Racha & Imereti Off the Beaten Path
The slow side of western Georgia: ride Chiatura's cable cars, see the Katskhi Pillar and Okatse Canyon, then taste Racha's wines beside carved cathedrals.
Bagrati CathedralPhoto: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0Imereti is usually a place travellers drive through on their way to Svaneti or the Black Sea, and Racha sees fewer visitors still. This tour gives both the time they deserve. From a Kutaisi base you visit Gelati Monastery, then the cave at Navenakhevi, the Katskhi Pillar, where a church crowns a 40 m column of rock, and Chiatura, a manganese town whose cable cars have lifted miners up its cliffs since the Soviet era. After that the road climbs over the Nakerala Pass into Racha, a green valley on the upper Rioni famous for Khvanchkara wine, smoked ham and the stone carvings covering Nikortsminda Cathedral.
You begin and end in Kutaisi, which has an international airport plus rail and road connections to Tbilisi. The walking is easy throughout, with some optional stairs and the cliff walkway at Okatse Canyon. Nights are spent in small family-run hotels: three in Kutaisi and one in Ambrolauri. Travel between May and October; spring turns the Racha hills a vivid green, and in autumn you arrive in the middle of the grape harvest.
Highlights
- The Katskhi Pillar, a church perched on a 40 m limestone column
- Chiatura's cable cars gliding above the mining town
- The cliff-hung walkway at Okatse Canyon
- Nikortsminda Cathedral's 11th-century stone carving
- Tasting Khvanchkara in the village that gives it its name
- Barakoni Church high on its cliff over the Rioni
- Kutaisi's Bagrati Cathedral and nearby Gelati Monastery
Tour facts
A car gets you close to Bagrati, Gelati, Nikortsminda and the foot of the Katskhi Pillar, leaving only short strolls over uneven paving. Okatse involves a forest trail of roughly 2 km each way plus metal stairs, and Prometheus Cave has steps and wet floors, so those can be skipped.
Places on this tour
17 places · tap any place to read its guide
- 1Kutaisi's great churches: Bagrati, Gelati and Motsameta
- 2Caves, a monks' pillar and the cable cars of Chiatura
- 3Okatse Canyon, Kinchkha Waterfall and Prometheus Cave
- 4Into Racha by the Nakerala Pass
- 5Barakoni Church, Oni's synagogue and the Rioni gorge
Day by day
01Kutaisi's great churches: Bagrati, Gelati and MotsametaOvernight: Kutaisi
We pick you up at Kutaisi airport or the railway station and begin at Bagrati Cathedral, raised by King Bagrat III in 1003 on a hill over the Rioni River. Ten kilometres away, Gelati Monastery was founded by David IV the Builder in 1106; this UNESCO-listed site has a 12th-century mosaic and walls covered in paintings. Close by, Motsameta Monastery perches on a cliff above a bend in the Tskaltsitela River. In the evening, stroll through the Green Bazaar and central Kutaisi, then sit down to an Imeretian dinner of khachapuri with a glass of local Tsolikouri.
02Caves, a monks' pillar and the cable cars of ChiaturaOvernight: Kutaisi
Start 20 km to the east at the Navenakhevi cave, close to Terjola, where a short underground trail leads through halls hung with stalactites. Next is the Katskhi Pillar, a limestone column roughly 40 m tall topped by a small church where monks have lived in seclusion. Visitors look up at it from the base, which has its own chapel. Then continue to Chiatura, a manganese-mining town squeezed into a deep gorge. Ride the cable cars between the centre and the districts on the clifftops, and visit Mgvimevi Monastery, built into the rock face. Drive back to Kutaisi.
03Okatse Canyon, Kinchkha Waterfall and Prometheus CaveOvernight: Kutaisi
Travel north-west to Gordi village. A forest trail through what was once the Dadiani princes' hunting park brings you to Okatse Canyon, where a metal walkway clings to the cliff high above the river and ends at a viewing platform jutting out over the void. From there, drive on to the Kinchkha Waterfall, which tumbles in tiers down a forested cliff, and walk to its viewpoint. On the return, explore Prometheus Cave along a lit path of over a kilometre, passing stalactites and underground pools, before the drive back to Kutaisi.
