How much does a private driver cost for a week in Georgia in 2026?

Pricing is per car, per route, not per person. As a guide, full sightseeing days such as Tbilisi to Kazbegi and back or a Kakheti wine loop start from around 250 to 320 GEL per car, while shorter legs and airport transfers start from roughly 40 GEL. Across a 7-day trip a couple or small group typically spends far less per person than booking separate seat-based day tours.

Should I hire one driver for the whole week or book transfers day by day?

Both work. Many travellers book each day as a separate fixed-price transfer, which keeps costs transparent and lets you change plans. Others prefer to keep the same trusted driver for several days for continuity. With OrbiTrip you can request the same driver again, and you always see the fixed price before you confirm and pay the driver directly.

Do I need to drive myself in Georgia?

No. Self-driving is possible but Georgian mountain roads, local driving styles and winter conditions on passes like the Cross Pass above Gudauri make a local driver the easier and often cheaper choice once you factor in fuel, insurance and parking. A driver also means everyone can taste wine in Kakheti without worrying about the wheel.

Which airport should I fly into and out of for this route?

This itinerary works best flying into Tbilisi (TBS) and out of either Tbilisi or Kutaisi (KUT), depending on whether you finish the week in the east or the west. A private transfer meets you at arrivals and a return transfer gets you to the airport for your departure flight with no stress about marshrutka timetables.

Georgia 7-Day Itinerary with a Private Driver (2026): Routes, Costs & Day-by-Day Plan

Q: Is 7 days enough to see Georgia?

Seven days is enough to see the highlights of eastern and central Georgia comfortably: Tbilisi and Mtskheta, the Kazbegi mountains on the Georgian Military Highway, the Kakheti wine region, and either Borjomi and Vardzia or the Imereti caves near Kutaisi. With a private driver you spend the week sightseeing instead of waiting at bus stations, and you can adjust the route day by day.

Georgia packs an astonishing amount into a small country: snow-capped Caucasus peaks, an 8,000-year-old wine culture, cave cities, cathedrals and one of the most generous food traditions in the world. Seven days is the classic length for a first visit, and the single decision that shapes the whole trip is how you get between the highlights. Public marshrutka vans are cheap but slow, run to fixed timetables and leave you carrying luggage between stations. Hiring a private driver turns the same week into a relaxed, door-to-door road trip where the car is yours, the schedule is yours, and the most spectacular mountain roads in the Caucasus become part of the experience rather than an obstacle. This 2026 guide lays out a complete day-by-day itinerary with realistic per-day transfer costs and driving times, so you can plan a week that actually fits together.

The 7-day plan at a glance (2026): Day 1 arrive in Tbilisi; Day 2 Tbilisi old town and Mtskheta; Day 3 the Georgian Military Highway to Kazbegi (Ananuri, Gudauri, Gergeti Trinity); Day 4 the Kakheti wine region (Sighnaghi, Bodbe, Telavi); Day 5 Borjomi and Vardzia or Uplistsikhe; Day 6 west to Kutaisi and the Imereti caves; Day 7 depart from Kutaisi or Tbilisi. With a private driver each day is a fixed-price, door-to-door transfer — full sightseeing days from around 250–320 GEL per car, shorter legs and airport runs from about 40 GEL.

Why a private driver for a 7-day Georgia trip?

Georgia rewards flexibility. The best moments — a viewpoint above the Gudauri valley, a roadside qvevri cellar in Kakheti, a fortress glimpsed from the highway — are exactly the ones a fixed bus schedule denies you. A private driver lets you stop, linger and reorder the day on the spot. Because fares are charged per car rather than per seat, a couple, family or group of friends splits one fixed price, which often makes a driver cheaper per person than buying individual seats on group day tours. You also avoid the two biggest frustrations of independent travel here: navigating mountain roads yourself in unfamiliar conditions, and losing half a day to connections. For the wine country in particular, a driver is close to essential — it is the only way everyone in the group can taste freely. If you are weighing the options, our comparison of renting a car versus a private transfer in Georgia breaks down the real costs.

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1 — Arrive in Tbilisi

Most international flights land at Tbilisi International Airport (TBS). A pre-booked transfer meets you at arrivals and delivers you to your hotel in the city centre in about 20–30 minutes, a far calmer start than haggling with airport taxis after a long flight. Spend the rest of the day easing into the city: wander the sulphur-bath district of Abanotubani, ride the cable car up to Narikala Fortress for sunset over the old town, and have your first khinkali and khachapuri dinner. For typical arrival costs see our Tbilisi airport transfer cost guide.

Day 2 — Tbilisi old town and Mtskheta

Give the morning to Tbilisi proper — the cobbled lanes of Kala, the Bridge of Peace, the Dry Bridge market and the museums along Rustaveli Avenue. In the afternoon your driver takes you 20 km north to Mtskheta, the ancient royal and spiritual capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site, where the 11th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the hilltop Jvari Monastery sit above the meeting of two rivers. It is an easy half-day that pairs perfectly with the city. Our Tbilisi to Mtskheta day-trip guide has the detail.

Day 3 — The Georgian Military Highway to Kazbegi

This is the showpiece day. The Georgian Military Highway runs north from Tbilisi into the High Caucasus, and a private car lets you treat it as a string of stops rather than a transit. Pause at the Ananuri fortress on the Zhinvali reservoir, climb to the Gudauri ski plateau and the brightly tiled Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument, cross the 2,379 m Jvari (Cross) Pass, and arrive in Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) beneath the iconic Gergeti Trinity Church framed by Mount Kazbek. It is roughly 155 km each way and a full day with stops; many travellers stay overnight in Kazbegi to see the peak at dawn. Full details are in our Tbilisi to Kazbegi day-trip guide and the winter version for snow-season travel.

