The best lakes in Georgia: Abudelauri, Udziro, Tobavarchkhili, Paravani, Tabatskuri and the easy ones

Georgia’s best lakes split cleanly into two groups: alpine lakes that reward a hike of several hours to several days — Abudelauri, Udziro and Tobavarchkhili, plus the short climb to Koruldi above Mestia — and lakes you can reach by car, among them Paravani and Tabatskuri on the Javakheti plateau, and Shaori and Tkibuli in the west. Inside Tbilisi, Lisi and Turtle Lake give the same blue water with none of the altitude.

Swimmability is the question most readers actually ask, and the honest answer is: the drive-to reservoirs and the city lakes are swimmable in summer, the high alpine lakes almost never are. Below we go lake by lake, note which ones carry birdlife worth a detour, and flag the few points — road conditions above Tabatskuri, protected-area rules at Javakheti — where you should check the official source before you go, since access and status can change between seasons.

Alpine lakes that need a hike

The Abudelauri lakes sit below the Chaukhi massif in Khevsureti, a cluster of three small tarns known locally as the White, the Green and the Blue, each a short walk from the next at around 2,800 metres. The standard approach is from the village of Juta, with the option of continuing over the Chaukhi Pass to Roshka for those who want a full crossing rather than an out-and-back. We run this as the Chaukhi Pass Day Hike — Juta to the Abudelauri Lakes for a long single day, and as Juta, Chaukhi Pass and Roshka — 3 Days in Khevsureti for a slower pace with a night in the mountains.

Udziro, whose name means roughly “bottomless,” lies in a remote corner of Racha near Shovi and Glola, reached by a half-day trek through forest and subalpine meadow. It sees far fewer visitors than Abudelauri and has no facilities at all, so a local guide or a 4×4 approach is the sensible way in — our Racha and Lechkhumi by 4×4 — 3 Days covers the wider region if you want to combine it with wine and the Shaori reservoir.

Tobavarchkhili, the Silver Lake, is the most demanding of the three: a multi-day trek through Lechkhumi into a bowl of several interconnected alpine lakes above the tree line, genuinely remote and best attempted with a guide and camping gear rather than as a day trip. We run this as Tobavarchkhili — the Silver Lake Trek, 4 Days.

Koruldi, above Mestia in Svaneti, is the gentlest of this group — a steep but short climb (or a 4×4 track in summer) up the Zuruldi ridge to a pair of small lakes with Ushba filling the skyline behind them. It is the easiest “alpine lake” experience in the country for anyone without multi-day trekking time, and we include it in Svaneti Day Hikes — Koruldi Lakes, Chalaadi Glacier and Hatsvali, 3 Days.

Lakes you can drive to

Paravani is Georgia’s largest lake by surface area, a shallow volcanic-plateau lake near Ninotsminda at over 2,000 metres, ringed by open steppe and reachable on a paved road from Akhalkalaki. Tabatskuri, a short drive further west, sits in a deeper crater-like basin at just under 2,000 metres and is the more scenic of the two, with trout fishing and a scattering of Doukhobor and Georgian villages around the shore. Both lie within the Trialeti-Javakheti upland that the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture manages as protected landscape, so check current access rules on the Ministry’s protected areas page before planning a visit off the main road.

In the west, Shaori is a reservoir in Racha near Ambrolauri, a striking turquoise-green sheet of water held back by a Soviet-era hydro dam, easily combined with Nikortsminda cathedral and a Khvanchkara wine stop — our Racha in a Day — Shaori Lake, Nikortsminda and Khvanchkara does exactly that in a single day from Kutaisi. Tkibuli, the reservoir above the old coal-mining town of the same name in Imereti, is smaller and more local in character, with a swimming beach that fills with Kutaisi families on summer weekends.

Road conditions on the unpaved stretches above Tabatskuri and into upper Racha change with the season and after heavy rain, so it is worth checking the Roads Department’s road condition page or asking your driver the day before you go, particularly from late autumn.

