NEW YEAR IN GEORGIA

2010-2011

Spend New Year in Georgia – in the country of great feasts, hospitality, fascinating traditions, ancient culture and enthralling nature. You have a great chance to meet New Year in a Georgian way, get acquainted with Georgian feast traditions, learn more about Georgian wines and delicious cuisine, participate in Chacha (Georgian vodka) distillation, visit historical monuments, ski and bath in Sulphur Bath. Besides you’ll have enough time to take a stroll along decorated streets of the city. You can feel festive atmosphere and start the upcoming New Year with new amusing impressions.

• 30 December: Departure

• 31 December: New Year Eve in Tbilisi

You meet a guide and transfer to a hotel.
Tbilisi sightseeing tour – the Old and New Towns. The city offers a great variety of sights, most of them very ancient.  All the places of interest in the Old Town are very close to each other, within a few minutes’ walk. We start our visit to Old Tbilisi from Metekhi Church (13^th century), and then walk to the brick-domed Sulphur Baths. From the Baths we head up the hill to visit Narikala Fortress (4^th century) – one of the oldest fortifications in the city. Later we continue to the Synagogue, Sioni Cathedral (6^th-7^th centuries) and Anchiskhati Church (6^th century). This marks the end of the Old Town. Afterwards we take a stroll along Rustaveli Avenue and have free time to go shopping to New Year Fair. As it gets dark Tbilisi becomes lit up with beautiful New Year decorations, the streets sparkle with lights and wonderful New Year trees - you feel that New Year comes close.
At midnight we gather to meet the New Year on Freedom Square by New Year Tree. There will be a special concert and public outdoor fete there. After midnight we celebrate New Year in a restaurant with traditional New Year feast with delicious dishes specially prepared for the festival. Our feast will be accompanied by live Georgian and European music.

• 1 January: We wish you a Happy New Year...

After a long festal night you’ll have enough time to relax and have a late breakfast.  Later we go sightseeing to the ancient capital - Mtskheta (3000 years old) – religious center of Georgia. We visit its historical places - Jvari Monastery (VI century) and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (XI century) where the Robe of Christ is buried. Both Jvari and Svetitskhoveli are UNESCO World Heritage sites. In the evening we drive back to Tbilisi.

• 2 January: Mountain Skiing Fun

Today we’ drive up the Military Highway stretching along the Great Caucasus Mountains. We visit Ananuri Fortress (XVII century) with its wonderful churches overlooking Jinvali water reservoir. Later continue to Gudauri ski resort (2000m). On our way we enjoy stunning landscape of the Great Caucasus Mountains. We spend the rest of the day in Gudauri where you can go skiing. Skiing equipment rental is available locally. At the end of the day we drive back to Tbilisi to visit Sulphur Bath. You can loosen, order invigorating massage and relax there after tire full skiing. The second day after New Year is a Fate Day by Georgian tradition – they say that the things you do on this day will outline your fortune for entire year, so you make your interesting, active, joyful and relaxing fate for a whole year.

• 3 January: Kakheti – the Wine Cradle

In the morning we drive towards Kakheti region famous for its winemaking and hospitality. Visit to Bodbe monastery that holds the tomb of St.Nino - the Cappadocian maiden who converted Georgian people to Christianity as early as 337 AD. Later we visit fortified town of Sighnaghi (XVIII century)

preserving its original image with wonderful streets, houses and stunning views of the surrounding

Caucasus Mountains.
As Kakheti is a wine-growing region we can’t live this place without tasting real Georgian wine so we visit a 300 years old farmer’s wine cellar where you have the chance to learn more about Georgian way of wine-making, quite different from the European one and taste red and white homemade wines. Afterwards we drive to another cellar to see and take part in Chacha (Georgian Vodka) distillation process. Later we get acquainted with tradition of “Supra” – Georgian feast and you enjoy abundant national cuisine with lots of traditional dishes. The feast is led by Tamada (toast master) offering you authentic toasts and is adorned with traditional Georgian singing. After a delightful feast we come back to Tbilisi.

• 4 January: Departure

Transfer to the airport with the guide and depart.