Mtskheta is Georgia's ancient former capital, a small town twenty kilometres from Tbilisi that packs seventeen centuries of Christian history into three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, two riverside monasteries and a hilltop church with views across the whole Kartvelian valley.
Georgia: Uplistsikhe – Georgia’s Ancient Cave City
🗿 Finding My Way to the Fortress of the Lord
I’d never heard of Uplistsikhe before I went to Georgia, which tells you more about my general ignorance than it does about the place, because it turns out to be one of the oldest urban settlements in the entire country. The name translates as “Fortress of the Lord”, which sounds terribly grand, and for once the grandness is justified. I arrived mid-afternoon, which in retrospect was not my finest piece of planning, but we’ll come to that.
What you find when you get there is a cave city — and I want to be precise about that term, because “cave city” makes you think of something small and damp, a few holes in a rock where somebody’s uncle might have hidden from the Mongols for a fortnight. This was nothing like that. This was an entire settlement, carved directly into a great lump of sandstone on a cliff above the Mtkvari River, and it had been inhabited, on and off, for roughly three and a half thousand years. I stood at the bottom looking up at it and had the distinct feeling of being about to climb into something rather than merely visit it.
🏛️ A City Older Than Almost Everything
The archaeologists reckon people were living here from the late Bronze Age, somewhere around the second millennium BC, which if you do the maths is about four thousand years ago, which is a figure my brain simply refuses to hold onto for more than a few seconds before it slides off into the general fog marked “very old”. It became a proper city, and an important religious centre, from around the sixth century BC, and it stayed that way — through Persian influence, through the arrival of Christianity, through various Georgian kingdoms rising and falling — right up until the thirteenth century AD, when the Mongols turned up in 1240 and knocked most of it about rather severely. After that it never really recovered, which seems a shame, though I suppose after the Mongols have been through, recovering isn’t always top of the list.
At its peak, probably in the early medieval period, somewhere between the ninth and eleventh centuries, historians think as many as twenty thousand people might have lived there. Twenty thousand. Carved into a cliff. I tried to picture it as I wandered about — the washing hanging out, the smell of cooking, the general racket of twenty thousand people trying to get on with their lives in a space that, from the riverbank, looks barely big enough for a modest car park — and I failed rather badly, because the human mind isn’t built to scale these things properly. You just have to take the guidebook’s word for it and nod along, looking thoughtful.
🍷 Streets, Cellars and a Rock-Cut Pharmacy
The city was built on several levels, one stacked above the other up the rock face, and an astonishing amount of it has survived well enough that you can still walk through what were once streets. There are halls that would once have been grand enough for receptions and ceremonies, and — this is the detail that rather won me over — wine cellars, because naturally the Georgians, who have been making wine for about eight thousand years and never let anyone forget it, were not going to build a whole cave city and leave out somewhere to keep the wine.
There’s also what’s thought to have been a pharmacy, identifiable because somebody carved little mortars directly into the rock for grinding up medicines, which I found oddly touching — a reminder that whoever lived here worried about the same things we do, aches and ailments and how to fix them, several thousand years before anyone had invented the aspirin or, indeed, the NHS waiting list.
⛪ Old Gods, New Religion, Same Address
The bit of the site that really got me thinking, though, was the religious side of things. There’s a pagan temple up there, from well before Christianity ever reached this part of the world, and then — rather cheekily, if you ask me — the Georgians built a small Christian basilica directly on top of it in the ninth or tenth century, once Christianity had taken hold. I don’t know why this always surprises me, because it isn’t just the Georgians who did it — the Romans did exactly the same thing, converting old temples into new ones the moment the prevailing religion changed, and you can’t help but admire the sheer bureaucratic efficiency of it. Why build a brand-new sacred site from scratch when there’s a perfectly good hole in the ground already consecrated, as it were, and simply in need of a change of management? It’s the spiritual equivalent of buying a house and just redecorating rather than starting again with a new plot of land, and frankly, having been through a kitchen renovation myself, I rather sympathise with the approach.
🌥️ Clambering About as the Sky Turned Nasty
By the time I’d actually got myself up onto the rock, the afternoon was wearing on and the sky had started doing that thing English skies do so well and which I was mildly disappointed to see following me all the way to Georgia — going a flat, purposeful grey, the sort of grey that isn’t threatening rain exactly but is clearly thinking about it. I decided to climb up anyway, because I hadn’t driven several hours to be put off by a bit of weather, and I spent a good hour or more picking my way along the narrow carved passages and in and out of chambers, most of which require a reasonable amount of ducking, stepping and, in my case, a certain amount of undignified shuffling that I’m fairly sure no twenty-year-old visitor would have needed to employ.