Which lakes are swimmable

For all of the summer reservoirs and city lakes, water quality and lifeguard cover are a municipal rather than national matter, so if you are travelling with children it is worth asking locally or at your hotel about conditions on the day rather than assuming a fixed season.

Javakheti’s lakes and their birds

Paravani and Tabatskuri sit within the wider Javakheti wetland system, a chain of volcanic-plateau lakes that also includes Khanchali and Bugdasheni further south, long recognised internationally as a stopover for migratory waterbirds. Spring and autumn bring large numbers of geese, ducks and waders, and the plateau has recorded Dalmatian pelican and other species of conservation concern, which is why part of the area carries Ramsar wetland status — see the Ramsar Sites Information Service entry for Georgia for the current list and boundaries. The protected landscape itself is managed through Georgia’s Agency of Protected Areas, whose Javakheti protected areas page carries the most current information on entry points and any seasonal restrictions, which is worth checking before a dedicated birding trip since access rules at the smaller lakes can tighten during nesting season.

A car with driver covers the ground comfortably in a day from Akhalkalaki or Akhaltsikhe; serious birders tend to add a specialist local guide for the early morning, which our Licensed Private Guide by the Day service can arrange with advance notice.

Lisi and Turtle Lake, in the city

Tbilisi has two lakes of its own, both reachable by taxi in well under half an hour from the centre. Lisi, on the city’s western edge, has a developed promenade, a swimming area, and enough open shoreline for a proper walk away from the crowds; it has also become a weekend running and cycling loop for residents. Turtle Lake (Kus Tba), reached by cable car from Vake Park or a short drive, is smaller, busier in July and August, and has paddleboats and lakeside cafés that make it an easy half-day with children. Neither needs booking or a guide — both are simply a pleasant way to spend an afternoon between the Old Town sights covered in our Tbilisi Hills — Mtatsminda Pantheon, Funicular and Vake Park walk.

When to go and how to plan

The alpine lakes are only reliably accessible from mid-June to late September; snow can linger into June at Abudelauri and Tobavarchkhili, and the first real snow of autumn can close the higher ground again from late September. The Javakheti plateau and the Tabatskuri-Paravani road are open longer, into October, but exposed to strong wind year-round, so warm layers matter even in summer. Shaori, Tkibuli, Lisi and Turtle Lake follow the ordinary Georgian swimming season, roughly June to early September.

• Abudelauri, Tobavarchkhili and Udziro: proper hiking boots, layers, and either a guide or solid navigation experience — these are not marked resort trails.
• Koruldi: manageable in trainers for a fit walker, or by 4×4 in summer for those short on time.
• Paravani and Tabatskuri: a sedan manages the main road in dry weather; a 4×4 is safer after rain or for the side tracks.
• Shaori, Tkibuli, Lisi, Turtle Lake: ordinary car access, no special gear needed.

Practical summary

• Want a hike with a view: Abudelauri (Juta access, day or overnight) or Koruldi (short, from Mestia).
• Want a serious trek: Tobavarchkhili (4 days) or Udziro (remote, guide recommended).
• Want to drive and still see wildlife: Paravani and Tabatskuri on the Javakheti plateau, best spring and autumn for birds.
• Want to swim without a mountain drive: Shaori or Tkibuli in the west, Lisi or Turtle Lake in Tbilisi.
• Check before you go: protected-area rules at Javakheti via the Agency of Protected Areas, and road condition on unpaved stretches via the Roads Department.
• Book ahead for multi-day treks (Tobavarchkhili, Chaukhi Pass) since mountain huts and guides fill up in July and August.

Sources

• Protected landscapes, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture
• UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List – Javakheti volcanic plateau (context for Paravani/Tabatskuri)
• Agenda.ge – Tbilisi's Turtle Lake and Lisi Lake recreation areas
• IUCN – Javakheti Protected Areas Birdlife