If you travel to Georgia, you must take a few day trips to discover stunning places beyond the main cities. So here are my favorite day trips and tours from Kutaisi.
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After spending almost three weeks in Georgia in October 2024, I fell in love with the country. I mostly stayed in Kutaisi and Tbilisi, and only briefly in Batumi. However, I also took quite a few day trips, saw some amazing landscapes, and learned more about this incredible country.
Before exploring the best day trips from Kutaisi, check out my post on the best things to do in the city. And if you’re just looking for a selection of tours from Kutaisi, here are the ones I’d recommend. I joined some of these myself.
Bagrati, Gelati, and Motsameta
Chiatura day trip
Prometheus Cave & Martvili Canyon
Now let’s get into more details about each place.
Tskaltubo
Tskaltubo is the easiest day trip from Kutaisi and in my opinion the best. There are some guided tours from Kutaisi to Tskaltubo, including combined tours with a stop in the spa town. However, I think this is easy enough to do independently.
Tskaltubo is a former spa town only 15 kilometers from Kutaisi. During the Soviet Era, this was the most renowned spa town in the Soviet Union, home to dozens of sanatoria and bathhouses. With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, the sanatoria were abandoned and fell into disrepair. Nowadays, the abandoned buildings are a paradise for urbexers.
You can easily get to Tskaltubo from Kutaisi by marshrutka (minivan) in roughly 20 minutes. Marshrutka number 30 departs from the parking lot near the Red Bridge, across from Magnolia Restaurant. You could also try bus #34 from Kutaisi Central Bus Station. Note that the name on the van is usually written in the Georgian alphabet, so maybe familiarize yourself with the word: წყალტუბო.
Departures are every 20 minutes. You can hop on and pay the fare when you get off in Tskaltubo. The ride is 2 lari (so less than 1€/1$). The marshrutka drives into Tskaltubo along Rustaveli Street, and you can ask the driver to stop at any point and get off. The first time I went, I got off near the Sanatorium Savane Hotel, while the second time, I stopped near the central market. To get back to Kutaisi, just wait for the marshrutka at any point along the road. I caught it across the street from the Tskaltubo Plaza Hotel.
Tskaltubo Sanatoria
In the past few years, some of the most renowned sanatoria, like Sanatorium Tbilisi, were bought by privates and are now undergoing renovation. That means they are no longer accessible. However, you can still visit quite a few, like Sanatorium Imereti and Sanatorium Metallurgist.
My favorite and the most impressive of the ones you can still visit is Sanatorium Medea. The building features a stunning colonnade terrace that on its own is worth the visit! Just be aware that there are bats in the darker areas of most sanatoria.
There is much more to be said about Tskaltubo and its impressive sanatoria, so I’ll soon have a dedicated blog post. Until then, let’s see some other day trips from Kutaisi.
Gelati and Motsameta Monasteries
Note: As of December 2024, Gelati Monastery is still closed for renovations. There is no certain reopening date, so check before you go.
Gelati and Motsameta monasteries are must-see sights just outside Kutaisi and make for the easiest day trip. The two monasteries are just a 15-minute drive northeast of Kutasi and are now connected by a hiking trail that you can walk when visiting independently.
Gelati Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best examples of Orthodox monasteries in the Caucasus. Dating to the early 12th century, the monastery is among the oldest in Georgia. Built under the rule of King David IV of Georgia, the monastery also serves as his burial site, along with those of many other Georgian rulers.
Motsameta Monastery, though much smaller than Gelati Monastery, is another impressive landmark, especially for its position on a cliff just outside Kutaisi overlooking the wonderful landscape surrounding the Tskaltsitela River. While the interior of Gelati Monastery may be more impressive, the surroundings of Motsameta are definitely scenic!
How to visit Gelati and Motsameta Monasteries
You have two options when visiting the two monasteries: joining a guided tour or visiting independently. The guided tour is the easiest option and includes a visit to Bagrati Cathedral in Kutaisi. The tour lasts roughly x hours and includes transportation and guided tours. Check out this popular Bagrati, Gelati, and Motsameta Tour.
If you visit independently, you have a few choices. You can rent a car in Kutaisi and drive there yourself, catch a marshrutka, or go by taxi. If you’re on a budget, marshrutka is your best option as it only costs 1.5 lari, so about €0.5. However, there are only a few rides throughout the day, so it’s not very convenient.
The taxi is a more expensive but convenient alternative. In my opinion, the extra cost is worth it, especially for the way there. I recommend downloading the Bolt app, as it’s an easier and safer solution. I only paid just over 10 lari to get to Motsameta Monastery by Bolt.
The way back can be trickier. If you visit both monasteries, you can hike the trail connecting them or try to catch another taxi or marshrutka in between. The taxi is more convenient as the marshrutkas only stop along the main road, and Motsameta is a good 20-minute walk from it.
To get back to Kutaisi, catch a taxi outside the monastery if there are any, or head back to the main road to wave down a marshrutka or a taxi. When I visited (just Motsameta because Gelati was closed) there were no more taxis outside the monastery, so I walked back to the main road hoping to catch a marshrutka. After about 15 minutes of waiting, a taxi stopped by and hopped on. I only paid 5 lari to get back to Kutaisi.
