Martvili Okatse Canyons and Prometheus Cave Tour from Kutaisi

Kutaisi and the Colchis Fountain

Kutaisi is the main city of western Georgia and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. In antiquity it was a capital of Colchis, the kingdom of the Golden Fleece legend, and in the Middle Ages it served as the royal seat of the united Georgian kingdom, whose Bagrati Cathedral still crowns the hill above the Rioni river. Its airport has made it a popular gateway for travellers arriving in Georgia.

The tour starts at the Colchis Fountain in the central square, decorated with large gilded copies of animal figurines found in ancient Colchian graves. It is an easy landmark to find from any hotel in the centre. Kutaisi is also the perfect base for day trips from Kutaisi into the green hills of Imereti and Samegrelo, where all three sites of this tour lie within about an hour's drive.

Martvili Canyon

Martvili Canyon, also known as Gachedili Canyon, lies near the village of Inchkhuri in Samegrelo, about an hour north-west of Kutaisi. The Abasha river has carved a narrow gorge up to 40 metres deep through the limestone, with mossy walls, natural stone bridges and waterfalls tumbling into emerald pools. A path of walkways and steps follows the canyon rim to several viewing platforms.

The best part of this Martvili Canyon tour is the optional boat ride of about 15 minutes, which glides between the cliffs to corners you cannot reach on foot; it runs only when the water level and the current allow, so it may stop in spring or after heavy rain. Is Martvili Canyon worth visiting? The colour of the water alone makes it unforgettable. Entrance and the boat ride are paid on site.

Okatse Canyon and its hanging walkway

Okatse Canyon lies near the village of Zeda Gordi, north of Kutaisi, where the Okatse river has cut a gorge more than 100 metres deep through forested limestone. Its star is a metal walkway fixed to the vertical cliff face, ending in a cantilevered viewing platform that hangs out over the drop. The views over the river and the green forest below are spectacular, especially in spring and summer.

How to get to Okatse Canyon from the visitor centre is the practical question: you can take the optional 4x4 transfer, paid on site, or walk about 3 kilometres each way through the forest, roughly 6 kilometres in total. Our guide helps you choose depending on the time and the weather. In rain or snow the canyon closes to visitors, and the guide then replaces it with another site on the route.

Prometheus Cave

Prometheus Cave, near the village of Kumistavi about 20 kilometres from Kutaisi, is one of the most impressive caves in the Caucasus. Discovered in 1984, it is a network of vast halls decorated with stalactites, stalagmites, petrified waterfalls, curtains of stone and underground lakes, formed over millions of years. The visitor route runs about 1.5 kilometres and is lit in changing colours that bring out the shapes of the rock.

A local cave guide leads your group through the halls and explains how each formation grew. The temperature stays around 14 degrees all year, so a light jacket is welcome even in summer. Prometheus Cave tickets are not included and are bought at the entrance, together with the optional boat ride on the underground river, which ends the visit beside the exit.

Tskaltubo sanatoriums and churchkhela

On the way back to Kutaisi the tour stops at Tskaltubo, a spa town famous since Soviet times for its warm radon mineral springs. In its heyday dozens of grand sanatoriums with columns, colonnades and marble halls were built here for visitors from across the Soviet Union. Many now stand empty among overgrown parks, and their faded elegance has made them a favourite subject for photographers.

Earlier in the day, when the schedule allows, you also watch a demonstration of churchkhela, Georgia's best-loved traditional sweet. Walnuts or hazelnuts are threaded on a string and dipped repeatedly in thickened grape juice, then dried into a chewy, candle-shaped treat. It is a short, complimentary extra, and you can buy churchkhela at stalls along the way to take back as a souvenir.