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Full Day Trip to Chiatura from Kutaisi

5.0

11 Ratings

Kutaisi

Embark on a captivating full-day journey that reveals the rustic allure of Chiatura, an intriguing town situated in the heart of Georgia. Beginning and ending in the historic city of Kutaisi, this tour offers an unforgettable mix of natural splendor, distinctive Soviet-era history, and cultural immersion.

Duration: 7 hours, 30 minutes

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

McDonald’s - 10:00AM - 10:30 AM - Departure from Kutaisi Central Square, McDonald’s, 1 Tbilisi Street. Your journey begins at the heart of Kutaisi. We invite you to meet us at 10:00 AM in front of the iconic McDonald’s on Tbilisi Street, a well-known and easily accessible location. Look for our team members, identifiable by their red scarves, ready to welcome you and ensure a smooth start to your day’s adventure.
Chiatura - Meet local guide in Chiatura. After a scenic 1 hour and 30 minutes drive from Kutaisi, you will arrive in Chiatura, a town steeped in industrial history and nestled in a dramatic valley. Here, you will have the opportunity to meet with a local guide, an expert well-versed in the stories, history, and hidden gems of Chiatura.
Katskhi Pillar - As you observe the Katskhi Pillar, the sheer scale and beauty of this natural wonder become evident, offering a moment of reflection on the incredible feats of early Christian ascetics who sought solitude and spiritual elevation in such remote and challenging locations.
Mgvimevi convent - Set aside 40 minutes to immerse yourself in the serene and spiritual ambiance of the Mghvimevi Cave Monastery, a historical and religious treasure located near the town of Chiatura in Georgia.
Central Cable Car Station - Following the cable car ride, visit the Chiatura Viewpoint, a vantage point that presents a breathtaking panoramic view of the town. From this elevated location, you can fully appreciate the dramatic landscape that surrounds Chiatura, including the winding river, the striking geological formations, and the juxtaposition of nature with the town’s industrial framework.
Restaurant - Dedicate an hour of your journey in Chiatura, Georgia, to indulge in a delightful local tasting experience, blending a quick yet satisfying lunch with the unique flavors of the region.
Chiatura Railway Station - Chiatura Railway Station, situated in the industrious town of Chiatura in Georgia, Europe, serves as a crucial transport hub, embodying a blend of historical significance and modern functionality.
Akaki Tsereteli Drama Theatre in Chiatura - Set aside 30 minutes to step into the historical world of Chiatura’s unique theatre, a cultural gem that has been a part of the town’s artistic landscape for over 100 years.
Kutaisi - 04:30 PM Departure from Chiatura to Kutaisi. 06:00 PM - Return to Kutaisi: Conclude the excursion and return to Kutaisi Central Square or Kutaisi International Airport.

What's Included

Transportation
Guide service

What's Not Included

Optional Cable car ticket -5 Lari = $2
Optional lunch around 30 Lari = $12

Location

McDonald's

Tbilisi Street

Your journey begins from Kutaisi, we invite you to meet us at 10:00 AM in front of the iconic McDonald's on 1 Tbilisi Street.Look for our team members, identifiable by their red scarves, ready to welcome you and ensure a smooth start to your day's adventure.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

5.0

(11 Ratings)

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1 star

Michelle_h

Jun 9, 2024

Wonderful, authentic experience - Demo, our guide is the first from Chiatura and he’s just 19 years old! He’s a wonderful, kind soul with a calm, sincere spirit. The day felt very easy with him; no rushing or confusion. He was thoughtful and communicative, offering a fascinating perspective about what it’s like to be from Chiatura. The trip to Chiatura is about 1.5hrs from Kutaisi, so although it’s a lot of driving (3hrs round trip and another 1hr or so to other sights), you still feel like you’re mostly seeing places and not just the inside of a van. The stops for us, in order, were: ancient monastery & church tucked into caves and rocks, then sightseeing around Chiatura (including a few buildings, train tracks, going up the cable cars, wandering around neighborhoods and seeing abandoned Soviet buildings), then lunch, followed by a very brief museum visit. After that, we drove up to a beautiful lookout spot to see the town from a hill. On the way back to Kutaisi, we detoured to see the Katshki column (church on a giant rock). There were no crowds of tourists; it mostly felt like an authentic experience into a town, through the eyes of a local! I would choose this any day over the perhaps more traditionally instagram-worthy, touristy sites in the area.