The views from the top are genuinely tremendous — down over the Mtkvari River, across the valley, with the sandstone falling away beneath you in these odd, weathered folds that make the whole hillside look almost alive. The atmosphere up there is peculiar, and I don’t think I’m overstating it when I say it felt properly ancient — not in a staged, roped-off museum way, but in a way where you could genuinely sense that an enormous number of people had lived, worked, prayed and presumably complained about the weather on that exact spot for thousands of years before you turned up with your camera and your slightly inappropriate shoes.
🌧️ The Drive to Borjomi, in the Dark, in the Rain
Of course, by the time I’d finished clambering about and made my way back down to the car, the weather had stopped merely thinking about rain and had got on with it properly. The sky had gone that dark, serious grey that brooks no argument, and it was getting dark a good deal earlier than I’d banked on — one of those late-afternoon light failures that catches you out every single time, no matter how many times it’s happened before. I still had the drive to Borjomi ahead of me, which was where I was meant to be sleeping that night, and I set off with the distinct sense that I had cut things rather finer than a sensible sixty-year-old man really ought to. Still, I made it, eventually, slightly damp and mildly self-congratulatory about having made it at all.
Planning Your Visit to Uplistsikhe
Somewhere on the rocky left bank of the Mtkvari River, about eighty kilometres west of Tbilisi, a cliff face reveals a city carved directly into the sandstone — not built against the rock, but cut from within it, room by room, street by street, over the better part of three thousand years. Uplistsikhe is Georgia’s oldest rock-hewn settlement, and it is one of those places that rather stops you in your tracks the moment it comes into view: a pale, honeycomb bluff above the river, its windows and doorways staring out across the plains like something dreamed rather than made.
The site covers roughly eight hectares in total, though only about five are excavated and open to visitors, and that five contains around 150 surviving caves spread across three levels of the rocky plateau. At its medieval peak, estimates put the population at somewhere in the region of 20,000 people, which makes it difficult to stand among the silent passages today without doing some quiet arithmetic about the sheer quantity of human life that once went on up here.
📜 About Uplistsikhe
The name translates from Georgian as “Lord’s Fortress,” and it has been accumulating history for an uncomfortably long time. The earliest traces of habitation date to the late second millennium BC, and the site proper began to take shape as a significant urban centre in the early Iron Age, around the sixth century BC. By the fourth century BC it had developed into something genuinely impressive — a functioning city with rock-cut streets, residential quarters, temples, a theatre, a pharmacy, a bakery, wine presses and a sewer system, all hewn from the sandstone of the Kvernaki Ridge.
Before Christianity arrived in Kartli in the early fourth century AD, Uplistsikhe served as one of the most important pagan religious centres in the whole region, with temples dedicated primarily to the sun goddess. When the kingdom formally adopted Christianity in 337 AD, the city’s role as a pagan sanctuary naturally diminished, though it never disappeared entirely — it simply changed purpose, as cities tend to do when the prevailing theology shifts.
Its most dramatic chapter came later. When Arab forces captured Tbilisi in 645 AD, the Christian kings of Kartli retreated to Uplistsikhe, which became both a royal stronghold and a crucial stop on the Silk Road trading route between Europe and Asia. The cave city held its ground for several centuries, its position above the river giving it a natural defensibility that flat-ground settlements could not match. The Mongols, arriving in the thirteenth century, eventually brought that chapter to a close. The city was sacked, gradually abandoned, and by the nineteenth century was buried so completely under accumulated silt and soil that it had more or less vanished from memory. Systematic excavations beginning in the mid-twentieth century uncovered what is now open to visitors, and what remains is thought to represent only about half of what once stood.
UNESCO placed Uplistsikhe on its Tentative List in 2007 in recognition of its significance as one of the earliest urban settlements in the entire Caucasus.
🗺️ Location
Uplistsikhe sits in the Shida Kartli region of central Georgia, in the village of Kvakhvreli, approximately ten kilometres east of the town of Gori — itself familiar to history as Stalin’s birthplace — and about eighty to ninety kilometres west of Tbilisi. The site occupies a rocky ridge on the southern slopes of the Kvernaki Mountain Range, directly above the left bank of the Mtkvari River (also known as the Kura), and its elevation above the valley floor is part of what makes it so immediately striking on approach: the cliff rises abruptly from the flat riverside plain, and the scale of the carved-out city only becomes apparent once you are looking directly at it.
