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Geotour

Uplistsikhe Cave Town

Kartli · History

Getting there
About 95 km (1.25–1.5 h) from Tbilisi: the E60 motorway toward Gori, then about 12 km on a paved local road through Kvakhvreli
Best time
April–June, September–October
Recommended stay
1–1.5 hours

About Uplistsikhe Cave Town

Uplistsikhe is a rock-cut town on a sandstone ridge above the Mtkvari river, about 12–15 km east of Gori and 1.25–1.5 h west of Tbilisi. Over roughly 2,000 years people carved halls, houses, temples, wine presses and streets into the rock here. You walk up the ancient main street past the cave halls to the 9th–10th-century brick basilica on the summit, then leave through a tunnel toward the river. Most visitors spend 1–1.5 hours, often combined with Mtskheta and the Stalin Museum in Gori.

Tours Including Uplistsikhe Cave Town

See all 8 tours

Must-See Attractions

  • Main street

    The rock-cut street that climbs through the heart of the town, with drainage channels and steps.

  • Theatre-like hall

    A large hall with a stepped front and carved ceiling, whose original purpose is still debated.

  • Tamar's Hall

    A columned cave hall with a coffered ceiling, traditionally linked to Queen Tamar.

  • Uplistsulis Eklesia

    The 9th–10th-century three-nave brick basilica on the top of the ridge.

  • Secret tunnel

    A long rock-cut passage leading down toward the Mtkvari, used to bring water in a siege.

Nearby

  • Gori

    The Stalin Museum and Gori fortress, about 12–15 km (20 min).

  • Mtskheta

    The UNESCO-listed ancient capital with Svetitskhoveli and Jvari, about 75 km east (1–1.25 h).

  • Ateni Sioni

    A 7th-century church with 11th-century frescoes in a vineyard valley south of Gori, about 25 km (35 min).

Location41.9667° N, 44.2167° EView on map

Good to know

Getting there

About 95 km (1.25–1.5 h) from Tbilisi: the E60 motorway toward Gori, then about 12 km on a paved local road through Kvakhvreli.

Best time

April–June, September–October

Best time

Spring and autumn are comfortable for walking on the open rock; July and August afternoons are very hot, and in winter the rock can be icy.

Recommended stay

1–1.5 hours

Fees

About 15 GEL for adults; an audio guide or a site guide costs extra.

Hours

Opening hours vary by season; we plan around them.

Walking

About 1–1.5 hours on smooth, sloping rock and uneven steps with little shade; wear shoes with grip, as the rock is slippery when wet.

What to bring

Sun hat and water in summer, when the rock gets very hot at midday; come in the morning if you can.

Heads-up

There are no railings at many edges; keep children close.

History & culture

History

The ridge was settled in the Early Iron Age, and from about the 6th century BC Uplistsikhe grew into a major pagan religious and trading centre of the kingdom of Kartli, on the route between Asia and the Black Sea. After Georgia became Christian it declined, then revived in the 9th–11th centuries, when it briefly served as a stronghold of Georgian kings while Tbilisi was under Arab rule; the basilica on the summit dates from this time. The Mongol invasions of the 13th century ended town life. Around 150 of the once far more numerous caves survive; the site is now a museum-reserve.