Soviet past - Private day tour to Chiatura, Katskhi pillar and Chronicles
5
Soviet past - Private day tour to Chiatura, Katskhi pillar and Chronicles
By Real Georgia Tours
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About
Whether you're fascinated by Georgia's Communist history, or itching for a sightseeing trip that takes you off the beaten path, don't miss this full-day, private excursion to Chiatura. Once a bustling mining area, this nearly deserted ghost town is where you explore for the day. You can test your mettle with a ride in a historic cable car, visit a church inside a cave, and enjoy easy travel included.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 5-99
Duration: 9–11 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- Visit industrial Chiatura and the scenic Imereti region on this private tour
- See Soviet architecture and Stalin-era relics, and visit Mgvimevi Monastery
- Get a great value with guide, travel, cable car ride, and entries included
- Hassle-free pickup and drop-off from your Tbilisi hotel is included
- See the old cable cars of Chiatura and explore the abandoned areas in the ghost like town
- Visit the Mgvimevi monastery - the only one where the church is built inside a natural cave
- Katskhi sveti - a natural stone pilar with a church on top
- Private tour with local guide, who knows the best locations.
- Perfect for photographers
- WiFi on board
- Bottled water
What's not included- Lunch (we can recommend our favorite spots)
- Gratuities
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Pickup details
- We will pick you up from your hotel or vacation rental in Tbilisi. Please share your accommodation location after the booking.
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Infant seats available
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 33227P4- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Please note, that as of the moment, all old cable cars have been suspended for safety reasons, but you can still see them
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 33227P4
From
$119.00
per adult (price varies by group size)
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Pallovie S0 contributionsMust visit once experienceWe had really great experience. Our tour guide was very good and Cooperative also he had good knowledge of the places.the family served us a lovely scrumptious lunch and were very helpful.Written January 15, 2025
- 131vijayb0 contributionsGreat tourWe had an extremely knowledgeable, friendly and Informative guide Zezva. Who looked after us well. We were not rushed in any place. The local lunch was lovely. We were guided well for pictures to take back home. It was overall a great experienceWritten January 13, 2025
- Amy J0 contributionsCha Cha in GeorgiaWe had a great evening exploring the streets of Tblisi! Our tour guide was extremely helpful and knowledgeable, and all the food we tasted was delicious! My favorite part was taking the cha cha shots and learning more about the Georgian culture.Written December 29, 2024
- 398angush0 contributionsMUST GO.The tour guide Irakli is very professional and knowledgeable to the tour spots. It was amazing. Trip was smooth, dinner was nice!Written December 27, 2024
- feathersandgoldbears0 contributionsAn amazing introduction to ArmeniaAbsolutely beautiful tour, very knowledgable guide and at the lunch everything except 2 dishes were vegan friendly. Would highly recommend!Written December 11, 2024
- VanLe0 contributionsExcellent tour to visit Armenia in a day. Highly recommendedVery good tour. Thanks to our tour guide Zezva. I really enjoyed the tour. Very helpful and knowledgeable tour guide. The local family lunch is so delicious. Highly recommend to join this tour if you come to Tbilisi.Written November 13, 2024
- jessicavL1632PO0 contributionsFantastic tourExcellent tour! My guide Temo was very knowledgeable and I learned so much about Georgia. Very interesting afternoon and I got to see lots of beautiful views of Tbilisi and the surrounding areas.Written November 6, 2024
- Peter M0 contributionsBeautiful GeorgiaThis was a truly special experience. Giorgi is a terrific guide and a great person. Their tours are unreal. Their colleague David is also a great guy. The things I've seen on this trip will stay with me forever. Maria, who kept me updated on WhatsApp, was also a complete pleasure to communicate with. Georgia is an amazing countryWritten November 3, 2024
- mikusiac0 contributionsIncredible tour with a knowledgeable guideWe loved our food tour through Tbilisi. Our guide Giorgi was fun and informative. He chose a variety of foods, chacha, and wines for us to taste and gave us recommendations on what else to do on our trip. We definitely did not leave hungry!! Would highly recommend this experienceWritten November 3, 2024
- newyorker590 contributionsOkay tourWe enjoyed our tour with Georgi; we visited three restaurants , a bar and a food court. Georgi is knowledgeable and pleasant however he seemed distracted at times. Two of the restaurants as well as the bar (lots of fun) were places we wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. We did feel some pressure to buy goods from the proprietors - a first in my food tours experiences. Overall okay .Written October 28, 2024
- carmenchanelb0 contributionsA unique experience!What an interesting experience - unlike anything we've experienced, the tour exceeded our expectations! Nicholas was a great guide. He gave us some cool facts about Armenia and was very knowledgeable and helpful. The lunch was insanely delicious. I highly reccomend this tour, it's worth every penny!Written October 25, 2024
- 660timurs0 contributionsAmazing Tour and Outstanding Tour Guide from GeorgeThe trip is absolute perfection. I am very subjective about this review as I met an amazing tour guide George who not only waited for me but also gave me a personal tour and showed what Georgia is famous for - it’s welcoming culture. George was extremely kind, friendly, explained everything to perfection in English, gave me amazing recommendations around Tbilisi and where to eat and even get a haircut. The views were amazing and he was very friendly and has many topics to share. Our time together was perfect and I could only show my appreciation through a gift to him, which, in my opinion, is the least thing I could do to thank him. The tour is amazing and if you get George, I promise you, your night is going to be amazingWritten October 18, 2024
