Tbilisi to Borjomi and Vardzia: southern Georgia day trip guide

The longest day trip in Georgia — and the case for two days

The Tbilisi–Borjomi–Vardzia triangle is the most ambitious single-day excursion from the capital. Three major sites — Borjomi’s mineral-water spa park, the reconstructed Rabati fortress at Akhaltsikhe, and the cliff-carved 12th-century cave monastery of Vardzia — are strung along a 250-kilometre road that ends near the Turkish border. The round trip is 12 to 14 hours; the return drive alone takes four hours; the time at Vardzia, the defining site, is often compressed to under 90 minutes by necessity.

This guide covers the day-trip version honestly — and makes the case for splitting it into two days, which is how most travellers who love the region wish they had done it.

At a glance

• Distance from Tbilisi: 160 km to Borjomi, 200 km to Akhaltsikhe, 260 km to Vardzia
• Driving time: 2.5 hours to Borjomi, 3 hours to Akhaltsikhe, 3.5–4 hours to Vardzia
• Total day length: 12–14 hours as a day trip
• Best alternative: 2-day trip with an overnight in Borjomi or Akhaltsikhe
• Best season: April–October. Winter adds snow-road complications beyond Akhaltsikhe
• Difficulty: Easy driving; Vardzia has steep steps and narrow passages
• Altitude: Borjomi 800m, Akhaltsikhe 980m, Vardzia 1,300m

How to get there

Organised day tour

The Borjomi–Rabati–Vardzia day tour is a standard Tbilisi offering. Operators run efficient itineraries designed to hit all three sites; group tours cost 80–130 GEL, private small-group tours from 200 GEL. Departures are early (07:30 typical) to maximise site time.

Book the Borjomi, Rabati, and Vardzia day trip from Tbilisi

Rental car

Self-driving gives flexibility but is taxing on a single day. The road from Tbilisi to Akhaltsikhe is good modern highway via Gori; from Akhaltsikhe to Vardzia, the road narrows and has rough patches. Allow a full 4 hours return for the Vardzia-to-Tbilisi drive.

Private driver

At 250–350 GEL for a long day, a private driver is the best day-trip option — you do not lose an hour to driver fatigue and you can nap between stops.

Marshrutka

Possible but complicated. Tbilisi to Borjomi (3 hours, 10 GEL); Borjomi to Akhaltsikhe (1 hour, 5 GEL); Akhaltsikhe to Vardzia (1.5 hours, 8 GEL, limited departures). Realistic only as a 2-day itinerary with overnight in Borjomi or Akhaltsikhe.

Train to Borjomi

A scenic 4-hour train runs twice daily from Tbilisi to Borjomi via Khashuri. Comfortable and pleasant, but not useful for a multi-stop day trip unless Borjomi is your only destination.

Suggested itineraries

One-day version (exhausting but feasible)

• 07:00: Depart Tbilisi
• 09:30: Borjomi Central Park (1 hour — tasting spring water, park walk)
• 10:45: Drive to Akhaltsikhe (45 minutes)
• 11:30: Rabati Castle (1.5 hours)
• 13:00: Lunch in Akhaltsikhe or Aspindza
• 14:15: Drive to Vardzia (1 hour)
• 15:15: Vardzia cave monastery (2 hours)
• 17:15: Depart for Tbilisi (4 hours direct)
• 21:15: Arrival

Two-day version (strongly recommended)

Day 1: Tbilisi depart 10:00, Borjomi arrival 13:00, lunch, afternoon in Borjomi park and mineral-bath spa. Overnight in Borjomi or Likani.

Day 2: Depart Borjomi 09:00, Akhaltsikhe and Rabati 09:45–11:30, lunch, Vardzia 13:00–15:30, return to Tbilisi by 19:00.

This gives both days a gentle pace, proper meals, time at the baths, and fresh legs for Vardzia’s 200+ stone steps.

What to see at each stop

Borjomi

Georgia’s most famous spa town, built around the mineral springs that have bottled Borjomi-labelled water since 1890. The small town (population 10,000) sits in a steep wooded valley at 800 metres and is the gateway to the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park.

Borjomi Central Park: The entrance is a colonnaded spa-town ensemble; a walking path follows the Borjomi river for a kilometre to the open mineral-water spring pavilion where you can drink unlimited free Borjomi water straight from the source. The taste (salty, sulphurous, distinctive) is an acquired one. A cable car near the entrance runs up to a small Ferris wheel and viewing terrace.

Ekaterina Borjomi mineral-water spa: The thermal bath complex upstream of the park allows bathing in the warm mineral water. Good add-on if you have 2–3 hours. See the thermal baths guide.

Likani Palace: The Romanov summer residence at Likani, 2 km upstream from Borjomi, is now a sanatorium — the grounds are partly visitable.