🚗 Getting There
From Tbilisi by Car
Driving is the most straightforward option and gives the greatest flexibility, particularly if the plan includes combining Uplistsikhe with the Stalin Museum in Gori or with Mtskheta on the same day. The E60 motorway runs directly west from Tbilisi; the exit for Uplistsikhe is signed at Kvakhvreli, and the journey takes around an hour and a half in normal traffic. A large car park sits at the entrance to the site. Car hire is widely available in Tbilisi.
From Tbilisi by Marshrutka and Taxi
The most common independent option is to take a marshrutka — a shared minibus — from Didube Bus Station in Tbilisi (served by the Didube metro station on the green line) to Gori. Marshrutkas leave frequently, roughly every thirty to forty minutes from around eight in the morning, the fare is in the region of six to eight GEL, and the journey takes about an hour and a half. From Gori Bus Station, a local minibus to Uplistsikhe runs for around two GEL, though departures can be infrequent; a more reliable option is to take a taxi from Gori to Uplistsikhe and back, with waiting time included, for roughly thirty to forty GEL. The taxi ride takes about fifteen to twenty minutes each way.
From Tbilisi by Train
Trains run between Tbilisi central station and Gori for around two GEL and take approximately an hour. From Gori station, Uplistsikhe is around fifteen kilometres away and requires a taxi for the onward leg.
Organised Tours
Numerous operators in Tbilisi run day trips combining Uplistsikhe with Gori and, frequently, Mtskheta. These are a sensible choice for anyone who would rather not navigate the marshrutka connections independently, and English-speaking guides are generally available. Prices vary, but a full-day guided tour from Tbilisi typically costs in the region of 150 to 200 GEL per person.
🚶 Getting Around
There is no public transport within or around the Uplistsikhe site itself. Once at the entrance, the cave city is explored on foot, and there is no formally marked walking trail — visitors move freely between the caves and passages at their own pace. Two entry points lead into the complex: the main staircase at the upper entrance and the underground tunnel entrance near the old gate on the lower southern side.
The terrain is uneven, with steep climbs, narrow rock-cut passages and some areas without handrails. Sturdy footwear is strongly advised. The site is not suitable for visitors with significant mobility limitations, and is equally unsuitable for pushchairs and prams. The ground is fully exposed, with very little shade, which makes a hat, sunscreen and a decent supply of water sensible additions to any visit, particularly in the warmer months when temperatures on the rock plateau can be fierce.
Audio guides and English-speaking guides are both available at the ticket office at the entrance. Given that on-site information signage is sparse, one or the other adds considerably to the experience — without some context, many of the caves are difficult to read as the specific structures they once were: pharmacy, theatre, wine cellar, temple. A guide at the entrance, hired per group rather than per person, is the more immersive option; the audio guide is the more independent one.
Plan on spending between an hour and a half and two hours at the site, perhaps slightly longer with a guide or audio commentary.
🏺 What to See
Queen Tamar’s Hall is the largest and most elaborately decorated cave in the complex, with a multi-chambered layout and a coffered ceiling carved directly from the sandstone in a pattern that imitates wooden beam construction — an extraordinary piece of work in a material not naturally inclined to subtlety. Despite the name, historical records do not suggest that Queen Tamar ever actually lived here; the association with Georgia’s most celebrated medieval monarch is more a matter of local attachment than documented fact.
The Pillar Hall is one of the most architecturally significant chambers, identifiable by two rock pillars carved from the living stone to support the ceiling above — a technique that transforms what might otherwise be a simple cave into something that reads as a proper interior space.
The Underground Tunnel runs from the upper city all the way down through the rock to the Mtkvari River below. It served simultaneously as an emergency escape route and a water supply channel, and walking through it is one of the more viscerally impressive moments on any visit — the engineering involved, carried out without modern tools, is difficult to quite account for.
Uplistsuli Basilica — the Church of the Prince — sits at the very top of the complex and is the only significant above-ground structure at Uplistsikhe. Built in the ninth or tenth century from brick and stone over what had previously been a pagan temple site, it is recognisable by its red-tiled roof, which provides a striking contrast against the surrounding sandstone. Conservative dress is required to enter the church; shawls and wraps are available to borrow at the entrance.
