Day trips from Batumi: Makhuntseti waterfall, Mtirala, Machakhela, Petra fortress, Kutaisi and Prometheus Cave
Updated 3 November 2026
The classic half-day trip from Batumi is the Makhuntseti waterfall and Queen Tamar's stone bridge, 30 km up the Adjaristsqali valley: minibus 77 from the old bus station (2–3 lari, every half hour), a car with a driver from about 70 lari, free entry, and an Adjarian wine house on the way back. Mtirala National Park, 28 km away, is the rainforest option with a waterfall, a river and a zip line (free, zip line 15–20 lari); Petra fortress, 17 km north, is Roman and Byzantine ruins above the sea (15 lari); and for a full day there is Kutaisi with Prometheus Cave, 150 km away (minibus 20 lari or train 32 lari, cave 40 lari plus 30 for the boat). Gonio, Kvariati and Sarpi, the beaches south of the city, are in the beaches article. Prices and routes are as of November 2026.
| Trip | From Batumi | How to get there | Entry | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makhuntseti waterfall + Queen Tamar's bridge | 30 km, 40–60 min | minibus 77 «Keda» from the old bus station, 2–3 ₾; GoTrip car from 70 ₾ return; taxi about 150 ₾ | free | half a day |
| Mtirala National Park | 28 km, about 1 h | minibus 40 or bus 13 to Chakvi (1–3 ₾), then a taxi 20–30 ₾ to the visitor centre; GoTrip about 90 ₾ return | free; zip line 15–20 ₾, cable crossing 4 ₾ | half a day to a day |
| Machakhela National Park | 30 km, about 1 h | car or GoTrip from 100 ₾; public transport is one van a day | free; season May–October | a day |
| Petra fortress (Tsikhisdziri) | 17 km north, 30–40 min | Kobuleti minibus from the Holy Spirit church car park, 3 ₾, ask for Petra; GoTrip from 65 ₾ | 15 ₾ foreign visitors, 10:00–17:00 | 2–3 hours, pairs with Kobuleti beach |
| Kutaisi + Prometheus Cave | 150 km, 2.5–3 h | minibus 20 ₾ (every 30–60 min, 06:30–19:30); train to Kutaisi Airport station 32 ₾, 1 h 50 min; GoTrip from about 210 ₾ per car with the cave and Martvili | cave 40 ₾ + boat 30 ₾; Martvili canyon 40 ₾ + boat 20 ₾; Gelati and Bagrati by donation | a long day or a night in Kutaisi |
| Khulo and Upper Adjara | 90 km, 2.5–3 h | minibus from the old bus station every 30 min, 10 ₾ | — | a day; the Goderdzi pass is open June–October |
Makhuntseti and Queen Tamar's bridge: the easy one
Thirty kilometres from Batumi the road up the Adjaristsqali valley reaches Makhuntseti: a waterfall of about 30 metres (some guides say 50) five minutes' walk from the road, and, a few hundred metres back, a stone arch bridge of the 12th century that locals call Queen Tamar's. In spring and autumn, after rain, the fall is at its fullest; in August it is a thin stream but the pool below is good for a dip. Entry is free. Cafés at the bridge serve trout from the river, khachapuri and the local semi-sweet wines; on the way back the Adjarian Wine House in Adjaristsqali (open daily until 22:00) does a tasting of the Adjarian varieties for 7–15 ₾ and a lunch on the terrace.
Getting there: minibus 77 with «Keda» on the windscreen leaves the old bus station (Severian Achareli Street 1, not the intercity station on Gogol Street) about every half hour from 08:00; the fare is a few lari, paid to the driver in cash, and you ask to be dropped at the bridge («khidi»). A GoTrip car with a driver is from 70 ₾ for the return trip and waits as long as you like; the combined Machakhela — Makhuntseti — wine house day is 220–230 ₾ per car. Group tours from Batumi with lunch cost about 130 ₾ per person.
Mtirala: the rainforest park
Mtirala — «the crying mountain» — is the national park above Chakvi, 28 km from Batumi, and one of the wettest places in Georgia with about 4,500 mm of rain a year, which is why the forest looks the way it does: moss, ferns, chestnut and beech. From the visitor centre at Chakvistavi a marked trail of about 7 km goes to a waterfall and a small lake and back; there is a hand-pulled cable crossing over the river (4 ₾), a 220-metre zip line (15–20 ₾) and picnic spots. Entry is free. Bring a rain jacket in any month and shoes for mud.
Getting there: minibus 40 (every few minutes) or bus 13 from the Khopa market stop on Aghmashenebeli Avenue to Chakvi, 1–3 ₾, then a taxi from Chakvi up the 15 km of narrow road to the park, 20–30 ₾ each way — agree on the driver waiting, there are no taxis at the top. A Bolt from Batumi is 35–45 ₾, a GoTrip car about 90 ₾ for the return trip.
Machakhela: the valley on the Turkish border
Machakhela is the next valley south: a national park of chestnut forest, arched stone bridges, a gunsmiths' museum (the valley made the famous Machakhela flintlock rifles) and villages that see few tourists. It is best as a car day, 30 km and about an hour each way, from May to October; the only public van leaves Batumi at 16:00 and comes back at dawn. GoTrip cars start at 100 ₾; the combined day with Makhuntseti is the usual way to see it.
