3 days in Batumi: a day-by-day itinerary
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- 5 of 9 free; 4 paid — see “Cost”
- Duration
- 3 days, 9:30 to 15:12 each day
- Start and finish
- Ali and Nino statue → Gonio Fortress
- On foot
- ≈ 34 min in total
- Transport
- 2 rides, ≈ 2 h 8 min
- Lunch
- around 12:19
- With kids
- fine: short walks
- Best time
- May to October. Get to the waterfall before noon, ahead of the tour groups.
Day-by-day plan
Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.
Day 1 · Batumi09:30–15:04 · 5 places · 5 h 30 min
Ali and Nino statue
· 30 min · Free
- 13 min on foot
Batumi Boulevard
· 1 h 30 min · Free
- 6 min on foot
Europe Square
· 30 min · Free
- Lunch · 1 h
- 8 min on foot
Piazza Square
· 30 min · Free
- 7 min on foot
Argo Cable Car
· 1 h · 39 GEL return
Day 2 · Batumi09:30–15:12 · 2 places · 5 h 40 min
Batumi Botanical Garden
· 3 h · 25 GEL for foreign visitors
- Lunch · 1 h
- 42 min · transport or taxi
Petra Fortress
· 1 h · ≈ 8 GEL (unofficial)
Day 3 · Batumi09:30–13:26 · 2 places · 4 h
Makhuntseti Waterfall
· 1 h · Free
- 86 min · transport or taxi
Gonio Fortress
· 1 h 30 min · ≈ 10 GEL, children ≈ 2 GEL
Add nearby
Places near the plan — Yes puts one into the day and the times update.
What the route costs
5 of 9 are free; 4 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.
| 5 | Argo Cable Car | 38 | 1 h | 39 GEL return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Batumi Botanical Garden | 24 | 3 h | 25 GEL for foreign visitors |
| 7 | Petra Fortress | 24 | 1 h | ≈ 8 GEL (unofficial) |
| 9 | Gonio Fortress | 25 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ 10 GEL, children ≈ 2 GEL |
| Other 5 places | 4 h | Free | ||
| Total | 10 h 30 min | 5 of 9 free |
Tips for each stop
Day 1
- 1
Ali and Nino statue. Start by the Alphabet Tower: two 8-metre steel figures. They start moving every evening at 19:00 — come back at sunset.
- 2
Batumi Boulevard. A 7 km seaside park: a colonnade, magnolias and palms in the old part. Free and open around the clock.
- 3
Europe Square. The heart of old Batumi: Medea with the Golden Fleece on a column and an astronomical clock on the corner.
- 4
Piazza Square. An enclosed Italian-style square with mosaics, a clock tower and cafés all round — handy for lunch.
- 5
Argo Cable Car. A gondola from the port up Mount Anuria: 9–10 minutes each way, 39 GEL return, 10:00–22:00.
Day 2
- 6
Batumi Botanical Garden. Day two — a subtropical garden of more than 100 hectares on Green Cape, 9 km north. 25 GEL for foreigners, from 9:00. Enter from the top gate and walk down to the sea.
- 7
Petra Fortress. Ruins of a 6th-century Byzantine town on a cape at Tsikhisdziri, further up the same coast road. About 8 GEL (unofficial), cash.
Day 3
- 8
Makhuntseti Waterfall. Day three — a cascade of about 50 m in the hills of Adjara, 30 km from Batumi. Free, all year; Queen Tamar's Bridge is across the road.
- 9
Gonio Fortress. A 1st-century Roman camp 12–15 km south of the centre: about 10 GEL, children about 2 GEL. Gonio beach is a few minutes from the gate.
Who this route is for
- A Batumi holiday of 3–7 days
- You want both the sea and the hills
- By minibus, bus and taxi
- Mountain Adjara beyond Makhuntseti needs a car and another day
- Without beach days in between the plan is busy
May to October. Get to the waterfall before noon, ahead of the tour groups.
How to spend 3 days in Batumi
Day one is the centre, day two the coast to the north, day three the hills and the south: Makhuntseti Waterfall in the morning, then Gonio Fortress on the coast south of town.
Day three is shorter — about four hours with the ride between the stops — so there is time for the beach after Gonio.
How to get to Makhuntseti and Gonio
To the waterfall: minibus 77 Batumi–Keda from the old bus station, 40–60 minutes, cash; a taxi takes 40–50 minutes. From the road it is about 5 minutes' walk. To Gonio: bus 16 towards Sarpi or a minibus, 20–30 minutes; on the bus you pay with a Batumi Card or a contactless bank card, not cash.
Batumi for a week
On a week by the sea, spread the trips over different days with beach days in between: Batumi works well as a base. For other parts of Georgia there are itineraries for Kutaisi and Tbilisi.
How to do it right
- At the waterfall do not jump into the pool or off the bridge: the rocks are slippery.
- Buy honey and churchkhela near Makhuntseti on the way back.
- The audio guide at Gonio is worth it: without the story the foundations look like rows of stones.
- Georgia uses the lari (GEL). Cards work in most cafés and shops; keep cash for markets and minibuses.
- On summer evenings the road from Gonio back to Batumi is jammed.
Questions
Is 3 days in Batumi enough?
Yes for the town, the coast and a trip into the hills. With a week, add beach days in between.
What to do in Batumi in 3 days?
The centre with the boulevard and the Argo, then the Botanical Garden and Petra, and on day three Makhuntseti Waterfall and Gonio Fortress.
How much does a 3-day itinerary cost?
Argo 39 GEL, the garden 25 GEL, Petra about 8 GEL, Gonio about 10 GEL; the waterfall and the seafront are free.
How do I get to Makhuntseti Waterfall?
Minibus 77 Batumi–Keda from the old bus station, 40–60 minutes, or a taxi in 40–50 minutes.
Is Makhuntseti Waterfall free?
Yes, it is free and open all year.
How do I get to Gonio Fortress?
Bus 16 towards Sarpi or a minibus to Gonio, 20–30 minutes.
How much is Gonio Fortress?
About 10 GEL for adults, about 2 GEL for children 6–16, free under 6.
What to do in Batumi for a week?
These three days plus beach days in between; Kutaisi is an easy trip from Batumi.
Do I need a car?
No: minibuses and buses go everywhere, and there are taxis through Bolt and Yandex Go.
Is it good with kids?
Yes: the waterfall, the fortresses and the garden work for children; under-6s are free almost everywhere.
Sources and fact-check
- Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
- Visit Ajara: Batumi Botanical Garden, Makhuntseti Waterfall
- Gonio-Apsaros Museum-Reserve
