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Tbilisi Tours
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
Recommended by 100% of travellers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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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 offered
    During 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 travellers 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
        ₹10,332.40
        per adult (price varies by group size)
        Select date and travellers

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        About the operator
        Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
        • Real Georgia Tours
          900
          Tbilisi, Georgia
          Joined in March 2016
        • VanLe
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Excellent tour to visit Armenia in a day. Highly recommended
          Very 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 13 November 2024
        • jessicavL1632PO
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Fantastic tour
          Excellent 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 6 November 2024
        • Peter M
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Beautiful Georgia
          This 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 country
          Written 3 November 2024
        • mikusiac
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Incredible tour with a knowledgeable guide
          We 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 experience
          Written 3 November 2024
        • newyorker59
          0 contributions
          4.0 of 5 bubbles
          Okay tour
          We 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 28 October 2024
        • carmenchanelb
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          A 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 25 October 2024
        • 660timurs
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Amazing Tour and Outstanding Tour Guide from George
          The 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 amazing
          Written 18 October 2024
        • RehobothTraveller
          0 contributions
          4.0 of 5 bubbles
          Food tour is a great introduction to Georgia
          We 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 14 October 2024
        • Daniel S
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great 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 6 October 2024
        • JDEE115
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Fantastic City Tour
          What 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 5 October 2024
        • B1574DBemilyv
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Brutalist and Soviet architecture tour of Tbilisi
          Very interesting tour that covered many different parts of the city. My guide Georgi was very informative and welcoming, and made the experience really memorable
          Written 24 September 2024
        • RB545
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          The best tour to see the real tbilisi
          This was honestly one of the best tours I've ever done in my life. It gives you a chance to see all round Tbilisi, not just around the old town, and some really amazing architecture and soviet history. George my guide was amazing, answered all of my questions and really tailored the experience to my interests. If you want to see the real tbilisi and learn about the history and understand the city, I'd really reccomend it!
          Written 20 September 2024
        • Venky_Hariharan
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great Walking Tour ( Small Group )
          Great experience with George , he is friendly and does everything possible to make it a valuable trip. Definitely recommend this on Day 1
          Written 8 September 2024
        • 627wheelerr
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Eat your way through Tbilisi!
          We had a wonderful, personalized experience on this food tour! Giorgi, our host, was friendly, knowledgeable and funny. The schedule of the tour was nicely balanced with eating, drinking and walking. In addition to tasting different foods and drinks, we learned a bit about the city of Tbilisi and the country of Georgia. Would recommend if you’re looking to experience Georgian cuisine!
          Written 5 September 2024
        • megmarrrr
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Time and Money Well Spent!
          What a great tour! George was amazing, showing us the food culture in Tbilisi. I don't want to say anything about the restaurants that you'll try, if ever you book this tour, because it will spoil the surprise All I can say is we were so full at the end of the trip. As I told George, it was amazing because the places we visited were places that we wouldn't have found on our own! This tour also gives you an opportunity to visit the key places of Georgia. TIP: Don't eat too much before starting the tour. Be ready to walk a lot.
          Written 2 September 2024
        See all 900 reviews
        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.

        Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

        Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

        Popular mentions

        5.0
        5.0 of 5 bubbles21 reviews
        Excellent
        21
        Very good
        0
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        0
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        0
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        0

        Anoud Al Hammadi
        Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates152 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        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.
        Written 16 February 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
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        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.
        Written 8 February 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
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        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 4 July 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
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        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.
        Written 1 February 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
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        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 14 June 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 19 June 2019
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        Kerenza007
        Kuwait156 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        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.
        Written 11 October 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 17 October 2019
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        Karl K
        6 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        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.
        Written 29 November 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.

        jy8s
        Houston, TX123 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Jun 2018 • Solo
        I chose Chiatura over some of the more commonly-visited sites for one reason: I wanted to see a place that was authentic, untouched by mass tourism and seen by very few visitors. What I experienced was exactly that. Chiatura is a hidden gem - close enough to Tbilisi for a day trip but a journey back in time in terms of culture and pace of life. We experienced centuries of history in just 1 day.

        The guide was excellent. She is exceptionally knowledgeable and insightful and speaks native-like English.

        I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Georgia with a day to spare for something new and exciting.
        Written 5 July 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.

        Mina
        3 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Jun 2021 • Friends
        Irakli was an amazing tour guide very friendly, helpful, informative and generous. If anyone is thinking of taking this your I strongly suggest him.
        Written 10 June 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.

        Sylvia S
        Dubai, United Arab Emirates23 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Tour leader Irakli was exceptional and explained about this gorgeous city beautifully. Book this trip and thank me later! 💜
        Written 10 June 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.

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        *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

        Soviet past - Private day tour to Chiatura, Katskhi pillar and Chronicles provided by Real Georgia Tours

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