Petra fortress: Roman ruins above the sea
Seventeen kilometres north at Tsikhisdziri, Petra was a Roman and then Byzantine fortress on a cliff over the sea, fought over by Byzantium and Persia in the 6th century. The walls, the basilica and the view are a two-hour stop: 15 ₾ for foreign visitors (10 ₾ for citizens, 2 ₾ for ages 6–18, under 6 free; 40 % off with a Batumi Card), 10:00–17:00. The Kobuleti minibus from the Holy Spirit church car park passes it (3 ₾, ask for Petra), and the beach in Kobuleti is ten minutes further for the afternoon.
Kutaisi and Prometheus Cave: the full day
Georgia's old capital is 150 km east along the highway: 2.5 hours by minibus (20 ₾, every 30–60 minutes from the intercity bus station) or 1 hour 50 minutes by the Tbilisi train to Kutaisi Airport station (32 ₾ in second class, then a 25 ₾ taxi into town). Prometheus Cave near Tskaltubo is the main draw: an hour's walk through six lit halls and a boat ride out on the underground river — 40 ₾ plus 30 ₾ for the boat (the fees doubled in April 2026; check before you go), 10:00–17:00 in winter and to 18:00 in summer. Add the Gelati monastery (UNESCO, by donation; the main church is under restoration) and Bagrati Cathedral above the town, or the Martvili canyon with its boat ride (40 ₾ + 20 ₾) and the Okatse canyon walkway (30 ₾). It is a long day from Batumi; a car with a driver from GoTrip (about 210–250 ₾ per car for Batumi — Martvili — Prometheus, tickets extra) saves the connections, and a night in Kutaisi makes it relaxed. The same train continues to Tbilisi — see Batumi to Tbilisi.
Upper Adjara: Khulo and the Goderdzi pass
For the mountains proper, the minibus from the old bus station runs to Khulo every half hour (10 ₾, 2.5–3 hours): a mountain town with a tiny cable car across the gorge to the village of Tago (5 ₾; under repair in autumn 2026) and guesthouses that take cash only. Beyond it the Goderdzi pass (2,025 m) is open from June to mid-October, with the Beshumi alpine meadows and a small ski resort in winter reached from the other side. Go with a driver or a rented car with good tyres; in winter the road above Keda can close after snow.
What we tell our guests
From Blue Sky Tower the old bus station is 10 minutes by Bolt, so Makhuntseti by minibus is a cheap, easy morning; for Mtirala, Machakhela or Kutaisi we suggest a GoTrip car booked online the evening before — a fixed price per car, a driver who waits, and a child seat on request, which the taxi apps do not offer. Cards work in Batumi, but take cash for the villages: minibuses, cafés at the bridge and guesthouses in the mountains do not take them. In November–March ask us about the road before a mountain trip. You book the studios directly with us on this site: see the studios.
More from our Batumi guide: the beaches, the Botanical Garden and what to see in Batumi.
Questions and answers
What are the best day trips from Batumi?
Makhuntseti waterfall and Queen Tamar's bridge (30 km, half a day, free), Mtirala National Park (28 km, rainforest, waterfall and zip line, free), Petra fortress (17 km north, 15 ₾), Gonio fortress with the beaches of Kvariati and Sarpi (12–20 km south), and for a full day Kutaisi with Prometheus Cave (150 km). Machakhela valley and Khulo in Upper Adjara are for a second visit.
How do I get from Batumi to Makhuntseti waterfall?
Minibus 77 marked «Keda» from the old bus station on Severian Achareli Street, about every half hour from 08:00, a few lari in cash; ask the driver for the bridge. By car it is 40–60 minutes; a GoTrip car with a driver is from 70 ₾ for the return trip, a taxi about 150 ₾. Entry to the waterfall and the bridge is free.
Is Mtirala National Park free?
Yes, entry and the trails are free. You pay only for the extras: the hand-pulled cable crossing over the river, 4 ₾, and the 220-metre zip line, 15–20 ₾. Getting there costs 1–3 ₾ by minibus to Chakvi plus 20–30 ₾ for a taxi each way up to the park.
Can you visit Prometheus Cave from Batumi in a day?
Yes, but it is a long day: 2.5 hours each way by minibus (20 ₾) or 1 hour 50 minutes by train to Kutaisi Airport station (32 ₾), then 45 minutes to the cave. The cave is 40 ₾ plus 30 ₾ for the boat. A car with a driver (about 210–250 ₾ per car) or a night in Kutaisi makes it easier.
How much is Petra fortress?
15 ₾ for foreign visitors, 10 ₾ for Georgian citizens, 2 ₾ for ages 6–18 and free under 6, open 10:00–17:00. A guide is 35 ₾. It is 17 km north of Batumi on the Kobuleti road.
Do I need cash for trips around Batumi?
Yes. City buses and most places in Batumi take cards, but minibuses to Keda, Chakvi and Kobuleti are cash to the driver, and cafés at Makhuntseti, village shops and guesthouses in the mountains are mostly cash only. There are ATMs in Keda and Khulo.
Sources: Visit Ajara — Petra fortress, Visit Ajara — Machakhela, Visit Ajara — mountainous Adjara, Go Batumi — Mtirala National Park, Georgia National Parks — Mtirala, Madloba — Makhuntseti waterfall, Madloba — minibus 77 Batumi–Keda, Wander-Lush — day trips from Batumi, Wander-Lush — Machakhela National Park, Wander-Lush — Kutaisi to Batumi, Wander-Lush — Kutaisi caves and canyons, Wander-Lush — Upper Adjara, GoTrip — Machakhela tour, GoTrip — Batumi to Martvili and Prometheus. Checked in November 2026.