Just 1.5 hours from Tbilisi, some natural magic awaits. Khada is hidden gorge below mountains of Gudauri at the edge of Caucasus Mountains, reached by turning off the highway after Pasanauri, crossing the Aragvi River and snaking through the village and up into the highlands. This is an ideal destination for those seeking calm, solitude, unspoiled nature and true off-the-beaten-track sights, equally appealing for those happy with a gentle 3-hour round-trip hike with kids and those wanting more, and who are unafraid to get their feet wet! The villages here have stood centuries, the towers just as long, having witnessed numerous stories essential to the tale of Georgia.

Khada Gorge is part of the Mtliuleti Region, and is, historically, one of the most important valleys in Georgia as it is the original route of the Georgian Military Highway- it is said at one point to have had over 60 towers – most of which are now part-collapsed. It is also in this very valley that St Nino first declared Georgia a Christian nation. And beyond all that is the simply stunning nature: waterfalls, mineral water, meadows clinging to mountainsides, and a raging river below you as you walk. 

It is certainly one of Georgia’s most beautiful landscapes- no photographer, however amateur, can take a bad photo here as the dramatic surroundings bend to the lens. Another bonus is that, unlike other mountain valleys with year-round access, this one remains completely authentic and undeveloped.

Enjoy tower-spotting, walk among ancient tomb stones, perch on rocks and breathe in the incredible air, drink naturally sparkling mineral water as it flows from bright orange rocks and dyes the earth the same color, capture the colors of spring and summer flowers in a photo and cows grazing far up the mountainside above you. This is day out not to be beat!