Private day trips

Kutaisi Day Trips

Private tours from Kutaisi with your own car and English-speaking driver-guide, 1–8 travellers

Kutaisi is the natural base for western Georgia. Sataplia is about 10 km from the city, Gelati Monastery about 11 km and Prometheus Cave about 20 km, and the Martvili and Okatse canyons are about an hour away. Every Kutaisi day trip on this page is private. You have your own car and driver-guide, we pick you up from your Kutaisi hotel, and you decide how long to stay at each stop.

Prices are per person for a group of 4, the way every tour page shows them. Two travellers pay more each, because the car and guide are shared by fewer people; larger groups pay less. Nothing to pay now: send us your date and we confirm it first.

Starting in Tbilisi? Day trips from Tbilisi

Staying on the Black Sea? Day trips from Batumi

Day trips from Kutaisi

Prometheus Cave & Martvili Canyon — Private Day Trip from Kutaisi

Hours: About 8.5 h
Season: Year-round (Okatse closes in rain and snow)
Per person (4): $129 pp for 4

Martvili canyon and its boat ride through the gorge, the 780 m Okatse walkway along the canyon wall, then the six lit halls of Prometheus cave, with a boat on the underground river when the water allows. About 3 hours of driving in total. All entry tickets and both boat rides are included.

Good to know: We pick you up from your Kutaisi hotel at 09:00, and you are back at about 17:30. Okatse closes in rain and snow, and on those days we visit Sataplia instead. The boats stop at high water; we tell you on the day what is open and refund any unused boat fee. Lunch is not included.

Prometheus Cave and Martvili Canyon day trip from Kutaisi

Places near Kutaisi

The day trip above covers the caves and canyons. Gelati, Motsameta, Bagrati and Sataplia have no fixed tour, and with your own driver they make a second, shorter day: tell us which you'd like and we send a route and a price.

Kutaisi

In the city

Bagrati Cathedral on its hill, the White Bridge over the Rioni, the covered Green Bazaar and the Great Synagogue of 1886 on Boris Gaponov Street. Bagrati left the UNESCO list in 2017 after its reconstruction, so Gelati is Kutaisi's only World Heritage site.

Prometheus Cave

About 20 km (30–40 min)

Six lit halls of stalactites and stalagmites on a guided route of about 1.4 km, at around 14 °C all year. A short boat ride on the underground Kumi river ends the visit when the water allows.

Martvili Canyon

About 45 km (1 h)

A narrow limestone gorge of the Abasha river with turquoise pools: a 700 m paved loop over two bridges, and a short boat trip up between the cliffs. The boats stop in rain, snow and high water.

Okatse Canyon

About 45 km (1 h)

A forest path near the village of Gordi leads to a 780 m metal walkway fixed to the canyon wall, ending at a viewing platform over the gorge. The whole walk takes 2–3 hours, and the walkway closes in rain and snow.

Kinchkha Waterfall

About 50 km (about 1 h)

A three-step waterfall with a 70 m main drop, 5 km from Okatse and about 25 minutes on foot from the village. It is fullest in spring and after rain. On long summer days our day trip can add it, but we cannot promise it in advance.

Sataplia Nature Reserve

About 10 km (20 min)

Dinosaur footprints under a protective pavilion, a lit karst cave and a glass viewing platform over the cliff, in about 1.5–2 hours. The cave and footprints stay open in any weather, so our day trip comes here when Okatse is closed.

Gelati Monastery

About 11 km (20 min)

Founded by King David the Builder in 1106, with a 12th-century gold mosaic of the Virgin and Child in the main church and the king's grave under the south gate. Allow about an hour. Parts of the church may be under scaffolding for conservation work.

Motsameta Monastery

About 6 km from the centre

A small church on a cliff above a bend of the Tskaltsitela river, about 10 minutes from Gelati.

Tskaltubo

About 20 km (25 min)

A former Soviet spa town with abandoned sanatoriums, about 10 km (15 min) from Prometheus Cave.

Chiatura

About 70 km east (1.5 h)

A manganese town with cable cars rebuilt in 2021.

Further from Kutaisi, on request

These routes have no fixed tour from Kutaisi, and we drive them with your own car and driver-guide whenever you like. Tell us the date and the stops you want, and we send the price.

