Kutaisi is 221 km west of Tbilisi along the E60 highway. By minibus: 4–4.5 hours (₾15–20). By train: 5 hours (from ₾7). With a private guide: 3–3.5 hours driving time, all stops included, from ₾185 per person. The main sights in one day: Gelati monastery (UNESCO), Motsameta, Prometheus Caves (optional), and Kutaisi market. Georgia's first self-governing city — calm, green, and refreshingly free of tourist crowds.
How to get from Tbilisi to Kutaisi
Minibus from Didube station
The most popular option. Minibuses to Kutaisi depart from Didube bus station in Tbilisi (green metro line, Didube station). Price: ₾15–20. Departures roughly every hour from 07:00 to 18:00 — no fixed timetable, they leave when full. Journey time: 4–4.5 hours.
Drawback: no stops en route, no guide. Once in Kutaisi, you will need a separate taxi to Gelati (15–20 minutes, ₾25–35).
Train from Tbilisi
Georgian Railways operates several daily services. Price: from ₾7 (seat) to ₾15 (reserved). Journey time: approximately 5 hours. Advantage: comfortable, you can work or sleep. Drawback: Kutaisi train station is far from the sights — taxi needed onwards.
Taxi or car rental
Taxi from Tbilisi to Kutaisi and back: ₾150–250 for the car (1–4 passengers). Car rental from ₾80 per day. Good for families or small groups who want flexibility.
Private guided tour
Guide Timur runs a one-day tour from Tbilisi covering all the main highlights: Gelati, Motsameta, Prometheus Caves (optional), and Kutaisi market. Transfer, guide, and route all included. More about the Kutaisi tour →
| Option | Cost | Travel time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minibus | ₾15–20 per person | 4–4.5 hrs | Budget, inflexible |
| Train | from ₾7 per person | 5 hrs | Comfortable, slow |
| Taxi (car) | ₾150–250 | 3–3.5 hrs | Flexible, no guide |
| Guided tour (Sakhva) | from ₾185 per person | 3–3.5 hrs | All included |
Gelati Monastery — the main highlight of Kutaisi
Gelati is the most important monument in Imereti and one of the great historical sites of Georgia. Founded in 1106 by King David IV "the Builder," who is also buried at its gates. Added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.
The main cathedral — the Dormition of the Virgin — dates from the 12th century. The altar mosaics are among the finest surviving examples of medieval Georgian art. The academy attached to the monastery trained the leading philosophers and scholars of the era — Gelati was called "the second Athens" and "the new Jerusalem."
The monastery stands on a hill 11 km from Kutaisi, surrounded by forest. Entry is free. Dress code required: women need a headscarf and covered shoulders. Allow 45–60 minutes.
Motsameta Monastery
Two kilometres from Gelati, perched on a cliff above the Tskhaltsitela river gorge, stands Motsameta monastery — one of the most beautiful in Georgia. Small, secluded, seemingly suspended above the void. Founded in the 8th century.
According to tradition, the monastery holds the relics of brothers David and Constantine of Argveti, martyred by the Arab commander Murvan Kru in 737 AD for refusing to convert to Islam. They were thrown into the river. The Georgian Orthodox Church canonised them as great martyrs.
Local custom: make a wish and crawl three times under the reliquary containing the saints' remains. Locals believe the wish is granted. Tourists tend to do it with a smile — and then confess later that the wish came true. Free entry. Allow 20–30 minutes.
Prometheus Caves
Georgia's largest cave system is 20 km from Kutaisi, near Tskaltubo village. The explored section measures 1.4 km. Stalactites, stalagmites, underground lakes and rivers. The lighting is theatrical: different chambers are illuminated in different colours, creating an almost cinematic effect.
Prices: ₾17 adults, ₾9 children (under 6 free). A boat tour along the underground river costs an additional ₾20. Walking tour time: approximately 1–1.5 hours.
Kutaisi market and old town
Kutaisi's central market is alive, unpretentious, and entirely local. Churchkhela, home wine, sulguni cheese, greens, spices — at prices set for residents, not tourists. It is one of the most authentic markets in western Georgia.
Kutaisi's old town is compact but atmospheric. The main pedestrian street is Agmashenebeli. The Colchis Fountain in the town centre — its golden figures drawn from the Greek myth of the Argonauts — is Kutaisi's symbol. According to legend, this is where Jason found the Golden Fleece.
One-day itinerary: hour by hour
- 07:00 — depart Tbilisi (guided tour or minibus)
- 10:00–10:30 — arrive Kutaisi
- 10:30–11:30 — Gelati Monastery (45–60 min)
- 11:30–12:00 — Motsameta Monastery (20–30 min)
- 12:00–13:00 — lunch in Kutaisi (khinkali, mchadi, trout)
- 13:00–14:30 — Prometheus Caves (optional, +1.5 hrs)
- 14:30–15:30 — Kutaisi market, old town
- 16:00 — depart for Tbilisi
- 19:00–19:30 — arrive back in Tbilisi
We went to Kutaisi with Timur and did not regret a single moment. Gelati was simply magnificent — I did not expect it to be so grand. Timur told the story of King David so vividly that we were still discussing it an hour later in the car. Motsameta — a tiny monastery above a gorge — looks like a film set for a fantasy novel. The Kutaisi market: we bought so much wine and cheese that we could barely get it all back. The best day of the trip.
Guided tour to Kutaisi from Tbilisi
Guide Timur runs a one-day tour from Tbilisi covering Gelati and Motsameta monasteries, the market, and the old town. Prometheus Caves are optional. All transport included, groups up to 7 people.
Price: from ₾185 per person. Tour details →
Discover Kutaisi in one day
Gelati, Motsameta, and Georgian cuisine — with guide Timur from Tbilisi