# Kintsvisi, Samtavisi and Ateni Sioni — the Frescoes of Kartli

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- Canonical: https://gtour.ge/tour/tbilisi-samtavisi-kintsvisi-ateni-day/
- Author: 
- Published: 2026-10-27
- Updated: 2026-10-27
- Language: en
- Russian edition: https://gtour.ge/ru/tour/tbilisi-samtavisi-kintsvisi-ateni-day/

€195 per person9 hoursPrivate · car & English-speaking guideBased on two travellers

Kintsvisi, Samtavisi and Ateni Sioni in one day — three medieval fresco cycles of Kartli, for travellers who want to look rather than queue.

The route

[Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/)[Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/)

Why this tour

- —Kintsvisi's 13th-century 'Angel of the Resurrection' fresco, one of the best-preserved images from Queen Tamar's reign

- —Samtavisi's 11th-century facade, the blind-arcade design later copied across Georgian cross-dome churches

- —Ateni Sioni's 7th-century core with an 11th-century fresco cycle, set in a quiet gorge south of [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/)

- —A private car and licensed guide for the day, so the pace is set by what you want to see, not a group schedule

- —Three sites with almost no other visitors on a typical weekday, unlike Mtskheta or Kazbegi

- —A guide briefed on the art history of each fresco cycle, not a general-interest commentary

Itinerary

08:30Pickup from your hotel in [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/), drive west toward Kaspi.

09:15Samtavisi Cathedral, an 11th-century cross-dome church known for its carved facade and surviving wall paintings.

10:15Drive on toward [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/), then north to Kintsvisi monastery, set among trees above the Mtkvari valley.

10:45Kintsvisi, with its 13th-century fresco cycle, including the Angel of the Resurrection in the main church.

12:00Drive into [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/), free time for lunch at your own expense (not included).

13:30Drive south into the Ateni gorge, along a narrow road following the Tana river.

14:00Ateni Sioni, a 7th-century church with an 11th-century fresco cycle, among the best-documented in Georgia.

15:30Return drive to [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/).

17:30Drop-off at your hotel in [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/).

Included

- ✓ Private car with driver for the full day

- ✓ Licensed English-speaking guide with background in Georgian medieval fresco painting

- ✓ Hotel pickup and drop-off in Tbilisi

- ✓ All driving between Samtavisi, Kintsvisi and Ateni Sioni

- ✓ Entrance fees where applicable (checked at booking)

- ✓ Bottled water during the drive

Not included

- — Lunch in Gori (own expense)

- — Personal travel insurance

- — Tips for guide and driver

- — Any photography permit fee, if introduced at a site (checked at booking)

Good to know

- · Modest dress is required at all three churches: shoulders and knees covered, headscarf for women; we carry scarves if needed

- · Kintsvisi involves a short uphill walk on an unpaved path; Ateni Sioni has a few gravel steps, not wheelchair-friendly

- · All three are active churches, so hours can shift around services; a caretaker with a key is usually nearby, confirmed at booking

- · Roads are paved as far as [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/), then narrower and partly unlit in the Ateni gorge, covered by our licensed driver

- · No standing photography restriction at any of the three sites, but ask before using flash near the frescoes

- · Overcast mornings give the clearest light inside the naves, since direct sun causes glare on the plaster

Questions

**Are Kintsvisi and Samtavisi open every day?**
Both are active parish churches or monasteries, in principle open daily, but hours can shift around services or caretaker availability, confirmed at booking.

**Is the guide a specialist in art history?**
Our guide for this route has specific background in Georgian medieval fresco painting, beyond general historical commentary.

**Can this be combined with Gori and Uplistsikhe?**
Yes, ask us about extending to two days, or book [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/) & Uplistsikhe as a separate day trip.

**What does this tour cost?**
€195 per person based on two travellers sharing a car; solo travellers and groups of three or more are quoted at booking.

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: Ateni Sioni church seen from a nearby hill amid the Georgian countryside. Photo: Aleksey Muhranoff / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0*

*Image: Samtavisi Cathedral, a classical stone Georgian Orthodox church. Photo: Gigla83 (The photograph is from my camera) / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain*

Panoramic eastern view of the 11th-century Samtavisi Cathedral in Kartli, Georgia. · Photo: Kober / Wikimedia Commons, CC0