Things to do in Kutaisi: the city, Gelati, the caves and the canyons in 1, 2 or 3 days

Kutaisi deserves at least one full day and rewards two or three. In a single day you can see Bagrati Cathedral, Gelati Monastery and the Green Bazaar at an easy pace. A second day lets you add the show caves (Prometheus and Sataplia) or the canyons (Martvili and Okatse), which lie in different directions from the city and are best not combined into one rushed loop. A third day opens up Tskaltubo‘s Soviet spa ruins, a long day into Racha, or a slower version of the canyons with time to swim.

Kutaisi’s appeal is that everything above sits within 20 to 90 minutes of a small, walkable city on the Rioni river, and its airport is now a genuine gateway to western Georgia rather than a detour. This guide works through the sights by theme, then sets out how to combine them over one, two or three days, how to get in and out through Kutaisi International Airport, and where to eat and sleep.

One day, two days or three: what actually fits

Travellers covering the caves and canyons in one go should expect a nine to eleven-hour day with two to three hours of driving built in, since Prometheus Cave, Sataplia, Martvili and Okatse are spread across Imereti and Samegrelo rather than clustered around one village. Our Martvili & Okatse Canyons + Prometheus Cave — Day Trip from Kutaisi and Prometheus Cave, Martvili Canyon and Okatse — the Big Three from Kutaisi tours both run this combination with a fixed, unhurried order of stops.

The city: Bagrati, Gelati and the Green Bazaar

Bagrati Cathedral stands on Ukimerioni hill above the Rioni, built under King Bagrat III around 1003. It was ruined by an explosion in 1692 and stood roofless for three centuries until a contested reconstruction between 2010 and 2012 added steel, glass and a new roof. The rebuild was extensive enough that UNESCO removed the cathedral from the World Heritage List in 2017, while keeping the wider site’s inscription focused on Gelati; the committee’s reasoning is set out on the World Heritage List entry for the site. Whatever view you take of the restoration, the cathedral is free to enter, open most of the day, and gives the best view over the city.

Gelati Monastery, about 10 kilometres east of Kutaisi, is the better-preserved counterpart: founded by David the Builder in 1106 as a monastery and academy, with 12th- to 14th-century mosaics in the main church and the tombs of several Georgian kings. It remains on the World Heritage List in its own right. Motsameta Monastery, a short detour on the same road, sits dramatically above a river gorge and is worth the ten-minute stop even if you only look from the bridge.

The Green Bazaar (Bazroba), by the central railway station, is Kutaisi’s working market: Imeretian sulguni and other cheeses, churchkhela, dried fruit, spices and a produce hall that is as much a photography stop as a shopping one. Our Kutaisi Half-Day — Bagrati, the Green Bazaar and the Rioni and Kutaisi Walking Tour — Bazaar, Bridges and the Old Quarter cover this ground with a guide in under three hours.

The caves: Prometheus and Sataplia

Prometheus Cave (also called Kumistavi Cave), near Tskaltubo about 20 minutes from Kutaisi, is one of Georgia’s largest show caves, with illuminated chambers and a short underground boat ride along part of the route. Sataplia Nature Reserve, closer to the city, combines a smaller karst cave with preserved dinosaur footprints and a glass-floored skywalk over the forest canopy. Both sites are state-managed protected areas; current opening hours, ticket prices and any seasonal closures are confirmed on the Agency of Protected Areas page for Georgia’s reserves, which is worth checking before you go since hours shift between seasons.

The canyons: Martvili and Okatse

Martvili Canyon, around an hour from Kutaisi in Samegrelo, is a short, dramatic gorge with turquoise pools; the standard visit includes a paddle-boat ride through the narrowest section, which gets busy by mid-morning in summer. Okatse Canyon, roughly 40 minutes further, is walked rather than boated: a cantilevered steel walkway runs along the cliff face with a glass viewing platform at the far end, about 2.8 kilometres return. Neither site is large, but both are popular, so an early start matters more than the driving distance suggests. Martvili Monastery and the former Dadiani summer residence at Salkhino make a good lunch stop between the two; our Martvili Monastery, Salkhino and an Ojaleshi Cellar tour builds a half-day around exactly that.

