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Photos: Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium (CC BY 2.0) · Bernard Gagnon (CC BY 4.0) · Bernard Gagnon (CC BY 4.0) · Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium (CC BY 2.0) · Shomroni (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons

Vardzia

Samtskhe-Javakheti · History

Getting there
About 265 km (4.5–5 h) from Tbilisi via Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe on good paved roads, or about 60 km (1–1.25 h) from Akhaltsikhe
Best time
April–October
Recommended stay
2–3 hours

About Vardzia

Vardzia is a 12th-century cave monastery cut into the cliff of Erusheti mountain above the Mtkvari river in Samtskhe-Javakheti, about 60 km south of Akhaltsikhe and 4.5–5 h from Tbilisi. Hundreds of rock-cut rooms, stairways and tunnels open onto the gorge, and the Church of the Dormition holds original frescoes with a portrait of Queen Tamar. Since a rockfall on 27 May 2026 the visitor route ends shortly after the church, so about half of the complex is closed; we confirm current access before your trip.

Tours Including Vardzia

See all 8 tours

Must-See Attractions

  • Church of the Dormition

    The cave church with frescoes of the 1180s, including portraits of King George III and Queen Tamar.

  • Cave rooms and stairways

    Rock-cut rooms, balconies and staircases opening onto the gorge along the accessible part of the route.

  • Wine cellars

    Rock-cut cellars with qvevri set into the floor.

  • Bell tower

    The rock-cut bell tower above the church, with views over the Mtkvari valley.

  • Tunnels

    Passages linking the levels; the section near the so-called Secret Tunnel has been closed since the May 2026 rockfall.

Nearby

  • Khertvisi Fortress

    A medieval fortress where the Paravani meets the Mtkvari, about 16 km north (20 min).

  • Tmogvi Fortress

    Ruins of a cliff-top fortress above the gorge, seen from the road a few kilometres north. Rabati Castle (Akhaltsikhe): The restored castle complex in Akhaltsikhe, about 60 km (1–1.25 h).

  • Borjomi

    The spa town and national park, about 110 km (about 2 h).

Location41.3811° N, 43.2842° EView on map

Good to know

Getting there

About 265 km (4.5–5 h) from Tbilisi via Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe on good paved roads, or about 60 km (1–1.25 h) from Akhaltsikhe.

Best time

April–October

Best time

Spring and autumn are the best seasons for the exposed cliff paths; summer middays are hot, and in winter the site is open but steps can be icy.

Recommended stay

2–3 hours

Fees

Entry about 15 GEL, plus about 2 GEL for the shuttle bus from the ticket office to the caves; an audio guide costs extra.

Hours

Usually 10:00–19:00 in summer and 10:00–17:00 in winter; arrive at opening to avoid tour groups.

Heads-up

Since the 27 May 2026 rockfall the route ends shortly after the Church of the Dormition, and no reopening date has been announced; we confirm current access when you book.

Walking

Many steep steps and some low, dark passages; not ideal for people with bad knees or claustrophobia.

Dress code

Shoulders and knees covered in the church; headscarves for women.

History & culture

Culture

Vardzia is an active monastery: a few monks live in cells at the edge of the complex, and services are held in the Church of the Dormition. Queen Tamar, whose portrait is on the church wall, is one of Georgia's most revered historical figures, and the site is a place of national pilgrimage.

History

Work on Vardzia began under King George III and was completed under his daughter, Queen Tamar, in the 1180s, as a monastery and a fortified refuge on the southern frontier. According to tradition the complex had 13 levels and hundreds of rooms, with its own irrigation channels and wine cellars. An earthquake in 1283 sheared off the outer cliff face and exposed the rooms, and in 1551 a Persian army under Shah Tahmasp plundered the monastery. Today a small community of monks lives here again, and part of the complex is a working monastery.

Local Cuisine

Meskheti is known for tenili, a fine-stranded cheese, and for trout from the farms along the Mtkvari; the restaurant at the Vardzia Resort hotel and the guesthouses in the valley serve Meskhetian dishes.

Accommodation

A few hotels and guesthouses lie along the Mtkvari valley within a few kilometres of the caves, including the Vardzia Resort hotel and family guesthouses around Tmogvi. Akhaltsikhe, about an hour away, has a wider choice of hotels.