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Major city · Georgia

Telaviთელავი

Stay 2 nights in Telavi as a Kakheti wine base, not 1: the town itself is a half-day, but Alaverdi, Ikalto and Tsinandali need a car or taxi.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GEL
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Dec–Feb (cold, Gombori pass snow), Jul–Aug (hot, 35 °C+)
Airports
TBS · KUT
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6The Armenia–Azerbaijan and Armenia–Türkiye land borders a…Georgia treats entry to Abkhazia or South Ossetia from Ru…Do not plan travel to Abkhazia or South Ossetia
  • Caucasus ↗The Armenia–Azerbaijan and Armenia–Türkiye land borders are closed; any route that crosses them is not a route, however short it looks.
  • Caucasus ↗Georgia treats entry to Abkhazia or South Ossetia from Russia as illegal; entering that way can mean arrest or a ban when you next reach Georgia proper.
  • Georgia ↗Many passports enter visa-free for a long stay; if yours needs a visa, apply only on the official e-visa portal.
  • Georgia ↗Do not plan travel to Abkhazia or South Ossetia: crossing their boundary lines from Georgian-controlled land is treated as illegal entry, and many governments advise against it.
  • Georgia ↗In Orthodox churches women cover their heads and shoulders and wear a skirt or a wrap; men remove hats and avoid shorts.
  • Georgia ↗Carry Georgian lari in small notes for minibuses, markets and the metro card; cards work in most Tbilisi cafés and shops but not everywhere outside the capital.

Telavi is the small capital of Kakheti, about 20,000 people, in the Alazani valley 2–2.5 h from Tbilisi by marshrutka. The town is walkable in an afternoon: the Erekle II palace, the old Cholokashvili street and the 900-year-old plane tree. Its real value is as a base for the wine villages and monasteries around it, which need wheels. Two nights covers the town plus two day loops; one night only works if you arrive by car and skip the town.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Telavi, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee₾3–6
  • Sit-down mealLunch or dinner, Georgian restaurant₾20–40
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi, town centre to TsinandaliAgree the price first.₾5–15
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week₾20–40
  • Budget bedHostel or homestay bed, a night, per personGEL 30
  • Mid-range bedGuesthouse or hotel double room, a night, per roomGEL 130
  • High-end bedGuesthouse or hotel double room, a night, per roomGEL 220

A day, not counting the bed: Budget GEL 70 · Mid GEL 140 · High GEL 260

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Kakheti wine cellarsPalace of King Erekle IIAlaverdi Cathedral900-year-old plane tree
Airports
TBS Tbilisi International (About 2.5–3 h by road via the Gombori pass; no direct bus to Telavi, so taxi or a pre-booked transfer.) · KUT Kutaisi International (About 5–6 h by road; only worth it if your flight is much cheaper.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Telavi: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

6°C

−3°C

6 rd

Feb

7°C

−2°C

7 rd

Mar

12°C

2°C

9 rd

Apr

18°C

7°C

11 rd

May

23°C

12°C

12 rd

Jun

27°C

16°C

10 rd

Jul

31°C

19°C

7 rd

Aug

31°C

19°C

6 rd

Sep

26°C

15°C

7 rd

Oct

20°C

10°C

8 rd

Nov

13°C

4°C

7 rd

Dec

8°C

−1°C

6 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is flat and walkable in 20–30 min end to end. Everything else — Alaverdi, Ikalto, Shuamta, Tsinandali, Gremi — is 8–25 km out and needs a taxi, a hired driver or your own car. Agree the price and the waiting time before you set off; a half-day loop with a driver is the usual arrangement. Marshrutkas run to Tsinandali and toward Alaverdi but are infrequent and stop early.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Alaverdi Cathedral

go

Door to door: About 40 min each way

Taxi or car, 20 km northeast up the Alazani valley

11th-century cathedral with a walled courtyard; pair it with a winery on the same road.

Ikalto Monastery

go

Door to door: About 25 min each way

Taxi or car, 10 km west

Small monastery and old academy ruins; 45–60 min on site is enough.

