Georgia’s central region: where history goes deep underground
Imereti occupies the fertile heartland of western Georgia, centred on the Rioni River basin and the ancient city of Kutaisi. For most of Georgia’s medieval history, Kutaisi was the capital — seat of the kingdom of Abkhazia and the unified Georgian monarchy before Tbilisi assumed that role. The density of historical and natural sites in this compact region is remarkable: royal monasteries, dramatic river canyons, the most spectacular cave system in the Caucasus, and a Soviet-industrial ghost town that has become one of the most surreal photography destinations in the country.
Imereti is often overlooked by first-time visitors who fly in and out of Tbilisi, but it makes an ideal base for exploring western Georgia. Kutaisi has regular flight connections to major European cities, and the region’s sites are concentrated enough to be covered without a car — though having one opens up significantly more territory.
Kutaisi: Georgia’s second city and ancient capital
Kutaisi is Georgia’s third-largest city and its most historically significant outside of Tbilisi. The city has been continuously inhabited for over 3,000 years — it appears in ancient sources as the capital of Colchis, the kingdom that Jason and the Argonauts were sailing toward when they sought the Golden Fleece. That myth feels less fantastical when you know that Colchian gold-panners used sheepskins to trap alluvial gold dust from mountain rivers — the original “golden fleece.”
The modern city is compact and navigable, with a pleasant old town centred on a pedestrian boulevard along the Rioni River. The city is less polished than Tbilisi but authentically Georgian in a way that some visitors find more appealing: fewer tourist restaurants, more neighbourhood bakeries, and a pace of life that reflects the rhythms of a provincial Georgian city rather than a capital trying to impress.
The city’s main monument, Bagrati Cathedral, stands on a hill above the river. Built in the early 11th century and considered one of the finest examples of medieval Georgian architecture, the cathedral was partially destroyed by the Ottoman Turks in 1692 and remained in ruins for over 300 years. A controversial reconstruction completed in the 2000s restored the upper sections, prompting UNESCO to remove the cathedral from its World Heritage List — a decision that remains contentious. The interior is now complete and functioning, and the hilltop position offers excellent views of the city and surrounding hills.
Gelati Monastery: the New Jerusalem of Georgia
Gelati, 11km from Kutaisi, is one of the greatest achievements of medieval Georgian culture — and one of the most powerful religious complexes in the entire Caucasus. Founded in 1106 by King David the Builder, it was intended as the spiritual and intellectual centrepiece of a unified Georgian kingdom at the height of its power. David himself called it a “Paradise and Heaven on Earth, a second Jerusalem.”
The monastery’s main cathedral of the Virgin Mary contains some of the finest medieval mosaics in the Orthodox Christian world — the apse mosaic of the Virgin enthroned, dating from the 12th century, rivals the great Byzantine mosaics of Constantinople and Ravenna. The walls of both the cathedral and the Church of St. Nicholas are covered with medieval frescoes in varying states of preservation. The Academy of Gelati, which functioned within the monastery complex, was the first university in Georgia and one of the leading intellectual centres of the medieval Christian world.
David the Builder is buried beneath the gates of the monastery — he wished, according to the chronicles, to be trampled by the feet of everyone entering the church he loved. The stone slab covering his tomb is worn smooth by centuries of passage. Entry to Gelati is free; dress modestly.
Prometheus Cave: underground spectacle
The Prometheus Cave system, 20km from Kutaisi near the town of Tskaltubo, is the most developed cave attraction in Georgia and one of the most spectacular underground landscapes in the Caucasus. Discovered in 1984, the cave extends for nearly 11km through the limestone massif, though only about 1.4km is currently open to visitors.
What makes Prometheus exceptional is the variety of its formations: vast chambers with stalactites and stalagmites of extraordinary size and colour, underground rivers navigable by boat, and lighting that (however theatrically it is deployed) genuinely illuminates the scale of the geology. The cave takes its name from the Prometheus myth: in the Caucasian version, the Titan was chained to a rock in this region, not in Greece.
