Imereti
Imereti is the region around Kutaisi in western Georgia. Visitors come for Gelati Monastery, Prometheus Cave, Okatse Canyon and Kinchkha Waterfall.
6 destinations
Imereti lies in western Georgia, around Kutaisi, once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Colchis. It is a forested region, crossed by the Rioni and Kvirila rivers.
Gelati Monastery, 11 km from Kutaisi, was begun by King David IV the Builder in 1106 and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its medieval academy was called “the second Jerusalem”.
Prometheus Cave has 22 caverns, six of them open to visitors, and a 380-metre boat section. At Sataplia you can see dinosaur footprints and a karst cave. Okatse Canyon has a 780-metre walkway hanging over the canyon, and after it you can stop at Kinchkha village and its waterfall.
On the map
Places to visit
Kutaisi
Kutaisi, Georgia's third-largest city, sits on the Rioni river in Imereti, about 230 km west of Tbilisi.
Okatse Canyon
Okatse Canyon is a deep limestone gorge of the Okatse river near the village of Gordi in Imereti, about 45 km (1 h) north of Kutaisi.
Gelati Monastery
Gelati Monastery, on a wooded hillside about 11 km north-east of Kutaisi in Imereti, was founded by King David the Builder in 1106 and is a…
Prometheus Cave
Prometheus Cave is a large show cave at the village of Kumistavi, about 20 km (30–40 min) north-west of Kutaisi.
Kinchkha Waterfall
Kinchkha (also called Okatse Waterfall) is a three-step waterfall near the village of Kinchkha in Imereti, about 50 km north of Kutaisi and…
Sataplia Nature Reserve
Sataplia is a small protected area on a forested limestone hill about 10 km north-west of Kutaisi, in Imereti.
Tours that stop here
Private tours with a stop in this region, with a car and a driver-guide.
- Prometheus Cave & Martvili Canyon — Private Day Trip from Kutaisi$129 pp for 4
- Western Georgia in 6 Days — Canyons, Svaneti & Batumi, Private$875 pp for 4
- Heart of Georgia — 5-Day Private Heritage Tour$650 pp for 4
- Svaneti Tour: Mestia & Ushguli — 5-Day Private Trip$630 pp for 4
- Svaneti Trekking Tour: Mestia–Ushguli — 7-Day Supported Private Hike$685 pp for 4
- Grand Tour of Georgia — 10-Day Private Tour, Mountains to the Black Sea$1,365 pp for 4
- Georgia Jewish Heritage Tour — 7-Day Private Trip$1,175 pp for 4
- Georgia in 14 Days — Private Tour incl. Svaneti & Batumi$2,025 pp for 4
Good to know
Best time to visit
Imereti has a humid subtropical climate, with cold winters and drier, hotter summers.
Getting there
Kutaisi is 230 km from Tbilisi by road, and its international airport is 14 km west of the city. From Kutaisi, Gelati is 11 km away, Prometheus Cave about 40 km and Okatse Canyon about 50 km.
Food and wine
Imeretian khachapuri is served in almost every restaurant in Georgia, and the region is known for vegetarian dishes such as pkhali and Imeretian lobio. Traditional Imeretian wine is made in the churi, the local name for the qvevri, and Sviri is a place-of-origin wine made from Tsitska, Tsolikouri and Krakhuna grapes.
Travel tips
At Okatse Canyon, the hanging walkway is a half-hour forest walk from the visitor centre, or a 2 km drive. Motsameta Monastery, 6 km from Kutaisi, is reached by a short walking path.
Plan your trip
Tell us the places you want to see and we'll build a private tour around them, with a car and a driver-guide.
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