7 Hours
Daily Tour
18 people
5-79
EN
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If you are comparing group day tours from Tbilisi and want to see a completely different side of Georgia, this seven-hour route combines semi-desert landscapes, colorful hills, a salt lake and one of the country’s most important historic monastic centers.
This Rainbow Mountains & David Gareja group day tour from Tbilisi takes you east from the capital toward Kapatadze Lake, Udabno Village, the Rainbow Mountains and David Gareji Lavra.
The landscapes here are very different from the green valleys and high mountains seen on many other Georgia tours. The road enters the dry terrain of the Gareja area, where open plains, eroded hills and bands of red, white and orange earth create one of the country’s most unusual environments. Georgia’s official tourism portal describes the Gareja area as a semi-desert landscape and specifically notes the colorful hills found along routes toward David Gareja.
The tour begins at Avlabari Metro Station in Tbilisi, where you meet your guide and the other participants. After departure, the group makes a short supermarket stop because food options are limited along the remote part of the route.
The first scenic stop is Kapatadze Lake, a salt lake in Kakheti surrounded by the dry landscapes of the Iori Plateau. Its appearance can change with the season and water level, making it an unusual photography stop on the way toward Gareja.
The journey then continues through Udabno Village and toward the Rainbow Mountains, where naturally colored layers in the hills create striking patterns across the semi-desert landscape.
Here, the group has time for a short hike and photographs before continuing to the historical highlight of the tour — David Gareji Lavra.
David Gareja is one of Georgia’s major early medieval monastic centers. The first monastery was founded in the first half of the 6th century by St. David Garejeli, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers, and the wider Gareja landscape later developed into an extensive network of rock-cut monasteries and monastic cells.
The monastery complex is also notable for the way its religious architecture was adapted to an arid environment. Caves, cells, churches, reservoirs and water-management systems became part of a monastic landscape that developed over many centuries.
For travelers choosing between different group day tours from Tbilisi, this route is especially suitable for those interested in landscapes, photography, light hiking and Georgian history rather than a conventional city or wine tour.
Tour type: Group day tour from Tbilisi
Duration: Approximately 7 hours
Meeting time: 09:30
Departure: 10:00
Scheduled return: 17:00
Meeting point: Avlabari Metro Station, Tbilisi
End point: Avlabari Metro Station, Tbilisi
Main route: Tbilisi → Kapatadze Lake → Udabno → Rainbow Mountains → David Gareji Lavra → Tbilisi
Main region: Gareja / Kakheti
Guide: Certified guide
Transportation: Included
Walking: Light to moderate walking on uneven terrain
Food: Not included
This route offers a very different experience from many other group day tours from Tbilisi.
Instead of vineyards, alpine mountains or large historical towns, the focus here is on Georgia’s semi-desert landscape, colorful geological formations and an ancient monastery adapted to a dry and remote environment.
The organized group format means transportation and guiding are already arranged for a route that is less convenient to explore independently and includes sections through sparsely populated terrain.
Kapatadze Lake adds a short natural stop before the landscape becomes progressively drier toward Udabno and Gareja.
The Rainbow Mountains are the main natural highlight. Their exposed bands of differently colored earth create one of the most distinctive landscapes along this route.
David Gareji Lavra then adds the historical and religious dimension. Founded in the 6th century, the Gareja monastic tradition became an important center of Georgian Christian culture and education.
The combination works particularly well for travelers who enjoy photography and walking because the scenery is an active part of the experience rather than simply a backdrop seen from the vehicle.
At approximately seven hours, the tour is also shorter than many full-day routes from Tbilisi, while still taking you well beyond the capital and into one of eastern Georgia’s most unusual landscapes.
This tour is suitable for:
Please Note
This tour includes walking on dry, rocky and uneven terrain, particularly around the Rainbow Mountains and David Gareja.
Comfortable walking shoes are strongly recommended.
There is no scheduled restaurant lunch during the tour, so participants should buy food and water during the supermarket stop.
Weather in the open semi-desert landscape can feel significantly hotter in summer and exposed to wind during cooler periods, so dress according to the forecast.
David Gareji Lavra is an active religious site. Visitors should wear respectful clothing when entering church areas. Shorts are not appropriate for church visits, and women should have a scarf or suitable head covering available.
