Western Georgia

Famous as the destination of Jason and the Argonauts in their search for the golden fleece, western Georgia is home to Georgia’s third-largest city, Kutaisi, and is full of easily accessible historical, architectural and natural riches. The region has always acted as a conduit for influences from the west, from the Ancient Greeks to St Nino to the Ottoman Turks. It was for long periods ruled separately from eastern Georgia, but was also where the great united Georgian kingdom of the 11th and 12th centuries made its start. Today the region attracts huge numbers of visitors, primarily as many of its sights are within a relatively short distance of each other, and their accessibility has been dramatically improved in recent years. However, it's not hard to get off the beaten track and discover areas as yet untouched by Georgia's tourism miracle.

Explore Western Georgia

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Western Georgia.

  • Monastery

    Gelati Monastery

    This Unesco World Heritage–listed monastery complex, on a wooded hillside 8km northeast of Kutaisi, is an outstanding example of Golden Age architecture…

  • Cathedral

    Bagrati Cathedral

    Kutaisi's cathedral was built in 1003 by Bagrat III, with a tall drum and pointed dome resting on four freestanding pillars. In 1692 a Turkish explosion…

  • Canyon

    Okatse Canyon

    An exciting 700m-long walkway projects from the edge of this 100m-deep canyon and culminates in a viewing platform that hangs right out over the middle…

  • Fortress

    Nokalakevi Fortress

    Nokalakevi is an ancient Colchian fortress built on the banks of the Tekhuri River. It's been mooted as one of the (many) places to have housed the Golden…

  • Museum

    Dadiani Museum

    The castle-like palace of the Dadiani family (old lords of Samegrelo) is now a museum set in beautifully maintained grounds. As well as interesting 19th…

  • Canyon

    Martvili Canyon

    The attractive Martvili Canyon has been comprehensively adapted to the needs of tourists and now contains multiple walkways and bridges giving lovely…

  • Waterfall

    Kinchkha Waterfall

    This impressive waterfall cascades 88m down the side of a huge limestone cliff, runs through a narrow gorge and then crashes down again to a pool below…

  • Museum

    Kutaisi Historical Museum

    The history museum has superb collections from all around western Georgia, but a guided tour is a good idea as labelling is poor. The highlight is the…

  • Archaeological Site

    Vani

    You'll need to use your imagination to get much out of this ancient city site, which was one of the main centres of Colchis, flourishing from the 8th to…

  • Nature Reserve

    Sataplia Nature Reserve

    The star features of the 3.3-sq-km reserve, 9km northwest of Kutaisi, are a couple of dozen 120-million-year-old, fossilised dinosaur footprints (well…

  • Monastery

    Motsameta Monastery

    Little Motsameta sits on a spectacular clifftop promontory above a bend of the Tskhaltsitela River, 5km from Kutaisi, 1.8km off the Gelati road. The river…

  • Cave

    Prometheus Cave

    This 1.4km-long cave at Kumistavi, 20km northwest of Kutaisi, is a succession of six large chambers followed by a 400m-long underground lake. Sections are…

  • Lake

    Lake Toba-Varchkhili

    The picturesque, remote mountain lakes of Toba-Varchkhili, at around 2650m altitude, are best visited on a camping trip, as they’re reached by a 33km jeep…

  • Palace

    Dadiani Summer Residence

    Not to be confused with the more-famous Dadiani Palace in Zugdidi, the former summer palace of the Dadianis (and now occasional residence of the Patriarch…

  • Fortress

    Palace-citadel

    The ruined palace-citadel immediately east of the Bagrati Cathedral dates back to the 6th century. It was ruined in 1769 by bombardment from the forces of…

  • Monastery

    Martvili Monastery

    Martvili's monastery, a medieval Georgian cultural centre, sits on a serene hilltop overlooking the town and the surrounding valleys and hills. Its church…

  • Market

    Market

    Kutaisi's indoor produce market is one of the largest, liveliest and most colourful in Georgia, full of cheese, walnuts, spices, herbs, fruit, vegetables,…

  • Fountain

    Colchis Fountain

    The central square, Tsentraluri moedani, focuses on the large ornamental Colchis Fountain, adorned with large-scale copies of the famous gold jewellery…

  • Theatre

    Opera House

    Kutaisi's opera house has been renovated with lines of classical statues, inspired by its famous Vienna counterpart, adorning it.