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Telavi
ℹ️Practical info — Telavi
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🌤 Weather — 5 days
📍 Nearby
Sights nearby
💡 Tips
- Visit the Batonis Tsikhe fortress in the city center to see the former residence of the Kakhetian kings.
- Stop by the giant plane tree, over 900 years old, which serves as a massive natural landmark in the town.
- Use Telavi as your primary base for exploring the famous Kakhetian wine region and its many estates.
- Catch local marshrutkas (minibuses) from the main station for affordable day trips to Alaverdi and Gremi monasteries.
🍽 Food
Kakhetian-style pork skewers, often grilled over grapevines. Try it at traditional local taverns.
A simple but delicious boiled beef dish, historically served at large traditional feasts.
Seek out small family cellars around town to taste the region's famous amber wines fermented in clay jars.
🛍 Shopping · 🧘 Quiet spots
Dive into this bustling market for fresh local cheese, colorful spices, and handmade Churchkhela.
Buy local Saperavi and Rkatsiteli wines from specialized shops or direct from nearby wineries.
Take a walk in this hilltop park offering walking trails and sweeping views of the Greater Caucasus mountains.
A short drive out of town takes you to this scenic and tranquil mountain road, well-suited for a peaceful escape.
Water temperature…
Telavi, with around 20,000 inhabitants, is the capital of the eastern region of Kakheti, Georgia's best-known wine-growing area. The town lies on a high terrace above the Alazani Valley at some 800 metres elevation, offering one of the finest views of the snow-capped peaks of the Greater Caucasus. Telavi is already mentioned in the 1st century BC by the Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy; between the 11th and 17th centuries it served at various times as the seat of the Kakhetian kings. Their royal residence was the Batonis Tsikhe fortress, with palace, church and a now-restored cathedral; today the complex operates as a museum with works by Georgian painters and Persian miniatures. On the main square stands a giant plane tree more than 900 years old, with a trunk eleven metres in circumference, the town's informal symbol. Telavi is the starting point of the wine route to Tsinandali, Mukuzani and Kvareli, of the Alaverdi Monastery with its thousand-year-old cathedral, and of the wine museum at the Chavchavadze princely estate, where Georgia's first bottled wines were produced.
- Location: Georgia
- Top sights: Erekle II Palace · Amphitheater · Telavi's Vazha-Pshavela Theater
- Nearby: Lopota Lake (12 km)
- Population: ~19.875 (2025)
Best time to visit & climate
The most pleasant time to visit is Jun–Aug.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °C | -3 | -2 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 10 | 3 | -1 |
| Rain mm | 22 | 22 | 37 | 57 | 74 | 57 | 39 | 38 | 41 | 46 | 29 | 19 |
Geography
Facts
- Population of approximately 20,000 inhabitants
- Capital of Kakheti, Georgia's primary wine region
- Batonis Tsikhe was the residence of Kakhetian kings
- The 900-year-old plane tree is 11 metres in circumference
- Located at an elevation of approximately 800 metres
- Gateway to Alaverdi Monastery and Tsinandali estate
Explore nearby
Notable places around
Route planner — Car & Motorhome
Where do you start? We build the route here, with stops and country notes along the way.
© OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenRouteService
Sights in the town Telavi (7)
Frequently asked questions
Why is Telavi important for wine lovers?
What is Batonis Tsikhe?
Are there very old trees in the city?
Which monasteries are near Telavi?
How to get from Tbilisi to Telavi?
Telavi: where is it located?
Telavi: what is there to see?
Telavi: when is the best time to visit?
Telavi: why is it worth visiting?
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