Lailashi: A Quiet Gateway to Lechkhumi’s Forests and Wine Villages

By David Kiknadze, Transport & Openings Reporter · 05/11/2026

Lailashi is a small mountain village in Tsageri Municipality, tucked into the Lechkhumi range of the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region. At roughly 800–1,000 metres, it sits well below the high Caucasus passes, which keeps it reachable later into autumn than many of Georgia’s alpine destinations. In November, with the grape harvest finished and summer crowds long gone, it is a place best suited to travellers who want forest landscapes and rural wine culture rather than ticked-off sights.

The village’s main draw is the adjoining managed reserve, which protects a stretch of Colchic temperate forest, dark fir stands and mixed broadleaf woodland typical of western Georgia’s humid mountain zone. This forest, set aside for protection in the early twentieth century and maintained through the Soviet zapovednik system, is now part of Georgia’s state protected area network. Its ridgelines open onto views across the Lechkhumi range toward the Tskhenistsqali valley, illustrating the transition from Colchic lowland forest to highland terrain in a single sweep. Access into the core forest is best arranged with local rangers or a guide who knows the terrain, especially as autumn rain and early snow can make paths unpredictable.

Combine with Tsageri and Okureshi

A short drive away, Tsageri anchors the Lechkhumi wine road, where small family cellars work with the Tsolikouri grape and the rare Usakhelouri variety, grown almost exclusively in a handful of local villages. November, just after harvest, is a reasonable time to visit these cellars, before the deeper winter sets in. The Okureshi Canyon and its waterfalls, reached by a marked trail within Tsageri Municipality, make a good half-day addition for travellers already in the area, though trail conditions should be checked locally given the season’s rain and the onset of colder weather.

Lailashi suits independent travellers with their own car or a pre-arranged transfer, rather than those relying on public transport, since marshrutka services reach Tsageri but onward transport to the village itself is limited. The approach from Kutaisi, at under two hours, is the most practical for most visitors, including those arriving by air at Kutaisi International Airport. Mountain sections of the Lechkhumi road can be affected by snow or landslide closures from late autumn onward, so checking current road conditions before setting out is essential in November.

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Source: apa.gov.ge (apa.gov.ge)