Sighnaghi-Tsinandali-Telavi

10: 00/11: 00 departure from Tbilisi in the direction of Kakheti. You will visit the city of love Sighnaghi, which is surrounded by a protective fence. The city of Sighnaghi is beautiful with its architectural form and excellent views of the Alazani Valley and the Caucasus Mountains. It is also called the city-museum. It is determined by archeological excavations that this area played an important role since the Paleolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Ages. The territory of Sighnaghi district was formerly known as Kambechovani, and later it was called Kiziki. After the recognition of Christianity as the state religion in Georgia, this side acquired great importance. St. Nino was executed and buried here. Sighnaghi is a word of Turkish origin and means shelter. City tour and lunch. After visiting Sighnaghi, drive to Tsinandali village. In Tsinandali you will find Alexander Chavchavadze House-Museum, beautiful garden of Tsinandali and the 19th century unique wine cellar. The Tsinandali Palace belonged to Garsevan Chavchavadze – Ambassador of Georgia in Russia during King Erekle II. The palace was inherited by his only son, Alexander Chavchavadze, the founder of Georgian romanticism, poet and public figure. Chavchavadze Palace in Tsinandali was built in 1886 and is now is a House-Museum of Alexander Chavchavadze. There are preserved personal belongings of Chavchavadze family members. The Tsinandali decorative garden is the first European type recreation zone in Georgia and the park covers 18 hectares. Alexander Chavchavadze brought European landscape architects to build it. It is unique with exotic varieties and planning. You will also meet exotic plants from China, America, Japan, Mediterranean Sea and other countries. There you will see the valley of love in Tsinandali garden. According to legend, if the couple are able to walk in this avenue with closed eyes, their love will be happy. Wine storage of Tsinandali is located on the territory of the park and it is one of the first cellars in Georgia, which was built in 1835. That was the time when Georgian wine was bottled for the first time. Alexander Chavchavadze is the first person in Georgian history who bottled Georgian wine made in European style. In the Tsinandali cellar are preserved 16,500 bottles of wine bottled in various countries. Drive to Telavi after Tsinandali. Here you will learn about the sights of the city: the Nine Century plane tree and House-museum of King Erekle II (Erekle’s palace). It Founded in 1927 as a museum of local lore. The architectural complex of “Batonis Tsikhe” is a castle which still remains as the only Royal Palace in Georgia. The complex is a remarkable monument of cultural heritage with its architectural-historical features. Museum complex embraces: XVII-XVIII c.c Royal Palace of the king of Kakheti, X-XVIII c.c churches of the court of the king, the remains of the philosophical and theological schools founded by Erekle, XVII centuries’ King’s Bath, tunnel paved on the territory of the palace – XVIII century, unique gates of the East and West Side. In the museum there are also preserved: numismatic material, early medieval sarcophagus, late medieval armor, collections of XVII-XIX c.c. copper household objects, weapons, Khevsureti clothes, rich collections of rugs, manuscripts, books printed in King Erekles’ press, interesting patterns of art and etc. After visiting King Palace drive to local restaurant and dinner in Telavi. After dinner departure to Tbilisi and return to the hotel.