One of the perks of living in a country as small as Georgia is the relatively short amount of time in which you can access nearly any part of the country. Tbilisi is a great base from which you can do a number of awesome day trips. Visiting Gergeti Trinity Church at Kazbegi is one. Exploring the cave city of Uplistsikhe is another. One more that you absolutely can’t miss is a day trip to Davit Gareja (დავითგარეჯის სამონასტრო კომპლექსი) near the border with Azerbaijan. Here’s how to get to Davit Gareja from Tbilisi!
Hewn into the sides of a small mountain range along the border, the monastery complex bears some similarities to Uplistsikhe — the cave city near Gori. Established in the 6th century by a monk named David Garejeli, the complex has been expanded over the centuries and suffered destruction at the hands of the Mongols, Safavids, and Soviets.
Conveniently, there’s a shuttle which runs directly from Freedom Square in Tbilisi to Davit Gareja and back — all for 25 lari. Since the monastery itself is free to visit, that makes for a very manageable day trip. Buses depart daily at 11:00 am and return to the city around 7:00 pm.
The ride there goes through the wine-producing region of Kakheti. The terrain there is mostly rolling hills, and the climate is dry and arid. Fields triumph over trees, and it’s not uncommon to see huge herds of sheep and cattle grazing contentedly as you drive past.
It took just under two hours to get to Davit Gareja from Tbilisi, though we stopped at a few points along the way to take photos and purchase water. When we finally arrived at the monastery, it was somewhat unassuming at first glance. This is because the bulk of the complex is hidden by the hills around it. Entering through the main gate leads you into a large, tiered courtyard, where rooms and alcoves are carved into the stone.
The complex is an active religious site and is undergoing continual restorations to fix damage accrued over the centuries. It’s not uncommon to encounter an orthodox priest going about his daily tasks while exploring the grounds.
As cool as the main compound is, it’s not even the best part of a day trip to Davit Gareja from Tbilisi. For that, you need to go on a hike to the other side of the ridge. Start by heading straight up the hill to the watchtower visible from just about anywhere in the complex.
Carry on up the hill past a small shrine carved out of a large boulder, and you’ll eventually find yourself atop the ridge.
At that point, you will have crossed the border into Azerbaijan. The views out into the neighboring country are magnificent — a huge expanse of fields and rippling terrain, with rock layers visible as long stripes heading towards the horizon.
Follow the footpath back along the ridge, and you’ll discover the hidden secret of Davit Gareja — a series of monasteries and stables carved into the cliff face. If you’re lucky and do the hike in spring, wildflowers will be blooming along the trail, adding splashes of color to the landscape.
Some of the caves are in better condition than others, and a few even have remnants of frescoes still visible. Many of these were painted from the 11th to the 13th century when the complex and the kingdom of Georgia were at their peaks.
It’s not uncommon to see armed soldiers at the top, as the site is the subject of a border dispute between Georgia and Azerbaijan. It’s a peaceful dispute, however, unlike the current conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
All in all, we had about 3 hours to explore the complex, which was a good amount of time. Worn out from a long day of exploring, we all piled into our van and headed home, stopping briefly in the nearby town of Udabno (უდაბნო) for a food break before continuing on to Tbilisi.
Getting there:
- Departure point: In front of the Pushkin statue at Freedom Square in Tbilisi. If you’re not sure where that is, ask the tourist information office by the bus stop.
- Departure time: 11:00 am daily (the service starts around mid-April every year. Again, check with the tourist information office to be sure the shuttle is running).
- Cost: 25 GEL, plus extra money for water and/or food en route.
- Return time: 7:00 pm
Curious about where to stay in Tbilisi? Check out this post by Rohan and Max of Travels of Bookpacker for some great tips!
How about you? Have you ever been to a unique temple or monastery? Where was it and what made it so unique? Share your experiences in the comments below!
- Hiking to Refugio Frey and Beyond - January 20, 2020
- Christmas Letter 2019 - December 18, 2019
- My Walk Out of the Woods - June 30, 2019
Day-trip to Gergeti Trinity Church
[…] few stops in between for viewing different historical places like Fort, David Gareja Monastery, Signaghi the Lover’s city, Lopota Lake, we reached Khareba […]