Okatse Canyon Visitor Centre — Attraction in Imereti

There is a total mess with these canyons...

No one knows what is the difference between: Okatse Canyon Visitor Centre Okatse Canyon Okatse Canyon ViewPoint

So I will try to explain...

Okatse Canyon Vistor Centre - forget about it. There is a trip for few hours. If you like few hours of walking - you can start from Vistor Centre of course, but if you are with kids, family, or you don't want to spent few hours there - just leave it and go directly to the Hanging Path entrance.

Hanging Path entrance (42.45453, 42.54946) - it is your START point - there is an entrance for a nice 40-60 minutes trip on the metal hanging path over the canyon - fantastic views... you can make a lot of photos. The path has handrails and is safe.

At the end - there is Okatse Canyon View point and there is your END point - exit (GPS: 42.44852, 42.54897).

You can go also from END to START - it's up to you :-)

Please note that there are stairs at the entrance and exit (approx. 5 minutes down / 10 minutes up)

More details you can find on attached picture (the photo is only a model of a hanging path. In reality, this path has high railings, is metal and safe).

If you want to go back to your car (we left the car at START point) - there are local drivers who will take you back.

Don't be fooled by the 50 GEL price to return to your START point (the place in which you have left your car). Normal price is 10-20 GEL and they will also accept such a value :-)

And the road back is like a off-road rally. You are going with old Lada Niva and there is a really nice 10 minutes...

The canyon and the waterfall is beautiful. You can choose to walk or take off road trip. Well the off road trip I recommend to AVOID at any cost. There are random guys waiting for tourists in the parking lot and try to ask as much money as possible. At the beginning they are very friendly, help to take pictures, offer local wine, etc. At the end of the tour they discuss the price between them in Georgian and show you the price on their phone in Google translate. In our case they wrote that usually the price is 300 GEL but for they give “discount” so it’s only 250 GEL. The tour itself from Kutaisi to Okatse canyon, Martvili canyon and Prometheus cave costed 200 GEL. I told the guy we suppose to pay 100 GEL but we can offer 150 GEL. Then one of them said okay and took the money. Then the other one came and waited for the money. I told him that we paid. Then he shouted to the previous one in Georgian, he answered something and then turned back to me and shouted at me that it’s 250 GEL. I told him that his friend agreed on 150 GEL. Then the guy who first agreed on 150 GEL told that he meant per person (it was two of us). Then we insisted on that we don’t pay that amount. Finally we could reduce the price to 200 GEL but they were still upset. So don’t choose off road trips, always set everything in advance and only pay after the trip. Best to choose companies with group tours. Unfortunately in some cases they also try to rip off their passengers, but they are still much more...

The canyon is nice, you walk through an elevated platform of 1km go and back so views are breathtaking. To get to the entrance of the platform there is a paved easy walk with ups and downs front he visitor center which can be done in 30-45min, so avoid people offering taxi to get there (price is ridiculous). Also in summer the walk is VERY HOT!

The problem (as everything in developing countries like this one) is the system. To get here you need to spend 2.5h taking a marshurtka from Kutaisi to Khoni (3GEL) and then another to Okatse that leaves at 11h. Last one should costs 4 GEL but they driver try to charge us double so be aware and pay him 4 GEL. He also try to convince you to go the waterfall and drive you back to Kutaisi for 50 GEL per person. Decline and pay him 4 GEL. He is not honest but you can get away with that, it is the only way to go to the canyon with public transportation... To come back he only leaves at 16h but goes up to the waterfall and pick some more people so you arrive back here at 17h30. Then marshurtka to Kutaisi is every half an hour.

To summarize: leave Kutaisi bus station at 10h, get to the canyon at 12h30. Spend max 2h there and need to wait for another 2h to start the journey back. Arrive at Kutaisi by 18h30. Tiring journey for the time you spend in the canyon on my opinion, so I won't recommended this unless you really have time and...