Okatse Canyon: the suspended walkway over Georgia's gorge

Walking on air above the gorge

Thirty kilometres from Kutaisi, the Okatse River has carved a canyon 20–50 metres deep through forested Imereti limestone. What makes Okatse Canyon remarkable for visitors is not just the geology — it is how you experience it. A 780-metre suspended metal walkway, cantilevered out from the canyon wall and hanging over the gorge below, allows you to walk along the canyon face at height with nothing but air beneath your feet.

The sensation is exhilarating. The walkway sways slightly; the forested canyon floor is visible far below through the metal grating; the canyon walls rise on one side while open air drops away on the other. For those without a significant fear of heights, Okatse Canyon’s walkway is one of Georgia’s most memorable physical experiences.

Getting to Okatse Canyon

Okatse Canyon is located approximately 30–35 km southeast of Kutaisi in the Imereti region. It is almost always combined with visits to Prometheus Cave and/or Martvili Canyon as part of a western Georgia canyon day.

Book a combined Martvili, Okatse, and Prometheus Cave tour from Kutaisi

By car or taxi from Kutaisi: approximately 45 minutes. The road to the entrance passes through attractive Imereti hill country and small villages.

The Okatse Canyon experience

The walk to the canyon

From the entrance car park, a forest trail leads through mixed woodland for approximately 2–3 km to the beginning of the suspended walkway. The trail is pleasant but not particularly dramatic — it is essentially a woodland walk along the top of a broad ridge. Allow 40–60 minutes for this section. The return journey on the same trail adds the same time.

An alternative is to take a shuttle (available at the entrance for a small fee) for part of the approach, shortening the walk.

The suspended walkway

The walkway is the payoff. At 780 metres long, it clings to the canyon wall and extends out over the gorge on metal brackets at several points. The views change continuously as you move along the wall:

• Looking down: The Okatse River, 20–50 metres below, visible through the metal grating of the walkway floor
• Looking across: The opposing canyon wall, densely forested with hardwood trees, often with mist rising from the river below
• Looking down-canyon: The gorge narrows and turns, giving successive views of increasing depth
• At the viewpoint platforms: 180-degree views over the canyon from the most extended cantilever sections

The far end of the walkway reaches a series of viewing platforms at the highest and most dramatic point of the canyon rim, including views of a waterfall where a tributary enters the main gorge.

Return

The walkway is a there-and-back route — you return along the same suspended section. Some visitors find the return more relaxed than the outward journey once the initial height sensation has settled.

Total time at site

Allow 3–4 hours for the complete experience: entrance, forest walk to the walkway, the walkway itself, viewpoints, and return. Less if you use the shuttle.

Entry fees and practical information

Entry: Approximately 15–20 GEL per adult. Shuttle (optional): approximately 5 GEL additional.

Opening hours: Generally 10:00–17:00 or 18:00 daily. May close in poor weather or high winds (the walkway is closed when it would be unsafe).

What to wear: Good walking shoes with grip are important — the walkway and forest trail can be damp. The canyon is cooler than surrounding areas; bring a light layer. The metal walkway can become hot in direct summer sunlight — sun protection is useful.

Facilities: Basic facilities at the entrance. No facilities on the walkway itself.

Is Okatse Canyon suitable for everyone?

The walkway involves sustained exposure to height and significant drops on one side. For those with a moderate or severe fear of heights, the walkway will be very challenging. The forest trail approach is perfectly manageable without any height concern.

Children: The walkway is generally safe for children but requires attention — the railing is standard height. Children who are comfortable with height and able to follow safety instructions will enjoy the experience.

Elderly or mobility-limited visitors: The forest trail has some uneven sections. The walkway itself is flat. The main challenge is the length of the walk.

What makes Okatse different from Martvili?

Okatse and Martvili are often visited on the same day, and they are genuinely different experiences:

• Okatse: Suspended walkway above a forested canyon — the sensation is vertical, exposed, and exciting. The landscape is primarily forest and rock.
• Martvili: Boat ride through a narrow water-filled gorge — the sensation is horizontal, peaceful, and visually lush. The landscape is water, moss, and ferns.

Together, they give a complete picture of Imereti and Samegrelo’s canyon landscape. Visit both if time allows.

Photography

Okatse Canyon is one of western Georgia’s most photogenic sites:

• The walkway itself makes a great subject — shoot along its length with the canyon dropping away
• The forest canyon in morning mist is spectacular
• Looking straight down from the walkway grating gives vertiginous shots
• The waterfall at the end of the walkway is a classic landscape shot

Drone photography may be permitted outside the walkway section — confirm current rules on site.

