Uplistsikhe cave city with ancient wine cellars

An ancient rock-hewn city dating to the 1st millennium BC, with cave rooms that include wine storage facilities carved into the rock. Evidence of winemaking at Uplistsikhe predates written history. A haunting, atmospheric glimpse into wine's deep past.

What to do there

5 things to do

1. 1 Touch the 2,500-Year-Old Wine Presses in the Cliff Adventure · Price: low

   You're standing on a sandstone cliff 40 meters above the Mtkvari River. Around you: 700 cave-rooms carved by hand, including seven wine presses and three cellars where archaeologists found 58 sealed jars of medieval wine — still intact when discovered.

   Where: Uplistsikhe archaeological site, 10 km east of Gori (GPS 41.9655, 44.1712). Get here via marshrutka from Tbilisi's Didube metro station to Gori (4 GEL, 90 min), then local minibus from Gori to Kvakhvreli village (2 GEL, 20 min). Last bus back ~5:30 pm.

   What: This cliff could not grow grapes — it's bare sandstone. And yet: seven wine presses, three wine cellars, all carved by hand. Grapes were hauled UP the cliff from the valley below specifically to be processed here, 2,500 years before wine tourism existed. The 58 sealed wine jars found during excavations were so well-preserved archaeologists could identify them as medieval. Find the presses along the upper plateau path — carved shallow depressions with channels cut for juice drainage. Run your hand along the grooves. Millions of liters of wine have flowed through that stone.

   How: Buy entrance (15 GEL) at the gate. For the full story, hire an onsite guide (45 GEL) rather than audio (15 GEL) — the guides know which chamber held what and can point to features you'd miss entirely. Plan 2–3 hours. Site open daily except Monday, 10am–5pm.

   Backup: If the gate is closed (Monday or arriving after 5pm), the cliff is visible from the riverbank below — you'll see the cave openings in the sandstone face. The view from that angle, understanding what's carved inside, changes everything.

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2. 2 Decode the Sandstone Ceiling That Impersonates Wood History · Free

   The largest room in Uplistsikhe has a ribbed tunnel-vault ceiling that looks exactly like carved wooden beams — down to the texture. It's entirely sandstone. The two columns supporting it, the niches in three walls: all cut from one living cliff. This was never Queen Tamar's hall. She never came here. It was a pagan coronation chamber for the kings of Kartli, dedicated to the sun goddess who ruled before Christianity.

   Where: Upper section of the Uplistsikhe complex — the largest cave structure, with a ribbed vaulted ceiling supported by two columns. Included in general entrance (15 GEL), no extra cost.

   What: Queen Tamar (1160–1213, 'King of Kings and Queen of Queens') never lived here. The hall was named for its opulence, resembling a hall she temporarily used at Vardzia. What you're actually standing in is Kartli's most sacred pagan space, used for royal coronations from the 6th century BC onward. Directly below your feet: an 8.5-meter-deep prison pit, narrow enough that prisoners couldn't sit down — placed on the main street so everyone passing could see who was being humiliated. One room: kings crowned above, criminals shamed below.

   How: After entering the site, follow the main path uphill to the upper section. The hall is unmistakable — widest cave, tallest interior. Look at the ceiling: count the ribs, run a hand along a column base. Ask your guide which direction the sun goddess temples faced (east — always east). The Church of the Prince nearby (only structure to survive the 1240 Mongol destruction) offers the best panoramic view of the Mtkvari valley.

   Backup: If visiting without a guide, the Church of the Prince sits 3 minutes further up the path and offers an unobstructed 360-degree view of the valley — you'll understand why 20,000 people built their city on this cliff.

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3. 3 Find the Silk Road Wheel Ruts in the Stone Street Adventure · Free

   Somewhere in this cliff city, the stone road still shows grooves worn by 2,000 years of wagon wheels. Silk Road caravans carrying silk, spices, and wine amphorae from Central Asia toward Black Sea ports passed through here. The sandstone remembers every axle.

   Where: The Nakalakar section of the Uplistsikhe access road — the ancient main entrance route to the fortress. Ask your guide to show the 'caravan road' or 'Silk Road ruts.' Most visible near the lower gate approach.

