Kol Chaverim — 9 Days of Jewish Heritage in Azerbaijan and Georgia
Overview
Jews have lived in the Caucasus for 2,600 years, and both Georgia and Azerbaijan are proud of it. This tour visits the Mountain Jews of Quba’s Red Settlement, the synagogues of Baku, the Georgian-Jewish quarter of Tbilisi and its two working synagogues, the old Jewish towns of Kutaisi and Oni in Racha, and Kakheti wine country, with kosher meals arranged on request and Shabbat built into the schedule.
Highlights
Is this trip for you?
- Jewish travellers and anyone interested in the history
- Synagogue and community groups
- Those combining with Israel–Baku or Israel–Tbilisi direct flights
- You want Armenia on the same trip — the Azerbaijan border makes that a separate booking
- You want the mountains
Our honest opinion
- Meetings arranged with community leaders in Quba and Tbilisi
- Kosher catering is possible in Baku and Tbilisi
- Kosher options are limited outside the capitals — we bring supplies
- Long roads on days 3, 4 and 8
Shabbat: tell us your dates and we build the itinerary so that Friday night and Saturday fall in Tbilisi.
The trip in numbers
Your route
Line style shows how you travel each leg: solid = train, dotted = car, dashed = flight.
Day by day
Airport pickup; the Old City, the Mountain Jews synagogue and the boulevard.
The Red Settlement: the Six-Dome synagogue, the museum, lunch with a Mountain Jewish family; back to Baku.
Shamakhi, Lahic and the Khan’s palace at Sheki; night in the caravanserai.
Border on foot, Signagi and a Kakheti winery lunch, Tbilisi by evening.
The Great Synagogue, the Beit Rachel synagogue, the David Baazov museum, the old town; Shabbat dinner arranged on request.
Gori and Uplistsikhe on the way; Kutaisi’s synagogue street and Gelati monastery.
Up into Racha; the Oni synagogue of 1895, the Jewish cemetery, Khvanchkara wine with a family.
Nikortsminda and the road back east; farewell dinner.
Airport transfer.
What’s included
What’s not included
Where you’ll stay
Or equivalent, depending on season. Hotels are inside or beside the historic centres wherever the town has one.
Traveller reviews
What guests wrote
“Led a group of fourteen from our congregation. Guided Travels arranged Shabbat in Tbilisi, kosher meals where possible, and meetings with community leaders in Quba and Tbilisi that we could never have organised ourselves. The Oni synagogue in Racha was deeply moving. Professional, respectful and flexible throughout.”
Good to know
Most nationalities enter Uzbekistan visa-free for 30–90 days. If your passport needs an e-visa, it takes 2–3 working days online — we check your case and guide you at booking.
The local currency is the Uzbek som (UZS). Visa and Mastercard work in city hotels, restaurants and supermarkets; keep some cash for bazaars, taxis and tips. ATMs dispense som and sometimes USD.
April–June and September–November are warm and clear — ideal for walking the old cities. July–August afternoons exceed 35°C; winter departures run at reduced prices.
Uzbekistan uses European plug types C and F, 220V. Travellers from the UK, US and Asia need a standard Euro adapter — one per device is enough, hotels have plenty of sockets.
Everyday dress is relaxed across all four cities. Inside mosques and madrasas, shoulders and knees should be covered; headscarves for women are only needed in a few active mosques — your guide will tell you when.
Your included eSIM is activated on arrival, so you’re online from the airport. Hotel Wi-Fi is reliable in all four cities; your coordinator stays reachable on WhatsApp or Telegram throughout.
Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure. 50% refund up to 15 days before; after that the booking is non-refundable, but you can move to another date once for free.
Medical insurance for the tour days is included. We still recommend personal travel insurance covering cancellation and baggage — we can suggest trusted providers.
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