- RehobothTraveller0 contributionsFood tour is a great introduction to GeorgiaWe found this tour to be fun and informative about local food and wine. It was also a great introduction to Tbilisi and Georgia in general, and a fun way to start our visit to the country. Our guide, Zezva, did a great job and during the course of our two-week trip, we made many references to what we'd learned from him during our food tour in Tbilisi.Written October 14, 2024
- Daniel S0 contributionsGreat tour to explore off the beaten path and learn about Georgia's Soviet past and the amazing architecture of that era.Brilliant tour - most interesting thing we did in Tbilisi! Giorgi was great - extremely knowledgable and informative about Georgia's Soviet past, and the spectacular architecture of that era. Great opportunity to explore off the beaten path of the main tourist sites.Written October 6, 2024
- JDEE1150 contributionsFantastic City TourWhat a fantastic tour and introduction to Georgia. The views of Tbilisi by night is magnificent. My guide Giorgi was so welcoming and friendly and had very good knowledge about the history of his country and some funny stories too. It's a must do tour if you are ever in Tbilisi. Thank you again Giorgi.Written October 5, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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21 reviews
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Amy G
Chicago, Illinois23 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
We had a great day with Levan during our private day tour to Chiatura, the Katakhi Pillar, and Gori. (We substituted Gori for the Chronicles, which we had visited earlier in our trip.)
Levan was a great guide — prompt, easygoing when we wanted to take lots of photos, knowledgeable but didn’t feel the need to fill every second of silence, and with a clean and safe vehicle. He picked a great lunch restaurant, kept 3 of us (with a 30 year age span) awake, laughing, and learning throughout the day, and took great photos of our group.
We had used Real Georgia tours on a previous trip to Georgia, and found them easy to work with, prompt, and reasonably priced. Our experience with Levan left us glad we chose them again.
Levan was a great guide — prompt, easygoing when we wanted to take lots of photos, knowledgeable but didn’t feel the need to fill every second of silence, and with a clean and safe vehicle. He picked a great lunch restaurant, kept 3 of us (with a 30 year age span) awake, laughing, and learning throughout the day, and took great photos of our group.
We had used Real Georgia tours on a previous trip to Georgia, and found them easy to work with, prompt, and reasonably priced. Our experience with Levan left us glad we chose them again.
Written July 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thelonelytraveller5
13 contributions
Sep 2021 • Solo
This tour was like traveling back in time. There is so much history that has been untouched, a rare gem to see. You can see what’s left of Soviet times without glorifying it. Giorgi was my guide and was an absolute joy and extremely knowledgeable. With Giorgi as your guide, you will be sure to get the full history of Chiatura.
Written September 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lucy
Doha, Qatar7 contributions
Jul 2021
This was a trip like no other in Georgia. Visiting Chiatura was like stepping back in time that gave a taste of what it was like to live and work in the Soviet era. Ancient ski lifts that were operational up until 2019 dot the factory site. Was rather hoping to experience a ride but too late. Magnesium factory which would be seriously condemned in the West still operating and polluting the river running through the town black. (Similar styled, crumbling factories still operate in NW Armenia. producing copper). Interesting cave church and monestery. I was lucky to observe a service. Nice meal in a clean local restaurant with decent toilet! One could wander an old crumbling structure of an old Komsomol camp atop a hill. I was fascinated by the old style Soviet apartment blocks that are unbelievably still lived in and not just in Chiatura but throughout Georgia. Kiaski Pillar was a unique site. The skills taken to build a monastery atop a natural monolith long ago are staggering. Trip was finished with a trip to the Chronicles just outside Tbilisi admidst a lovely sunset. Great for picture taking. Irakli was a great guide. Informative, friendly and very helpful. I recommend this trip from a historical view. Totally different to any other trip!
Written July 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anoud Al Hammadi
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates152 contributions
The most comfortable and friendly tour as the first time visiting tbilisi.
The tour guide so informative and competent.
Had great time exploring tbilisi history and receiving recommendation from the tour guide. It wasn't boring tour i highly recommended full of laughter and enjoyment.
Tour guide: George
Tip: wear comfortable shoes, there's small hike and bring water.
The tour guide so informative and competent.
Had great time exploring tbilisi history and receiving recommendation from the tour guide. It wasn't boring tour i highly recommended full of laughter and enjoyment.
Tour guide: George
Tip: wear comfortable shoes, there's small hike and bring water.
Written February 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heavenly
15 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
To understand Soviet past in Georgia this is a must do trip. We had a good guide - Irakli a passionate and knowledgeable on the tour . He is also a skilled driver and we are fortunate to have him.
Overall we are happy 😃 with the trip.
Overall we are happy 😃 with the trip.
