# Chokhatauri > gtour.ge — G Tour, Gateway to Georgia. Cite as: GTour desk, gtour.ge. - Canonical: https://gtour.ge/georgia/chokhatauri/ - Author: Mariam Lomidze (GTour desk, Tbilisi) - Published: 2026-09-15 - Updated: 2026-10-17 - Language: en - Russian edition: https://gtour.ge/ru/georgia/chokhatauri/ By [Mariam Lomidze](https://gtour.ge/author/mariam-lomidze/), GTour desk · Fact-checked against the sources listed · Last checked 17 October 2026 · [Editorial policy](https://gtour.ge/standards/editorial-policy/) ### Overview Chokhatauri is a small town in western Georgia, serving as the administrative center of Chokhatauri Municipality in the region of [Guria](/georgia/). It sits in the foothills where the lowland tea and hazelnut country of the Guria plain begins to rise toward the Meskheti mountains, roughly 4 hours 35 minutes by road from Tbilisi, 1 hour 20 minutes from Kutaisi and 1 hour 55 minutes from Batumi. The town itself is modest, home to about 1,815 people according to Georgian population data, but it functions as the gateway to one of western Georgia’s best-known summer retreats, the mountain resort of Bakhmaro, and to the rolling vineyards that produce Guria’s rare Chkhaveri wine. Chokhatauri matters less for monumental sights than for what it opens onto: a quiet rural Guria of orchards, qvevri wine cellars and river valleys that most coastal visitors to Batumi never see. For travellers building an itinerary around Georgian wine, village life or mountain air rather than museums, it is a useful base and a logical stop between the Black Sea coast and the Imereti lowlands. GTour includes Chokhatauri in private [tours](/tours/) on request, combining it with verified wineries, guesthouses and nearby destinations in the region. ### History Guria was long part of the unified Kingdom of Georgia before the kingdom’s fragmentation in the fifteenth century, after which the area became a separate feudal principality ruled by the Gurieli dynasty. The principality retained its own line of rulers and its own political identity for several centuries, maintaining shifting relations with the neighboring Kingdom of Imereti and with the Ottoman Empire, which controlled nearby Black Sea ports. As Russian imperial influence spread through western Georgia in the early nineteenth century, Guria’s autonomy was progressively curtailed, and the principality was absorbed into the Russian Empire’s administrative system by the 1830s. Under later Russian and then Soviet administration, Chokhatauri grew into a local administrative seat as the surrounding area was organized around tea, citrus and hazelnut cultivation, part of the wider Soviet-era agricultural development of Guria described in the same source. Since Georgian independence in 1991, Chokhatauri has remained the administrative center of its own municipality within Guria region. ### What to see #### Bakhmaro mountain resort Bakhmaro is a high-altitude climatic resort within Chokhatauri Municipality, long valued in Georgia for its clean mountain air and cool summer climate. It developed through the twentieth century as a seasonal retreat for Georgians escaping the lowland summer heat, with simple wooden guesthouses scattered across alpine meadows. The access road climbs steeply from Chokhatauri and is typically usable only in the warmer months. #### Chkhaveri vineyards and Zurab Topuridze Winery Guria is one of the traditional homes of Chkhaveri, a pink-skinned grape variety used to make a light, slightly sparkling, often semi-sweet red or rosé wine fermented in qvevri, the Georgian clay vessel. Small family producers around Chokhatauri continue this tradition on a modest scale rather than for mass export. Visits can be arranged to the [Zurab Topuridze Winery](https://gtour.ge/georgia-places/place-zurab-topuridze-winery/), a verified family cellar near the town. #### The Guria river valleys The landscape around Chokhatauri is defined by the Supsa and Natanebi river systems, with terraced hazelnut and tea plantations following the slopes down toward the Black Sea plain. The scenery is gentler and greener than the Svaneti or Racha mountains further east, and the drive through it is part of the appeal of visiting the town. #### Rural guesthouse life at Skijis Sakhli For travellers wanting to stay overnight rather than pass through, the cottage known as [Skijis Sakhli](https://gtour.ge/georgia-places/place-skijis-sakhli/) offers a base for experiencing village routines, home cooking and garden produce typical of Guria households, rather than a formal attraction in itself. ### Getting there From Tbilisi, Chokhatauri is reached by driving west on the main Tbilisi–Kutaisi–Samtredia highway and then turning south toward Guria, a trip of roughly 4 hours 35 minutes by private car; marshrutka services run from Tbilisi’s western bus stations with a change usually required in Kutaisi or Samtredia. From Kutaisi, the drive southwest through Samtredia takes about 1 hour 20 minutes and is the most direct approach for most visitors combining