Tsinandali

go

Door to door: About 20 min each way

Marshrutka from the main station (about ₾0.5) or taxi (about ₾5), 8 km east

Chavchavadze estate, park and wine cellar; the easiest car-free outing from Telavi.

Gremi

go

Door to door: About 40 min each way

Taxi or car, 25 km east toward Kvareli

Citadel and church on a hill; combine with a Kvareli winery for a full day.

Sighnaghi

caution

Door to door: 1.5–2 h by road

Only 1–2 marshrutkas a day; otherwise taxi or your own car

Check the marshrutka schedule first, or treat it as a separate stop rather than a day trip.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Centre, around Erekle II street

Walk to the palace, the plane tree, the market and most restaurants. Best for a first night without a car.

Alazani Avenue / marshrutka station side

Cheaper hotels and the bus and marshrutka stations; 10–15 min walk to the old town.

Kisiskhevi and the wine villages

Winery stays 5–10 km east; you need a car or a driver, and taxis are hard to find after dark.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
₾70–120 excl. bed
Mid
₾120–220 excl. bed
High
₾220+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Guesthouse or hotel double room1 × 2 nights × GEL 130GEL 260
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × GEL 140GEL 560
Marshrutka Tbilisi → Telavi, one way2 × GEL 15 · checkGEL 30
Taxi or driver, half-day Kakheti loop1 × GEL 120 · checkGEL 120
Wine tasting, per cellar2 × GEL 30 · checkGEL 60
eSIM, about a week of data2 × GEL 25GEL 50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeGEL 108
Trip total≈ GEL 297 per person per day, bed includedGEL 1,188

2026 estimate in lari; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee₾3–6
Khinkali, per piece₾1–2
Lunch or dinner, Georgian restaurant₾20–40
Glass of house wine₾5–10
Marshrutka ride in the region₾0.5–3
Taxi, town centre to TsinandaliAgree the price first.₾5–15
eSIM or data SIM, about a week₾20–40

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Telavi is a small, calm town and street crime is rare. The real risks are the Gombori pass in winter, unlit roads and unmarked verges at night, and drinking at tastings before driving: hire a driver.
  • The palace of King Erekle II has been closed for renovation for years: check locally before you count on it.
  • The 900-year-old plane tree now has a glass fence around it (since 2025), so you cannot walk up and hug it.
  • Gombori pass (highway 38) is the short route from Tbilisi but has many bends and can be snowed in during winter: take the longer Gurjaani road then.
  • Only 1–2 marshrutkas a day link Telavi and Sighnaghi, so do not plan on that connection without checking the schedule.
  • Wine tastings add up: agree a price per tasting and a driver before you start, and never drive after tasting.

Emergency numbers

Police, ambulance and fire
112
Telavi tourist information
+995 350 275 317

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Telaviთელავი

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

ამ მისამართამდე, გთხოვთTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, ambulance and fire112
  • Telavi tourist information+995 350 275 317

Embassy

No embassies in Telavi; most are in Tbilisi, about 2–2.5 h away.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Marshrutka Tbilisi (Ortachala) → Telavi: ₾15, up to 2.5 h (check)
  • Marshrutka Telavi → Tsinandali: about ₾0.5
  • Taxi Telavi → Tsinandali: about ₾5

Say or show

  • გამარჯობა — Hello (gamarjoba)
  • მადლობა — Thank you (madloba)
  • რა ღირს? — How much is it? (ra ghirs?)
  • სად არის ტუალეტი? — Where is the toilet? (sad aris tualeti?)
  • მე არ ვსვამ და არ ვმართავ — I don't drink and drive (me ar vsvam da ar vmartav)

112 works from any phone, English is available.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Telavi. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Dec–Feb (cold, Gombori pass snow), Jul–Aug (hot, 35 °C+) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for TBS: last marshrutka and taxi fallback, plus the Gombori winter alternative.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Erekle II square, Cholokashvili old street, the market and station side, the plane tree.
  3. Place pages with verified opening states (Erekle II palace, Alaverdi, Ikalto, Tsinandali) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Wine-route fixtures: tasting prices, driver rates and a no-drive-after-tasting rule.

Meanwhile

Back to Georgia

Sources