Tbilisi: Kakheti Horse Riding, Wine Tasting, and Cooking …

Kakheti serves up more than wine. This full-day trip pairs a two-hour ride through hills and valleys with a visit to the Kvareli Wine Cave and a hands-on Georgian cooking class. I especially like the mix of outdoor scenery and local food, plus the chance to see Bodbe Monastery, old churches, and half-abandoned villages along the way.

I also like that this is a private tour with hotel pickup, private transportation, an English-speaking guide, wine tasting, and dinner included. The main drawback is the long road time from Tbilisi, with roughly two hours to reach the horses before the ride even begins. Your day is full, so this suits you best if you want a big Kakheti outing rather than a relaxed afternoon.

Key Details Worth Knowing

• Two hours on horseback: Ride through Kakheti’s hills, valleys, and rural trails, with views toward Sighnaghi, the Alazani Valley, and the Caucasus Mountains.
• Suitable for all riding levels: Trained Caucasian horses and professional local guides make this approachable even if you are not an experienced rider.
• Kvareli Wine Cave: Visit a 7.7-kilometer tunnel-shaped cellar used to store Georgian wine, then taste wine and Georgian chacha.
• Several cooking lessons in one stop: Bake bread in a tone oven, prepare khachapuri, dip churchkhela, grill mtsvadi, and wrap khinkali.
• A private day from Tbilisi: Hotel pickup and drop-off, private transportation, and an English-speaking instructor keep the schedule simple.
• Driver Dima deserves special mention: His kindness, help, and ability to add useful information received the strongest praise in the feedback.

Reaching Kakheti From Tbilisi

The day begins with pickup at your hotel in Tbilisi. From there, you travel to the village of Qedeli, where you meet the local guide and your horse.

The drive to the riding area takes about two hours. That is useful to know before booking, because this is not a quick countryside escape. You spend a good part of the morning on the road, but the private vehicle makes the trip easier than arranging separate transport through Kakheti.

I like the private format here. You are not tied to a large coach group, and the day can feel more personal from the start. The English-speaking instructor also gives you a clear point of contact for the riding and food portions.

The driver can make a real difference on a long day. Dima was praised for being exceptionally kind, helpful, and involved in making the day memorable. If he is assigned to your trip, you can expect more than a simple transfer between stops.

Two Hours on Horseback Near Qedeli

The riding section lasts about two hours. You set off through the hills and valleys around Qedeli, following picturesque trails with views toward Sighnaghi, the Alazani Valley, and the Caucasus Mountains.

This is not presented as a technical riding lesson or a fast-paced equestrian trip. The appeal is the setting and the steady movement through the countryside. You get time to sit in the saddle, look around, and see parts of Kakheti that are easy to miss from a vehicle.

The route can include half-abandoned villages, ancient churches, and the well-known Bodbe Monastery. These details give the ride more substance than a simple loop through open fields. You are not only riding for the activity itself. You are also passing through places that show the quieter, older side of the region.

The horses are trained Caucasian horses, and the local guides are described as professional. The tour is suitable for all skill levels, which makes it a reasonable choice if you are a beginner or have not ridden for some time. Still, riding for two hours can be tiring, especially if you are not used to a saddle. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and do not treat the word suitable as a promise that the activity will feel effortless.

The scenery is likely to be the strongest part of this section. The views toward the Alazani Valley and Caucasus Mountains give you a broad sense of Kakheti’s geography. You may find the pace pleasantly calm, but people looking for a demanding or highly adventurous ride may want something more specialized.

Sighnaghi, Bodbe, and Rural Kakheti

The ride offers views of Sighnaghi rather than describing a long town visit. That distinction matters. You should book this for countryside access and distant views, not for a full tour of Sighnaghi’s streets, museums, or walls.

Bodbe Monastery and the old churches add a cultural layer to the ride. The route also passes half-abandoned villages, which can be striking in a quieter, less polished way. You see a side of Kakheti that feels removed from the wine tasting rooms and organized sightseeing stops.

