PriceTour of Turkey to Tao - Klarjeti - Kote's authoritative program
8 days
12-18 people
1.06-31.10
Trip in Turkey to Tao-Klarjeti - Kote's authoritative program
We have been involved in tourism in Georgia and beyond for 15 years. We organise unique expeditions and projects to fantastic and little-known places.
This time we want to invite you to the historical region of Georgia - Tao-Klarjeti. Its name comes from the two most important provinces of this region - Tao and Klarjeti.
Today, Tao-Klarjeti belongs to Turkey. Georgia lost these territories during the Soviet occupation. The Soviets ceded these lands to Turkey for 100 years under the 1921 Treaty of Karsk. In 2021, 100 years have passed equally, but nothing has changed for us. What happened to the Georgians living there, the numerous castles and monasteries? Unfortunately, many of these buildings are deteriorating, they are ruins. No one knows how much longer they will last. It is worth going on this trip to see the remains of this history.
We share our knowledge with the next generation. We organise ethnographic and historical trips to Tao Klarjeti for schools and universities. In 2020, just before the pandemic, together with friends and Polish photographer Janusz Gawron, we managed to photograph the remaining icons and frescoes. We now want to invite you to the next expedition group!
As long as we are alive, we will not forget the origins of Tao Klarjeti and we will cherish the memory of this region. This is the mission with which this programme was created.
Impact of dam construction and remains of Kawkasidze castle ruins
Ruins of Kajis Cixe Castle
The history of Tao-Klarjeti is difficult to describe briefly. There are also many legends connected with this place, and one of them tells that the 5th to 6th century ruler of Palestine, Solomon, son of David, hid all his seven sons in Georgia, in the Tao Klarjeti region. He wanted to protect them from civil wars. Three brothers settled in Spera and four in Artanuj.
Guaram a descendant of Solomon and, according to other sources, the grandson of King Vakhtang I Gorgasali on his mother's side became the head of the Kartli and Tao-Klarjeti nation in later times. He was also the founder of the dynasty of the Bagrationi family. The Bagrationi dynasty ruled in Georgia from 575 (809) to 1810. Many wars were fought in these lands. The Byzantines, Arabs and Turks fought over these lands. The Tao Klarjeti was guarded by our castles and heroes.
From Tao-Klarjeti, or more precisely from the Oshki monastery we will see, comes a translation of the Bible from 978. It is now located in Atone, Greece. We will move back to a time 1500 years ago. You will learn stories so rich that 1,000 films could be made about them! See cosmic terrains, rocky mountains, alpine glades, mountain lakes, dams, forests, in fabulous and unique landscapes. We will take you to little-known areas, places about which you will not find information in Polish or English. We will be hosted by Georgians living in the area. This is not just a ride with wonderful views. It is a real cultural and historical trip. We will open the doors of our historic Georgia to you!
Hiking trail to the lake
See the detailed programme for the expedition!
Day I
Arrival in Kutaisi by Wizzair airline. You will be picked up from the airport. It takes about 30 minutes to drive from the airport to the centre of Kutaisi. We will accommodate you in a family guesthouse, which is located in the oldest district of Kutaisi - Gora. We will take you for a walk to the city centre, help you arrange a local sim card, exchange money, etc. We will have lunch accompanied by Georgian wine. We will take a pleasant walk back to the guesthouse, where we will prolong our integration over dinner with delicious dishes from the Imereti and Lechkhumi region and homemade wine.
*In case the arrival is late in the evening we will skip going out on the town and having lunch. We will start with dinner at the guesthouse.
Day II
After breakfast, we will depart for the Javakheti region. We will visit the Rabati Fortress in Akhaltsikhe. It is one of the most beautiful and largest medieval fortresses in Georgia. We will drive to the ruins of Khertvisi Castle. Its origins date back to pre-Christian times. Passing the cascading grape fields, characteristic of this region, we will reach the rock city of Vardzia. It is a monastery city. Vardzia began to be built during the reign of George III in 1185, while it was completed under his daughter, Queen Tamar. In the Middle Ages, Vardzia served as a refuge during invasions - it could accommodate between 20,000 and 60,000 people. Around 300 chambers are open to the public. We will have a delicious dinner in a Georgian restaurant. Overnight will be in an atmospheric hotel close to Vardzia.
