Collection · 10 places

Caves in Georgia

Georgia's caves come in two very different kinds. Around Kutaisi and Tskaltubo, the limestone hills of Imereti are full of natural karst caves, and several have been fitted with paths and lighting: Prometheus is the big one, with six halls and an underground river, while Sataplia, Navenakhevi and Tetra are smaller and quieter. The temperature inside stays around 13 to 14°C all year, which makes them a good plan for a hot July day or a wet one in November.

The second kind was made by people. For more than two thousand years Georgians cut homes, churches and monasteries into soft rock: the pagan-era town of Uplistsikhe near Gori, the 6th-century hermitages of David Gareja and Shio-Mgvime, and the great 12th-century cliff monastery of Vardzia, built under Queen Tamar. Several are still working monasteries, so dress modestly.

The deepest known caves in the world, Krubera and Veryovkina, lie in the Arabika massif in Abkhazia, a Georgian region occupied by Russia, and cannot be visited from the rest of the country. Everything on this list can. Fees are approximate 2026 prices for foreign adults.

Prometheus CavePhoto: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0

Imereti · Caves & Cave Towns

Prometheus Cave

Georgia's showpiece cave near Tskaltubo leads you through six lit halls of stalactites, curtains and underground pools on a paved route of about 1.4 to 1.8 km. Guided groups take about an hour, and when the water is low enough you can finish by boat along the underground river. Only part of the 11 km system is open.

Best months: All year; weekday mornings are quietest
Access: About 35 min by car from Kutaisi; paved paths with many steps
Entry: about 40 GEL (about $15) in 2026, plus about 30 GEL if you take the boat

Read the guide →

VardziaPhoto: Alexkom000, CC BY 4.0

Samtskhe-Javakheti · Caves & Cave Towns

Vardzia Cave Monastery

Hundreds of rooms are carved into a cliff above the Mtkvari, the remains of the fortified monastery Queen Tamar completed around 1200. Tunnels and stairways link cells, wine cellars and the frescoed Church of the Dormition, where Tamar's portrait survives. A small section has been closed since a rockfall in spring 2026, but most of the site is open.

Best months: April to June and September to October; early morning in summer
Access: About 1 to 1.5 h by car from Akhaltsikhe, around 4 h from Tbilisi; steep steps on site
Entry: about 15 GEL (about $6) in 2026

Read the guide →

David Gareja MonasteryPhoto: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0

Kakheti · Caves & Cave Towns

David Gareja Monastery

In the striped semi-desert on the Azerbaijani border, monks have lived in rock-cut cells since St David arrived in the 6th century. The main Lavra monastery is still active; a steep path climbs the ridge to the Udabno cave monastery and its medieval frescoes. The landscape alone justifies the trip.

Best months: April to May and September to November
Access: About 2 h by car from Tbilisi, the last stretch on a rougher road; no public transport
Entry: Free

Read the guide →

Sataplia Nature ReservePhoto: Aleksey Muhranoff, CC BY-SA 3.0

Imereti · Caves & Cave Towns

Sataplia Nature Reserve

A compact reserve on a forested hill above Kutaisi that mixes a lit karst cave with fossil dinosaur footprints under a pavilion and a glass platform over the cliff. The cave route is short, about 300 m, so it pairs well with Prometheus on the same day. Children love the life-size dinosaur models.

Best months: April to October
Access: 20 min by car from Kutaisi; paved trail with steps
Entry: about 30 GEL (about $11) in 2026

Read the guide →

UplistsikhePhoto: Supanut Arunoprayote, CC BY 4.0

Shida Kartli · Caves & Cave Towns

Uplistsikhe Cave Town

One of Georgia's oldest towns, hewn from a soft sandstone ridge over the Mtkvari, 10 km east of Gori, with halls, streets, a theatre-like space and wine presses carved from the rock. A brick basilica of the 9th to 10th centuries crowns the site. The way out runs through a tunnel that once brought water up from the river.