The Theatre — or what is identified as such — represents an early and rather sobering use of the word, being a rough open-air space whose function is inferred from its form rather than confirmed by any surviving written record. Whether or not plays were actually performed there, its existence points to a level of civic organisation at Uplistsikhe that goes well beyond mere shelter.
The site also preserves the outlines of a pharmacy — identifiable by the niches in the walls where vessels would have been stored — a bakery, rock-cut wine presses, and the remnants of the old city streets running between the various levels of the cave complex. Looking closely at the outer cave walls, you can also spot rows of small holes at ground level where poles for wooden awning and roof structures were once set, a detail that transforms the bare rock face into something more recognisably urban: covered, sheltered and busy.
A small on-site museum and visitor centre at the entrance holds artefacts recovered during excavations, including ceramics and tools. A café is also on site.
🧭 Practical Notes
The site is fully exposed to the elements in all directions, which means summer visits can be extremely hot and winter visits can be bitterly cold. Arriving at opening time or in the later afternoon avoids both the fiercest midday heat and the bulk of the organised tour groups that tend to cluster in the mid-morning.
Payment for entry is in cash in Georgian Lari; card readers at the ticket office can be unreliable, and it is worth arriving with the relevant denominations. The same applies to taxis from Gori, which are also generally cash only.
From October 2026, travel insurance with a minimum coverage of 30,000 GEL has been a mandatory entry requirement for Georgia. At Uplistsikhe specifically, coverage that includes personal injury is worth ensuring given the uneven ground and steep sections of the site.
📋 Visitor Information
| Detail | Information | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Hours | Apr 16 – Sep 30: 10:00–19:00; Mar 15 – Apr 15 & Oct 1 – Nov 1: 10:00–18:00; Nov 2 – Mar 14: 10:00–17:00; closed Mondays | Check locally before visiting as hours vary seasonally and may be subject to change |
| Entry Fees | Adults: 15 GEL; Students/schoolchildren: 1 GEL; Children under 6: free; Winter off-season: may reduce to 7 GEL for adults; Audio guide: 15 GEL; Guided tour (per group): 45 GEL; Wine tasting ticket: 20 GEL | Cash only; card readers unreliable |
| Getting There | Car: approx. 90 min from Tbilisi via E60 motorway, exit Kvakhvreli. Marshrutka Tbilisi–Gori from Didube station: approx. 6–8 GEL, 90 min. Taxi Gori–Uplistsikhe return with waiting: approx. 30–40 GEL. Train Tbilisi–Gori: approx. 2 GEL, 60 min, then taxi | Large car park on site; no public transport directly to the site |
| On Site | Visitor centre, small museum, café, and car park at entrance. Audio guides and private guides available at ticket office | No formal walking trail; uneven ground throughout — sturdy footwear essential; site not suitable for pushchairs or visitors with limited mobility |
The Best Time to Visit Georgia
🌸 Spring (March–May)
Spring is widely considered one of the finest times to visit Georgia. Temperatures climb gently from the cool of late winter — Tbilisi averages around 12–18 °C by April — and the landscape transforms dramatically. The foothills of the Greater Caucasus turn a vivid green, wildflowers carpet the valleys of Kakheti, and the orchards of Samtskhe-Javakheti erupt into blossom. Rainfall is moderate and spread throughout the season rather than concentrated into heavy downpours, keeping the air clean and the mountains sharp against the sky.
The cultural calendar is also lively. Easter (Aghdugseba) is one of the most atmospheric celebrations in the Georgian Orthodox calendar, marked by candlelit processions, midnight church services, and family gatherings. Wine lovers benefit from visiting in May, when the previous autumn’s vintage is settling nicely and producers open their cellars for tasting. Crowd levels remain manageable; hotels and guesthouses in Tbilisi’s Old Town are available without advance booking pressure, and the mountain resorts such as Kazbegi and Mestia are accessible but not yet overwhelmed.
What to pack. Bring layers you can peel off — a light fleece, a waterproof jacket, and a packable umbrella. Comfortable walking shoes with grip are essential for wet cobblestones. Evenings remain cool until late April, so a mid-weight jumper pays dividends. Add a light scarf for church visits.