Day 4 — Kakheti wine region

Head east into Kakheti, the heartland of Georgian wine. A classic loop links the fortified hill town of Sighnaghi with its valley views, the Bodbe convent, and the cellars around Telavi and the Tsinandali estate, with tastings of qvevri wines made the way they have been for eight millennia. A driver is the natural choice here precisely because no one has to stay sober for the road. You can run this as a long day from Tbilisi or as part of an overnight in the valley. See our Kakheti wine day-trip guide and the Tbilisi to Sighnaghi day trip.

Day 5 — Borjomi, Vardzia and the south

Turn south-west for a day of forests, mineral springs and cave cities. The spa town of Borjomi is famous for its sparkling mineral water and its leafy central park; from there the road climbs to Vardzia, the astonishing 12th-century cave monastery carved into a cliff face above the Mtkvari river, passing the restored Rabati castle at Akhaltsikhe. It is a long but rewarding drive that a private car makes manageable. Travellers short on time sometimes swap this for the closer Uplistsikhe cave town and Gori. Our Tbilisi to Borjomi guide and Vardzia cave city day trip cover both.

Day 6 — West to Kutaisi and the Imereti caves

Cross to the greener, subtropical west. Kutaisi, Georgia’s second city, is the base for the Imereti highlights: the dramatic Prometheus Cave, the turquoise canyons of Martvili and Okatse, and the lonely Katskhi Pillar with its tiny clifftop church. The medieval Gelati Monastery and Bagrati Cathedral add UNESCO-listed history. This is also a practical staging point if you are flying out of Kutaisi International Airport (KUT), a hub for low-cost European flights. See our Kutaisi things to do guide.

Day 7 — Departure

Your last day depends on your flight. If you are leaving from Kutaisi, a short transfer gets you to KUT in good time. If you are flying home from Tbilisi, your driver covers the roughly 230 km back to the capital on the main highway, or straight to Tbilisi airport for an evening departure. Booking the return transfer in advance means no scramble for a taxi on your final morning. Our complete airport transfers guide explains every option.

What a week with a private driver costs (2026)

Prices are per car and fixed before you book, so the figures below are whole-car estimates for a standard sedan; minivans for larger groups cost more but split further per person. Long mountain days cost more than short city legs because of distance and driving time.

Day	Route	Indicative price (per car)
1	Airport → Tbilisi hotel	from ~40 GEL
2	Tbilisi + Mtskheta half day	from ~120 GEL
3	Tbilisi ↔ Kazbegi full day	from ~280–320 GEL
4	Kakheti wine loop full day	from ~250–300 GEL
5	Borjomi + Vardzia full day	from ~300–350 GEL
6	Tbilisi → Kutaisi + Imereti	from ~250 GEL
7	Transfer to KUT or Tbilisi airport	from ~40 GEL

Split between two to four travellers, a week structured this way usually works out cheaper per person than booking the equivalent seat-based group tours, and you keep full control of the schedule. You always see the exact fixed price for each leg before you confirm.

How an OrbiTrip transfer works

Booking each day is deliberately simple. Choose your route, pick a vehicle size for your group and luggage, and see a transparent fixed price before you confirm. You then receive the driver’s contact details to agree the pickup point and time. There is no prepayment — you settle the agreed fare directly with the driver at the end of each journey. You can request the same driver again for continuity across the week, ask for child seats at booking, and choose an English- or Russian-speaking driver, which is handy for commentary on the longer mountain and wine routes.

Plan your week: see routes & fixed prices

Tips for the perfect week

A few practical points make the itinerary run smoothly. Travel light: a single soft bag per person is far easier across a week of transfers than a hard suitcase. Carry some cash in GEL for tastings, entrance fees and small-town lunches, even though drivers are paid the fixed fare directly. Build in flexibility — if you fall in love with Kazbegi or the Kakheti valley, it is easy to add an overnight and shuffle the later days. Finally, pick your season with care: late spring and early autumn give the best weather across both mountains and wine country, while the September–October rtveli grape harvest is the most atmospheric time in Kakheti. Our best time to visit Georgia guide has the month-by-month detail.

Frequently asked questions

Is 7 days enough to see Georgia?

Yes — a week comfortably covers Tbilisi, the Kazbegi mountains, Kakheti wine country and either the south (Borjomi, Vardzia) or the west (Kutaisi, Imereti caves). A private driver makes the difference by turning travel time into sightseeing.

How much does a private driver cost for a week?

Pricing is per car. Full sightseeing days start from around 250–320 GEL per car, shorter legs and airport runs from about 40 GEL. Split between a couple or group it is usually cheaper per person than seat-based tours.

One driver all week or day-by-day transfers?

Either works. Many book each day as a separate fixed-price transfer for flexibility; others keep the same trusted driver for continuity. With OrbiTrip you can request the same driver again.

Do I need to drive myself?

No. A local driver handles the mountain passes and winter conditions, and means everyone can taste wine in Kakheti. It is often cheaper than self-drive once fuel and insurance are counted.

Which airports should I use?

Fly into Tbilisi (TBS) and out of Tbilisi or Kutaisi (KUT) depending on where you finish the week. A transfer meets your arrival and gets you to the airport for departure.

Related routes & guides

Tbilisi to Kazbegi day trip — the Georgian Military Highway in detail.
Kakheti wine day-trip guide — wineries, Sighnaghi and Telavi.
Vardzia cave city day trip — the cliff monastery and Rabati.
Kutaisi things to do — Prometheus Cave and the Imereti canyons.
Georgia airport transfers — TBS and KUT options.
Renting a car vs private transfer — which is cheaper.
Best time to visit Georgia — season by season.