Best months: March to June and September to November; early or late in summer
Access: Around 75 minutes from Tbilisi by road, 15 min by taxi from Gori
Entry: about 15 GEL (about $6) in 2026

Read the guide →

Navenakhevi CavePhoto: Ninomirotadze, CC BY-SA 4.0

Imereti · Caves & Cave Towns

Navenakhevi Cave

A small cave east of Kutaisi with a 250 m route through four halls on two levels, crammed with stalactites and thick columns. It is usually far quieter than Prometheus. Because it lies near the main highway, it is an easy stop on the drive between Tbilisi and the west.

Best months: All year
Access: About 30 min by car from Kutaisi; visits take 30 to 45 min
Entry: about 12 GEL (about $4) in 2026; with Prometheus about 45 GEL

Read the guide →

Shio-Mgvime MonasteryPhoto: George Melashvili, CC BY-SA 3.0

Mtskheta-Mtianeti · Churches & Monasteries

Shio-Mgvime Cave Monastery

The name means the cave of Shio, after the 6th-century monk who lived as a hermit in this limestone ravine near Mtskheta. Monks' cells pock the cliffs around two old churches, and Shio's own cave is still part of the working monastery. It is a calm, little-visited contrast to Mtskheta.

Best months: All year; spring and autumn are best
Access: About 40 min by car from Tbilisi, 20 min from Mtskheta
Entry: Free

Read the guide →

Mgvimevi Monastery

Imereti · Churches & Monasteries

Mgvimevi Monastery, Chiatura

A 13th-century convent built into a large natural cave in the cliffs on the edge of Chiatura. A narrow path along the rock face leads to its two churches, one partly cut into the stone. Combine it with the Chiatura cable cars and the Katskhi Pillar.

Best months: April to October
Access: Chiatura is 70 km east of Kutaisi; from the centre take a taxi to the start of the cliff path
Entry: Free

Read the guide →

Tetra Cave, Tskaltubo

Imereti

Tetra Cave, Tskaltubo

A karst cave just outside the spa town of Tskaltubo, protected as a natural monument and opened to visitors in 2021. It was the first cave in Georgia adapted for wheelchair users, and wine is aged in its cool halls. It makes a short add-on to Prometheus, which is about 10 minutes away.

Best months: All year
Access: About 1.6 km from Tskaltubo; around 30 min by car from Kutaisi
Entry: Ticketed; 2026 price not confirmed

Vanis KvabebiPhoto: Bergie at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5

Samtskhe-Javakheti · Caves & Cave Towns

Vanis Kvabebi

An 8th-century cave monastery a few minutes from Vardzia, older and wilder, with tunnels on several levels behind a defensive wall of 1204. Reports say the complex has been closed to visitors for some years, so you may only see it from below. Ask on the day, as access rules change.

Best months: April to June and September to October
Access: A few minutes by car from Vardzia on the same valley road
Entry: Free

Read the guide →

Tips from your host

Bring a light jacket: the show caves stay at about 13 to 14°C even in August.
Prometheus boats stop when the underground river is high, usually after heavy rain; ask at the ticket desk before paying.
Foreigners can save with APA combo tickets, such as Prometheus plus Sataplia plus Navenakhevi for about 75 GEL in 2026.
At Vardzia, David Gareja and Shio-Mgvime, cover shoulders and knees; women may be asked to cover their hair.
Visit Uplistsikhe and David Gareja early in summer: the rock reflects heat and there is almost no shade.

Do it with us

Caves in Georgia, privately

Any date, any group size. Private guide, transport, horses and camping gear if needed.

Ready-made tourKutaisi Caves and Monasteries Day Trip1 day · from $100 pp (sample)

Plan my trip WhatsApp

Caves in Georgia: FAQ

What is the best cave to visit in Georgia?

For natural caves, Prometheus near Kutaisi is the largest and most impressive show cave. For history, Vardzia, the 12th-century cliff monastery in Samtskhe-Javakheti, is the most famous cave site.

How much is the Prometheus Cave ticket in 2026?

After the price rise of 1 April 2026, a foreign adult ticket costs about 40 GEL (about $15), plus about 30 GEL for the optional boat ride. Georgian citizens, residents and children pay less.

Can you visit Prometheus and Sataplia on the same day?

Yes. They are about 20 minutes apart by car, and each visit takes about an hour. Many people add Navenakhevi or a canyon on the same day from Kutaisi.