Because the schedule includes horseback riding, wine, and cooking in one day, you should not expect long stops at every historic site. The value comes from the combination. You see the region from the saddle, then learn about its wine and food traditions later.

Bring a camera, but keep it secure while riding. Sunscreen, a hat, and water are also specifically recommended. Comfortable clothing matters more than dressing up, since you will spend part of the day outdoors and part of it taking part in cooking activities.

Inside the 7.7-Kilometer Kvareli Wine Cave

After the ride, the tour continues to the Kvareli Wine Cave. The cellar is described as a 7.7-kilometer tunnel-shaped storage facility and the largest storage site of Georgian wines.

That scale gives the stop a clear sense of place. You are not simply sitting down for a tasting without context. You first see where wine is kept, then sample several wines and Georgian chacha.

For someone new to Georgian wine, this is a useful introduction. Kakheti is Georgia’s main wine region, and the tasting helps connect the vineyards and villages you saw earlier with a living food tradition. The experience does not require you to be a wine expert. You can focus on the setting, the local production process, and the chance to try styles you may not find at home.

Chacha is a Georgian grape spirit, and it is stronger than wine. Take small tastes, especially since the day continues with cooking and dinner. The tour includes the listed wine tasting, but food and drinks outside the planned itinerary are not included, so budget for anything extra.

The winery section and cooking activities together last around one and a half hours. That is not a long winery visit, but it can be enough for a focused introduction. If you want a slow tasting with extended discussion, this schedule may feel brief. If you prefer a compact stop before dinner, the timing works well.

Cooking Georgian Food With Your Own Hands

The cooking class is the most practical part of the day. Rather than only watching a demonstration, you take part in several Georgian food traditions.

You may learn to bake bread in a tone, the traditional Georgian clay oven. You also prepare khachapuri, dip churchkhela, grill mtsvadi, and wrap khinkali. Each activity gives you a different look at Georgian cooking, from bread and cheese to grilled meat, sweets, and dumplings.

Khachapuri is one of Georgia’s best-known dishes, but the appeal here is not just eating it. You get a sense of how much work goes into shaping and baking it. Khinkali wrapping is also a hands-on skill. The folds need to hold the filling and broth inside, so the process is more involved than it first appears.

Churchkhela brings a different texture and method to the class. Mtsvadi, grilled meat, adds a smoky element to the meal. The range of tasks keeps the cooking session varied, though it also means each lesson is relatively short.

This is a good match for you if food is a major reason you visit Georgia. You leave with memories connected to actions, not only photographs of dishes on a table. It is also a social part of a private day, since the meal comes from work you have just done.

You should not expect a professional culinary course. The class is a tasting and cultural activity with practical demonstrations and participation. Its strength is variety, not detailed training in one recipe.

Dinner Made From Your Own Work

At the end of the class, you sit down to eat the Georgian dishes you helped prepare. That makes dinner feel connected to the rest of the day rather than like a separate restaurant stop.

I like this format because it gives the meal a clear purpose. You have ridden through Kakheti, visited a wine cellar, tasted local drinks, and then prepared food associated with Georgian home cooking and celebrations. The meal becomes a way to bring those parts together.

The food included in the itinerary covers the cooking masterclass and dinner. You should not assume that every possible drink or extra snack is included, since food and drink outside the listed itinerary are excluded.

The cooking and dinner section may be the most satisfying part for people who prefer active cultural experiences. If you mainly want a scenic horseback ride, the food portion makes this tour longer and more structured than necessary. If you want to understand Georgia through its table, it adds considerable value.

Is $235 a Fair Price?

At $235 per person, this is not a budget day trip. The price needs to be judged against what is bundled into it: hotel pickup and drop-off, private transportation, a two-hour horseback tour, wine tasting, the Kvareli Wine Cave visit, an English-speaking instructor, cooking activities, and dinner.

