The distances
| From | To | By road | Straight line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kutaisi centre | Okatse Canyon visitor centre | 42.9 km (via Tskaltubo) | 25.2 km |
| Kutaisi centre | Khoni | 27.5 km | |
| Khoni | Okatse Canyon visitor centre | 21.0 km | 17.0 km |
| Tskaltubo | Okatse Canyon visitor centre | 30.4 km | 16.0 km |
| Tbilisi | Khoni | 260 km (the agency’s figure) |
The road figures are measured along the mapped roads by the shortest route; the straight-line figures are the distance between the two points on the ground, the kind some map apps show first. The difference is the point: the canyon is 25 km away on the map and 43 km away on the road, because the road climbs north through Tskaltubo and the villages rather than heading straight across.
By car
Drive north-west out of Kutaisi towards Tskaltubo and follow the signs for Okatse Canyon through the villages to Zeda Gordi. Allow about an hour each way: the last part is on narrow village roads. The visitor centre has a car park. From the visitor centre you can also drive on to the canyon checkpoint where the walkway starts, which cuts out the 2,300 m forest path in each direction.
If you are coming from Martvili, the visitor centres of the two canyons are 25.7 km apart by road.
By taxi or with a driver
Without a car, this is the practical option. Agree a return trip with waiting time from Kutaisi: Gordi is a village, and you cannot count on finding a taxi there for the way back. A driver also makes it easy to add Kinchkha waterfall, 5 km further up the road, and Martvili Canyon or Prometheus Cave on the same day.
By minibus
There is no direct public transport. The route is in two legs:
- Kutaisi to Khoni, 27.5 km by road, on a minibus (marshrutka) from Kutaisi.
- Khoni to Gordi, 21 km, on a local minibus. These run only a few times a day, and the times are not published online.
Ask at the Kutaisi station for the Khoni minibus and in Khoni for the Gordi one, and ask for the time of the last minibus back before you set off. A common compromise is the minibus to Khoni and a taxi from there.
From Tbilisi
The Agency of Protected Areas gives 260 km and about three and a half hours from Tbilisi to Khoni, then 21 km and 25 minutes to the visitor centre. Counting the two to three hours on the route, a same-day return from Tbilisi is a very long day. The agency itself suggests staying overnight in Kutaisi or Tskaltubo.
Arrive in time
The visitor centre is open from 10:00. The agency’s fee page gives 17:30 as the closing time and its park portal 17:00 in autumn and winter, so plan on 17:00 (see tickets and opening hours). Leave Kutaisi by 12:00 at the latest to walk the whole route without rushing, and earlier if you are adding the waterfall.