Vardzia, Rabati, Borjomi

Discover the cave city of Vardzia with a history dating back to the Bronze Age, as well as the Borjomi Gorge and national park.

On the tour we will visit:
Vardzia  – an entire cave city, hidden from prying eyes in the thickness of soft tuff. The cave fortress-monastery itself stretches for 900 meters and is located in the steep tuff wall of a mountain called Erusheti. This name can be translated as Bear Mountain. And below, the Kura River flows modestly and almost imperceptibly. There are approximately 600 rooms carved into the mountain itself, but their exact number, unfortunately, is not known. There are also premises here that were churches and chapels, cells and storerooms, baths and refectories, treasuries and libraries. Also, if desired, you can find small secret passages, although most of them are already blocked, and the remains of an ancient water supply system, which allowed the inhabitants of Vardzia not to die of thirst, and an irrigation system, which also undoubtedly played a huge role in the life of the people who lived in this place . The premises themselves go as much as 50 meters deep into the rock, and their height above each other is equal to the height of a modern eight-story building.
But the most amazing thing is that the fortress was completely invisible from the outside. If the enemy approached the mountain, then he did not see anything other than an ordinary mountain. And this is precisely the main feature of Vardzia. The cave city was connected to the surface only by three well-camouflaged holes, and therefore the warriors who were waiting for the enemy in the mountain itself appeared in front of the enemy soldiers completely unexpectedly - literally from underground.
When you walk through this simply huge cave city, it seems that it takes an incredibly long time to cut down so many rooms. But in reality this is far from the case. The entire city was carved out of the rock in just a year! Such a rush was dictated by a strong defensive need, and the defense of Georgia depended on how quickly this rock city was cut down. And this was incredibly important in those days. In 1283, a powerful earthquake occurred in these places, causing irreparable damage to the complex. Part of the rock collapsed into the Kura, but to this day a unique architectural monument remains. Today Vardzia – active monastery.

The city of Akhaltsikhe (Rabat fortress). At the very bank of the quiet Potskhovi River, the main attraction of the town of Akhaltsikhe rises – ancient stone fortress Rabat. It preserves traces of the presence of both cultures: Georgian and Turkish. Its name comes from Arabic and means “fortified place.” The history of the Rabat fortress goes back centuries, and no one can say exactly when the first fortification appeared. It is reliably known that in the 12th century the princely family of Jakeli built the first real fortress here, and it became their family residence for 300 years. Interestingly, when they built this fortress, they began to call it “Akhaltsikhe,” which translated means “New Fortress.” This name has been retained to this day by the city that lies near its walls. This is one of the most beautiful medieval fortifications, located on seven hectares. You will see Turkish baths and the tomb of the pasha governor. The mosque is adjacent to a synagogue and Christian churches of Armenians and Georgians. The recently rebuilt Rabat has become a kind of symbol of the new Georgia, a country where representatives of many religions and nationalities live, and where everyone who comes in peace is welcome.

Borjomi Park has become the hallmark of Georgia thanks to its amazing mineral water. Its healing properties were known back in ancient times. It is important to note that this water is of volcanic origin. It is pushed to the earth's surface by natural carbon dioxide from a depth of about 8-10 kilometers. The uniqueness of Borjomi is that, unlike many other mineral waters, it does not have time to cool underground, so it comes out warm, enriching itself during its journey with many minerals contained in the Caucasus Mountains. Borjomi Park was officially called a nature reserve only in 1935. However, attention was first drawn to the extraordinary beauty of these places back in the Middle Ages. The unique power of water and natural beauty attracted the aristocracy here. A small town quickly grew up in the gorge near natural springs. Members of the Imperial House of the Russian Empire also came to relax in Borjomi, improve their health and breathe the purest mountain air. Later, during the reign of the Russian Emperor Alexander II, his brother Prince Mikhail, who was the governor of the Transcaucasian region, built himself a summer house there for relaxation and work in the lap of nature. And a little later he completely fenced off most of the land, prohibiting hunting without special highest permission. Already in the 20th century after the declaration of independence of Georgia, in 1995, the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park was created on the basis of the reserve, the official opening of which took place only six years later, in 2001.

• Russian
• English

• Vardzia - cave city
• Akhaltsikhe city (Rabat fortress)
• Borjomi Park - mineral springs

Choose comfortable shoes and clothes for the tour.
Take a headscarf for visiting the temple.

Free cancellation 72 hours before the start of the tour.