04Into Racha by the Nakerala PassOvernight: Ambrolauri
Your road goes through Tkibuli and climbs to the Nakerala Pass. From the top, a few minutes on foot bring you to the Tskhrajvari viewpoint looking over Racha. On the way down you pass Shaori Lake, a reservoir among pine trees, before reaching Nikortsminda Cathedral. It was built in 1010–1014 under King Bagrat III, and its walls are covered in carved hunters, animals and scenes from the Bible. Later, sample Khvanchkara in the village it comes from: a red that is naturally semi-sweet, made from Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli grapes. Check in at Ambrolauri, where dinner includes Rachan lobiani, a bean-filled bread made with smoked ham.
05Barakoni Church, Oni's synagogue and the Rioni gorge
Drive up the Rioni valley to the village of Tsesi and Barakoni Church, a domed stone church richly decorated with carving, built in 1753 by Rostom, prince of Racha, on a cliff over the river. Next is Oni, a small town that was once home to a large Jewish community; its synagogue dates from 1895. After lunch, follow the Rioni gorge back to Kutaisi, arriving in the late afternoon. The tour finishes with a drop-off at your hotel, the airport or the railway station.
Prices
Price per person for a private tour, by the size of your group. Sample prices
| Group size | Per person | Whole group |
|---|---|---|
| Solo traveller | $1,435 | $1,435 |
| 2 travellers | $870 | $1,740 |
| 3-4 travellers | $695 | from $2,085 |
| 5-8 travellers | $575 | from $2,875 |
| 9-15 travellers | $480 | from $4,320 |
Room and children
- Single room supplement: $200
- Children under 6 free (sharing a bed); ages 6-11 pay 70% of the adult price.
- Prices change with hotel level and season; your quote is final.
Popular add-ons
- Tbilisi airport transfer (car, 1-3 people)$30
- Extra night in Tbilisi with breakfast$80
- Supra dinner with folk music$50
What's included
- Transfers to and from Kutaisi airport, the station or your hotel
- Your own guide in your language
- Air-conditioned private vehicle and driver
- Four hotel nights, breakfast included
- The meals marked in each day's plan
- A Khvanchkara wine tasting in Racha
- Admission fees, covering the caves, Okatse Canyon and Gelati
- Tickets for the Chiatura cable cars
- Drinking water on board
- International air fares
- Insurance for your trip
- Meals and drinks beyond those listed
- A transfer from Tbilisi (we can arrange one)
- Gratuities for the guide and driver
Good to know
Who it's for
- Repeat visitors who have done Tbilisi and Kazbegi and want quieter western valleys
- Wine lovers keen to taste naturally semi-sweet Khvanchkara where its grapes grow
- Fans of odd industrial history, from Soviet mining towns to rebuilt cable cars
- Travellers flying into Kutaisi who want a short trip with easy walking
If this is your first time in Georgia and you want the famous sights of the east, start with Classic Georgia, which covers Tbilisi, Kazbegi and Kakheti.
What to bring
- A light jacket underground, since Prometheus Cave feels chilly even in August
- Shoes with grip for the damp forest trail to Okatse Canyon and the cave floors
- A head for heights, or a plan to wait on solid ground, for the cliff walkway at Okatse
- A scarf or covering layer for the many churches, including Gelati and Nikortsminda
- A rain jacket in May and June, when western Georgia gets frequent showers
- A little cash for wine or smoked ham bought direct from Racha families
- Okatse Canyon, Kinchkha and the caves can close for maintenance or after heavy rain. If that happens, your guide swaps in Sataplia or Martvili Canyon.
- Women need a headscarf and a skirt, and men long trousers, in active monasteries such as Gelati and Motsameta.
- The Nakerala Pass road climbs steeply with many bends. Early in May, check road status before setting out.
- Some Racha guesthouses are simple. Ambrolauri has the widest choice of rooms.
Guest reviews
Questions about this tour
Can I climb the Katskhi Pillar?
No. Only the monastery's monks go to the top, and visitors stay at the base, where you find a small church and a viewpoint. Seeing the pillar itself is what makes the trip worthwhile, and your guide tells you about the hermits who have lived on it.
Are the Chiatura cable cars safe?
Chiatura began replacing its Soviet cable cars with modern ones in 2021, and the new cabins carry local people every day. The old cabins and pylons are still visible around the town.
Can this tour start in Tbilisi?
Yes. The road from Tbilisi to Kutaisi takes three and a half to four hours, so we add an extra first day with stops at Uplistsikhe or in Imereti along the way. You could also take the train.
What is Khvanchkara wine?
Khvanchkara is a red wine with natural sweetness, named after the Racha village where it is pressed from Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli grapes that grow on steep slopes over the Rioni. Because the mountain climate is cool, fermentation stops early and some of the grapes' sugar stays in the wine.