Written February 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark R
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia16 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Irakli was our tour guide and we had a good time with him . He took us to the mining areas and we saw the chronicles of Georgia, church on top of the tower and did cable car tour etc. We really like the tour with him and did not regret this one bit!
Written July 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anjana-Wije
Dubai, United Arab Emirates22 contributions
We had a lovely day out at Chiatura, the Mine City. Me, my husband and our 8 year old daughter started off at 9am from our hotel in Tiblisi with our very friendly and knowledgeable guide Irakli. On the way we visited the Chronicles of Georgia monument which was an amazing structure made out of copper.
The cable car experience was scary and exciting at the same time. Irakli took us on two rides in two different locations which was a very first to all three of us. Even our 8 year old enjoyed it a lot. Its amazing to see these cable cars still working perfectly after all these years.
The late lunch at a cozy restaurant was heavenly after a busy morning. After energizing and being entertained with some guitar music by Irakli, we headed to few monasteries with breathtaking views. We ended our tour with a wine tasting tour and tried the traditional brandy of Georgia ‘Chacha’.
All in all a wonderful experience and a must try to anyone visiting there. Thank you Irakli for making our day wonderful.
The cable car experience was scary and exciting at the same time. Irakli took us on two rides in two different locations which was a very first to all three of us. Even our 8 year old enjoyed it a lot. Its amazing to see these cable cars still working perfectly after all these years.
The late lunch at a cozy restaurant was heavenly after a busy morning. After energizing and being entertained with some guitar music by Irakli, we headed to few monasteries with breathtaking views. We ended our tour with a wine tasting tour and tried the traditional brandy of Georgia ‘Chacha’.
All in all a wonderful experience and a must try to anyone visiting there. Thank you Irakli for making our day wonderful.
Written February 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yukondoit
Girdwood, AK207 contributions
Jun 2019 • Friends
I LOVED this tour... it seems to be one of a kind and we're glad we found it! Totally worth the long drive! Our guide and driver were amazing, the cable cars are SO cool. If it hadn't been so hot I would have ridden them all day. I was afraid my friends wouldn't be interested, but they loved it too -- when are you ever going to get to see something like this? Probably never, so you should go. Everyone we met in this country was so kind and fun... I will definitely be back.
Written June 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for that amazing review!
We are very happy to know that you share our excitement about Chiatura and we could show you the best of this non-touristic region!
Hope to see you again in Georgia!
Your Real Georgia Team
Written June 19, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kerenza007
Kuwait156 contributions
I booked this trip as it was something different & away from the normal tourist routes. A lovely drive there through the forest stopping for breakfast on route in a little local village restaurant.
My guide was friendly and as a solo female traveller I felt safe & comfortable. We had good conversation covering all aspects of things & he answered my never ending stream of questions on route.
Loved looking round Chiatura the old cable cars are really something else they look like they belong in a horror movie! I got some great photos & a good understanding of the area from my guide.
The cave church & pillar monastery were good to see too. We grabbed fresh pomegranate from the tree to munch along the way.
My guide even went the extra mile demonstrating his skills at local dancing to keep me entertained along the way (obviously not while he was driving) Lol!
Last stop was the Georgia Chronicles at sunset which was great got more great photos here too.
A great day trip with a professional guide. Would recommend if you looking to see something different in Georgia.
My guide was friendly and as a solo female traveller I felt safe & comfortable. We had good conversation covering all aspects of things & he answered my never ending stream of questions on route.
Loved looking round Chiatura the old cable cars are really something else they look like they belong in a horror movie! I got some great photos & a good understanding of the area from my guide.
The cave church & pillar monastery were good to see too. We grabbed fresh pomegranate from the tree to munch along the way.
My guide even went the extra mile demonstrating his skills at local dancing to keep me entertained along the way (obviously not while he was driving) Lol!
Last stop was the Georgia Chronicles at sunset which was great got more great photos here too.
A great day trip with a professional guide. Would recommend if you looking to see something different in Georgia.
Written October 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Kerenza007,
thank you so much for the amazing review! We are extremely happy to know that you enjoyed our tour and the company of our guide! On behalf of Kakha and our team we would like to thank you for finding time to leave such a detailed review that will help more visitors to find us!
We hope to see you again in Georgia soon!
Best regards,
Your Real Georgia team
Written October 17, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Karl K
6 contributions
Oct 2018 • Friends
We were greeted outside our house by our guide Irakli, who was our guide and driver. We started by grabbing a coffee on the way out of town and then had a couple of hours drive to the west. Irakly was friendly and informative and nice to chat with on the way. We had a few stops on the way and they were all interesting. Chiatura is truly a unique experience and great to get the contrast between beautiful nature and th ugly, but yet charming mining town with the really photogenic cable cars. Riding on them was a real experience. Mgvimevi monastery and the Katkskhi pillar were also really nice. On the way back we stopped at an excellent road side kiosk for some khachapuri, red wine and beer. Our guid was prefectly relaxed and was prepared to give us the time we wanted at each stop. He felt just like one of the group.
The whole trip is highly recommended.
The whole trip is highly recommended.
Written November 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is this tour open in Feb end?
Written February 16, 2019
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