Private Tour from Kutaisi to Mountainous Racha and Monasteries

It is a small and very beautiful monastery with round turrets crowned with peaked tent-shaped domes. The monastery is standing above the rough Rioni river and is buried in coastal vegetation. According to the legend the monastery was constructed on the place where Muslim aggressors executed David and Konstantin Mkheidze, Georgian princes, who refused to accept Islam. In a small monastery hall on an eminence there is a big rectangular ark with the hallows of the pious princes canonized by Georgian Church. Motsameta attracts crowds of tourists with an ancient superstition: if one crawls three times under the ark and makes a wish while touching the hallows, the princes David and Konstantin will grant it. The Tsar Bagrat III reconstructed the church in the 10 th century. The building was reconstructed again in the 19 th century.

Gelati Monastery is located in the Imereti region. The monastery was founded by David the Builder in 1106. We read in his will: “The monastery remained for my burial and for the crypt of my children forever and I will take eternal pain, so may my son Dimitri complete the construction”. Here the greatest king of Georgia is buried. The ensemble includes the main church of the Assumption of the Virgin, St. George's Church, St. Nicholas Church, bell tower, academy and fence. Gelati Monastery was the largest cultural and educational center. Gelati complex is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Tskhrajvari (‘Nine Crosses’) is quite possibly the most spectacular viewpoint in all of Georgia, and definitely among the best day hikes near Kutaisi. Tskhrajvari is an Orthodox pilgrimage site and viewpoint located near the Nakerala Pass, right on the cusp of Western Georgia’s Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi regions. At 1,500 metres above sea level, it affords incredible views of the Greater Caucasus mountains, including the twin peaks of Ushba. On a clear day you can see all the way out to the Black Sea. The hike starts out from behind the abandoned concrete cable car station. Immediately you start going up, but at a very gentle incline. The path is not strictly marked but it’s fairly obvious where you should go. If in doubt, follow the white rocks. Viewpoints open out all along the track. You’ll also see various religious shrines, including a hollowed-out tree trunk filled with icons , and wishing trees heavy with satin scarves, ribbons and pieces of torn cloth.

Shaori Reservoir is one of the most attractive places in Racha. Heading to Racha, you cannot overpass the Reservoir which dazzles you with its landscape.

Nikortsminda Cathedral is a Georgian Orthodox Church, located in Nikortsminda, Racha region of Georgia. Nikortsminda was built in 1010–1014 during the reign of Bagrat III of Georgia[1] and was repaired in 1534 by the King Bagrat III of Imereti. Three-storied bell-tower next to the cathedral was built in the second half of the 19th century. Frescoes inside the cathedral date from the 17th century. The cathedral follows a short-armed rectangular cross plan and has a short segment to the west. The facades of the cathedral are covered with smoothly hewn stone. Decorations include unbroken arcatures and various rich ornaments, including multiple-figured narrative reliefs and episodes. Nikortsminda has among the most beautiful decorations of all Georgian churches and cathedrals as several different styles can be seen. The cathedral is on the Tentative List for status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.