   What: Uplistsikhe sat on the branch of the Silk Road connecting Tbilisi, Mtskheta, and the Black Sea — the artery through which every luxury good crossing from Asia to Europe traveled for over a millennium. The wheel ruts are real: sandstone soft enough to record 20+ centuries of wheeled traffic. Standard ancient axle width: 1.2–1.4 meters. You're not looking at a monument — you're looking at mileage logged by merchants moving wine, silk, and spice between continents. The city at its peak housed 20,000 people on a cliff at 600 meters.

   How: Easy to miss without a guide. When hiring the guided tour (45 GEL), specifically ask: 'Can you show us the Silk Road cart ruts?' If self-guiding, look for parallel grooves worn into the main stone path. They show best in low-angle morning light.

   Backup: If the ruts are weathered beyond visibility, the Church of the Prince at the summit gives an unobstructed view of the Mtkvari valley — standing there you understand instantly why every Silk Road planner chose this cliff.

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4. 4 Sample the Only PDO Sparkling Wine in All of Georgia Wine · Price: moderate

   Ten kilometers south of Gori, in the Ateni gorge, Georgia's only officially designated sparkling wine appellation has been producing naturally fizzy wine since the 11th century. Medieval royal historian Vakhushti of Kartli wrote in the 17th century that Atenuri was 'among the most exquisite of all Georgian wines.'

   Where: Chateau Ateni winery, village of Ateni, ~10 km south of Gori (short drive from Uplistsikhe, or 15 min from Gori). Navigate via Ateni Sioni Church (GPS 41.9039, 44.0959) — the winery is in the same gorge. Contact the Vanishvili family to book in advance.

   What: Atenuri is a PDO wine made from exactly two grapes — Chinuri and Goruli Mtsvane — and no others are permitted in the appellation. The Chinuri grape (named for the color of olive tree leaves) is indigenous only to Kartli, grown along the Mtkvari basin for at least 8,000 years. The Ateni PDO is Georgia's ONLY appellation dedicated to sparkling wine — the bubbles form naturally, méthode ancestrale, not injected CO2. Vineyards: 620–750 meters above sea level on east-facing foothills of the Trialeti Ridge. The Ateni Sioni Church 500 meters away contains the oldest known inscription in the current Georgian alphabet, dated 980 AD — the same century this wine was already considered the country's finest.

   How: Chateau Ateni (founded 2010, tasting cellar 2016) is the benchmark producer. Book ahead — guided vineyard + qvevri cellar tours followed by seated tastings. Ask for the Atenuri sparkling alongside their Chinuri still — same grape, two completely different expressions. Budget: expect €15–30 for a tasting.

   Backup: If Chateau Ateni is unavailable, any natural wine shop in Tbilisi stocks Atenuri PDO bottles. The label will specify 'Ateni' as the controlled appellation.

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5. 5 Drink Cellar Wine with the Archaeologist's Son History · Price: low

   The best meal near Uplistsikhe is served by a family whose father excavates the site. The wine is from his own cellar. Reviewers consistently call it the best Georgian wine they tasted in the entire country.

   Where: Cafe-Restaurant Gamardjoba, Uplistsikhe Complex Road, near Uplistsikhe Complex, Gori 1423, Georgia. Phone: +995 555 93 20 93. Short walk or drive from the cave city entrance.

   What: The owner's father is a working archaeologist at Uplistsikhe — the same caves you just climbed through. Ask him what surprised him most about the wine cellars. The wine is from his personal cellar, not commercial bottles. Order khinkali — dumplings originally made by shepherds in Pshavi and Tusheti as mountain trail food. Eat them correctly: hold by the topknot, bite a small hole, drink the broth first, then eat everything except the topknot. Also order mtsvadi — grilled meat over grapevine twigs, which Georgians have called 'the dish of kings' for centuries. Note the grill fuel: grapevine trimmings from the vineyards. Wine, food, archaeology: all one thing in Georgia.

   How: No reservation needed on most days; call ahead on busy summer weekends (+995 555 93 20 93). Rated 4.7/5 Google. Full meal with wine: under 40 GEL per person (~€14). Deeply local — you'll be eating alongside Georgian families on day trips, not other tourists.

   Backup: Chateau Uplistsikhe restaurant is the upscale alternative near the site entrance, with views toward the cliff face. Standard Georgian menu, more polished setting, within walking distance of the cave city entrance.

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Insider tips

• Visit in the morning for the best light and fewer crowds

• Wear sturdy shoes - the rock paths are uneven

• The ancient theater and pharmacy cave are highlights