The short answer: yes, Vardzia is open, but only in part. Early on 27 May 2026 a rockfall near the Secret Tunnel damaged a section of the visitor path and its safety barrier. Since then the route has ended shortly after the Church of the Dormition, the heart of the complex, and visitors turn round and walk back the way they came. As of September 2026 roughly half the cave monastery, including the usual exit tunnel, is off-limits, and no reopening date has been announced.
What happened
Vardzia is a cave monastery cut into the cliffs above the Mtkvari river in southern Georgia, dating from the time of Queen Tamar in the 12th century. The site sits in a seismically active zone and small rockfalls happen from time to time; protective netting already covers some high-risk areas.
On 27 May 2026 falling rock damaged a footpath and its protective barrier near the Secret Tunnel. The National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia, which manages the museum-reserve, closed the section for safety and sent specialists to assess it. In September 2026 the agency said that experts and geologists from the Georgian Technical University had surveyed the area, and that the work would include clearing debris, adding protective netting and repairing handrails. Full access is to return once that work is finished.
What you can see now
- Open: the first part of the complex, with cave rooms, passages and terraces, and the Church of the Dormition, with its wall paintings, including the well-known portrait of Queen Tamar.
- Closed: the section beyond the church, around the Secret Tunnel, and the usual one-way exit route. You walk back through the open part to leave.
The visit is shorter than before, but the church and the view along the cliff, which are what most people come for, are still on the route. Allow around 1.5–2 hours at the site.
How a visit works now
- Tickets: buy them at the ticket office by the car park. A shuttle bus takes you up to the start of the path.
- Fees (as reported in September 2026): 15 GEL for adults, 2 GEL for the shuttle, and 15 GEL for an audio guide. Local site guides are also available.
- Opening hours (as reported in 2026): 10:00–19:00 from May to September; 10:00–18:00 in March–April and from October to mid-November; 10:00–17:00 from mid-November to February.
- Walking: steps, steep stairs, narrow ledges and low tunnels, with little shade. It is not suitable for travellers with limited mobility. Wear shoes with grip, bring water and sun protection, and a phone torch for the darker passages.
- Dress code: shoulders and knees covered in the church; women cover their hair.
Fees and hours are set by the museum-reserve and can change; check on the day or ask us.
Getting there
Vardzia is about 225 km from Tbilisi, a drive of 4–5 hours each way, through Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe. From Akhaltsikhe it is 60–70 km, 1–1.5 hours. That makes a day trip from Tbilisi very long: 13–14 hours door to door, with 8–10 hours in the car. It can be done, but we recommend a night in Akhaltsikhe or near Vardzia if you can spare one.
What to combine it with
- Khertvisi fortress, 16 km north of Vardzia, on a rock where the Mtkvari and Paravani rivers meet. A quick photo stop or a short visit.
- Rabati Castle in Akhaltsikhe, a restored fortress complex with a mosque, a church and a museum; allow about 1.5 hours.
- Borjomi, the spa town in the forest, where you can taste the salty mineral water at the spring in Central Park. It is about 160 km, 2.5–3 hours, from Tbilisi, so it breaks the drive nicely.
With two days, the natural order is Borjomi and Rabati on day one, a night near Vardzia, then Vardzia at opening time and Khertvisi on the way back. Some travellers continue west to Kutaisi instead of returning to Tbilisi.
When to go
Vardzia is open all year, but the long drive and the exposed cliff path make spring and autumn the most comfortable seasons. In summer the rock face gets hot by midday, so arrive at opening time. In winter the days are short and the hours shorter, which makes a same-day return from Tbilisi even harder; a night in the area is the sensible choice from November to February. Weekends and Georgian holidays bring more visitors, and with everyone now walking the path in both directions, the narrow sections can be slow when it's busy.
Is it still worth going?
If you've wanted to see Vardzia, yes, as long as you know the visit is shorter and you return along the same path. Travellers who are short of time might prefer Uplistsikhe, a rock-cut town 1.25–1.5 hours from Tbilisi, which fits into an easy day. For the history of the monastery and Queen Tamar, see our Vardzia cave monastery guide.
Please note: this is a changing situation. Sections can reopen, or close again after new rockfalls or during repair work. We check the open route before every trip and tell you if anything has changed.
Seeing Vardzia with us
The Vardzia and Borjomi 2-day private tour is the relaxed option, with a night in Akhaltsikhe or by the river near Vardzia and a local site guide at the monastery. If you cannot add a night, the Vardzia, Borjomi and Rabati day trip fits it all into one long day, with rest stops about every two hours. See the tour pages for current prices, or plan a route that includes Vardzia. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Georgia Today, "Rockfall damages footpath at Vardzia near Secret Tunnel; section temporarily closed for safety" (May 2026): georgiatoday.ge
- Georgia Today, "Vardzia section temporarily closed after rockfalls, restoration works to begin" (September 2026): georgiatoday.ge
- Wander-Lush, "Vardzia Cave Monastery: A Complete Visitor's Guide for 2026": wander-lush.org
- Wander-Lush, "How to get to Vardzia": wander-lush.org
- Red Fedora Diary, "Visiting Vardzia cave town": redfedoradiary.com
Last checked: September 2026. The open route at Vardzia may change at short notice; the museum-reserve's instructions on the day take precedence.
