The route in four parts
The Agency of Protected Areas describes the Okatse Canyon trail as 6 km, two to three hours, simple. It is easy underfoot and well built, but long, and the stairs are steep in places.
| Part | Distance | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor centre to checkpoint | 2,300 m | stone-paved path through the Dadiani forest park |
| Hanging walkway | 780 m | metal walkway and stairs fixed to the canyon wall |
| Panoramic platform | about 20 m long | the platform projecting over the gorge |
| Walkway back to checkpoint | 645 m | stone-paved path |
Then you walk the forest path back to the visitor centre, or ride: the agency says the stretch between the visitor centre and the checkpoint can be driven.
The forest path
The first 2,300 m are the easy part, and the part people forget to budget time for. The stone path runs through the Dadiani forest park, named for the Dadiani princes, and passes the ruins of the Dadiani castle and a church. It is shaded, gently undulating and fine in ordinary walking shoes.
The walkway itself
At the checkpoint the path leaves the ground and follows the canyon wall on a metal structure. The agency counts 989 steps of metal stairs on this section, so expect long flights up and down rather than a level boardwalk. The canyon below is 35 to 50 m deep and, according to the agency, about 4 m wide on average; in places the walls almost meet overhead and form natural bridges, one of which, Boga, gives a view straight down to the riverbed.
Plants you will see growing out of the walls are part of why the canyon is protected: the agency notes that its sheltered microclimate keeps rare and endangered trees and shrubs.
The platform
The walkway ends on a panoramic platform about 20 m long that projects out over the canyon. It is the view in most photographs of Okatse. It is also the spot that tests anyone uneasy with height, because it reaches out from the wall over the drop instead of running along it.
Is it hard?
- Fitness. Two to three hours of walking and 989 steps: comfortable for anyone who walks regularly, tiring for those who do not. Take it slowly on the stairs and use the handrails.
- Height. The walkway is railed throughout. If heights frighten you, the forest path and the first part of the walkway are still worth it, and you can turn back before the platform.
- Children. The agency does not allow children under 6 on the canyon trail. Older children need to be able to manage long flights of stairs.
- Wheelchairs and pushchairs. Not possible on the walkway, because of the stairs. The visitor centre and parts of the forest path are easier ground.
- Weather. Walking is not allowed in rain or snow. Wet metal and stone are slippery, so shoes with grip matter even on a dry day after rain.
Time it right
The canyon opens at 10:00 and the safe closing time to plan on is 17:00, so start the route by 14:00 at the latest. Details of fees and hours are on the tickets page, and the Kinchkha waterfall is 5 km up the road if you have the afternoon free.