Imereti and Guria. From Batumi, the route runs northeast along the coastal and inland roads through Ozurgeti, taking around 1 hour 55 minutes. There is no passenger rail station in Chokhatauri itself; the nearest stops on the Georgian Railway network are at Samtredia or Batumi, from where onward travel is by road. Current road conditions for all three approaches can be checked via [GTour’s road status page](/road-status/), and GTour arranges private transfers and guided days with an English-speaking driver through its [tours](/tours/) service. ### When to go Late spring through early autumn, roughly May to October, is the most practical window, since this is when the mountain road to Bakhmaro is reliably open and when Guria’s humid subtropical climate is at its most pleasant for walking and vineyard visits. September and October bring the rtveli, the Georgian grape harvest, which is a good time to see Chkhaveri wine production in the small cellars around the town. Winters in Chokhatauri are mild but wet, with Guria receiving some of the highest rainfall totals in Georgia, and the Bakhmaro road is generally impassable or closed in snow. ### Where to stay and eat Accommodation directly in Chokhatauri is limited, and most visitors base themselves at rural guesthouses or combine a stay with Batumi or Kutaisi. Among verified options, the [Skijis Sakhli](https://gtour.ge/georgia-places/place-skijis-sakhli/) cottage offers simple lodging with a home-cooking atmosphere, and the [Zurab Topuridze Winery](https://gtour.ge/georgia-places/place-zurab-topuridze-winery/) can arrange tastings and meals paired with local Chkhaveri wine. GTour’s verified register lists more hotels, guesthouses and wineries in the wider Guria region below, checked for quality and accuracy before inclusion. ### Practical notes Georgian lari is the only currency generally accepted in Chokhatauri, and ATMs and card payment options are limited compared with Batumi or Kutaisi, so carrying cash is advisable. Mobile network coverage is reliable in the town but can be patchy on the unpaved stretches of the Bakhmaro road. Georgian is the main language spoken locally, with limited English outside guesthouses geared toward visitors, so a driver-guide or pre-arranged transfer, such as those organized by GTour, is useful for independent travellers. See the regional [guides](/guides/) and [best-of](/best-of/) pages for broader planning across Guria and neighboring regions. ### Questions travellers ask #### Is Chokhatauri worth visiting on its own? The town itself is small and primarily administrative, so it is best treated as a gateway to Bakhmaro and the surrounding wine country rather than a standalone destination. #### How do I get from Chokhatauri to Bakhmaro? A single seasonal mountain road climbs from Chokhatauri to Bakhmaro; it is unpaved in sections and usually only driven between late spring and early autumn, often with a 4×4 vehicle or local driver recommended. #### Is there a train to Chokhatauri? No, Chokhatauri has no passenger railway station; the nearest Georgian Railway stops are at Samtredia or Batumi, with road transport required for the final leg. #### What is Chkhaveri wine? Chkhaveri is a pink-skinned grape grown traditionally in Guria and Adjara, typically made into a light, semi-sweet red or rosé wine, often fermented in qvevri clay vessels. #### When is the best time to visit Bakhmaro? June through September is the standard season, when the climate is cool and clear and the access road is open; outside this window the resort is largely closed. #### Can Chokhatauri be visited as a day trip from Batumi? Yes, the drive takes under two hours each way, making a day visit to the wineries or the lower Guria valleys feasible, though reaching Bakhmaro and returning in one day is more demanding. #### What language is spoken in Chokhatauri? Georgian is the primary language; English is spoken in some guesthouses and wineries catering to visitors but is not widely used in the town generally. #### Are there ATMs or currency exchange in Chokhatauri? Options are limited; travellers are advised to carry Georgian lari in cash obtained in Kutaisi, Batumi or Ozurgeti before arriving. #### How large is Chokhatauri? The town has a population of about 1,815 people, making it one of the smaller municipal centers in Georgia. #### Can GTour arrange a private tour including Chokhatauri? Yes, GTour includes Chokhatauri in private itineraries combining its verified wineries and guesthouses with other Guria destinations, arranged through its tours service. ### Sources - [Georgian National Tourism Administration — Chokhatauri](https://georgia.travel/cities-towns/chokhatauri) - [Georgian National Tourism Administration — Guria region](https://georgia.travel/regions/guria) Plan your Georgia Want Chokhatauri on a private itinerary with a driver who knows the road? A GTour travel expert designs the route and calls you back. [Start planning](/contact/)   [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/995577416314)