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Shafts of light falling into the dark, mossy Martvili canyon, the river running between rock walls

Sample journey · 8–10 days

The gentler west: Imereti, Racha and the road to the Black Sea

Kutaisi, the Imereti villages, Racha, Martvili & Batumi

Photo: nika tchokhonelidze / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Most journeys in Georgia start in Tbilisi and stay in the east, among the vineyards of Kakheti and the mountains of Kazbegi. The west is different: damper, greener, gentler. Here is Kutaisi, the old capital of Imereti, with Gelati monastery; villages where white wine is made in clay vessels to a lighter tradition of their own; and Racha, a mountain region known for its ham, its bean bread and its semi-sweet red wine. The road then drops into Samegrelo, where rivers have cut narrow canyons, and ends in Batumi, on the Black Sea.

This journey is for people who would rather sit at their hosts' table than climb to a pass: drives are short, mostly two or three hours, almost every stop has two nights, and stays range from winemaking family guesthouses to a quiet hotel by the sea. It works well as a second trip to Georgia if you've already seen the east, and as a first if you fly straight into Kutaisi.

The route

The journey

  1. Kutaisi
  2. Gelati Monastery
  3. The Imereti wine villages
  4. Racha & Ambrolauri
  5. Okatse Canyon
  6. Martvili Canyon
  7. Batumi
  1. Bagrati Cathedral with its green roof on a green hill above Kutaisi

    01Days 1–3 · Kutaisi

    The old capital on the Rioni

    Two nights in Kutaisi, whose airport is often convenient from Europe. The town is quiet and green, with the Rioni running through its centre: in the morning, Bagrati Cathedral on its hill with a view over the whole town; in the afternoon, the market, selling Imeretian cheese, spice blends and churchkhela. On the second day it's about 20 minutes to Gelati Monastery, founded in the early 12th century by King David the Builder. There are frescoes, and also the sense of a place that was once an academy; on the way, Motsameta monastery on its rock above a bend in the river is worth a stop. In the evening, Imeretian khachapuri, baked without the egg, and a first glass of local white wine. Kutaisi isn't an open-air museum, which is exactly why it's easy to feel at home.

  2. An abandoned circular Soviet-era bathhouse with a round skylight in the spa town of Tskaltubo

    02Days 3–5 · The Imereti wine villages

    White wine from clay

    From Kutaisi it's less than an hour to villages among the hills, where you spend two nights with a winemaking family. In Imereti wine is made in clay vessels, often called churi here, but the grape skins are left in for less time than in Kakheti, so wines from tsitska, tsolikouri or krakhuna are fresher and lighter. Your hosts show you the marani, where the vessels are buried in the earth, and in the evening the table fills with vegetables from the garden, cheese and dishes made with walnuts. The next day you could walk among the vines, learn to bake khachapuri or visit Tskaltubo, a Soviet-era spa town whose abandoned bathhouses and sanatoriums now draw architecture lovers. In September and October, during rtveli, the grape harvest, whole families come back to the villages, and guests are often invited to join in.

  3. Sunrise in Racha: a gravel road, haze in the valley and snowy Caucasus peaks on the horizon

    03Days 5–7 · Racha

    A mountain land with its own wine

    About two and a half hours north through Tkibuli and over the Nakerala pass, with its view across the valleys of Racha, then past Lake Shaori and its wooded shores. Two nights in or near Ambrolauri, in the Rioni valley beneath the Caucasus peaks. The key sight is Nikortsminda Cathedral, an early 11th-century church whose facades are carved with hunting scenes, lions and saints. The next day, an easy walk through mountain meadows or a tasting at a small farm making khvanchkara, the semi-sweet red wine that is Racha's pride. At the table, smoked Racha ham and lobiani, bread filled with beans. The roads into Racha are narrow and winding, and in winter and early spring the Nakerala pass can be snowbound, so we'd shape the route around the season.

  4. A waterfall between pale rocks and green forest in Martvili Canyon

    04Days 7–8 · Okatse & Martvili canyons

    The green canyons of Samegrelo

    The road back to the lowlands leads through Kutaisi and on west to Okatse Canyon. Here a forest path ends in a hanging walkway above a deep gorge; for anyone uneasy with heights, the viewpoint is enough. A night near Martvili, where an old monastery stands on a hill, and in the morning, before the crowds arrive, Martvili Canyon: an emerald river between mossy rock walls, small cascades and a short boat ride when the water level allows. With energy to spare, you could add the Kinchkha waterfall or Prometheus Cave near Kutaisi. It's a longer day on the road, but with frequent stops, and lunch in Samegrelo, with fiery adjika and gomi, a maize porridge with cheese, is worth a stop of its own.

  5. A rare dusting of snow on Batumi's pebble beach and seafront boulevard, with mountains behind the town

    05Days 8–10 · Batumi

    By the Black Sea

    About three hours to the coast and two final nights in Batumi. It's a town of contrasts: 19th-century houses with balconies and cafés in the old town, and along the shore a long boulevard, a pebble beach and new towers of daring design. A morning is well spent in the Batumi Botanical Garden on a hill above the sea, where subtropical plants from around the world grow in terraces above the water, and an afternoon at Gonio fortress, whose walls go back to Roman times. In the evening, Adjarian khachapuri with an egg and butter, worth trying at least once. The Black Sea is warm in summer, a good time to swim, while autumn is quieter and often still mild. Flights from Batumi to Europe usually involve a connection.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Gelati Monastery

    A monastery founded by King David the Builder, with its frescoes and the spirit of an old academy.

  2. 02

    Wine from the churi

    Two nights with a winemaking family, where Imereti's fresh whites mature in buried clay vessels.

  3. 03

    Nikortsminda Cathedral

    Carved 11th-century facades in the Racha mountains, and khvanchkara at your hosts' table.

  4. 04

    Martvili Canyon in the morning

    An emerald river between mossy cliffs, before the crowds arrive.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Shorter

    In an eight-day version, one night in the Imereti village and one in Batumi; Racha and the canyons stay.

  • With the east

    With four or five more days, you could begin in Tbilisi and Kakheti and travel west by train or car.

  • With Svaneti

    From Martvili or Zugdidi the road climbs to Mestia; two or three nights among the Svan towers would add real mountains to this route.

  • By season

    September and October bring the harvest and a mild sea; May and June the greenest canyons, though Racha's roads can still be tricky in spring.

Practical considerations

  • The best time is roughly May to October. Western Georgia is wetter than the east, so rain is possible at any time, and summer on the coast is hot and humid.
  • Visiting arrangements, tickets and boat rides at Okatse and Martvili canyons depend on the season and the water level; we check them before the trip and plan early-morning visits.
  • The journey is planned with a driver or as a self-drive. Roads to Racha are narrow and winding, and passes can be snowbound in the colder months, so we allow more time than the map suggests.
  • We check current entry requirements and travel advice before you travel.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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