The geology of Okatse Canyon

The Okatse Canyon was formed by the Okatse River cutting through the limestone plateau of southern Imereti over millions of years. The process — fluvial incision into soluble limestone — is the same basic mechanism that created Georgia’s other canyon landscapes, but the specific character of Okatse differs from Martvili because of the rock type and the river’s gradient.

The Okatse limestone is harder and more resistant than Martvili’s formation, which is why the canyon walls are more sheer — the rock erodes slowly and vertically rather than developing the undercutting and overhang typical of softer limestone. The canyon maintains a relatively constant width at the top even as it becomes very narrow at the base where the river flows.

The forest vegetation on the canyon walls — dense hardwood coverage of beech, hornbeam, chestnut, and oak — is characteristic of Imereti’s humid subtropical climate. Imereti receives significantly more rainfall than eastern Georgia, and the canyon microclimate (sheltered from wind, catching moisture from the river below) creates particularly lush conditions.

The waterfall at the far end of the walkway where a tributary stream enters the main canyon is one of Okatse’s most photogenic features. The tributary has cut its own smaller canyon into the main gorge rim, and the waterfall is visible from the viewpoint platforms at the end of the suspended walkway.

The engineering of the suspended walkway

The Okatse walkway is an engineering achievement worth appreciating separately from the landscape it crosses. Cantilevered walkways of this type — extending from a vertical rock face over a significant drop, with no support from below — require careful anchoring into the canyon wall and engineering that accounts for the dynamic forces created when dozens of people walk on the structure simultaneously.

The Okatse walkway is bolted directly into the canyon rock face using deep rock anchors. The metal framework is designed to flex slightly under load — which accounts for the subtle swaying sensation — while remaining structurally rigid. The metal grating of the walkway floor allows visual connection with the canyon below (and is responsible for most of the vertigo) while reducing wind resistance.

The walkway is closed during high winds precisely because lateral wind loading on a structure of this type can be significant. The sensation of the walkway swaying more than usual in a breeze is the structure responding correctly to dynamic load — but beyond certain wind speeds, the closure is prudent.

Managing the experience for different visitors

For those with no fear of heights

The full Okatse experience is one of Georgia’s most physically exhilarating moments. Walk at a normal pace, stop at all the viewpoint platforms, and spend time looking both down to the river and across to the opposing canyon wall. The final viewpoint over the waterfall is the best position in the entire site. Photography from the extended cantilever sections — with the walkway visible in the foreground and the canyon dropping away — creates some of the most distinctive images in western Georgia.

For those with moderate height concern

Manageable but requiring some psychological preparation. The key is to keep your gaze at horizon level rather than looking down at the canyon floor through the grating. Focus on the canyon walls and forest rather than the drop. Hold the railing when stationary (normal safety practice) and walk steadily rather than stopping frequently on the narrower sections. Most visitors who enter with moderate height concern finish the walkway and are glad they continued.

For those with significant acrophobia

The forest trail to the walkway is entirely manageable and offers good views of the canyon from the rim without the suspended exposure. It is entirely reasonable to walk to the start of the walkway, look at it, decide it is not for you, and return on the trail. The walkway is a remarkable experience but not the only experience at Okatse.

Planning your Okatse Canyon visit

Getting there

Okatse Canyon is 30–35 km southeast of Kutaisi. The access road passes through the village of Gordi and then into the Imereti hills. The last section of road before the canyon entrance is good quality and clearly marked.

From Kutaisi: 45 minutes by car or taxi. No regular public bus service to the canyon.

From Tbilisi: 3.5–4 hours by road, making it a long day trip without staying overnight. Combining Okatse with Prometheus Cave and Martvili Canyon on an organised tour from Tbilisi is possible but requires an early start.

Practical tip: Hire a local taxi driver for the day from Kutaisi to cover Okatse, Prometheus Cave, and Martvili Canyon in one circuit. Negotiate a total price in advance — approximately 80–120 GEL for the full day including all three sites.

Timing

Peak season (July–August): Weekends can be crowded. Weekday visits are significantly more comfortable.

Best months: May–June (lush vegetation after spring rain, moderate crowds) and September–October (beautiful autumn colour in the hardwood forest, manageable temperatures).

Spring: The canyon is at its most dramatic in April–May when the forest is the most vivid green and the waterfalls at full flow.

Winter: The canyon remains open but the trail can be muddy and the walkway wet and cold. Not the ideal season for the walkway experience.

Okatse and western Georgia’s adventure landscape

Okatse Canyon exists within a broader landscape of natural adventure destinations in western Georgia that is seriously underappreciated internationally.