Booking these parts separately could involve several operators and more planning. You would need to arrange transport from Tbilisi, find a horse-riding provider, organize a winery visit, and locate a cooking class. The private format also matters if you value a smaller, more personal day over the lower price of a group bus tour.

The value is strongest when you want all three themes: horses, wine, and food. If you only want to taste wine, a shorter Kakheti wine trip should cost less and leave you with more time at wineries. If horseback riding is your priority, a dedicated riding tour may offer more hours in the saddle.

The price also includes convenience. You do not need to manage the transfers between Qedeli and the winery, and you return to Tbilisi at the end of the day. For a first visit to Georgia, that simple structure can be worth paying for.

Who Should Book This Day?

I would recommend this trip to you if you want a full Kakheti sampler and do not mind a long day. It suits couples, private groups, food lovers, wine enthusiasts, and beginners who want to try horseback riding without committing to a serious riding program.

It is also a good option if you want a private outing rather than a large group excursion. The English-language guidance and private transportation remove some of the usual friction of combining several rural activities.

You should think twice if you are pregnant or have back problems, since the tour is specifically not suitable for you. You should also reconsider it if long vehicle transfers, two hours on horseback, or a tightly packed schedule sound unpleasant.

Comfortable shoes, a hat, sunscreen, water, and a camera are the practical basics. Dress for outdoor riding first, then cooking. You do not need formal clothes for the dinner.

Booking Flexibility and Timing

The activity lasts one day, but the exact starting time depends on availability. Pickup and drop-off are included, so you can arrange the day around your Tbilisi hotel rather than finding your own way to Kakheti.

You can reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Georgia plans are still moving around. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

The schedule is best understood as a sequence of substantial blocks: about two hours driving to the horses, two hours riding, about an hour of transport to the winery, and around one and a half hours for the cave visit, tasting, and cooking activities. Add the return drive to Tbilisi, and you have a very full day.

Should You Book It?

Book this tour if you want one well-packed day that combines Kakheti’s countryside, Georgian wine, and hands-on food. The strongest reasons are the range of activities, the private transport, and the chance to eat dishes you helped make.

The best personal touch appears to come from the driver. Dima received especially warm praise for his kindness, help, and role in making the day memorable. That is worth noting because a long rural tour depends heavily on the person guiding the hours between stops.

Skip it if you want a slow winery day, a serious horse-riding program, or a cheaper sightseeing option. At $235, the tour makes sense as a convenient private combination, not as the lowest-cost way to see Kakheti. For the right kind of day, it gives you scenery, movement, wine, and dinner in one memorable package.

FAQ

Where does the horseback riding take place?

The riding begins near the village of Qedeli in Georgia’s Kakheti region.

How long is the horseback ride?

The horseback riding portion lasts approximately two hours.

Is the horseback riding suitable for beginners?

Yes. The tour uses trained Caucasian horses and professional local guides, and it is described as suitable for all skill levels.

What views can I expect during the ride?

The route offers views of Sighnaghi, the Alazani Valley, and the Caucasus Mountains. It can also include hills, valleys, half-abandoned villages, ancient churches, and Bodbe Monastery.

What is the Kvareli Wine Cave?

It is a tunnel-shaped wine cellar used to store Georgian wine. The cellar is 7.7 kilometers long and is described as the largest storage site of Georgian wines.

What drinks are included?

The tour includes a Georgian wine tasting and a tasting of Georgian chacha. Other food and drinks outside the listed itinerary are not included.

What will I learn to cook?

The masterclass includes baking bread in a tone, baking khachapuri, dipping churchkhela, grilling mtsvadi, and wrapping khinkali.

Is dinner included?

Yes. You eat traditional Georgian dishes prepared during the cooking masterclass.

Is hotel transportation included?

Yes. Pickup from your hotel in Tbilisi, private transportation, and drop-off at the end of the day are included.