The standard visit takes about 1.5 hours and follows a well-lit path through six interconnected chambers. An optional boat ride on the underground river adds 15 minutes and is worth the additional cost. The cave maintains a constant temperature of around 14°C — bring a layer regardless of the surface weather.
For a combined visit to Prometheus Cave, Martvili Canyon, and the Okatse Canyon on a single day from Kutaisi, a Kutaisi caves and canyon tour covers all three efficiently. This is one of the most popular day excursions from western Georgia.
Martvili Canyon: turquoise waters and waterfalls
The Martvili Canyon, carved by the Abasha River through limestone gorge walls over 40 metres high, is one of the most beautiful natural sites in western Georgia. The water is an extraordinary shade of turquoise-green — the colour produced by the mineral-rich spring water feeding the canyon — and the gorge walls are draped with ferns, moss, and hanging vegetation that creates an almost tropical atmosphere.
Visitors explore the lower section of the canyon by wooden boat (a leisurely 30-minute row through the most spectacular section) or on foot along a wooden walkway attached to the gorge wall. The combination of blue water, green gorge walls, and cascading waterfalls makes this one of the most photographed landscapes in Georgia. The site can get crowded on summer weekends; arriving early or visiting in shoulder season significantly improves the experience.
Note that Martvili Canyon is technically in Samegrelo rather than Imereti, but it is most commonly combined with Kutaisi-based day trips and sits close enough to the regional border to be treated as part of the same itinerary.
Okatse Canyon: the hanging walkway
The Okatse Canyon, also called the Kinchkha Canyon after the nearby waterfall, is a recent addition to Georgia’s natural tourism infrastructure — the dramatic metal walkway hanging from the gorge wall above the Okatse River was completed in 2013. The walkway extends for about 780 metres along a cliff face some 40–100 metres above the river, and the effect of walking above the gorge with views down to the ribbon of water below is thrilling.
The Kinchkha waterfall near the entrance to the site is one of the tallest in Georgia at 70 metres, plunging in a single drop into a mist-shrouded pool. The waterfall is most impressive in spring and early summer when snowmelt swells the river. The site is about 40km from Kutaisi and is usually combined with a Prometheus Cave visit on the same day.
Chiatura: cable cars and Soviet surrealism
Chiatura is one of the most unusual destinations in Georgia — a manganese-mining town perched in a deep river gorge whose Soviet-era cable car network provides the primary means of transport between the valley floor and the residential terraces clinging to the gorge walls. The cable cars — dozens of them, in various states of mechanical anxiety, each painted a faded Soviet red — swing across the gorge in slow arcs, carrying miners, pensioners, and their groceries with an air of unhurried fatalism.
The town was designed around the mining industry in the 1870s and reached peak development under Soviet rule in the mid-20th century. The industrial infrastructure — processing plants, aerial tramways, the brutal architecture of Soviet worker housing — has a raw photographic quality that has attracted photographers and urban explorers from around the world. The cable cars are officially the main attraction, but the entire townscape rewards wandering.
For a guided tour combining Chiatura with the nearby Katskhi Pillar (a natural limestone monolith 40 metres tall with a medieval monastery on its summit, accessible only to monks until 1940), a Chiatura cable cars and Katskhi Pillar tour from Kutaisi covers both in a full day.
Sataplia Nature Reserve and dinosaur footprints
On a forested ridge just outside Kutaisi, Sataplia Nature Reserve contains something unexpected: preserved dinosaur footprints from the Cretaceous period, discovered in the limestone in the 1930s. The reserve also contains a cave system (smaller than Prometheus but with its own distinctive formations) and a glass-floored observation deck cantilevered over the Rioni River valley.
The combination of dinosaur tracks, cave, forest, and dramatic viewpoint makes Sataplia a particularly good option for families travelling with children. The reserve is small enough to cover in 2 hours and is easily combined with a Gelati visit on the same day.
