Georgia: wild honey & tea plantations
An agricultural journey to the producers of honey and teaAn agricultural journey to the producers of honey and tea
An extraordinary journey for world explorers who are interested in the diversity of landscapes and the rich cultural traditions of rural regions. Together with organic farming experts Heinz Gengenbach and Günther Semmler, you will travel through Georgia, visiting traditional Jara beekeepers and young organic tea producers. An important component is personal encounters with the founders of ecologically operating companies in Georgia. The route leads from the capital Tbilisi to western Georgia to the still little-visited regions of Racha, Guria and Acharia. City tours in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and visits to the historically significant cathedrals of Nikortsminda and Bagrati round off the program.
This trip is organized by our Georgian partner in collaboration with the organic growing association ELKANA and the Georgian Organic Tea Producers Association G.O.T.P.A. organized.
The journey takes you to regions that are not yet visited by tourists. Many program contents are designed together with the local population and can therefore not be 100% scheduled and planned. Therefore, a certain degree of flexibility with regard to daily routines and possible short-term program changes is essential. However, we assure you that you will experience an unforgettable trip with many encounters and intensive insights into daily life in Georgia.
Guided trip in German.
Travel itinerary
- Flight Luxembourg-Istanbul (Turkish Airlines, 10:20 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.)
- Connecting flight Istanbul-Tbilisi (Turkish Airlines, 4:35 p.m. – 7:55 p.m.)
- Transfer to the hotel
- Overnight stay at the Hotel Gallery Palace***(*) in Tbilisi
- Free time
- 7:00 p.m. Dinner
- Overnight stay at the Hotel Gallery Palace***(*)
- Short lecture “Biodiversity in (West) Georgia
- Tour through the old town and to the spa district
- Tea Museum and meeting with Shota Bitadze (founder of the Georgian Organic Tea Producers Association)
- Overnight stay at the Hotel Gallery Palace***(*)
- Drive through the Lichi Mountains to the Shaori reservoir (Racha mountain region)
- Visit to the Cathedral of Nikortsminda (10th century)
- Overnight stay at Hotel Shaori*** at the Shaori reservoir or in Nikorzminda
- Drive to Kutaisi
- City walk, visit to Bagrati Cathedral
- Continue to Ozurgeti
- Presentation G.O.T.P.A. (Georgian Organic Tea Producers Association)
- Overnight stay at Hotel Ozurgeti Plaza*** in Ozurgeti
- Visit to the organic tea plantation Bakhvi Tea Estate, pick tea together
- Opportunity to get to know the further processing steps
- Tea ceremony, tasting and lunch on the terrace
- Continue to Batumi
- Visit to the botanical garden
- Overnight stay at the hotel/guesthouse Batumi Home*** in Batumi
- Drive to Keda (mountainous region of Acharia)
- Visit to a bottling plant for Jara honey
- Overnight stay in the hotel/guesthouse Batumi Home***
- Drive along the Black Sea coast
- Picnic at Lake Paliastomi (migratory birds in spring)
- Continue to Tskaltubo
- Leisure time
- Opportunity to visit the old bathing facilities
- Optional visit to the Prometheus Cave
- Overnight stay at the Hotel Legend Spa***(*) in Tskaltubo
- Drive to Ambrolauri
- Visit to “Geoflower Ltd.” (local manufacturer of dried fruits and medicinal herbs)
- Tour of the processing plant for organic tea and wild herbs
- Visit to the honey producer “GeoNatural”
- Overnight stay in the hotel/guesthouse*** in Ambrolauri
- Trip to Chiatura
- Visit to the organic tea factory “Agrokultura”
- Tea tasting and light lunch on the terrace
- Continue to Ateni
- Walk and visit to the church of Atenis Sioni (8th century).
- Dinner including wine tasting at Nika Vacheishvili Winery
- Return journey to Tbilisi
- Overnight stay at the Hotel Gallery Palace***(*) in Tbilisi
- Free time in Tbilisi
- Farewell dinner in a restaurant with Georgian-German specialties
- Overnight stay at the Hotel Gallery Palace***(*)
- Transfer to the airport
- Flight Tbilisi-Istanbul (Turkish Airlines, 10.40 a.m. – 12.15 p.m.)
- Connecting flight Istanbul-Luxembourg (Turkish Airlines, 3:10 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Lunchbox / Picnic
- Tasting
- Night
Prices (per person)
Minimum number of participants: 15, maximum number of participants: 25.
Included services:
Not included are: Turkish Airlines seat reservations, tips, meals not mentioned in the itinerary, drinks, insurance, additional activities and excursions, personal expenses.
*other airports on request
Authentic and sustainable
- Insights into how Georgian tea farmers and honey producers work
- Visit to the founder of the Georgian Organic Tea Producers Organization
- Visit to an organic tea plantation including a traditional tea ceremony
- Visit to a winery including wine tasting
- Numerous opportunities for exchange with the local population and producers
- Overnight stays in typical local hotels
- CO2 compensation for flights and land-based services (1343kg per passenger) via Atmosfair
Important information
Entry (as of January 2024) for EU citizens with a valid passport that is valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. The passport must be in good condition and have at least two blank pages. No compulsory vaccinations are required when entering directly from Luxembourg/Germany. (A polio vaccination and corresponding proof are only required when entering from countries with a current risk of poliomyelitis infection.) According to the current status (01/2024), there are no Covid-19-related entry restrictions. We would like to point out that the entry regulations may change depending on the infection situation.
This trip takes you to regions that are not yet visited by tourists. Many program contents are designed together with the local population and can therefore not be 100% scheduled and planned. Therefore, a certain degree of flexibility with regard to daily routines and possible short-term program changes is essential. However, we assure you that you will experience an unforgettable trip with many encounters and intensive insights into daily life.
Tourism in Georgia is still relatively young and cannot be compared with other European countries. Loud conversations at neighbouring tables, smoking in public spaces, windows or doors that don’t close completely are imponderables that shouldn’t dampen your mood for traveling.
Please note that the hotels and guesthouses have been specially selected for this trip and are not always “standard hotels” as we know them from Western Europe. In the capital Tbilisi you will stay in a ***(*) hotel, in the countryside in small family hotels and guesthouses, in remote regions in private accommodation. All accommodations have been carefully checked and selected by our Georgian partners, and all rooms have private bathrooms with shower/toilet. Single rooms are generally possible everywhere, but we still recommend booking early (especially when traveling in high season). Almost all accommodations offer WiFi, although network coverage is not always perfect. If some of the booked accommodations are unforeseen to be unavailable, we will book a (preferably) equivalent alternative.
For air travel, our sales prices are generally based on special and tour operator tariffs of the airline(s) selected for the relevant trip. Therefore, the space available is limited; additional charges may apply for bookings made three months before the start of the trip.
With the travel documents you will receive further information about the trip and the destination country.
No insurance is included in the travel price. We strongly recommend taking out travel cancellation insurance that includes Covid-19 as well as appropriate travel health insurance that includes treatment (including quarantine) for Covid-19.
This trip is not suitable for guests with mobility issues. If necessary, please tell us the type of mobility restriction you have before booking and clarify with us whether we can meet your individual needs.
Planet B is a brand of Bollig Tours s.à r.l.. Bollig Tours is therefore named as the organizer in our general travel conditions.
We carry out this trip in cooperation with a partner travel agency. Of course, this has no impact on the quality.
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121, route de Luxembourg
L-6562 Echternach