01Kutaisi
A lived-in western base for market mornings, riverside streets and separate heritage and cave outings.
Around 3½ hours by road from Tbilisi
Western Georgia · caves & canyons
Explore Imereti, western Georgia’s heartland.
Imereti mixes medieval monasteries, limestone caves and canyon walks with a city base in Kutaisi. Most visitors use Kutaisi for day trips, while Chiatura rewards a night of its own for its cliffs, cable cars and the Katskhi Pillar.
Check the regional tourism sourceChoose a base in Imereti
Kutaisi or Chiatura?
Kutaisi is the practical base, with a working market, Bagrati Cathedral and separate outings to Gelati Monastery, Prometheus Cave, Sataplia and the Okatse Canyon walkway. Tskaltubo's spa park and Kinchkha Waterfall are close enough for unhurried half or full days.
Chiatura is a cliffside mining town in the Kvirila Valley, known for its cable cars and the nearby Katskhi Pillar. Pair it with Kutaisi if you have time, but give each base its own days rather than one long drive.
Where to stay
Places to visit in Imereti.
A starting point
Things to do in Imereti.
Visit Gelati Monastery
A separate outing from Kutaisi to a medieval monastic complex with an extraordinary artistic legacy.
Kutaisi · Gelati · outside townExplore Prometheus Cave
A guided cave visit offers a very different Imereti outing from Kutaisi's streets and monasteries.
Kutaisi · Kumistavi · near TskaltuboWalk the Okatse Canyon hanging path
A walkway fixed to the cliff runs above a narrow limestone canyon west of Kutaisi.
Kutaisi · Zeda Gordi · separate road outingVisit Bagrati Cathedral
Climb above central Kutaisi for a landmark tied to Georgia's unification and a broad city view.
Kutaisi · Ukimerioni Hill · in townSee Sataplia's tracks and cave
A managed visit combines fossil tracks, a cave and Colchic forest.
Kutaisi · Sataplia · separate protected-area outingSee Kinchkha Waterfall
A three-tier waterfall drops into an emerald pool in the hills north of Kutaisi.
Kutaisi · Kinchkha village · near Okatse CanyonSee Chiatura's cable-car landscape
Look up at the lines linking the valley and hillsides, and ride only if a current passenger service is confirmed.
Chiatura · Public viewpoints in townSee Katskhi Pillar from below
A narrow limestone column crowned by a church is striking enough from the public ground-level viewpoint.
Chiatura · Katskhi · separate road outing from Chiatura