Mountain Adjara Tours from Batumi
Excursions: 10-16 November
Tuesday, 10 November
No group departures this day, below - private trips
Thursday, 12 November
No group departures this day, below - private trips
Friday, 13 November
Sunday, 15 November
No group departures this day, below - private trips
How our excursions work
Questions before choosing
Where is Mountain Adjara?
In Georgia, right east of Batumi: the highland districts of Adjara along the Adjaristskali and Machakhela rivers, up to the Goderdzi pass. The first waterfalls and bridges are 20-30 km from Batumi, 40-50 minutes by car.
What can I see in Mountain Adjara in one day?
Makhuntseti, Mirveti and Love waterfalls, Queen Tamar's arch bridges, Gvara fortress above the Machakhela river and the Chorokhi and Adjaristskali confluence. The full-day tour adds the Machakhela gorge and a feast in a mountain village.
How much is a Mountain Adjara tour from Batumi?
In a group, 55 GEL per person for the Makhuntseti trip and 100 GEL for all of Mountain Adjara in one day; children under 12 pay 40 and 75 GEL. A private tour starts from 300 GEL for a party of 1-2.
Is the trip fine for children and older travellers?
Yes: the vehicle stops close to almost every sight, and walking means the steps to the Waterfall of Love, stones at Makhuntseti and an easy forest path to Mirveti. There are many stops, and you can rest in the car between them.
What if it rains on the day?
Go anyway: rain does not cancel a tour, only a storm does - then we refund or move the date. The mountains often get better weather than the coast, the roads are paved, and most rain falls at night and early in the morning.
Are the tours in English?
Group tours run in Russian, and the guide helps English-speaking guests with the essentials. A private tour can go with an English-speaking guide at no extra charge - choose the private format when booking.
When and where from are you going?
Pick the city and dates: group departures by day and private trips on any day. The same thing we pick in chats, here - at once
Mountain Adjara is the highland part of Adjara in Georgia, right behind Batumi: the Adjaristskali and Machakhela valleys, waterfalls by the road, Queen Tamar's stone bridges, Gvara fortress and villages that lay a feast. The first stops are 20 km from the sea, so it is an easy day trip from Batumi.
Where Mountain Adjara is and how far from Batumi
Mountain Adjara is the name for the highland districts of Adjara east of Batumi: the Keda, Shuakhevi and Khulo municipalities and the hilly part of Khelvachauri. The road climbs the Adjaristskali river valley towards the Goderdzi pass, and near the village of Adjaristskali the Machakhela gorge branches off south to the Turkish border.
Distances are short. The confluence of the Chorokhi and Adjaristskali rivers and the bridge at Mirveti are about 20 km from Batumi, Gvara fortress 25 km, Makhuntseti waterfall 30 km - 40-50 minutes by car. Khulo is 85 km away and the Goderdzi pass 109 km: that is high Adjara and a separate trip.
What to see in Mountain Adjara
Nearly everything sits by the road or within half an hour on foot, so a day takes in about ten stops. The table lists the places on our routes in order from Batumi; each has its own page with photos.
| Place | What it is | From Batumi |
|---|---|---|
| Chorokhi and Adjaristskali confluence | a viewpoint where the two rivers meet, the first stop on the route | about 20 km |
| Waterfall of Love (Kibura) | a waterfall right by the highway, reached by steps | about 20 km |
| Iron bridge at Adjaristskali | a riveted bridge of 1892 that carried the road from Batumi to Ardahan; locals call it the Eiffel bridge | 20 km |
| Mirveti waterfall | a waterfall of about 20 m, half an hour on foot through a boxwood forest past an 11th-13th century stone arch bridge | 19-20 km |
| Gvara fortress | a 10th-18th century fortress on a rock up to 50 m above the Machakhela river; archaeologists found 22 qvevri (clay wine jars) there | 25 km |
| Makhuntseti waterfall | a waterfall right by the Keda road; a few minutes away stands the medieval Queen Tamar bridge without railings, and a 550 m zipline runs above them | 30 km |
| Machakhela National Park | a chestnut forest in the gorge by the Turkish border, the Machakhela rifle monument and a WWII bunker | 30 km |
| Tskhemlara bridge | a medieval bridge with a span of almost 20 m; deeper in Machakhela is the Kiramala cascade waterfall | 34 km |
Further up the valley are Khulo with its cable car, the 12th century Skhalta church and Green Lake at about 2,060 m near the Goderdzi pass - see our trips high into the mountains and, in winter, the Goderdzi ski resort. More falls around Batumi are in our guide to waterfalls near Batumi.
Which Mountain Adjara tour to choose
All routes follow the same valley; they differ in the length of the day, the Machakhela gorge and lunch. Group prices are per adult and per child under 12, private prices per party.
| Tour | What is on the route | Duration | Group, GEL: adult / child | Private, GEL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjara and Makhuntseti | Makhuntseti, Mirveti and Love waterfalls, Queen Tamar bridges, Gvara fortress, lunch at a restaurant; back by 17:00 with a free evening | 7 h | 55 / 40 | from 350 for 1-2 people |
| All of Mountain Adjara in 1 Day | all of the above plus the Machakhela gorge: 5 waterfalls, 3 stone bridges, a feast with songs and dances in a mountain village | 9.5 h | 100 / 75 | from 350 for 1-2 people |
| Machakhela Gorge | the whole Adjaristskali valley and Machakhela, many photo stops, a feast or a restaurant at the end | 9.5 h | private only | from 350 for 1-2 people |
| Mountain Activities | waterfalls and bridges, with a zipline, rafting, horse riding, a boat or quad bikes in between, as you choose | 7 h | private only | from 300 for 1-2 people |
Group tours run on a schedule - dates and free seats are on the cards above. They run in Russian, and the guide helps English-speaking guests with the essentials; a private tour can go with an English-speaking guide at no extra charge, on any day, from your hotel door.
The feast on the full-day tour is not just lunch: a long table with toasts, homemade wine, songs and dances in a mountain village - here is how a Georgian supra works.
Weather in Mountain Adjara and when to go
The valleys of a day trip are low: Makhuntseti waterfall is 335 m above sea level. In summer people come here to escape the heat - there is shade by the water and in the Machakhela forest, and the gorge is cooler than Batumi by evening. Higher up the climate is alpine: according to Visit Ajara, January averages about +1 °C and July about +19 °C, and winter lasts up to five months.
July and August are the busiest months. In autumn the roadside stalls sell churchkhela (nuts in thickened grape juice) and young wine, and Keda holds the Kedaoba autumn and wine festival. Rain does not cancel a tour: the mountains often get better weather than the coast, the roads are paved, and most rain falls at night and early in the morning. Bring flat-soled shoes for the wet stones, a windbreaker and some cash in lari.