Things to Do at Vardzia Cave Monastery

Vardzia is a cave monastery complex carved into a cliff face in the 12th and 13th centuries, around four hours from Tbilisi and close enough to Akhaltsikhe to combine both in one long day. At its peak the complex held several thousand rooms across nineteen levels, connected by tunnels and a hidden staircase to the river below; a fraction of that survives an earthquake in 1283, but what remains — frescoed churches, wine cellars, a working monastery — is still one of Georgia's most striking sites. Khertvisi Fortress, just down the road, is the usual last stop on the way back.