Day 1 Arrival

Arrival at International Airport Tbilisi.
Transfer to the hotel regardless of your arrival time.
Check in.
In the evening welcome dinner in a specialty restaurant in the old district of Tbilisi.

Meal plan: dinner
Overnight stay in Tbilisi

Day 2   Tbilisi – Ananuri – Tergi Valley - Stephantsminda

After breakfast, drive on the famous Military Highway towards the Greater Caucasus Mountains.
We have a first stop at the Ananuri Castle Complex built in the 13th century.  The castle is to note for its medieval church with an unique carved façade and impressive frescoes in the interior. It overlooks the Aragvi Valley and the Jinvali Water Reservoir from which we can observe migratory birds of prey such as the Long-Legged Buzzard and the Lesser-Spotted Eagle.
We continue along the Aragvi river, then turn to the Tergi Valley. On the way we make several stops at lawns and swamps to look for species of wetland birds such as White-Winged Black and Gull-Billed Terns. In the nearby cliffs and scree habitats we should find beautiful Wallcreepers.
In the afternoon, we explore subalpine forests dominated by Oriental beech and Caucasian oak trees. The unique ecosystem provides an excellent habitat for Green Warblers, Red-Breasted Flycatchers, and perhaps Semi-Collared Flycatchers.

Meal plan: breakfast and lunch
Overstay night in Stephantsminda

Day 3   Kazbegi Mountains

We walk in the Gorge of Dariali and explore alpine meadows, screes, shrublands and crack habitats. In these ecosystems you can encounter the Caucasian Black Grouse, the spectacular Güldenstädt's Redstart and the beautiful Great Rosefinch, but also other bird species such as the Mountain Chiffchaff, the Green Warbler, and a variety of migrants, including the European Bee-eater, the Red-backed and the Lesser Grey Shrike, the Red-throated Pipit, the Yellow Wagtail and the Ortolan Bunting.
Afterwards we visit the Gergeti Trinity Church, one of the iconic churches in the Caucasus located located at the foot of Mount Kazbegi.

Meal plan: breakfast and lunch
Overstay night in Stephantsminda

Day 4   Stephantsminda – Chachuna Managed Reserve – Dedoplistskaro

After breakfast, we leave the Greater Causasus and drive (around 5 hours) to completely different landscapes, to the semi-arid Chachuna Managed Reserve. The reserve is in the far east of Georgia, near the Azerbaijan–Georgia border. The area is characterized by steppes, savannas, arid woodlands, and semi-deserts. It hosts one of the largest breeding bird communities in the Caucasus, over 80 different bird species every year. In addition, Chachuna is a world-famous site for watching migratory birds of prey. The topography forms a bottleneck where the migratory birds are forced to pass. We keep our eyes open for bird species such as the Long-legged Buzzard, the Lesser and Common Kestrel, the Black Kite, the Egyptian Cinereous and Eurasian Griffon Vulture, the Levant and Eurasian Sparrow Hawk, the Northern Goshawk, the European Honey-buzzard, the Common Buzzard, the Imperial, Lesser Spotted and Short-toed Snake Eagle, the Eurasian Hobby, and the Lanner Falcon.

Meal Plan: breakfast and picnic
Overnight stay in Dedoplistskaro

Day 5   Chachuna Managed Reserve and surroundings

Today, we explore the bird life in the riparian forests of the Alazani Valley and the Dalis Mta Reservoir.
The Chukar is the most common specie in this area, but we can also find two of the most unique species in Georgia, the Black Francolin and the Black Stork.
In the cliffs, steep banks and tree holes we can observe large populations of breeding European Bee-Eaters, European Rollers, and Eurasian Hoopoes.
The stunning list of passerines at the site includes the Calandra Lark, the Crag Martin, the Rufous-Ailed Scrub Robin, the Isabelline Wheatear, the Pine Bunting and the Great Grey Shrike.

Meal plan: breakfast and picnic
Overnight stay in Dedoplistskaro

Day 6   Dedoplistskaro - David Gareja Monastery

Departure to the rock-hewn monastery David Gareja. The monastery is one of the oldest building of the region. Hundreds of cells, churches, chapels, refectories and living quarters are carved in the multi-colored clay hills and surrounded by shrub and steppe vegetation. At the same place you can watch breeding colonies of Eurasian Griffons and Egyptian Vultures, Imperial Eagles, Chukars (March-April), Rollers, Hoopoes, Blue Rock Thrushes, large aggregations of Bee-eaters, Rose-Colored Starlings (May-June), and Rock Doves. Other attractions for birding lovers are Long-Legged Buzzards, Common Kestrels, Cinereous Vultures, Eurasian Sparrowhawks, Short-Toed Snake Eagles, and Saker Falcons as well as Passerines: Calandra Larks, Crag Martins, Rufous-Tailed Scrub Robins, Isabelline Wheatears, Finsch's Wheatears, Pied Wheatears, Willow Warblers, Orphean Warblers, Lesser Whitethroats, Rock Nuthatches, Lesser Grey Shrikes, Woodchat Shrikes, Spanish Sparrows, Rock Sparrows, Black-Headed Buntings and Ortolan Bunting.

Meal plan: breakfast and picnic
Overnight stay in Dedoplistskaro

Day 7   Dedoplistskaro - Lagodekhi Nature Reserve – Khorjarubi – Tbilisi

Departure to the Lagodekhi Nature Reserve located on the slopes of the Eastern Caucasus Mountains, near the borders to Russia and Azerbaijan. The nature reserve is to note for its unique Cholchian forest with more than 1100 plant species. The bird diversity is also high. We walk through horborem-beech forests to the beautiful Lagodekhi waterfall to search for woodpeckers including the Black Woodpecker, the Green Woodpecker, the White-Backed Woodpecker, the Lesser-, the Middle and Great Spotted Woodpecker, the White-throated Dipper, and the Eurasian Nuthatch.
In the afternoon, visit to Goderdzi Gonashvili´s Winery. Our host invites us for a walk in his vineyards. In the wine cellar we learn more about the traditional qvevri winemaking in Georgia and we taste a dry red wine Saperavi, a half-dry white wine Rkatsiteli, and a Chacha, a Georgian schnapps  made from grapevines. As a snack are served local cheeses and churchkhelas, a dessert made out of fried crispy walnuts and sweet grape juice.

In the evening await us a traditional dinner with a Georgian toastmaster (tamada) and live folk music

Meal plan: breakfast and picnic
Overnight stay in Tbilisi

Day 8   Departure

After the breakfast, check out.
If your flight leaves in the late afternoon or evening, you are welcome to join our guided walking tour in the old city of Tbilisi.
Transfer to Tbilisi International Airport depending on your departure time.

Meal plan: breakfast