Georgia / Borjomi & Samtskhe / Akhaltsikhe & Vardzia

Akhaltsikhe & Vardzia

Rabati Castle and the Cave City of Vardzia

2 daysIdeal stay₹2,880From / night₹1,440Food / day₹540Entry

The main town of Samtskhe, an hour south-west of Borjomi, with the restored Rabati castle (a mosque, a synagogue and a church inside one set of walls). Most people stay here for Vardzia, 60 km south: a 12th-century cave monastery of hundreds of rooms cut into a cliff above the Mtkvari, built under Queen Tamar. Khertvisi fortress is on the way.

Highlights

Vardzia cave monastery and its frescoed church
Rabati castle
Khertvisi fortress above the gorge
Sapara monastery

Things to do

Vardzia cave monastery and Khertvisi fortressMorning · 5h
Rabati castleAfternoon · 2h
Sapara monasteryAfternoon · 2h

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Akhaltsikhe & Vardziavia GetYourGuide Tours & tickets in Akhaltsikhe & Vardziavia Klook

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When to go

Best time: May – October

Getting there

Fly into Tbilisi (TBS), 151 km away

Then: Transfer · 3h 15m (Car with driver / taxi, per vehicle)

Search flights to TBS from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Delhifrom ₹17,500
From Mumbai (1 stop)from ₹21,000
From Ahmedabad (1 stop)from ₹21,000
From Kochi (1 stop)from ₹22,000
From Bengaluru (1 stop)from ₹23,000
From Hyderabad (1 stop)from ₹23,000

Fares from India: one way, per person; typical fares, not live prices.

Entry rules

Your passport

E-visa before you fly for up to 30 days, about ₹3,330

Apply for the e-Visa at evisa.gov.ge at least two weeks before you fly: a US$20 fee plus a mandatory ~US$15 DuVerify identity check (finish it within 24 hours of getting the link), about US$35 (~₹3,400) in all, by Visa or Mastercard. It allows up to 30 days per entry and takes about 5-10 working days.
Hold a valid US, UK or Schengen visa or residence permit? You can enter visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 days, with no e-Visa, as long as it is valid on the day you arrive. Some 2026 guides add Canadian, Australian, Japanese, South Korean and UAE/GCC documents; confirm the current list on evisa.gov.ge before relying on it.
Buy travel health and accident insurance valid in Georgia for every day of the stay, with at least 30,000 GEL (about US$11,000) of cover: compulsory for foreign visitors since 1 January 2026, and border officers can refuse entry without it.
There is no visa on arrival for Indian passports: without the e-Visa or a qualifying visa you will be refused boarding or entry.

Carry: Indian passport valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive, with two blank pages; e-Visa approval (printed), or the valid US / UK / Schengen visa or residence permit you are entering on; Health and accident insurance policy for the whole stay, at least 30,000 GEL of cover (printed); Return or onward ticket; Hotel bookings for the stay; Bank statements or a card, in case the border officer asks about funds.

The list of foreign visas that let Indians in visa-free differs between sources (US, UK and Schengen are on all of them), and e-visa processing times vary; check evisa.gov.ge before you book, and apply early in the June-September peak.

Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.

Also in Borjomi & Samtskhe

💧 Borjomi · Mineral Springs and Forests of the Spa Town
🎿 Bakuriani · Family Ski Resort Above Borjomi

Plan a trip to Akhaltsikhe & Vardzia

Flying in from elsewhere? Start at Tbilisi (TBS)