Best tours in Samegrelo: canyons, waterfalls, and ancient kingdoms

Samegrelo: the ancient land of Colchis

Samegrelo — known in antiquity as Colchis, the kingdom of the Golden Fleece — is one of Georgia’s most rewarding and most under-visited regions. Located in the west of the country between the Black Sea lowlands and the Caucasus foothills, Samegrelo contains emerald canyon systems fed by subtropical rainfall, an extraordinarily intact ancient fortress on the Tskhenistskali River, the palatial seat of the Dadiani princes who ruled this territory for centuries, and two of the most spectacular canyon and waterfall destinations in Georgia.

Most international visitors to western Georgia base themselves in Kutaisi and take day trips to Samegrelo’s highlights — the region’s main sites are 1.5 to 2.5 hours from Kutaisi by road. Those who base themselves in Zugdidi (the Samegrelo capital) have a slightly shorter drive to the northern sites and can combine their exploration with a look at the Dadiani Palace Museum’s extraordinary collection, which includes a tooth of Napoleon Bonaparte (brought back by the Dadiani princess who married into French imperial circles).

This guide covers the best organised tours in Samegrelo for every type of traveller.

Best for first-timers: Martvili Canyon boat tour

Martvili Canyon is the most visited attraction in Samegrelo and justifiably so. The canyon — carved by the Abasha River through layers of limestone over millennia — is a series of turquoise pools and cascading waterfalls enclosed by near-vertical green walls draped with subtropical vegetation. Wooden boardwalks and footbridges allow visitors to walk the upper canyon section; flat-bottomed rowing boats carry visitors through the lower gorge where the walls close in above.

The boat section is the centrepiece of any Martvili visit — moving through emerald water in near-darkness under walls of dripping limestone, with waterfalls feeding the pools directly ahead, is genuinely extraordinary. The colour of the water — an improbable cyan-green produced by the mineral content of the limestone-filtered springs — makes this one of the most photographed canyon destinations in the entire Caucasus.

Tours from Kutaisi or Zugdidi typically devote two to three hours at Martvili, combining the walking section and the boat ride, before continuing to a second site. Early morning visits avoid the largest tour groups and see the canyon in its best light.

Book a Martvili Canyon boat tour from Kutaisi

Best combined day trip: Okatse Canyon walkway and Kinchkha waterfall

The Okatse Canyon — 17 kilometres from Kutaisi near the village of Gordi — is a different kind of canyon experience from Martvili. Here the attraction is a spectacular cantilevered walkway suspended over the gorge rim, with a 780-metre stretch of metal mesh pathway clinging to the cliff face some 20 to 40 metres above the canyon floor. The views down into the Okatse River gorge and across to the forested opposite wall are vertigo-inducing in the best possible way.

Kinchkha waterfall, a short drive from the Okatse canyon, is one of Georgia’s most impressive: a 50-metre free-falling cascade (a second, smaller fall drops a further 100 metres in the same system) in a lush forested setting. Combining Okatse and Kinchkha in a single half-day is standard practice — they are 10 minutes apart by road — and the pairing makes one of the most visually varied half-days available in western Georgia.

The classic western Georgia adventure day trip combines Okatse, Kinchkha, and Martvili in a single long day from Kutaisi — a genuinely packed itinerary that rewards an early start.

Book the Okatse, Kinchkha, and Martvili combined day trip from Kutaisi

Best for history: Nokalakevi fortress and ancient Colchis

Nokalakevi — Tsikhe-Goji in its ancient name — is one of the most historically significant and atmospherically compelling archaeological sites in the South Caucasus. The site is a large fortified city on the Tskhenistskali River in central Samegrelo, occupied continuously from the early Iron Age through the medieval period, and traditionally identified with Aea — the capital of Colchis and the city of the Golden Fleece myth.

The site combines cyclopean stone walls of extraordinary construction (some sections date to the 5th–6th century CE fortification by Byzantine engineers), a ruined medieval city within the walls, a church built directly into the rock face above the river, and a riverside location of dramatic beauty. The ongoing Georgian-British archaeological excavation has produced significant finds that are displayed in a small on-site museum.

A dedicated Nokalakevi tour with a local archaeologist or historian provides incomparably more context than a self-guided visit to what is, on the surface, a complex of ruined walls. Understanding what you are looking at — the sequence of occupation layers, the location of the ancient harbour, the strategic logic of the site on the river — transforms the experience.

Book a guided Nokalakevi fortress tour from Zugdidi

Best for culture: Dadiani Palace Museum, Zugdidi

The Dadiani Palace in Zugdidi — the ruling seat of the Princes of Samegrelo for several centuries — is now a museum housing one of Georgia’s most eclectic and fascinating collections. Beyond the Napoleon tooth (authentic, according to the museum’s provenance documentation), the collection includes an extraordinary array of objects connected to the Dadiani princely family, their marriages into European aristocratic circles, Mingrelian ecclesiastical art, and ethnographic material from Samegrelo’s distinctive cultural tradition.

