Shida Kartli: See
1 Uplistsikhe – A 3,600 year old Silk Road cave city that was a major regional center of Caucasian pagan religion
2 Ananuri (60 km north of Tbilisi along the road to Gudauri and Kazbegi). A beautiful castle and monastery overlooking the Zhinvali Reservoir.
3 Trialeti and Algeti National Park, Nichbisi-Didgori-Didi Toneti Botisi (60 km west of Tbilisi). Close-by Algeti Lake.
4 Mineral Springs. Very interesting contrasts and colours created by the mineral water coming out of the ground. The water is also drinkable, a little bit like in Borjomi, but very iron-tasty. Some complain about the many tourists coming here—no wonder so close to the highway. (updated Aug 2019)
5 Dmanisi archaeological site (93 km southwest of Tbilisi). A bronze age settlement and the 1.8 million year-old fossilized remains of the first human in Europe have been discovered here.
6 Grakliani Hill (along the northern side of the highway between Tbilisi and Gori). Discovered during the widening of the Tbilisi-Senaki-Leselidze highway, evidence of human presence going back as far as 300,000 years. (updated Nov 2019)
7 Shatili. A remote and less visited mountain region. From here, hikes as well as tours with horses towards Omalo in Tusheti National Park can be undertaken, crossing the Atsunta Pass.