Rabati Castle (Akhaltsikhe)

The reconstructed medieval fortress in Akhaltsikhe is one of the most visually arresting sites in southern Georgia — a 9th–13th century castle that combined Georgian, Ottoman, and Armenian architectural traditions. A heavy 2011–2012 restoration rebuilt most of the complex, creating a lavish tourist-ready castle (hotel, restaurant, shops, wedding venue) inside the medieval walls.

The restoration is controversial among architectural purists (much of what you see is new construction in historic style) but the result is genuinely impressive: a functioning mosque, Georgian church, amphitheatre, palaces, and thick defensive walls. Allow 1.5 hours.

Vardzia

The defining cave monastery of Georgia — a 12th-century cliff-face city carved into the volcanic tufa of the Mtkvari gorge under the direction of Queen Tamar, Georgia’s greatest medieval ruler. Vardzia originally contained over 6,000 chambers on 19 levels; an earthquake in 1283 sheared off the cliff face, exposing the interior and leaving the surviving 600+ chambers visible today.

Key elements:

Church of the Dormition: The main rock-cut church at the centre of the complex, with 12th-century frescoes including a contemporary portrait of Queen Tamar herself — one of the rare surviving images of her painted during her lifetime.

The cells, refectories, and wine cellars: Multi-level chambers connected by tunnels, including qvevri wine-making facilities carved directly into the rock.

The Mtkvari gorge view: From the upper level, the view down the gorge and across to the opposite cliffs is superb.

Visiting Vardzia is physical work. The site is explored on a steep 2-hour loop with frequent stone steps, low passages (watch your head), and a final tunnel that opens out dramatically onto a higher level. Not suitable for limited mobility. Bring a light torch for the dim passages.

Admission is around 15 GEL; a small shuttle bus from the car park to the ticket office costs 1 GEL.

Where to eat

Borjomi: Crown (traditional Georgian), Elegant (fish-focused), Pesvebi (mountain-cottage atmosphere, excellent khinkali). All clustered near the park entrance.

Akhaltsikhe: Rabati Castle’s in-complex restaurant is convenient but overpriced. Better: Old Boulevard in the lower town for excellent regional cooking.

Aspindza (between Akhaltsikhe and Vardzia): The roadside cafes here do reliable quick lunches — try the boraki (local dumplings).

Vardzia Resort hotel restaurant: Five minutes from the cave monastery, a proper sit-down lunch with a view. Book ahead.

What to pack

• Good walking shoes: Vardzia in particular is uneven and slippery in places.
• Light torch or phone light: Several Vardzia tunnels are genuinely dark.
• Layers: Mornings in Borjomi can be 10°C cooler than Tbilisi; Vardzia afternoons in summer exceed 30°C.
• Water: 2 litres if doing all three sites; refill from the Borjomi springs if you like the taste.
• Modest clothing: For the Vardzia Church of the Dormition — shoulders and knees covered.
• Snacks: The gap between Borjomi breakfast and Akhaltsikhe lunch is often long.
• Swimming costume: If you plan to use the Borjomi mineral baths.
• Small cash: Entry fees, shuttles, and some restaurants are cash-preferred.

FAQ

Is the day trip really feasible in one day? Yes, if you start at 07:00 and accept tired legs by evening. You will spend 7 hours in transit and 5 at sites — a fair ratio for an ambitious day but not relaxed.

What is the case for the 2-day version? You gain proper time at Vardzia (an hour’s difference is huge), a spa afternoon in Borjomi, a more leisurely lunch, and you avoid arriving in Tbilisi late and exhausted. For travellers with more than a week in Georgia, 2 days is almost always the better use of time.

Is Borjomi water really special? It is a genuine natural carbonated mineral water with a distinctive high-salinity taste, used medicinally for over 130 years. The flavour is love-it-or-hate-it. Free tastings at the spring are part of the experience.

Can I skip Akhaltsikhe/Rabati? You can — the castle is a heavy reconstruction and opinions are divided. Skipping Rabati saves 2 hours and gives Vardzia a more relaxed visit. If your priority is authenticity rather than photography, this is a reasonable trade.

Is Vardzia still an active monastery? Yes. A small monastic community lives in the complex and maintains the Church of the Dormition. Observe quiet and dress modestly in the church.

Can I combine this with a trip into Turkey? The Vale border crossing is 25 km from Akhaltsikhe. Adding Turkey to a Georgia trip is feasible but takes a full extra day at minimum. Not recommended as a same-day extension.

Related guides

• Borjomi destination guide within thermal baths — spa culture in Borjomi
• Cave cities of Georgia — Vardzia, Uplistsikhe, David Gareja
• Tbilisi to Gori and Uplistsikhe — the shorter western day trip
• Day trips from Tbilisi overview — all options compared

Book the Borjomi, Rabati, and Vardzia day trip from Tbilisi Book a Vardzia-focused day trip from Tbilisi