Almaty and the Georgian Caucasus: Tbilisi, Kazbegi and Dashbashi Canyon, 7 Nights

Your driver meets you at Almaty airport for the drive into the city, which sits on a gentle slope at the foot of the Zailiysky Alatau. Flights usually land in the afternoon, so the rest of the day is yours to settle in. The tree-lined centre is safe and easy to walk, and the evenings are mild from late spring to early autumn.

The morning is in the mountains. You drive up past the Medeu skating rink to the gondola, which carries you in stages to the top of Shymbulak, where glaciers and jagged peaks close in on every side. In the evening, back in town, stroll the pedestrian Arbat among street performers, cafés and stalls selling felt and souvenirs.

A guided tour of the city’s landmarks: the First President’s Park, Republic Square, the Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Academy of Sciences, Abay Square and the Palace of the Republic. In Panfilov Park you see Zenkov Cathedral, a wooden church that survived the 1911 earthquake. Late in the day the cable car climbs Kok Tobe for the city spread out below.

An early transfer to Almaty airport with a packed breakfast, for the flight west to Tbilisi, about four hours. The flight is not part of the land package; we book it alongside so the times fit. A Georgian driver meets you in Tbilisi. Spend the evening in the old town, where balconied houses lean over lanes full of bakeries and wine bars.

A cable car rises from the riverside to Narikala fortress for the classic view over the old town. You walk down to Abanotubani, where brick domes cover the sulphur baths, then through the lanes to Shardeni Street and Anchiskhati Basilica, the city’s oldest surviving church, from the sixth century. The day ends at the crooked clock tower of the Gabriadze puppet theatre.

North along the Georgian Military Highway to Ananuri, a walled fortress and church above the Zhinvali reservoir, then up through Gudauri and over the Jvari Pass to Stepantsminda. A 4x4 climbs to Gergeti Trinity Church, alone on its ridge beneath Mount Kazbek. The pass can close after heavy snow in winter; if it does, we agree another day out.

A drive south-west of Tbilisi to Dashbashi Canyon, where a river has cut a deep green gorge into the plateau. You walk out onto the Diamond Bridge, a glass-floored span high above the canyon, and follow the trails down towards the waterfalls. Wear good shoes, as some paths are steep. Back in Tbilisi for a last evening.

A free morning for shopping at the Dry Bridge flea market or for a last look at the old town, if your flight allows. Georgian wine, spices and churchkhela, the walnut sweets threaded on string, make good gifts. Your driver collects you from the hotel for the transfer to Tbilisi airport in time for your flight.