☀️ Summer (June–August)
Summer is Georgia’s peak tourist season, and for good reason. Long days, reliably sunny skies, and warm temperatures — often reaching 30–35 °C in Tbilisi and the lowland river valleys — make it ideal for those who want heat and activity in equal measure. The mountain regions offer a natural escape: Svaneti and the Kazbegi area sit at altitude and remain pleasantly cool, making them busy but spectacular destinations for hikers and trekkers. The Caucasus Trail draws serious walkers from across Europe between June and August.
The Black Sea coast around Batumi is in full swing during summer, with beach resorts, botanical gardens, and a lively restaurant and bar scene. Tbilisi itself hosts numerous festivals — the Tbilisi Open Air music festival in late June is a particular highlight — and outdoor dining along Rustaveli Avenue and the banks of the Mtkvari River reaches its zenith. The downside is congestion: popular sites such as Vardzia cave city, the Alazani Valley wine estates, and the Gergeti Trinity Church above Kazbegi are genuinely crowded. Prices rise sharply in July and August, and booking accommodation several weeks ahead is strongly advisable.
What to pack. Lightweight, breathable clothing is essential — linen and cotton fabrics are ideal. Sun cream, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses are non-negotiable for the lowlands. For mountain excursions, add a waterproof layer and a warm fleece, as altitude weather changes rapidly. Sturdy hiking boots if you plan to trek. A modest wrap or shawl for monasteries.
🍂 Autumn (September–November)
Autumn rivals spring as Georgia’s most rewarding season, and for many travellers it edges ahead. September and October bring the Rtveli — the grape harvest — which is the defining event of the Georgian agricultural and cultural year. Vineyards across Kakheti turn gold and amber; families and friends gather to tread grapes by foot in traditional clay qvevri buried in the earth, and wine flows freely at communal feasts known as supras. Temperatures are comfortable — highs of 22–26 °C in September, cooling to 12–15 °C by October — and the crowds of high summer have thinned.
The forests above Borjomi and around Signagi put on a spectacular display of autumn colour, and photography conditions in the mountains are outstanding as the first dustings of snow appear on the high peaks while the valleys remain warm. November brings a marked change: colder temperatures arrive, some mountain passes close, and rainfall increases. Early November can still be pleasant in the cities, but late November signals the onset of the Georgian winter proper.
What to pack. A versatile mid-layer system works best — a long-sleeved base, a warm jumper, and a windproof outer. Sturdy shoes or boots that handle mud are worth the bag space, particularly for vineyard visits. Bring a compact tripod if you photograph landscapes. A small hip flask for the inevitable impromptu supra is entirely appropriate.
❄️ Winter (December–February)
Winter divides cleanly into two very different experiences. In the mountain resorts — particularly Gudauri and Bakuriani — it is the liveliest and most purposeful season of all. Gudauri, perched at around 2,200 metres on the Georgian Military Highway, receives substantial snowfall and operates well-maintained ski runs catering to a growing international clientele. The ski season typically runs from December through March, and February half-term sees the resort at its most energetic. Lift queues are shorter and prices more reasonable in January.
In Tbilisi and the lowlands, winter is quiet and atmospheric. The city’s ancient churches and medieval streets take on a particular beauty in the low winter light, and the absence of tourist crowds allows for unhurried exploration of the Narikala Fortress, the sulphur baths of Abanotubani, and the vibrant Dezerter Bazaar. Christmas (7 January in the Orthodox calendar) and New Year are celebrated with great warmth: the Alilo procession on Orthodox Christmas morning through Tbilisi is one of the most moving public events in the Georgian year. Road access to some mountain villages and monasteries may be limited by snow, and the Gergeti Trinity Church above Kazbegi requires a 4WD vehicle or a guide. Temperatures in Tbilisi hover around 3–8 °C, occasionally dipping below zero.
What to pack. Warm, windproof and waterproof outer layers are essential. For skiing, full ski kit (hire is available at Gudauri). Thermal underlayers, warm socks, and insulated waterproof boots. A good hat and gloves. Hand warmers are welcome in the mountain air.
🏆 Overall Best Time to Visit
For most travellers, September and October represent Georgia’s golden window. The harvest season brings the country’s deepest cultural traditions to the surface, the landscape is at its most photogenic, temperatures are comfortable for both city exploration and mountain excursions, and the frenetic pace of the high-summer rush has subsided. Spring — particularly April and May — runs a very close second, offering similarly pleasant conditions with the added bonus of blossom and the Orthodox Easter celebrations. Both seasons reward the traveller with a Georgia that feels lived-in and generous rather than packaged for tourism.
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