In short: Vardzia is open, but only part of it. A rockfall on 27 May 2026 near the so-called Secret Tunnel damaged the footpath at the end of the one-way route through the complex. Since then visitors walk as far as the Church of the Dormition and come back the same way, and about half of the complex is closed. In September 2026 the heritage authorities announced debris removal, new protective netting and handrail repairs, with no reopening date [1][2]. We check what is open before every trip.
What Vardzia is
Vardzia is a monastery cut into the cliffs of Erusheti mountain above the Mtkvari river in Samtskhe-Javakheti, in southern Georgia. Work began under King George III in the second half of the 12th century and was completed under his daughter, Queen Tamar, who made it a monastery. An earthquake in 1283 brought down much of the cliff face and exposed rooms that had been hidden inside the rock. Vardzia was plundered in the 16th century and later abandoned; monks have lived there again since the late 1980s [1].
Several hundred caves survive along roughly 500 m of cliff, on up to 13 levels: cells, chapels, a refectory, wine cellars and water channels. Traditional accounts speak of thousands of rooms before the earthquake; treat those figures as tradition rather than measurement.
The Church of the Dormition
The heart of the complex is the rock-cut Church of the Dormition. Its wall paintings, from the 1180s, include a portrait of Queen Tamar with her father, George III, one of the few portraits of Tamar painted in her lifetime. It is a working church: men wear long trousers; women cover shoulders, knees and hair; and nobody takes photos during services.
What you can see now
- The route climbs from the entrance along terraces, stairs and tunnels past cells and halls to the Church of the Dormition.
- Beyond the church, the section around the Secret Tunnel, which used to be the way out, is closed. You turn round and walk back down the way you came [1].
- For now, plan on about 1.5–2 hours on site rather than the 2–3 hours of the full circuit.
Tickets and practicalities
- Tickets: 15 GEL for foreign adults, plus 2 GEL for the shuttle from the car park to the entrance; the audio guide is 15 GEL [1].
- Hours: from 10:00, closing at about 19:00 in summer and 17:00 in winter [1].
- Distance: 225–300 km from Tbilisi depending on the route, 4–5 hours each way. From Akhaltsikhe it is 60–70 km, 1–1.5 hours; Khertvisi fortress is 16 km before Vardzia on the same road.
- When: April to October is the easiest season. Arrive at 10:00, ahead of the tour groups. The paths are steep, with stairs and low passages, and there is little shade in summer.
- Status: Vardzia is on Georgia's tentative list for UNESCO, not a World Heritage site.
Nearby
- Khertvisi fortress, on a rock where the Mtkvari and Paravani rivers meet.
- Rabati Castle in Akhaltsikhe, restored in 2012, with a church, a mosque, a madrasa and a museum (20 GEL).
- Borjomi, the spa town of the mineral water, on the way from Tbilisi.
- Vanis Kvabebi, an older cave monastery 3.5 km from Vardzia, was closed in 2026 [1].
A day trip or a night nearby?
From Tbilisi, a day to Vardzia with stops at Borjomi, Rabati and Khertvisi takes 13–14 hours, 8–10 of them in the car. It can be done, but most people enjoy it more with a night in Akhaltsikhe or near Vardzia, which also puts you at the gate at opening time. Vardzia also fits between Tbilisi and Kutaisi on a longer route west.
Going with us
Our 2-day Vardzia, Rabati and Borjomi trip splits the drive with a night near Vardzia or in Akhaltsikhe, includes a site guide at Vardzia, and can end in Kutaisi instead of Tbilisi. If you only have one day, the Vardzia and Borjomi day trip from Tbilisi covers the same stops from April to October. Vardzia is also part of the Classic Georgia 8-day tour. All three are private, with an English-speaking driver-guide (Russian-speaking on request). We confirm the open route before you travel, and there is nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Wander-Lush, "Vardzia Cave Monastery: A Complete Visitor's Guide for 2026" (September 2026 status): wander-lush.org
- Georgia Today, "Vardzia section temporarily closed after rockfalls, restoration works to begin", 15 September 2026: georgiatoday.ge
Last checked: September 2026. The open route can change at short notice.