Day III
After breakfast we will set off on our tour. We will cross the Georgian-Turkish border and begin a fabulous journey in the Tao - Klarjeti region. Along the way we will pass monasteries, castles and fortresses that have participated in numerous wars.
On this day we will visit:
- The ruins of Kajis Cixe Castle (the Turkish name is Şeytan Kalesi). It is believed that it was this castle that Shota Rustaveli described in his poem 'The Knight in the Tiger's Skin'.
- In the town of Ardagarn, we will visit the ruins of Shavsheti Castle (Shavshat).
- Ruins of the Tbeti Monastery
- Artanuj Castle
We will stay at a hotel in the town of Artvin for the night. We will have dinner here and go for a short walk around the town.
Day IV
On this day we will be passing through numerous tunnels, there are about 60 km in total! A tunnel is being built here entering the 5 largest tunnels in the world. We will see the dams that belong to Erdogan and are called "Erdogan's lamppost". The construction of so many dams unfortunately has bad ecological consequences and more. Flooding these areas with water will result in environmental degradation, but also in the destruction of remnants of Georgian history, monuments, villages, towns and cemeteries.
After breakfast we will set off on our journey. We will visit:
- Ishkhani Monastery. Next to the large church is a small chapel decorated with sculptures. While here, it is impossible to miss the beautiful 48-metre-high waterfalls and the Tortum Lake!
- Oshki Monastery. It was the most important Georgian monastic centre in the 1950s-60s of the 10th century It is considered the first of the four great cathedrals (Svetitskhoveli, Bagrati Cathedral, Alaverdi).
- Kawkasidze Castle. Due to the construction of the Yusufeli dam, the road to the castle may be closed. We will then be left to admire the impressive ruins from afar. The castle was probably built in the Middle Ages by the Bagrationi dynasty. At present, it is virtually all under water.
We will be staying in Yusufela for the night. We will be hosted by Georgians in their family guesthouse and trout farm that they run. We will have a delicious dinner on site.
Day V
After breakfast, we will go trekking with our host to the "Gurji Goli" Lake located at the foot of Mt. Marsis (3371 m). The hiking trail is accessible by car, the walk to the lake takes about an hour one way. The trail is not difficult. There may still be snow here in early June.
After the trek, we will visit old Georgian shepherd villages nearby. Our host will host us in his shepherd's hut where we will prepare a picnic and drink a toast to the memory of our heroes. In the evening we will return to the guesthouse for an overnight stay and feast.
Day VI
After breakfast, we will drive the cities of Rize. The route will take us about 3 hours. In Rize we will visit the ruins of a medieval castle. We will drive to Lake Uzungol. The road to the lake will take us about 2 hours. We will take a break at an observation deck for coffee and tea. We will accommodate in a hotel located only 5 minutes walk from the lake.
Day VII
After breakfast we set off for the city of Trabzon, the drive will take us about 2 hours. We will stop at a viewpoint from where we will see a beautiful panorama of the whole city. We will visit the city centre and Hagia Sophie, it is a magnificent monument of late Byzantine architecture. It is famous for its 13th-century frescoes. The temple was converted into a mosque. It now houses a museum. This will be our farewell to the old Georgia. We will continue to the Turkish-Georgian border. In Batumi, we will stay in a hotel and go for a farewell dinner at an iconic restaurant and a walk on the promenade.
Day VIII
After breakfast, our trip comes to an end. We will drive you to Kutaisi airport. In case of a later departure, we can organise a tour of the Kutaisi area for you.
.
Informations:
- The tour begins and ends in Kutaisi.
- For the land crossing from Georgia to Turkey, it is best to take your passport with you.
- The group size is a maximum of 18 people.
- Within Turkey, the purchase of alcohol is only possible in special shops.
