch. The next place is Katskhi Column. The great church where daring monks climb closer to God. Katskhi Column (Katskhi Pillar) is a more than 40-meter-tall limestone pillar with an Orthodox monastery perched on top, built in the 6th to 8th centuries. And the last destination for this tour is a cable car. You will take a cable car to an old Soviet Pioneer Palace, enjoy the stunning views, and feel the soviet spirit. After exploring all the historical places, you will return to Tbilisi and finish the tour at 21:00.

Armenia, with its distinctive culture, its beautiful rocky mountains and ancient history is a must-see when traveling in the Caucasus region. Discover the beauty of Northern Armenia on this day trip from Tbilisi, with your tour starting at 9:00AM, after which you will head for the border. From here the landscape will begin to change, as you drive through the narrow gorges of the Debed River in between the high rocky mountains. The time seems to stand still in this part of the country, with its typical Soviet cars and huge copper factories built in the middle of the mountains, the scenery is full of bizarre beauty. The tour includes several main sightseeing objects of Northern Armenia, such as the historic Lori region, the fortified monastery of Akhtala, a unique example of wonderfully preserved frescoes from the 11th century and the two UNESCO protected monasteries of Sanahin and Haghpat. The history of the two monasteries in Alaverdi is connected by a legend of father and son and you can see many similarities, but also differences in their architecture. Both places are known for their beautiful architecture and the unique hachkars, as well as the stone crosses, a signature of Armenian art. Before heading back to Tbilisi you can taste authentic Armenian food in a traditional restaurant by the river.

At 8:00AM, your driver and guide will meet you at your hotel/place of residence in Tbilisi. From here you will drive to the Katskhi pillar. Stunning and mysterious, this 40-meter high natural limestone monolith towers over the gorge of the Karshuna River. On top of the pillar, there is a monastery and reconstructed 8th-century church most likely built by the Stylite. There is only one inhabitant, monk Maxime who has been living in the monastery for over 25 years in solitude and silence. You will then continue onward to Chiatura, an industrial town founded in the late 1800s. In Soviet Georgia, the town was a center of manganese mining. Present Chiatura attracts visitors who are interested in Soviet time left-overs and remnants. To grasp a true feeling of the past, you can ride a communism-era cable car still used by the locals as a means of transport. This transport system has a dozen operating ropeway lines for passengers and two cargo lines for transporting manganese. The total length of the cableway exceeds 6,000 meters. Located between steep valleys and deep gorges Chiatura will leave an unforgettable impression on anyone visiting this off-the-beaten-track Georgian destination. At the conclusion of your day, you will be driven back to Tbilisi before being dropped off at your hotel/place of residence.

Meet your guide either at your hotel or a central location that is convenient for you and embark on your walking tour. Head to the Ministry of Highways of the Georgian SSR, which is a unique monument of Brutalist architecture. Then visit Georgian Stonehenge, a giant monumental building on the shores of the Tbilisi Sea. The Nutsubidze skybridge was built in the last century. What is its uniqueness? The three apartment blocks are connected by a bridge that goes through them. From the sky bridge, you can also see a nice view of the residential parts of Tbilisi. Then visit the so-called suicide bridge. The bridge is located above the river Vera and City Hall tries to decorate it but the story does not change. You will have the opportunity to ride in the old cable car. Next, explore the Former Museum of Archeology and its underground, which is now an abandoned building.

Discover the most striking examples of Socialist architecture, visit some fascinating museums off the touristic path and see how Soviet heritage is still a part of city´s infrastructure and modern life. Tbilisi still has a large number of Soviet buildings, residential and governmental, that are spread throughout the city, away from the touristic historical center. You will see some stunning examples of refurbished concrete giants, as well as decaying Brutalism, among them the former Ministry of Roads, the Skybridge houses, the Chronicle of Georgia monument and many more hidden gems. Two private museums, that are usually overseen by tourists, are waiting for you with their thrilling collections that make you feel like time-traveling. This tour is perfect for urbex lovers, photographers, modern history fans and anyone who wants to see a different, non-touristic part of Tbilisi.

