Kutaisi Day Trips by Car: Canyons, Caves and Monasteries

Many of our guests either fly into Kutaisi or stop there halfway between Tbilisi and the mountains or the sea. It is worth staying two or three nights: within an hour of the city there are canyons, caves, UNESCO monasteries and some of the strangest Soviet heritage in the country.

Day trip 1: The canyons of Samegrelo

• Okatse Canyon (≈ 45 km) — a hanging walkway along the cliff, high above the river.
• Kinchkha Waterfall — a few kilometres further up the same road, one of the tallest in Georgia.
• Martvili Canyon (≈ 45 km) — turquoise water, boat rides and short trails. Go early: it gets busy by noon.

Day trip 2: Caves and spa town

• Prometheus Cave (≈ 20 km) — over a kilometre of halls with stalactites, with an optional boat ride on the underground river.
• Sataplia (≈ 10 km) — dinosaur footprints, a cave and a glass viewing platform over the forest.
• Tskaltubo — a Soviet spa town with grand, abandoned sanatoriums and still-working bathhouses.

Day trip 3: Gelati, Chiatura and Katskhi

• Gelati Monastery (≈ 11 km) — 12th-century mosaics and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Motsameta Monastery is on the way.
• Chiatura (≈ 70 km) — the manganese mining town known for its cable cars over the valley.
• Katskhi Pillar — a 40-metre limestone rock with a tiny church on top, visible from the road.

In the city itself, don't miss Bagrati Cathedral and the evening walk along the Rioni river.

Which car for western Georgia?

All the places above are reached by asphalt roads, so a compact car is enough for Kutaisi alone. If you continue to Svaneti or Racha, choose an all-wheel-drive SUV from the start.

Where to next

• Svaneti: Kutaisi → Zugdidi → Mestia, about 4.5–5 hours.
• Batumi and the coast: about 2.5 hours.
• Racha: Kutaisi → Ambrolauri → Oni, about 2.5 hours through the hills.