Things to do in Kutaisi
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Kutaisi
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Joint best season, warm and green, with the Rioni high for rafting and every site open.
Peak season but hot and humid, so sightsee early and use the cool caves at midday.
Joint best season, golden light, harvest tables and rtveli across Imereti and Racha.
Pleasant temperatures endure into November, with autumn colour and thinner crowds.
New Year and Orthodox Christmas bring lights, markets and festive streets despite grey weather.
Quietest and greyest spell, mild and damp, with weather dependent canyon and mountain trips.
What's on
- Kutaisoba (Gviriloba) 2 May
City day chamomile festival with blessings at Bagrati, craft fairs, folk concerts and fireworks.
- Rtveli grape harvest Late September to October
Harvest season across Imereti and Racha, when family wineries are at their most welcoming.
- Kutaisi International Short Film Festival Autumn, dates vary by year
Young film festival bringing screenings and a creative crowd to the city in autumn.
Best things to do in Kutaisi
Gelati Monastery
UNESCO monastery founded by David the Builder, with a famous mosaic, frescoes and the king buried under its gate.
Bagrati Cathedral
Rebuilt medieval cathedral on the hill above the Rioni, with the best sunset viewpoint in the city.
Motsameta Monastery
Small monastery on a forested promontory in a river bend, paired with Gelati on the classic half day.
Kutaisi Green Bazaar
Huge working food market for Imeretian herbs, cheese, spices and honey, under a Soviet Colchis relief.
Colchis Fountain
Gilded fountain of ancient Colchian goldwork at the centre of the walkable theatre and park quarter.
Kutaisi State Historical Museum
One of Georgia largest collections, strongest on Colchian gold and finds from ancient Vani.
White Bridge
Beloved 1872 river bridge into the Royal District of carved balconies and the Golden Marquee residence.
Kutaisi Botanical Garden
Historic subtropical garden on the Rioni bank, with a tiny chapel inside a hollow ancient oak.
Where to stay in Kutaisi
Historic Centre, Colchis Fountain and Rustaveli Avenue
first trip, best base
Walk to the bazaar, theatres, restaurants and tour meeting points, with lit and lively evening streets.
Bagrati Hill and the old quarters
atmosphere and views
Stone lanes under the cathedral with river views and quiet nights, traded for a daily uphill walk.
Agmashenebeli Avenue and western centre
drivers, groups and flight logistics
Bigger hotels with parking and easy car access, a short Bolt ride from the old town and bazaar.
Think twice about
- Parliament and far western highway edge
Isolated and unlit in stretches, with no restaurants or evening life and a taxi ride from every sight.
- Industrial fringe around Kutaisi I station
Soviet factory sprawl with truck traffic, broken pavements and long dark stretches at night.
- Tskaltubo as a Kutaisi base
A lovely spa town but 20 minutes from every Kutaisi restaurant and tour departure, and silent after dark.
Best restaurants in Kutaisi
Doli
The city most refined Georgian kitchen, serving Imeruli and Megruli classics by a ceramic fireplace.
Palaty
Best loved dining room in Kutaisi, with live jazz, careful Georgian classics and famous pelamushi.
Gala Restaurant Kutaisi
Literary themed restaurant honouring poet Galaktion Tabidze, with live music and traditional dishes.
Sapere
Wine bar restaurant devoted to small Imeretian family wineries and deeply sourced regional cooking.
Hacker-Pschorr Kutaisi
Big late beer hall pouring German beers beside a full Georgian menu, the group dinner that becomes a night out.
White Stones
Cafe bar with craft beer and a local young crowd, open from midday into the small hours.
Sisters
Atmospheric bar restaurant mixing Georgian and European cooking, an easy choice for mixed groups.
Eldepo
Cheap and proud Georgian bar grill where khinkali and house wine cost very little.
Outdoor things to do in Kutaisi
Prometheus Cave
Georgia show cave with vast lit chambers and an optional boat ride out on an underground river.
Okatse Canyon
Hanging walkway bolted to a gorge wall through historic forest, thrilling and not for vertigo sufferers.
Martvili Canyon
Emerald slot canyon with a short boat ride between mossy walls to a small waterfall.
Sataplia Nature Reserve
Colchic forest reserve with dinosaur footprints, a small cave and a glass skywalk over the valley.
Tskaltubo
Decaying Soviet spa town of grand sanatoriums, with a soak still possible at the Spring No. 6 bathhouse.
Chiatura Cable Cars
Ride a working Soviet era cable car network over a mining gorge town of mosaics and old stations.
Katskhi Pillar
A tiny church and hermit cell atop a 40 metre limestone pillar, viewed from the monastery at its base.
Baia's Wine
Family winery run by two sisters, with qvevri tastings and a full Imeretian supra at the family table.
Best hotels in Kutaisi
Kutaisi Inn
The city flagship full service hotel, with spa, gym, parking and the largest review sample in town.
Communal Hotel Kutaisi
Premier boutique townhouse hotel with a backyard pool and the Doli restaurant on site.
Best Western Kutaisi City Center
International chain reliability near the Green Bazaar, with full breakfast and an airport shuttle.
Newport Hotel Kutaisi
Best evidenced mid range hotel in the city, with a rooftop terrace steps from the Colchis Fountain.
Grand Opera Hotel
Smart central hotel by the Opera Theatre, with a large and stable record of guest reviews.
Hotel Memoire Kutaisi
Well reviewed mid range alternative to Newport, in the same walk everywhere quarter.
Hotel Green Town
Terrace hotel footsteps from Bagrati Cathedral, trading a daily climb for views and quiet nights.
Hotel Terrace Kutaisi
Solid well run terrace hotel with breakfast and parking, often the mid range value pick.
Is Kutaisi expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | GEL 100 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | GEL 240 a person |
| Splurge | GEL 600 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Prometheus Cave: a few days ahead
- Okatse Canyon: a few days ahead
- Martvili Canyon: a few days ahead
- Chiatura Cable Cars: a few days ahead
- Katskhi Pillar: a few days ahead
- Baia's Wine: weeks ahead
- Khvamli Mountain: a few days ahead
- Rioni River: a few days ahead
- Check Gelati Monastery opening on the day, as renovation has restricted access and hours.
- Book Baia's Wine and family winery supras ahead, as visits are hosted in family homes.
- Book the small top end hotels ahead for Kutaisoba on 2 May and summer weekends.
Is Kutaisi safe?
- Mountain and intercity roads are the main risk, with assertive driving and animals on rural roads.
- Street dogs are common and usually calm, so give resting packs space, especially with food.
- Use Bolt or a prebooked transfer at the airport to avoid the one common overcharging spot.
Kutaisi travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Flying into Kutaisi airport and leaving within the hour wastes one of Georgia best value cities.
- Bagrati Cathedral is no longer UNESCO listed, so treat any tour selling it as listed with caution.
- Rioni rafting outside spring melt and Martvili boats after heavy rain are poor value versions.
Getting around Kutaisi: public transport and more
- Walk the compact centre and use Bolt in town, allowing extra minutes at peak times.
- City buses cost under 1 GEL and are card only, with the No. 1 bus looping fountain, bazaar and stations.
- Use Rioni station for faster mainline trains to Tbilisi, then a taxi or bus into the centre.
Who Kutaisi suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Kutaisi your trip
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