South-west of Tbilisi lies a region many visitors skip — and those who drive it tell us it was a highlight. In two or three days you can combine the spa town of Borjomi, the mountain resort of Bakuriani and the cave city of Vardzia.
Borjomi
The town of the famous mineral water. Walk through the Central Park to the springs, take the old cable car up to the plateau, and visit the 9th-century Green Monastery in the forest nearby. Borjomi–Kharagauli National Park starts right outside town.
Bakuriani
A 30–40 minute drive up from Borjomi through pine forests. A ski resort in winter, a cool green escape in summer. In winter make sure your car has winter tyres (ours do in season) and take it slowly on the serpentine.
Akhaltsikhe and Rabati Castle
About 50 km past Borjomi. The Rabati fortress complex, with a mosque, a synagogue, a church and a citadel inside its walls, shows how many cultures met here.
Khertvisi and Vardzia
The road follows the Mtkvari river into a deep canyon. Khertvisi Fortress stands on a rock where two rivers meet. Twenty minutes later you reach Vardzia — a 12th-century cave monastery with hundreds of rooms carved into the cliff by Queen Tamar. Plan two hours and wear good shoes.
The way back: Paravani Lake
Instead of returning the same way, you can drive back over the Javakheti plateau: Akhalkalaki → Ninotsminda → Paravani Lake (2,073 m) → Tsalka → Tbilisi. A wide, empty highland with volcanic lakes — but cold and windy outside summer.
The right car
All roads on this loop are asphalt. An all-wheel-drive SUV is the comfortable choice for the climb to Bakuriani and the high plateau, especially from autumn to spring.
Two shortcuts here are not allowed with our cars:
- Goderdzi Pass (Akhaltsikhe → Khulo → Batumi) — long unpaved mountain sections.
- Sairme → Abastumani over the Zekari Pass — a rough mountain track.
To continue from here to the Black Sea, drive back to Khashuri and take the main highway west.
Practical tips
- Vardzia is open every day; arrive before noon in summer to avoid the heat on the cliff.
- Petrol stations are plentiful in Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe, rare on the Javakheti plateau.
- Akhaltsikhe or Borjomi are the best places to stay overnight.