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Martvili Itinerary

At Cha Cha Backpackers, to fully experience Martvili, we recommend 3 days. Below is a sample itinerary on what to do in Martvili

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Day 1:

  • (Morning Arrival) See if we're offering the river tubing activity. If we are, prepare to spend 4-5 hours casually floating down the Abasha River to the gentle sound of the flowing river and the sights of nature and livestock like cows and horses foraging riverside. Afterward, make your way to your Nokalakevi Fortress below
  • (Afternoon Arrival) Same as above but you won't have time to do the river tubing, so head straight to the Nokalakevi Fortress and hotspring!
  • (Nighttime Arrival) Not much to do but come enjoy some happy hour with us on our outdoor terrace underneath the solar lights

Day 2

  • Time to put on your trekking shoes and head to our #2 of top 3 sites in Martvili: The Waterfall Loop, located 12km north of Cha Cha.
    • It is highly recommended you download the app maps.me or mapy.cz to do this roughly 15km loop. The best route is to do it counterclockwise. Starting point is around here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/aupGYXuoDSG8p3nz5
    • The loop will take you to 3 waterfalls: Oniore, Toba, and Kahgu
    • Pack plenty of water as this loop will take between 6-8 hours, depending on speed and how often you stop. 
    • For more details, check out this wonderful site funded by the EU: https://ecotournet.net/Article/Oniore-Hiking-Trail/a4b61402-319a-400b-8434-4e927731f7ba
    • If you do not want to do the entire loop, then you can easily drive or drive + short hike to Kahgu Waterfall
  • You're mostly tired by this point, so come on back to Cha Cha to enjoy some nice Georgian food and happy hour!
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Horse ride day
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Horse ride day
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The Swing at the End of the World

Day 2 Alternative

  • If you don't feel like walking the entire waterfall loop, consider going on a horse back ride through half of it!
  • The horse ride will take approximately 2 hours where you will end up at a hut, where cha cha, wine, and cheese are provided. There's a swing you can use!
  • Then, leaving the horses behind, you will trek for 15-20 minutes through the woods to the Toba Waterfall (going there is downhill, coming back is approximately 120 meter hill climb). At the waterfall, you can relax, swim, and soak in the nature
  • Upon leaving the waterfall, you will trek back to where the horses are resting, and then ride the horse back to the start point. 
  • By this point, it'll be in the evening, so it's time to get back to Cha Cha for our nightly dinners! 
  • Note: Horse ride tour is exclusively for Chavelers (our guests) only.

Day 3

  • To round out our top 3, we have the Tsachkhere Waterfall, located 24km north of Cha Cha. 
  • If there's time, go visit the Gachedili Canyon, the free neighbor to the Martvili Canyon. Entrance can be found here https://maps.app.goo.gl/xTLm2TM8GtZdjy8w7
    • Go through the gate, and after a quick 5-minute walk in the field, you'll come into the beautiful canyon where you can relax, and even go for a swim!
Tsachkere Waterfall

Beyond 3 Days

Here are some more things to do and see in Martvili if you have more time

Martvili Canyon

Super touristic, if you're here, and really want to see it, then you can. But it's not our top 3

Google Maps

Martvili Tea

Martvili Tea, a local tea company, has a pretty decent factory and field tour if you're interested in how a local tea plantation is farmed.

Google Maps

Martvili Monastery

See all of Martvili from this high vantage point, and see a cultural side to Georgia with this 7th- century church. Hint: It's just 1 gel to take the cable car from town and back.

Google Maps

Salkhino Palace

Early 19th century palace with a very calm and inviting garden and just a nice place to go and hang out for a few hours in the palace estate, and then after go try their Qveri wine! 

Google Maps

Kurzu Village-Ochkhomuri Waterfall Hike

28 km north of Cha Cha, this short but challenging 6.6km round-trip hike takes you to a 100m high waterfall. You can even try to rent a nearby horse to ride! More details here: https://georgia.travel/kurzu-village-ochkhomuri-waterfall

Google Maps

Okatse Canyon and Kinchkha Waterfall

28km east of Cha Cha is the 2nd most popular canyon in the region, Okatse. Here you can walk along the metal suspended path to catch the beautiful views. Afterward, you can continue to the beautiful Kinchkha Waterfall, a 3-step cascade waterfall.

Google Maps