Chiatura
A small town just over one hour from Kutaisi, Chiatura is better known for its extensive cable car system. The town is built in a steep valley along the Kvirila River, with houses covering the two mountainsides. The particular geography of the area made it hard for locals to travel from one side of the valley to the other. That’s where cable cars came into play.
Built in the 1950s, the system comprised 17 lines connecting various parts of the town. The origins of cable cars in Chiatura are attributed to a local who built the first cable car line to connect his home to the local hospital so his sick wife could have easy access to healthcare. The hospital and original cable car station are now abandoned, but you can still visit them.
The Soviet-era cable cars were in use until 2021 when modern ones replaced four of the 17 lines. The other cable car lines fell into disrepair, and you can still see the abandoned structures around town, with the occasional cable car still hanging on, a reminder of Chiatura’s Soviet past.
I visited Chiatura on a guided tour from Kutaisi, with a stop at Katskhi Pillar. The tour lasts roughly 8 hours and stops at several spots around Chiatura where the guide explains the history of the place. This was my favorite guided tour from Kutaisi, and I highly recommend it if you’re interested in venturing beyond Georgia’s main cities.
Martvili Canyon and Prometheus Cave
If you’re more interested in nature than urban landscapes, I recommend joining a guided tour from Kutaisi to the Prometheus Cave and Martvili Canyon. This half-day tour is perfect if you’re short on time but want to try activities like kayaking in a stunning canyon or even ziplining.
I joined this guided tour, which lasted roughly 5 hours. The first stop was Prometheus Cave Natural Monument, an impressive karst cave filled with stalactites and stalagmites in various shapes and colors. Of the 22 halls discovered, you can walk through 6. The guided tour lasts roughly one hour and covers a distance of 1.5 kilometers. The entrance fee is 25 lari for adults.
After the cave, we headed to Martvili Canyon, where we could choose between walking around the canyon, adding a boat tour, or trying the zip line. I chose the tour with the boat ride and didn’t regret it. I did regret not trying the zip line, so maybe consider adding that! The basic entry with the walking tour is 20 lari, while the kayak tour is 20 lari extra and the zip line is 50 lari (October 2024 prices).
Martvili Canyon is over 2 kilometers long, but you can only explore a small portion by boat. You can walk along a trail for another portion allowing you to admire stunning views of the river and small waterfalls from above. I think the boat tour is the tour highlight, so if you’re on the fence about it, I recommend doing it!
To be honest, of all the tours I have taken in Georgia, this was my least favorite. It’s a nice experience, but it’s not something that blew my mind. If you don’t have much time or a big budget, I think you can skip this one in favor of Chiatura, Tskaltubo, or other tours from Tbilisi. More on the latter in an upcoming post.
Batumi
Before telling you about the Batumi day trip, let me just say that I think the city deserves much more time! Batumi is Georgia’s second-largest city, sitting on the Black Sea shores and boasting lots of amazing sights and activities. The contrast between the Old Town and the modern area with tall skyscrapers is something you won’t see anywhere else in Georgia, not even Tbilisi.
That being said, if you don’t have much time, guided tours are available. This full-day Batumi and Mtirala NP trip from Kutaisi gets you the most bang for your buck. It lasts roughly 12 hours and includes a guided tour of Batumi and hiking in Mtirala National Park. You can also take a boat ride on the Black Sea while in Batumi.
A good alternative, though a bit more expensive, is this 10-hour Batumi trip from Kutaisi. The tour includes a guided tour of Petra Fortress just outside Batumi, a visit to the Batumi Botanical Garden, and a longer tour of Batumi City. Note that you will need to pay extra for entrance fees.
I think the second tour allows you to explore more of Batumi City, so it’s probably a better choice to make the most of your day. But then again, one day in Batumi can never be enough. Between the old town, the Botanical Garden, the Batumi cable car, and many other attractions, there is a lot to do here! I will soon post a dedicated blog post, so stick around.
Where to Stay in Kutaisi
Kutaisi is a great city to base yourself in for a few days while exploring western Georgia. The city, though the third-largest in Georgia, feels like a big village. You can find lots of great accommodation options, from budget hostels to high-end hotels.
Here are some great accommodation choices for different budgets. These are all in a central location and have great amenities.
Browse more accommodations here:
Travel Resources
I’ll leave you with a list of my go-to travel resources. I used almost all of these while traveling around Georgia and all over the world.
| Purpose | Website/App | Description | Book Here |
| Accommodation | Booking.com | My favorite website for great accommodation for different budgets. | Find a Place |
| Flights | Skyscanner | The platform I typically use for finding the most affordable flights. | Find Flights |
| Cheap Buses | Flixbus | My favorite app for cheap bus fares around most of Europe and the US. | Bus Rides |
| Transportation | Omio | You can book everything from buses and trains to ferry rides. | Transportation |
| Train Travel | Trainline | If you travel by train, this app is great for booking rides in Europe. | Train Rides |
| Travel Insurance | SafetyWing | One of the best travel medical insurances for frequent travelers. | Get Insured |
| Activities | Manawa | A great platform to book activities and adventures with local hosts. | Find Activities |
| Experiences | GetYourGuide | Another great platform for tours and experiences with lots of options. | Experiences |
| Car Rental | DiscoverCars | My go-to platform for car rental anywhere in the world. | Rent a Car |
| eSIM | Airalo | My favorite app for buying digital SIM cards when traveling abroad. | Get an eSIM |
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