Getting to and around Imereti
Kutaisi is the most accessible entry point to western Georgia. Kutaisi International Airport (KUT) has direct flights from numerous European cities, including multiple Wizz Air and other low-cost routes. The 2-hour drive from Tbilisi on the modern east–west highway is straightforward. Marshrutkas connect Tbilisi to Kutaisi regularly throughout the day (around 3 hours by road).
Within the region, marshrutkas connect Kutaisi to most towns and villages, but the cave and canyon sites require either a car or an organised tour. Shared taxis from Kutaisi can be negotiated for half-day and full-day excursions. See the getting around Georgia guide for current transport options and prices.
Where to stay in Imereti
Kutaisi has a growing range of guesthouses, boutique hotels, and hostels to suit all budgets. The city centre and the area near Bagrati Cathedral are the most convenient bases. Tskaltubo, the Soviet-era spa town near Prometheus Cave, has a bizarre collection of enormous abandoned Soviet sanatoriums that have become a destination in their own right — a few have been renovated as hotels, mixing Soviet-brutalist architecture with contemporary comfort. See the budget guide for current accommodation cost estimates.
Frequently asked questions about Imereti
How many days do I need to cover Imereti properly?
Two days covers the essential sites: Gelati and Bagrati in the morning, Prometheus Cave and Sataplia in the afternoon of day one; Martvili and Okatse Canyon on day two. Three or four days allows for Chiatura and Katskhi Pillar, plus more relaxed exploration of Kutaisi itself and the surrounding villages.
Is Kutaisi a good alternative base to Tbilisi?
Yes, particularly if your main interests are in western Georgia (Imereti, Samegrelo, Svaneti, Adjara). The city is smaller and less cosmopolitan than Tbilisi but has good infrastructure, improving food and accommodation options, and direct flight connections to Europe. For a visit focused on western Georgian sites, flying into Kutaisi can save significant time and cost.
Can I combine Imereti with Svaneti on the same trip?
Absolutely — this is one of the classic Georgia itineraries. Kutaisi is the natural staging point for a drive north into Svaneti: the road goes through Zugdidi (in Samegrelo) and then north through the Inguri gorge to Mestia. The drive takes around 4–5 hours from Kutaisi. Combining 2 days in Imereti with 3–4 days in Svaneti makes one of the most rewarding regional itineraries in Georgia.
Are the caves suitable for people with mobility limitations?
Prometheus Cave has paved paths throughout the main visitor circuit and is generally accessible for people with limited mobility, though some sections have slight gradients. The boat section requires stepping in and out of a low boat. Martvili Canyon’s boat tour is accessible. The Okatse Canyon walkway involves narrow metal walkways and is not suitable for people with significant mobility issues or a fear of heights. Sataplia Cave has some uneven surfaces.
What is the best season to visit the canyons?
Spring (April–May) and early summer (June) offer the most dramatic waterfall volumes and the most intense green colour in the gorge vegetation. Late summer (August–September) brings lower water levels but still beautiful colour. Winter visits are possible but some sites reduce opening hours and the boat tours may be suspended.
How old is the wine tradition in Imereti?
Imereti has its own distinct wine-making tradition that differs from the Kakhetian qvevri method — Imeretian wines typically use only the grape skins (not the stems and seeds), producing lighter, fresher amber wines with less tannin than their eastern counterparts. Several wineries in the Kutaisi area welcome visitors. The dominant white variety is Tsitska, often blended with Tsolikouri, while Otskhanuri Sapere produces excellent reds.
Is Chiatura safe to visit?
Yes. The cable cars are old but are inspected and certified (at intervals that some visitors find less reassuring than others). Local residents use them daily without concern. The town is safe to walk around, though the infrastructure is basic. If you have a serious concern about cable car safety, the upper terraces can be reached by road as well. The experience is most rewarding with a local guide who can explain the history and introduce you to residents.