Escape the crowds and visit the oldest city of Georgia, Mtskheta, which used to be the capital in the early Georgian Kingdom of Iberia from the 3rd-century BC to the 5th-century BC. Enjoy panoramic aerial views of the mountains around the Jvari Monastery, which was Georgian Orthodox in the 6th-century. The name translates as the Monastery of the Cross. It represents the peak of architectural typology as a true masterpiece of the early Medi period. It overlooks the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers from the top of the hill.  Journey back to the early centuries at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Samtavro Church. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was built in the 11th-century but the site itself is even older, dating back to the early 4th-century. It differs in artistic value and the special role that it has played in history. The monument has an elongated cross which appears to touch the sky. It was the main pilgrimage place on the Silk Road, the burial place of the Christ"s Robe, and the tomb of Georgian Kings. The cathedral is the second largest church building in Georgia and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Samtavro monastery complex was built in the 11th-century. It contains the graves of queen Nana and Mirian III King of Iberia, who established Christianity as an official religion in Georgia. The famous Georgian monk Gabrieli is also buried inside the Samtavro church. Complete your tour of Mtskheta with a Georgian wine degustation. In Gori-Uplistsikhe, visit several sites from different periods of Georgian history, including Uplistsikhe cave town, Joseph Stalin’s home museum, and Gori fortress. Uplistsikhe, translated to Fortress of the Lord, is a cave town fortress situated on a rocky massif on the bank of the river Mtkvari. Dating back to the first and second millennium BC, Uplistsikhe was an important religious, political, and cultural center in the Hellenistic and the late Antique periods. Take a walk among the ancient streets, rock-carved theatre, royal halls, pharmacy, pagan temples, and Christian churches, while the remains of granaries and large clay wine vessels give clues as to the daily life of the inhabitants.  Continue to the Joseph Stalin Museum in Gori. Stalin was originally Georgian and the secretary general of the Communist Party during the second world war. He is one of the most influential dictators of modern times. The museum features Stalin’s home, a hut where he was born, his armour plated railway carriage, and a statue that controversially stood in the main square of Gori until 2010. In addition, see many items owned by Stalin, including some of his office furniture, his personal belongings, and gifts given to him over the years. Gori Fortress is a medi citadel in Georgia. It stands above the city of Gori on a rocky hill. Archaeological evidence shows that the area was already inhabited in the final centuries BC. The fortress controlled major strategic and economic routes and accommodated a large garrison.

See the other side of Georgia on this full–day trip to Chiatura. Take the alternative route away from the touristic places, leading into the region of Imereti, through Sachkhere, which is famous for its mines. Chiatura was once the world leader in manganese and the Soviets believed in the bright future of the industrial town - they created a large system of cable cars to connect the mine mountains with the residential areas. Even now, when most mines are closed and people are leaving the town, it holds the world record in the highest number of ropeways for public transportation. Take a ride in one of the so-called iron coffins, as the locals name the cable cars; see the abandoned houses, the splendid theater with a dedication to Stalin and the severe beauty of a hidden monastery in the cliff.

The day begins with pickup from your accommodation in Tbilisi and heads to the first stop of the tour, Bodbe. Upon arrival, visit Bodbe Nunnery, where Saint Nino was buried in the 4th century. From your guide, learn about Saint Nino, who converted Georgian religion to Christianity. Explore this historic location, which is one of the country’s most religious places, and where Georgian’s come for pilgrimage and forgiveness. Continue the tour onto Sighnaghi, also known as the City of Love. Famous for its wedding house where you can get married 24/7, Sighnaghi is bursting with romantic stories and a unique history. The city is also well-known for its Great Wall, which you can learn about from your guide. Before beginning the return journey to Tbilisi, take a moment to admire the view of the impressive Caucasus Mountain Range and snap photos for your vacation album.

In Gori-Uplistsikhe, visit several sites from different periods of Georgian history, including Uplistsikhe cave town, Joseph Stalin’s home museum, and Gori fortress. Uplistsikhe, translated to Fortress of the Lord, is a cave town fortress situated on a rocky massif on the bank of the river Mtkvari. Dating back to the first and second millennium BC, Uplistsikhe was an important religious, political, and cultural center in the Hellenistic and the late Antique periods. Take a walk among the ancient streets, rock-carved theatre, royal halls, pharmacy, pagan temples, and Christian churches, while the remains of granaries and large clay wine vessels give clues as to the daily life of the inhabitants.  Continue to the Joseph Stalin Museum in Gori. Stalin was originally Georgian and the secretary general of the Communist Party during the second world war. He is one of the most influential dictators of modern times. The museum features Stalin’s home, a hut where he was born, his armour plated railway carriage, and a statue that controversially stood in the main square of Gori until 2010. In addition, see many items owned by Stalin, including some of his office furniture, his personal belongings, and gifts given to him over the years. Gori Fortress is a medi citadel in Georgia. It stands above the city of Gori on a rocky hill. Archaeological evidence shows that the area was already inhabited in the final centuries BC. The fortress controlled major strategic and economic routes and accommodated a large garrison.