A photo essay about the people, wine, and love in the love capital of Georgia – the small mountain town of Sighnaghi, one of my favorite places in Georgia.
‘City of love’ Sighnaghi lies in the wine region of Kakheti in Georgia. A day trip to Sighnaghi is usually a part of many Sighnaghi tours running from Tbilisi. However, unlike the other touristy spots near Tbilisi, Sighnaghi has a far chiller vibe.
It is a bright sunny afternoon and life is buzzing in the Fabrika Hostel in Tbilisi I am staying at. My day trip to Sighnaghi is planned on my very final day in Georgia. ‘It is a bittersweet feeling’, I said to my friend Sree, who has been my companion of this memorable road trip across Georgia.
View Contents
Getting from Tbilisi to Sighnaghi
Sighnaghi is located just 100kms away from Tbilisi so it makes for a short Sighnaghi day tour if you reside in the capital city. If you have rented out a car, it would only take 1.5 to 2 hours from Tbilisi to reach Sighnaghi. If you rely on public transport, your best bet is the marshrutka (the mini-vans), which runs several times a day to Sighnaghi. A marshrutka ride will only cost 10 GEL per person.
Alternatively, a lot of tourists also plan to visit the city from Armenia as it follows an easy road trip route. If you too plan to do so, do check out the best things to do in Armenia before hitting the road!
Before starting your day trip Sighnaghi from Tbilisi – check out colorful photo guide on The Best Things To Do In Tbilisi
To remain connected throughout your trip to Georgia – Get your Tep Wireless Portable pocket-size WiFi now!
Bags packed and we are all set to load our luggage in the car as the plan is to directly go to the airport on return from Sighnaghi. While I bid adieu to the cute yet noisy hostel I spent the previous night at, I am excited reading about the things to do in Sighnaghi on Google and experiencing the country’s oldest wine region.
Almost 1.5 hours into the journey – the mighty Caucasus Mountains have started to make me feel how exciting this day trip to Sighnaghi is going to be.
After wandering in some of the most picturesque roads in the laps of the mighty Caucasus – I wasn’t convinced to be blown up by their beauty one more time. I was mistaken and how! Firmly standing many miles away yet looking so close that I can take my hand out of the window and feel them right away – they just made me fall in love with them, yet again!
‘So what is our first stop on this day trip to Sighnaghi?’ I asked my local friend. ‘The resting place of the nun who introduced Christianity in Georgia’, he replied.
Places To Visit In Sighnaghi
St. Nino Monastery
Overlooking the beautiful Alazani valley, built on a small hill, the St. Nino Monastery or otherwise known as the Bodbe Monastery is an established nunnery and one of the most religious places in Georgia. The patron saint, St. Nino is buried here – so the monastery serves as both a religious site and a tourist spot.
There are several complexes in the monastery, however, only the main church leading to the room where St. Nino is buried is open to the tourists. The other complexes are the nuns’ residence and prayer area.
Note: To enter the monastery, both men and women must be wearing knee-length trousers. Women are required to wear a headscarf as well, which is available right outside the church entrance free of cost.
The complex has satisfactory tourist facilities and spacious open-air parking. There are small cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops outside the monastery with paid toilets as well.
Wandering around the monastery garden and watching the nuns lovingly taking care of the flowers, I am standing in awe thinking how can one dedicate their entire lives in the name of God? While a part of me feels gloomy seeing the nuns living alone in a small mountain town leaving their families behind, seeing them looking so happy and planting the grass makes my heart content. ‘At least they’re at peace with themselves’, I thought, while walking out of the monastery.
And just like that, we are again on the road moving towards our next stop on our day trip to Sighnaghi. While still driving on the concrete roads, ‘where are all the cobbled streets of Sighnaghi everyone told me about?’ I anxiously asked my friend. ‘Just let us reach the town center and you will get all your answers’, he calmly replied. While curiosity is ticking inside me super fast – just a few minutes later, I’m finally getting the first glimpse of the Sighnaghi’s cobbled streets.
One of the things which every Sighnaghi day tour I came across was the mention of its wooden balcony houses and cobbled streets. Mountain towns are always love at first sight for me, the, vintage laid-back vibe of Sighnaghi, made it my ultimate favorite! Oh, and I did I tell you that there was police patrolling the tiny alleys on buggies! Yes, buggies! Isn’t it so cool?
Sighnaghi Fortress
Sighnaghi was formed as a refuge city by the King Erekle in the 18th century. The city was guarded by a brick fortress which extends to a 4km wall surrounding the area. The wall is integrated with twenty-eight towers, each one named after a village in the Kakheti region.
The fortress is free of cost to enter. A spiral staircase leads to the main upper tier of the tower, which offers some epic views of the town and the Alazani valley with the Caucasus Mountains at a fairly visible distance.
‘This fortress and the wall still guard the city’ said my local friend while we are descending from the narrow and super scary flight of brick stairs to exit the fortress. I am thinking to myself how many tests of the time these walls must have seen.
I don’t know about you, but historical sites never fail to amaze me…
The Marriage Palace
If you’re wondering why I have been referring to Sighnaghi as the city of love, you’re about to get all your answers now. Sighnaghi is the only city in Georgia where you can get married any day and at any time in the day. The Marriage Palace in the city is the place that helps the couples in getting hitched! The building is just a normal ‘Sighnaghi style’ wooden pink color building but worth a stop as it gives the title of the city of love to Sighnaghi.
There is a sculpture of a girl holding flowers right outside the building.
