# David Gareji — Desert Monasteries on the Edge of Georgia

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- Canonical: https://gtour.ge/tour/david-gareji/
- Author: Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze
- Published: 2016-12-15
- Updated: 2026-10-27
- Language: en
- Russian edition: https://gtour.ge/ru/tour/david-gareji/

€180 per person8 hoursPrivate · car & English-speaking guideBased on two travellers

A 6th-century cave monastery in a painted semi-desert, an hour and a half from the capital.

The route

[Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/)[David Gareji Monastery](#gt-map)[Sagarejo](https://gtour.ge/georgia/sagarejo/)

Why this tour

- —Lavra monastery, carved into the cliff and still inhabited by monks

- —The ridge walk to the Udabno caves and their 10th-century frescoes (where border access allows)

- —Rainbow hills, wild steppe and the view into Azerbaijan

- —Lunch at a village winery on the way back

- —Picnic option on the ridge in spring

Itinerary

Morning[Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/) south-east across the steppe to the Lavra monastery.

MiddayRidge walk (45 min each way) if conditions allow; time in the monastery.

AfternoonLunch and tasting at a Kakhetian winery near [Sagarejo](https://gtour.ge/georgia/sagarejo/); return to [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/) by about 17:00.

Included

- ✓ Private car with driver

- ✓ English-speaking guide

- ✓ Winery tasting

Not included

- — Lunch

Good to know

- · Best in spring (April–May) and autumn; very hot in July–August

- · The Udabno ridge is subject to border-guard decisions on the day

- · Sturdy shoes and water for the ridge walk

Questions

**Is the ridge walk difficult?**
Moderate — a steep 20-minute climb, then flat along the ridge. Optional.

Prices are per person for two travelling together, in euros; solo travellers and larger groups are quoted on request. Every departure is private and adjusted to you. Hotels, wineries and restaurants on our routes are [verified by GTour](/verified/).

*Image: Red-roofed cave monastery tower overlooking the semi-desert landscape of David Gareja. Photo: Jacques Paysan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0*

*Image: David Gareja Lavra monastery buildings and cave cells set against rolling desert hills. Photo: toomas.liivamagi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0*

Aerial view of David Gareja monastery complex nestled among striped desert hills at golden hour. · Photo: 自由馴鹿 (ZiYouXunLu) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0