Zugdidi itself is the gateway to Svaneti (the road to Mestia departs from here), and many visitors pass through without stopping properly. A two-hour visit to the Dadiani Palace repays the time — particularly for those interested in the intersection of Caucasian noble culture with European imperial politics in the 19th century.

The palace is easily combined with a morning at Martvili Canyon for a full Zugdidi-based day of canyon and culture.

Multi-day option: Samegrelo circuit (2–3 days)

A two-night circuit based in Zugdidi or in a guesthouse in the Martvili village area allows for a thorough exploration of Samegrelo’s highlights at a relaxed pace. Day one: Dadiani Palace and Zugdidi market in the morning, drive to Martvili for afternoon canyon and boat tour. Day two: Okatse Canyon walkway in the morning, Kinchkha waterfall before lunch, afternoon at Nokalakevi fortress. Day three (optional): continue north to Mestia and Svaneti, or loop back toward Kutaisi via the Imereti wine villages.

This pacing is particularly recommended for those combining Samegrelo with a Svaneti extension — arriving in Zugdidi after a Samegrelo circuit, then heading north to Mestia the following morning, creates a natural Georgian west-to-mountains progression.

Budget option: shared tours from Kutaisi

Kutaisi is the best budget base for Samegrelo day trips. The city has a well-developed hostel and guesthouse scene with reasonable prices, and shared minibus day tours to Martvili and Okatse-Kinchkha operate most days from Kutaisi during the main season (May–October). These group tours run at 25–40 GEL per person and offer excellent value for those happy to travel with a mixed group on a fixed schedule.

For the independently minded, Martvili village is reachable by marshrutka from Kutaisi, and the canyon entrance is a short walk from the village centre. Okatse is slightly more complicated by public transport but reachable by marshrutka to Gordi with a short walk to the entrance.

Book a shared Martvili and Okatse group tour from Kutaisi

Luxury option: private Samegrelo highlights tour

A private guided tour of Samegrelo — with a dedicated driver, English-speaking specialist guide, and pre-booked restaurant lunch in a local family setting — allows you to cover Martvili canyon (including the boat section before the crowds arrive), Nokalakevi with proper archaeological context, and the Dadiani Palace in a single day without any of the logistics stress of independent travel.

Private tours can be tailored to your interests: a history-focused day might prioritise Nokalakevi and Zugdidi; a nature-focused day would put more time into the canyon and waterfall section. The best private Samegrelo tours include a lunch stop at a Mingrelian family home — Mingrelian cuisine (very spicy by Georgian standards, heavy with walnut sauces and a fermented cheese called sulguni) is among the most distinctive regional food traditions in the country.

Book a private Samegrelo highlights tour

How to choose your Samegrelo tour

Based in Kutaisi for 2 days: Do the Okatse-Kinchkha-Martvili combined day, then choose between a second day in Samegrelo (Nokalakevi, Dadiani Palace) or a day trip to the Prometheus Cave or Bagrati Cathedral.

Based in Zugdidi: Closer to Martvili and the Dadiani Palace. Good base for combining Samegrelo with a Svaneti extension.

Adventure priority: Martvili boat tour and Okatse canyon walkway are the non-negotiable highlights.

History priority: Nokalakevi fortress with a specialist guide is extraordinary — one of the most significant sites in Georgian archaeology and genuinely undervisited.

Limited time (one day): The Okatse-Kinchkha-Martvili triple combination is the best single day available in western Georgia.

FAQ

How far is Samegrelo from Tbilisi? Zugdidi (Samegrelo’s capital) is approximately 350 km from Tbilisi — roughly 4 hours by road or 5 hours by train. Kutaisi (the most practical base for Samegrelo day trips) is 230 km from Tbilisi, about 3 hours by road.

Is the Martvili Canyon boat trip suitable for children? Yes — the boats are stable, the journey is calm, and the canyon is not physically demanding. The wooden boardwalks on the upper canyon section are straightforward. Life jackets are provided on the boat section.

Can I visit Samegrelo independently? Martvili and Okatse are both reachable by marshrutka from Kutaisi. Nokalakevi is more difficult without a car. A rental car from Kutaisi gives maximum flexibility for a Samegrelo circuit.

Is Kinchkha waterfall worth visiting if I have already seen Martvili? Yes — they are completely different experiences. Martvili is a turquoise canyon with boat access; Kinchkha is a dramatic free-fall waterfall in a forested setting. The two complement rather than replicate each other.

What is the best season for Samegrelo? April–October. Spring (April–June) has lush green vegetation and good water levels in the canyons. Summer is peak season. October sees the tourist pressure ease while the weather remains excellent.

Related guides

• Martvili Canyon guide — detailed visitor information for the canyon and boat section
• Okatse Canyon guide — the suspended walkway and Kinchkha waterfall in detail
• Best hikes in Georgia — hiking options in western Georgia and beyond
• Getting around Georgia — transport from Tbilisi and Kutaisi to Samegrelo