Tskaltubo: the Soviet spa town

Tskaltubo, 10 kilometres from Kutaisi, was the Soviet Union’s best-known balneological resort, built around naturally warm radon-carbonate springs that Georgian health authorities still class as therapeutic for joint and circulatory conditions; anyone considering a course of treatment for a specific condition should discuss it with a doctor first rather than rely on spa staff alone. Several of the grand 1950s sanatoriums stand roofless and overgrown, among the most photographed abandoned buildings in the Caucasus, a contrast covered in pieces such as the BBC Travel feature on Tskaltubo’s crumbling spa architecture. A smaller number of bathhouses and hotels still operate working radon baths. Our Gelati, Motsameta and Tskaltubo — Kings, Saints and Soviet Spas tour pairs the ruins with the monasteries in one seven-hour day; for an actual cure, see Tskaltubo Short Cure — 3 Nights of Radon Baths or the longer Tskaltubo Cure — 7 Nights of Radon-Carbonate Baths and Mud.

Racha as a day

Racha, north-east of Kutaisi in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus, is reachable as a long day trip but rewards slowing down. A typical route runs via Nikortsminda Cathedral, with its carved 11th-century facade, on to Ambrolauri for Khvanchkara, Georgia’s best-known semi-sweet red wine, and up to the Shaori reservoir for mountain views. Allow a full day: driving alone is close to four hours return, and the roads above Ambrolauri are narrower and slower than the main highway. Our Racha in a Day — Shaori Lake, Nikortsminda and Khvanchkara runs this as an eleven-hour day from Kutaisi; travellers with more time might prefer Racha — Khvanchkara Wine & Mountain Lakes (2 Days) or Racha and Lechkhumi by 4×4 — 3 Days to go further into the valley.

Kutaisi airport: getting in and out

Kutaisi David the Builder International Airport sits about 14 kilometres from the city centre and has become western Georgia’s main budget-airline hub, with routes to several European cities; schedules change by season, so check current flights directly on the Kutaisi Airport flight information page before booking onward transport. From the airport, a simple fixed-rate transfer into Kutaisi runs €35 per car (sedan or minivan); onward to Tbilisi it is €190 by sedan or €230 by minivan, to Batumi €150 by sedan, and to Mestia in Svaneti €390 by 4×4 or minivan — all fixed per car, one way, confirmed in writing before departure and listed on our price table. If you would rather have a guided stop en route than a straight transfer, our Kutaisi Airport to Tbilisi — Private Transfer and Kutaisi Airport to Batumi — Private Transfer tours cover the same routes with a driver who can stop for photographs. There is also a rail link between Kutaisi (Rioni station) and Tbilisi; check current timetables on Georgian Railway’s timetable page, since frequency has varied in recent years.

Where to eat and stay

Kutaisi’s food culture centres on Imeretian khachapuri, a round, closed cheese bread distinct from Adjara‘s open boat-shaped version, best tried straight from the Green Bazaar’s food stalls or at one of the small restaurants around Rioni bridge and Pionerta park. The old town has a growing number of wine bars pouring Imeretian qvevri wines alongside the more famous Kakhetian labels. For accommodation, the old town around the Rioni and Chavchavadze Avenue has the widest choice of boutique guesthouses and mid-range hotels within walking distance of Bagrati and the bazaar; travellers with an early flight sometimes prefer a hotel near the airport itself to avoid a pre-dawn transfer. Current listings shift often enough that we recommend checking live availability rather than relying on any name printed here; our hotel booking help is free, and if you ask us to book, the fee (shown before you confirm) is a flat €15 per reservation.

Practical summary

• One day: Bagrati Cathedral, Green Bazaar, Gelati and Motsameta — manageable at a walking pace with a car or guide.
• Two days: add either the caves (Prometheus and Sataplia) or the canyons (Martvili and Okatse) — not both unless you have a long day and an early start.
• Three days: add Tskaltubo for a slower morning among the Soviet ruins, or a full day into Racha for Nikortsminda and Khvanchkara wine.
• Check Kutaisi Airport’s live schedule before booking transport, since routes and frequencies change seasonally.
• Fixed one-way transfers: Kutaisi airport to Kutaisi city €35, to Tbilisi €190 to €230, to Batumi €150, to Mestia €390.
• Book the caves and canyons as early in the day as possible — both get busy with coach groups by late morning.
• Anyone considering a radon or mud cure at Tskaltubo for a medical condition should check with a doctor first.

Sources

• Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery, World Heritage List
• Georgian Railway timetable
• Kutaisi destination guide, Lonely Planet
• Kutaisi city guide
• Tbilisi-Kutaisi train schedule