Tour Map
Location: Avlabari Metro Station, Tbilisi
Duration: 30 minutes
Meeting time: 09:30
Meet your guide and the other participants in front of Avlabari Metro Station. Look for the Gamarjoba Georgia Tours branded flag.
The fixed meeting point makes it easy for travelers staying in different parts of Tbilisi to join the group day tour.
Please arrive on time so check-in can be completed before departure.
Departure: 10:00
Route: Tbilisi → Gareja semi-desert → David Gareja → Tbilisi
Leave Tbilisi together with the group and begin the journey toward the dry landscapes of eastern Georgia.
As the route moves away from the capital, the scenery gradually changes from urban surroundings to broad open plains and the semi-arid landscape associated with the Gareja region.
Duration: 15 minutes
Experience: Snack and water stop
The group makes a short stop at Smart Supermarket before continuing into the more remote part of the route.
There is no scheduled restaurant lunch during the tour, so this is the best opportunity to buy water, snacks or other food for the day.
Food and drinks are not included in the tour price.
Duration: 15 minutes
Experience: Salt lake and photography stop
The first natural stop is Kapatadze Lake, a salt lake in Kakheti situated within the dry landscape on the route toward Gareja.
Its appearance changes depending on the season and water level, and during drier periods the exposed lakebed can become one of the most distinctive visual features of the stop.
Take a short break for photographs and enjoy the open landscape before continuing toward Udabno.
Duration: Approximately 15 minutes
Experience: Semi-desert scenery and village landscape
Continue through Udabno Village in Sagarejo Municipality.
The settlement lies within the dry Gareja landscape and marks a strong visual transition from the greener parts of Georgia that many travelers see on other tours.
This part of the route is mainly a scenic drive rather than a long sightseeing stop, allowing you to observe the open terrain and remote character of the area on the way toward the Rainbow Mountains.
Duration: Approximately 1 hour
Experience: Colorful hills, light hiking and photography
Arrive at the Rainbow Mountains, one of the main natural highlights of the tour.
Layers of differently colored sediment create bands of red, orange, pale and darker tones across the exposed hills, producing a landscape that looks very different from Georgia’s better-known alpine regions.
Georgia’s official tourism information describes red, white and orange hills in the Gareja area and notes the colorful mountains along routes approaching David Gareja.
Walk through part of the landscape with the group and take time for photographs.
The terrain can be dry, dusty and uneven, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
Duration: Approximately 1 hour 45 minutes
Experience: Early medieval monastery, rock-cut architecture and Georgian Christian history
Continue to David Gareji Lavra, the historical centerpiece of the day.
David Gareja developed from a monastic community founded in the first half of the 6th century by St. David Garejeli, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers associated with the development of monastic Christianity in Georgia.
St. David and his disciple initially settled in a natural cave, and the first monastery — David’s Lavra — later became the center of a much larger monastic tradition spread across the Gareja landscape.
As the community expanded, monks created additional rock-cut cells, churches and practical spaces. Water reservoirs and a carefully adapted water-supply system were especially important in this dry environment.
Walk through the accessible part of the Lavra with your guide and learn about the development of the monastery, its religious importance and the challenges of monastic life in the semi-desert.
David Gareji Monasteries and Hermitage have been on Georgia’s UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2007; this should not be confused with full UNESCO World Heritage inscription.
Route: David Gareja → Tbilisi
Experience: Return drive
After completing the visit to David Gareji Lavra, rejoin the group transportation and begin the return journey to Tbilisi.
The drive provides another opportunity to see the open landscapes of eastern Georgia before the route returns to the capital.
End point: Avlabari Metro Station, Tbilisi
Scheduled end time: 17:00
Return to Avlabari Metro Station, where the tour finishes at the same meeting point used in the morning.
During the seven-hour group day tour from Tbilisi, you will have seen Kapatadze Lake, traveled through Udabno and the Gareja semi-desert, walked among the Rainbow Mountains and explored the historic David Gareji Lavra.
Yes. This is a seven-hour group day tour from Tbilisi with a guide and other participants. The tour starts and finishes at Avlabari Metro Station and includes Kapatadze Lake, Udabno, the Rainbow Mountains and David Gareji Lavra.
Yes. The tour includes light to moderate walking on dry and uneven terrain, particularly around the Rainbow Mountains and monastery area. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
No. Food and drinks are not included, and there is no scheduled restaurant lunch. The group stops at a supermarket near the beginning of the tour so participants can buy snacks, food and water.
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