Martvili Canyon: The complementary boat experience — water-level rather than aerial, peaceful rather than vertiginous. See our Martvili Canyon guide.

Prometheus Cave: The underground equivalent — a 14°C underground river and stalactite chambers. See our Prometheus Cave guide.

Sataplia: Smaller cave and dinosaur footprints, 6 km from Prometheus Cave.

Katskhi Pillar: A dramatic natural rock column with a medieval monastery on its flat top, 50 km east of Kutaisi — one of Georgia’s most visually striking sites and worth combining with a western Georgia trip.

Tskaltubo: The Soviet-era radon spa resort 12 km from Kutaisi — a completely different kind of experience from the canyon landscape, but an interesting cultural contrast. See our thermal baths guide.

For those planning a week in western Georgia, see our western Georgia itinerary for a structured framework that includes all these destinations.

After the walkway: eating near Okatse Canyon

The canyon entrance has basic facilities only. For a proper meal, the options are:

In the nearby villages: Several simple roadside restaurants between the canyon and Kutaisi serve Imeretian home cooking — bean stew, cornmeal porridge, local cheese, grilled meat. Informal, inexpensive, and good.

In Kutaisi: The city has a decent restaurant scene. The market near the central square is a good option for a light lunch of bread, cheese, and fresh fruit after the canyon. Several traditional restaurants in the old town serve Imeretian specialities.

Self-catering: For early morning arrivals, a packed breakfast from Kutaisi eaten at the canyon entrance before the crowds arrive is a practical option.

FAQ

Is the walkway safe? Yes. The walkway is engineered to European safety standards, regularly inspected, and closed in weather conditions that would make it unsafe. Normal caution (hold the railing, don’t lean over) applies.

What is the height above the canyon floor? Varies along the route — up to approximately 50 metres at the deepest section.

Is there a weight limit? No published weight limit, but the walkway is designed for normal adult use.

Can I visit Okatse without a car? Difficult independently — there is no regular public transport to the canyon entrance. An organised day tour from Kutaisi is the practical solution.

How does Okatse compare to Martvili Canyon? Different experiences designed for different moods. See the comparison in the section above. Most visitors who have time enjoy both.

How long is the full walk? The forest trail to the walkway is approximately 2–3 km each way. The walkway itself is 780 metres. Total walking distance for the full experience: approximately 6–8 km. Allow 3–4 hours including walking time, time on the walkway, and viewpoints.

Can children do the Okatse walkway? Yes, with appropriate supervision. Children who are comfortable with heights will enjoy it. The railing is standard height; keep younger children between adults and the railing. Children with significant fear of heights should skip the walkway and do the forest trail instead.

The western Georgia canyon day: combining Okatse and Martvili

Most visitors to western Georgia combine Okatse and Martvili Canyon in a single day trip from Kutaisi or as a stopover on the Tbilisi–Batumi route. The combined experience gives the full spectrum of western Georgia’s canyon scenery.

The logistics of a combined day:

Start at Martvili Canyon when it opens (the boat experience requires morning calm; later in the day the boat queue grows). Allow 2–3 hours for Martvili including the boat and the upper trail. Drive approximately 20 minutes to Okatse Canyon. Allow 3–4 hours for Okatse including the forest walk and the suspended walkway. End in Kutaisi for dinner, or continue toward Batumi (approximately 1.5 hours from the canyon area).

The order to visit them: Martvili first is generally better — the boat experience is the more time-sensitive element (boats stop if water levels change), and the morning light in the Martvili gorge is particularly good.

Total driving from Kutaisi and back: Approximately 1 hour combined; both sites are accessible in a half-day from the city if you skip the extended forest walk at Okatse.

Getting to Okatse: the transport options

From Kutaisi: The most practical base. Okatse is approximately 30–40 minutes by car. Local taxis from Kutaisi will do a return trip to the canyon for a negotiated price (typically 40–60 GEL for the car, negotiable). Marshal a driver at the Kutaisi taxi stand.

Organised day tour from Tbilisi: Several day tour operators run western Georgia canyon circuits from Tbilisi (3 hours each way but worth it for the full western Georgia experience). These tours typically combine Okatse, Martvili, and Prometheus Cave in a single long day.

Book a combined western Georgia canyon day tour from Tbilisi

From Batumi: Okatse is approximately 1.5 hours from Batumi by car. A rental car from Batumi works well for a canyon day; combine with Martvili and Kutaisi for a full western Georgia circuit.

Related guides

• Martvili Canyon guide — the complementary canyon experience with boat access
• Prometheus Cave guide — the third western Georgia attraction for a full circuit
• Getting around Georgia — transport from Tbilisi and Kutaisi to western Georgia attractions