Racha: Shaori Lake, Nikortsminda and Ambrolauri

About 80 km (1.5–2 h)

The road north passes Shaori Lake and the carved 11th-century Nikortsminda Cathedral on the way to Racha's main town and the cellars of Khvanchkara wine. One or two nights let you see it without rushing.

Zugdidi and the Dadiani Palaces

About 105 km (1.5–2 h)

The palace museum of the princes of Mingrelia, with European paintings, family treasures and one of Napoleon's death masks, set in a botanical garden. The mountain road to Mestia starts here, about 130 km (about 3 h) further.

On to Batumi and the Black Sea

About 150 km (2–2.5 h)

A one-way day that ends at your Batumi hotel, with your luggage in the car. From there, the day trips on our Batumi page start at your hotel.

Longer tours that include Kutaisi

Kutaisi is the turning point of many routes through western Georgia, on the way to Svaneti or the Black Sea at Batumi. These tours all stop there.

Svaneti Tour: Mestia & Ushguli — 5-Day Private Trip$630 pp for 4
Heart of Georgia — 5-Day Private Heritage Tour$650 pp for 4
Western Georgia in 6 Days — Canyons, Svaneti & Batumi, Private$875 pp for 4
Svaneti Trekking Tour: Mestia–Ushguli — 7-Day Supported Private Hike$685 pp for 4
Georgia Jewish Heritage Tour — 7-Day Private Trip$1,175 pp for 4
Grand Tour of Georgia — 10-Day Private Tour, Mountains to the Black Sea$1,365 pp for 4
Georgia in 14 Days — Private Tour incl. Svaneti & Batumi$2,025 pp for 4

Guides that help you plan

Questions travellers ask

How much does a private day trip from Kutaisi cost?

Day trips that start in Kutaisi cost $129 per person for a group of 4, with your own car and driver-guide. The per-person price is higher for 1–3 travellers and lower for 5–8. Each tour page lists what is and isn't included.

Can I see Prometheus Cave, Martvili and Okatse in one day from Kutaisi?

Yes. Our private day trip visits Martvili, then Okatse, then Prometheus in about 8.5 hours, with about 3 hours of driving in total. If you would rather skip the Okatse walkway, or the weather is wet, Martvili and Prometheus alone take about 6–7 hours.

How far are the caves and canyons from Kutaisi?

Prometheus Cave is about 20 km (30–40 minutes), and the Martvili and Okatse canyons are each about 45 km (1 hour). Sataplia is about 10 km (20 minutes) and Gelati Monastery about 11 km (20 minutes).

What happens if it rains?

The Okatse walkway closes in rain and snow, and on those days we visit Sataplia instead. The boats at Martvili and Prometheus stop at high water. We tell you on the day what is open and refund any unused boat fee.

Are Gelati and Sataplia part of the day trip?

Gelati isn't, and Sataplia only replaces Okatse when the walkway is closed. Gelati, Bagrati and Sataplia fill a relaxed half day with your own driver: tell us which you'd like and we send a route and a price.

Does the day suit children, or people afraid of heights?

Expect about 6 km of walking across the day, with many steps at Okatse and inside Prometheus. Children must be at least 6 to walk the Okatse trail. If heights bother you, you can wait at the trail's start while the others go on. With small children, Prometheus and Sataplia are easy and close to town.

How many days do I need in Kutaisi?

One day for the city, Gelati and Bagrati, and a second day for the caves and canyons. From Tbilisi or Batumi the caves and canyons make a 12–13 hour day, so we recommend a night in Kutaisi.

When should I go?

Prometheus and Sataplia work all year, and the cool cave is welcome in hot July and August. The Martvili boats run from roughly May to October, and Okatse's main season is April to November; in winter the walkway may close for days at a time.

Do I need travel insurance?

Yes. Since 1 January 2026 health insurance with at least 30,000 GEL of cover is mandatory for visitors to Georgia.

Want a different day?

Combine Gelati with Motsameta and Sataplia, stop in Tskaltubo, or go on to Racha: tell us what you'd like to see and we send a route and a price.

Plan your own trip Ask us