While I see couples all in love clicking photos around the Marriage Palace – if you’re single like me, this place is guaranteed to make you feel like everyone is in love except you, just like it did to me!
Where to eat in Sighnaghi?
A visually appealing shot of three different kinds of Georgian wine to make you crave it (oops, sorry!)
Knowing that I am visiting the wine capital of Georgia, where to eat in Sighnaghi is a question constantly hitting my mind from the minute we started this journey.
There are plenty of restaurants and cafes I’ve seen till now during this trip, but it is almost illegal (not literally) to leave Sighnaghi without wine tasting. After all, you’re in the wine region of Georgia, then why don’t you try some, maybe?
‘I’m going to take you to a very special place for lunch’, said my friend. ‘Err special like?’ I asked in curiosity as the tires of the car are screeching to stop at our eatery for the day.
Two smiling lovely ladies are welcoming me saying something in Georgian, which I obviously don’t understand but I’m nodding back and smiling while appreciating their hospitality.
We are at a local family house that has a vineyard in their backyard! I mean these people are winning at life, right?
The lovely lady 1 is preparing to help me to make ‘Churchkhela’, a very popular Georgian desert. She tells, which my local friend translates to ‘Churchkhela is made from walnut and hazelnuts, which are ground and added to sugar water to make it a thick syrup’. Saying this, she is continuously holding my hand and stirring the think nuts syrup while I am struggling to process all of the things happening around me while stirring it.
Here I am looking proudly at the Churchkhela I made, well actually, the lovely lady 1 made. The desert is glued with a string and hung in the air for some time before being consumed.
Then next comes the lovely lady 2 and starts to teach me how to make the famous Georgian bread. Here she somehow magically made the whole wheat turned into a dough which is punched from all angles.
This is the trickiest part, where both the lovely lady 1 and 2 are helping me to stick the dough in an oven. I won’t lie, I was low key freaking out here!
I am now told that I will be served the bread and churchkhela I just made for lunch. Clearly, not very pleased with this idea considering my non-existent cooking skills.
Before the food is ready, here comes the time everyone has been waiting for – WINE TASTING! We are served with homemade wine which grew in the backyard of the lovely ladies home.
And then comes the bread I made! Well, obviously the long and ugly one with no definite shape is the one made by me – no points for guessing ya’ll. But in my defense, it tastes too good!
As I was accompanied by a local friend during my day trip to Sighnaghi so I had an amazing local cooking experience – but to help you out, here are some recommendations on where to eat in Sighnaghi.
The Terrace Sighnaghi – as the name suggests, it is an open-air outdoor seating restaurant that promises good food and mind-blowing views of the Caucasus.
Pheasant’s Tears Winery – food when added with a little wine never hurts! One of the most popular wineries in the town, enjoy the local Georgian food and a paid wine tasting too.
Cradle of Wine Marani – owned by the super friendly guy, this place offers food, wine, views, and a short tour of the cellars too. Be assured, every penny you spent here will be worth it!
Where To Stay In Sighnaghi
My day trip to Sighnaghi was a short Sighnaghi day tour due to time constraints, however, if you wish to spend a night or two in the town – here are some recommendations, which I gathered for you on advice from my blogger friends and reading lots of hotel reviews:
Budget – Guest House Gidi is one of the top-rated guesthouse/hostels which is located right in the heart of the town. Perfect for those travelers who do not have any transportation means to explore the town.
Mid-range – Sighnaghi Inn is a perfect mid-ranged boutique hotel in Sighnaghi with rooms that comes with balconies. This is a typical wooden balcony hotel similar to the houses in the town. It is located in the town center.
Luxury – Kabadoni Boutique Hotel is the only luxury hotel in the small town. Located near the city center, this property offers elegant interiors, a peaceful stay, and clear views of the Caucasus Mountains.
Best Time To Visit Sighnaghi
Sighnaghi is one of those places which can be pretty much visited all year long. I visited it at the start of autumn, September to be precise and the temperatures were mildly warm. June to August are the hottest months while December to February are the coldest ones. In a nutshell, May to October is the apt time to visit Sighnaghi.
Sighnaghi Day Tours
Due to its proximity to Tbilisi, there are plenty of different day trips to Sighnaghi. Book these tours before they are sold out!
Want to hear more from Georgia? Check out my other posts on Georgia!
- Paranormal Experience While Traveling – My First Horror Night In Tbilisi
- A Love Story With The Mountain Town of Kazbegi
- Satisfy Your Taste Buds With These Georgian Cuisines
Loved It! Pin It!
Beautiful pictures! The scenery, food and hospitality look amazing. I would love to visit someday.
Loved this! Georgia is high on our list to visit in 2020 (as long as they borders stay open). So cool to see the example of the Georgian hospitality at the winery- what an amazing experience.
Thank you for sharing your experience :). It is the first time I read a post about Georgia. The local people seems really welcoming and friendly. You have been lucky to be accompanied by a local friend – it make all the difference :). Thanks to him, you can really experience the life in Georgia and get out of the touristy places. What a nice experience to learn how to cook ‘Churchkhela’. Did you tried to cook this recipe a second time when you was back at home ;)?
Hi Lauriane, thank you for your lovely comment. Oh I never tried it making and home and I am bumped why this never crossed my mind! Anyway, thank you for the reminder, I am surely going to try it now 🙂
Great post! I’d love to visit Georgia one day. It looks gorgeous!
What a lovely day in a beautiful town in Georgia! We will definitely need to make this part of a trip to the area. Thanks for sharing!