Martvili Canyon near Kutaisi

Martvili Canyon tickets and boat ride price

From 1 April 2026, entry for foreign visitors is 40 GEL (16 GEL for Georgian citizens). That comes from a tour operator's notice of the Protected Areas Agency's new tariff; the agency's own tariff page returned an error when we checked on 30.10.2026, so we mark the price as verifying. Blogs from earlier years quote 17.25 or 20 GEL — those fares are out of date.

The boat is paid separately at the same desk. The same notice keeps it at 20 GEL; some tour listings say 30 GEL. Under-6s go free, there's a reduced fare for ages 6–18, and children must be at least 1 metre tall to board.

Paying: Visa and Mastercard work almost everywhere in Georgia, and the visitor centre reportedly takes both card and cash (unofficial). Carry some lari anyway — marshrutka drivers and most local taxi drivers only take cash, and there's little else around the canyon.

Opening hours

The canyon opens at 10:00 every day. The Protected Areas Agency portal lists closing at 18:00 in spring and winter, 19:00 in autumn and midnight in summer, when the gorge is lit up after dark. Boats stop earlier — the last one leaves roughly half an hour before closing, and sooner off-season.

The same portal's older visitor rules mention a Monday closure, while its main page and Georgia's official tourism site say “every day”. We treat it as open daily and mark that as verifying; if Monday is your only option, ring the visitor centre first.

Timing tip: come at opening or after lunch on a weekday. Around midday the tour minibuses from Kutaisi and Batumi arrive and a queue forms at the boat pier.

Is Martvili Canyon worth it?

Yes — if you take the boat and combine it with something else. The colour of the water, the mossy walls and the waterfalls seen from the river are the real reason to come, and the ride takes you into a part of the gorge the trail can't reach.

Be realistic about the scale. This is a small canyon: the trail is a 700-metre loop and most people are done in an hour or so. If you've seen big canyons in Turkey or the Alps, it won't feel grand. Without the boat — on a rainy day, say — an hour's drive each way for the trail alone is hard to justify.

That's why most travellers pair it with Okatse Canyon and Kinchkha Waterfall, or with Prometheus Cave, and make a full day of it from Kutaisi.

What to see

• The walking loop above the river — 700 metres with two bridges over the gorge and three viewpoints.
• The turquoise Abasha: the colour is brightest on sunny days in the dry season, when the water runs clear.
• Waterfalls in the middle of the canyon — visible from the viewpoints, best from the boat.
• The Dadiani Baths and the limestone staircase the ruling family used to reach the water.
• The boat stretch: 300–350 metres in an inflatable between sheer walls. A helmet and life jacket are included.
• Moss-covered cliffs and hanging roots over the water — the shot most people come for.

About the canyon

The Abasha River cut this gorge through limestone. It runs for about 2.4 km and is 50–70 metres deep; in places the walls come so close that the trees almost meet above the water. Only a short section is open to visitors.

The Dadiani princes, who ruled Samegrelo, kept a summer residence here and bathed in the canyon — their stone staircase still leads down to the water. Palaeontologists have found Late Cretaceous fossils in the area, including dinosaur footprints. The canyon became a protected natural monument in 2013 and was later fitted with bridges, viewpoints, a pier and a visitor centre.

Officially it's the Gachedili Canyon Natural Monument; in guides and on maps it's simply Martvili Canyon.

Best time to visit

May to October is the best window. In spring the river is full but cloudier and colder, and boats are cancelled more often after rain. Summer is the busiest season. September and October are our pick — fewer people and calm, bright water.

Rain doesn't close the trail, but the steps and bridges get slippery and the boats stay tied up. In winter the canyon is open but muted, and boats run only now and then.

Swimming is banned throughout the protected area, even on hot days. Locals swim at nearby Balda Canyon instead, about 15 minutes' drive away.

Martvili vs Okatse vs Prometheus Cave

The classic day from Kutaisi: Martvili in the morning, then Okatse and Kinchkha Waterfall, about 45 minutes apart. On a wet day, swap the canyons for Prometheus Cave.

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Places by the water around Kutaisi rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

How to do it right

• Get there for the 10:00 opening — the pier is nearly empty before midday, when the tour groups arrive.
• Buy the boat ticket at the desk with your entry; there's no ticket sale at the pier.
• Six people share a boat and a staff paddler does most of the work; helmet and life jacket are provided.
• Keep your phone on a strap or in a pouch — there's spray on the boat and the river is unforgiving.
• From Batumi or Tbilisi, stay a night in Kutaisi rather than doing it as a long day trip.
• The trail has steps and bridges — use a baby carrier rather than a pushchair.

Questions