Review provided by Viator

Jordschrijnwerkers

Jun 9, 2024

Unique and local day tour to Chiatura - For 2 nights I was staying in Kutaisi, and did a day excursion to Chiatura, since it looked very interesting and read about it online. (I booked via GetYourGuide). And I can already tell you that I did not regret my decision, wow! The starting time at 10:30 is perfect since you don’t need to wake up super early and can have some breakfast. (At the end of the day, it’s holiday). You meet with a friendly employee of the company at the fountain in central Kutaisi. The experienced driver Beqa drives you in an airconditioned car to, within and from Chiatura. Drive is about 1,5 hours one way to Chiatura so not hours and hours in a car. We met the friendly (and while writing this the only local) guide Demo, who took us on a walk to the Monastery, through the centre, on a cable car, to an abandoned hospital and right next to it the first built Cable Car in Soviet Union. We had a great local lunch at a guesthouse. After that we visited a museum, a viewing point and the Katskhi Column. So unique! (Between almost all places mentioned we were transported by car). What I liked the most about this tour was about how unique it was, rustic, vintage and also refreshing. And above all very local. The people were happy and kind to see tourists. Chiatura is not (yet) very touristic. My respect goes out to Demo, for welcoming us in his town and sharing his knowledge and some interesting facts. He was happy to answer questions and take pictures (of good quality). Thank you all! Greetings from the Netherlands!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

E6127tjjanl

Jun 7, 2024

Nice adventurous trip to a nostalig soviet city - We drove to chiatura and visited some places in the city. There is also a cable-car ride for just 1 Lari. Lunchtime at a restaurant and visiting of old architecture abandoned buildings. The guide is cool and also considers your personal preferences.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

619vandag

Jun 7, 2024

Trip to Chiatura - I went to Kutaisi for 2 days and I decided to go to this one day trip to Chiatura, the operator was Budget Friendly Tours, the trip was very good, the driver Beqa was super friendly, I was amazed with the place, all that nature. The local guide Demo was incredible explaining everything about the city and its history, he took us to beautiful places and took nice pictures of me. Thanks for all, I trully recommend them.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Innajohnsonksa

May 20, 2024

Great tour from Kutaisi 👍 - I am a solo traveler, I spent four days in Kutaisi, went on four different tours with different companies, trip to Chiatura with Budget Friendly Georgia definitely was the best one. I did like everything about this tour: timing (just perfect to leave city after good sleep and breakfast and come back to the city before dinner), great tour guide Demo, places we visited were amazing plus perfect amount of walking, not sitting in a bus for hours and hours, great lunch with Georgian traditional dishes and of course many great photos. Thank you so much!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Relax26690987437

May 19, 2024

A visit to one of Georgia's hidden gems - The full-day trip I took to Chiatura and the Katskhi Pillar from Kutaisi was even better than I had expected. We were shown around both places by a very knowledgeable local guide called Demo. Born and bred in Chiatura, he is able to inform visitors on everything worth knowing about his city and the adjacent area. He showed us all the most interesting sights including the cave church carved into one of the surrounding mountains, an abandoned Soviet-era cable car station, the city museum with its fascinating exhibits and photos, as well as the best vantage points from which to enjoy breathtaking views of Chiatura. After an excellent lunch consisting of various Georgian specialities, we set off for a visit to the amazing Katskhi Pillar, one of Georgia's most iconic sights, before returning to Kutaisi in the early evening. All in all, this was a highly enjoyable experience, especially for a history buff like myself. Thank you Demo for making us feel welcome in your city, for your informative talks and explanations, and for taking so many great photos of us. Strongly recommended!!!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Hb14173

May 18, 2024

An enjoyable tour - Demo, our guide, was great. He is local and keen to share stories, history and points of interest in Chiatura. The photos he took were appreciated too. A tasty lunch, good driver and scenic drive to Chiatura from Kutaisi all helped make this a very enjoyable tour.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Mattia_c

Apr 16, 2024

I had a really great time... - I had a really great time with our informative guide Ana, we saw some of the more historic parts of Chiatura and some of the more modern ones, with some of the legacy that the soviet era left behind. Really a great tour off the beaten touristic part. Just a reminder that if you have small kids it's better to book another tour since some of the places have lots and lots of stairs or are not very interesting for children.

Review provided by Viator

Freedom21978580771

Apr 12, 2024

5 stars - The trip was super organized, started from Kutaisi, we were only three of us so it felt like a private tour. It was very informative and our guide seemed that he really likes what he is doing. The valley is really outstanding, if you are looking for really post soviet experience it is the best choice. Friendly people beautiful landscapes and socialist monuments everywhere.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Gkasoly

Mar 31, 2024

Good trip, many interesting things to see - Ana was a great guide, and the tour itself was very interesting. I loved the cable car and the abadoned hospital. Well organized, interesting tour with nice monasteries.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

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