Site · cave monastery-city
Vardzia
1,300 m
260 km
4 h
Half day
Apr–Oct
Cave city
Why go
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A 12th-century cave city of Queen Tamar — 13 levels and 400+ rooms carved into the cliff.
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A still-functioning monastery church with medieval frescoes.
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Paired naturally with Rabati Fortress and the spa town of Borjomi.
Vardzia is a cave monastery-city dug into the Erusheti mountainside above the Mtkvari, begun in the 1180s under Queen Tamar and once hidden entirely inside the rock. Monks still keep the church at its heart.
SnowIdeal
What to see
Site
Type
Entry
Visit
Vardzia cave city
Cave-town
Ticketed
2 h
Vardzia monastery church
Church
Free
20 min
Rabati Fortress, Akhaltsikhe
Fortress
Ticketed
1–2 h
Khertvisi Fortress
Fortress
Free
30 min
Ticketed sites are paid on site in Georgian lari (₾).
Tours through Vardzia
See all →Where to stay in Vardzia
All hotels →We place guests in vetted, hand-picked stays in Vardzia — from family guesthouses to the best rooms in town. Tell us your dates and group and we'll match the right one.
Good to know
- What is there to see in Vardzia?
- Highlights include Vardzia cave city, Vardzia monastery church, Rabati Fortress, Akhaltsikhe, Khertvisi Fortress.
- Where should I stay in Vardzia?
- We place guests in vetted, hand-picked stays in Vardzia, from family guesthouses to the best rooms in town. Tell us your dates and group and we match the right one.