Is Vardzia open after the 2026 rockfall?

Yes, mostly. The spring 2026 rockfall shut one small part of the cliff, and the rest of the monastery can be visited as before; staff at the gate will tell you which stretch is fenced off.

Can I visit the Udabno caves at David Gareja?

Udabno sits on a ridge where the border with Azerbaijan is not yet agreed, and visitors have mostly been kept off it since 2019. The main Lavra monastery can be visited; follow any instructions from border guards.

Where is the deepest cave in Georgia?

Krubera (Voronya) and Veryovkina, the deepest known caves on Earth, are in the Arabika massif in Abkhazia, a region occupied by Russia. They are not accessible from Georgian-controlled territory.

Are the caves suitable for children?

Yes. Prometheus, Sataplia and Navenakhevi have paved, lit paths and railings, and Sataplia's dinosaur models are a hit with kids. Children under six usually enter free.

How do I get to the caves near Kutaisi without a car?

Marshrutkas run from Kutaisi to Tskaltubo, from where a taxi to Prometheus is short. Sataplia, Navenakhevi and the others are easiest by taxi or on a private day trip.

Last checked Oct 2026 by the Maspindzeli team. Mountain conditions change: ask us before you go.

Tours that visit them

Gelati MonasteryPhoto: Ihor Burliai, CC BY-SA 3.0

1 day

Day TripsClassic & Culture

Kutaisi Caves and Monasteries Day Trip

A relaxed private day around Kutaisi that pairs two medieval monasteries, Gelati and Motsameta, with two very different caves: Sataplia, where dinosaurs left their tracks, and the great underground halls of Prometheus.

Easy · DT-01Hfrom $100 pp

BorjomiPhoto: Sergey Sebelev, CC BY-SA 4.0

2 days

Classic & CultureMountains & Nature

Borjomi and Vardzia in 2 Days

A two-day loop through Samtskhe-Javakheti that splits the long drive to Vardzia in half: Borjomi's park and springs, the Green Monastery, Rabati Castle in Akhaltsikhe and Khertvisi on day one, then Queen Tamar's cave city before the crowds and the high Javakheti plateau on the way home.

Easy to moderate · CL-02from $390 pp

David Gareja MonasteryPhoto: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0

1 day

Day TripsMountains & Nature

David Gareja & Udabno Day Trip

Into Georgia's semi-desert for the rock-cut monasteries of David Gareja: the Lavra, a ridge hike up to Udabno monastery and its cave churches, and a village lunch.

Moderate · DT-01Efrom $100 pp

UplistsikhePhoto: Supanut Arunoprayote, CC BY 4.0

1 day

Day TripsClassic & Culture

Uplistsikhe, Gori & Mtskheta Day Trip

Head west of Tbilisi for the day: walk the rock-hewn town of Uplistsikhe, see the Stalin Museum in Gori, and finish at Mtskheta's ancient churches.

Easy · DT-01Dfrom $100 pp

Sioni CathedralPhoto: Supanut Arunoprayote, CC BY 4.0

7 days

Classic & Culture

Orthodox Georgia Pilgrimage

A week following the story of Georgian Christianity from St Nino's arrival in Mtskheta to the cave hermitages of David Gareja and the royal monastery of Gelati, with time to join a Sunday liturgy and guidance on how to dress and behave in working churches.

Easy · CL-07Bfrom $1,360 pp

Narikala FortressPhoto: Alexxx1979, CC BY-SA 4.0

8 days

Family ToursClassic & Culture

Georgia for Families

Eight days of the things children love most: swinging cable cars, bumpy 4x4 tracks, pony rides, real dinosaur tracks, lit caves and a boat through a canyon, finishing on the beach at Batumi.

Easy · FM-08from $1,220 pp

Metekhi ChurchPhoto: Alexxx1979, CC BY-SA 4.0

8 days

Classic & CultureMountains & Nature

From the Mountains to the Sea

Eight days that drop from the glaciers above Kazbegi to the palms of Batumi, with Borjomi's spa park, the cave monastery of Vardzia and the monasteries of Kutaisi along the way.

Moderate · CL-08from $1,260 pp

Collections