Martvili and Okatse canyons from Kutaisi

How far it is from Kutaisi

Martvili Canyon is about 50 km from Kutaisi, 7 km north of the town of Martvili. The Okatse visitor centre in the village of Gordi is about 45 km away. Each takes about an hour by car, and the two canyons are 30 km apart, a 40-minute drive. Kutaisi Airport is 45 km from Martvili, so you can go on the day you land. See how to get from Kutaisi Airport.

Transfer

Kutaisi Airport → Tbilisi

≈ 3 h 30 min250 kmfrom $200from €180from ₾525

Martvili Canyon

The Abasha river runs here through a narrow gorge with waterfalls and moss on the rocks. The Dadiani princes of Samegrelo used to bathe in it. A 700 m stone path loops along the top, with small bridges and viewing platforms.

The boat goes about 300 m upriver to a waterfall and back. The ride takes 15 to 20 minutes, with up to six people in a boat. In summer there is often a queue by midday.

• Entry is 40 GEL for foreigners and 16 GEL for citizens and residents of Georgia. Ages 6 to 18 pay 5.50 GEL, under 6 go in free.
• The boat costs 20 GEL per person on top. Children shorter than 1 m are not allowed on it.
• In heavy rain or high water the boats do not run. Swimming in the canyon is not allowed.

Okatse Canyon and the hanging trail

From the visitor centre in Gordi a 2.2 km path leads through the old Dadiani forest park to the hanging trail. This is a 780 m metal walkway fixed to the canyon wall, ending at a platform over the gorge. You walk back the same way, 2 to 3 hours in all, with a fair number of stairs. Local drivers offer a paid off-road ride back along the forest track.

• Entry is 30 GEL for foreigners and 16 GEL for citizens of Georgia. Ages 6 to 18 pay 5.50 GEL.
• Children under 6 are not allowed on the trail. It closes in rain and snow.

Kinchkha waterfall, Martvili Monastery and Prometheus Cave

A combined ticket for Martvili, Okatse and Kinchkha costs 80 GEL for foreigners and 38 GEL for citizens of Georgia. The boat is not included.

• Kinchkha waterfall is 5 km by road from the Okatse visitor centre, then a 2 km path down, about 25 minutes. The water falls in three steps, the highest about 70 m. Entry is 20 GEL for foreigners and 12 GEL for citizens.
• Martvili Monastery, with its 10th-century cathedral, stands on a hill above the town, 10 to 15 minutes from the canyon. Entry is free. Cover your shoulders and knees.
• Prometheus Cave is 20 km from Kutaisi and 25 km from Okatse. It closes at 17:00, so go there first and skip the waterfall. In 2026 foreigners pay 40 GEL entry and 30 GEL for the boat.

Opening hours, season and what to wear

According to the Agency of Protected Areas, all three sites are open every day from 10:00 to 17:30. Get to Okatse by 15:00, as its walk takes the longest.

The best months are April to October, and September and October are cooler and quieter. After heavy rain the river turns muddy. In winter the parks stay open, but the boat and the Okatse trail stop in rain and snow.

• Shoes with a good grip for wet stone and metal stairs.
• A light rain jacket. It rains a lot here.
• Water and some cash in lari.

A plan for the day

By car, a day from Kutaisi can look like this. Okatse goes first because it has the longest walk.

• 9:00 Leave Kutaisi.
• 10:00 Okatse Canyon, the forest walk and the hanging trail, 2 to 2.5 hours.
• 12:45 Kinchkha waterfall, about 1.5 hours.
• 14:15 Lunch on the way.
• 15:45 Martvili Canyon, the loop path and the boat, about 1.5 hours.
• 17:15 Martvili Monastery, half an hour.
• 18:30 Back in Kutaisi.

Getting there

No bus goes to either canyon. Minibuses run from Kutaisi's central bus station to the town of Martvili, then it is 7 km to the canyon by taxi. Okatse is harder to reach, and seeing both canyons in one day by public transport is difficult.

A private car with a driver covers all of this in one day. Families and groups fit in a Mercedes V-Class. There is also a Mercedes S-Class and a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. The price is fixed, you pay the driver at the end, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before. If you fly into Kutaisi, see the Kutaisi Airport transfer. Martvili is 280 km from Tbilisi, so from there it works better as a stop on the Tbilisi to Batumi transfer.