Turtle Lake
A small lake at about 690 metres in the hills above Vake, reached by a short ropeway, with cafes, paths and city views.
Turtle LakePhoto: Александр Сигачёв, CC0Turtle Lake, Kus Tba in Georgian, is a small lake on the wooded slopes of Mtatsminda above the Vake district. It covers only about 3.4 hectares and is shallow, no more than 2.6 metres deep, but it is a favourite weekend outing for Tbilisi families, with a promenade, benches and cafes around the shore. The surrounding forest has walking paths, and from the hillside you look down over Vake and Saburtalo. At 687 metres it is a little cooler than the city below, which makes it a pleasant escape on summer evenings.
The easiest way up is the ropeway from the top of Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue by Vake Park, a ride of about 6 minutes. It opened in 2016, replacing an older Soviet cable car that stopped running in 2009. You can also walk up through the forest or take a taxi up the Turtle Lake road. The Open Air Museum of Ethnography is about a kilometre away, so many visitors combine the two.
What to see and do
- Ride the ropeway up from Vake Park
- Walk the path around the lake
- Have coffee or lunch at a lakeside cafe
- Combine with the Open Air Museum of Ethnography nearby
How to visit
Getting there
The ropeway leaves from the upper end of Chavchavadze Avenue by Vake Park, about 15 minutes by taxi or bus from Rustaveli Avenue. Taxis can also drive to the lake on the Turtle Lake road.
When to go
Weekday afternoons, spring to autumn. Plan 1–2 hours here.
- Weekends are busy with families; a weekday visit is quieter.
- The ropeway can pause in strong wind; a taxi is the back-up.
- Pair it with the ethnography museum for a relaxed half day.
Turtle Lake: FAQ
How do you get to Turtle Lake in Tbilisi?
Take the ropeway from Vake Park at the top of Chavchavadze Avenue; the ride takes about 6 minutes. A taxi can also drive up the Turtle Lake road.
Is Turtle Lake worth visiting?
It is a pleasant, low-key outing rather than a major sight. Combined with the ropeway ride and the Open Air Museum of Ethnography, it makes a relaxed half day away from the traffic.
Read more in our guides
Photo: Q-lieb-in, CC BY-SA 4.0Colour starts near the treeline in late September and reaches Tbilisi in November. Here is when each region peaks, the walks to do there and which mountain roads shut first.
Photo: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0What Prometheus Cave, Martvili Canyon, the National Museum, Vardzia, the Tbilisi cable cars and dozens of other sights cost to enter in 2026, with hours, combo tickets and free alternatives.
Photo: Alexxx1979, CC BY-SA 4.0Three ready-made days in the Georgian capital, each split into morning, afternoon and evening, with minutes on foot between stops, food stops by area and a plan B for rain.
Nearby places
Straight-line distance from Turtle Lake.
