Kutaisi

Kutaisi is a city in the Rioni Region of Georgia. The city itself is very cinematographic and charming, and a visit to Kutaisi is almost mandatory to see the Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery, which are UNESCO World Heritage sites and offer views from the mountain slopes over the city and the Rioni River.

Understand
Kutaisi is the traditional rival of Tbilisi for capital status. Since the days of the Golden Fleece, Kutaisi has been considered the capital of Western Georgia (then Ancient Colchis). It is Georgia's third largest city (after Tbilisi and Batumi), but, to the irritation of the proud locals, it does not come even close to Tbilisi's present size and wealth. Nevertheless, Kutaisi is more respectful of pedestrians than Tbilisi. Its sidewalks are generally even and flat with very few cars parked on them, whereas in Tbilisi pedestrians are often forced into the streets because of cars sitting on sidewalks. Kutaisi drivers generally stop in front of crosswalks to let pedestrians cross, whereas in Tbilisi pedestrians have to be in the middle of the street to get a car to slow down for them.

Since the Georgian Parliament moved to Kutaisi in 2012, there has been a lot of work on restoring streets, buildings, parks and monuments in the city, and it has become much safer. There seems to be a bit more variety in the materials, facades, and designs of the buildings along Kutaisi's streets. In Kutaisi as in Tbilisi, a look up to the second floor can reveal balconies of elaborate ironwork. Kutaisi's central park is a nice (and safe) place to sit and watch people.

By plane


Specific destinations:
 * The Hungary-based, low-cost carrier Wizz Air provides low-cost, low-quality no frills flights from Budapest, Hungary; Berlin Dortmund Memmingen, Germany; Kyiv, Ukraine; London  Luton, England; Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Katowice, Poland; Larnaca, Cyprus; Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece; Bari and Rome and Milan, Italy; Riga, Latvia; Vilnius, Lithuania; Tallinn, Estonia; Prague, Czech Republic; Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg and Paris, France; Copenhagen, Denmark; Vienna, Austria.
 * Ukraine Airlines flies from Kyiv and Kharkiv.
 * SkyUp Airlines flights from Kharkiv.
 * Ural Airlines flies from Moscow Domodedovo, Russia.
 * There are also occasional flights from Baghdad, Iraq, on Iraqi Airways.

Getting there/away

 * Marshrutka – Many go by the airport, heading east to Tbilisi (by Kutaisi), or west to Zugdidi, Batumi, Poti, Samtredia, etc. The prices for theses more distant destinations are pretty much like from Kutaisi itself (see prices below). Most marshrutkas will not go into the airport lane, so just head to the highway, 100 m from the airport, and hail them there. From the airport to Kutaisi it is 2 lari, not more!
 * Those from Kutaisi bus station towards Batumi, Poti, Zugdidi or Samtredia will also drop passengers off at the airport. But it depends on the mood of the driver, whether he is will take any short-distance passenger. Nevertheless, there are always more than enough marshrutkas going this way. Just wait at the, where they come out of the station and go west. Here you will also find the ones that come from the east and do not enter the bus station but directly continue after a short stop. It should not take longer than 10 min to find a ride.
 * From Tbilisi, a marshrutka from the Didube bus terminal to the airport is 20 lari. It is also possible to walk out of the airport onto the highway and hail a marshrutka if headed to a particular destination.
 * Having said that, at night the options become more sparse and you might have to resort to the shuttle buses. Ask the tourist information or your hotel or hostel beforehand.


 * Shuttle Bus – Georgian Bus and Omnibus Express provide bus service between the airport and Kutaisi city center, Tbilisi and Batumi, with bus schedules following flight arrivals. Shuttle buses to Tbilisi (20 lari, 4 hr) terminate at Freedom Square, while shuttle buses to Batumi (18 lari, 3 hr) terminate at the Radisson Blu Hotel. Shuttle buses to Kutaisi city center (5 lari) will stop at any address within the city. Tickets may be purchased online or upon arrival with cash or bank card at the Georgian Bus counter located near the exit, and when returning to the airport, may also be purchased directly from the driver. If you're riding the Georgian Bus service from Kutaisi, you must e-mail them with the name of the hotel from which you will be picked up from.


 * Train:
 * 1) (several times per day) Kopitnari railway station is 2 km away. Walk east along the main road. Only regional trains stop here (Direct destinations: Kutaisi, Batumi, Zugdidi). The station has a very friendly countryside climate with staff always positively surprised to see foreigners. Expect to be greeted with local stuff. Tickets are very cheap, 2 lari to Batumi as of March 2019. However, the trains are old Soviet trains and occasionally catch fire (worth the experience but as a rule of thumb they're twice as slow as the road). The new station appears to be up and running.
 * 2) (several times during the day and 1 overnight) A way via Samtredia train station which is 13 km away (or Rioni, which is 30 km away). Hail marshrutka (couple of lari) or taxi (20 lari) to Samtredia. Overnight train to Tbilisi (departs around 01:00, arrives to Tbilisi 06:30), 20 lari. Besides overnight train, there are daytime trains (around 10:00, 13:00, 20:00 and takes 3-4 hr). Buy train tickets beforehand, because there might be no free beds/seats.

By train

 * Tbilisi – Ticket costs 9 lari (as of Nov 2020), 5 hr, 3 times daily. All trains from and to Tbilisi Station Square (next to the Station Square metro station) leave from and arrive at the Kutaisi I station. The train also stops in Mtskheta (the old capital of Georgia and Orthodox heart of the country), Gori (the birthplace of Stalin and home of the Stalin Museum) and Zestafoni. It is a relatively comfortable journey because passengers can stand and stretch and walk the length of the wagon) but slow due to long, intermediate stops, including one at Rioni, right outside Kutaisi. There are bathrooms on board (but bring tissue, just in case). There is no cafe or dining car, so bring water and snacks, too.
 * Train 633 – Kutaisi I-Sachkhere – 05:30-08:55, return: Train 634 – Sachkhere-Kutaisi I – 10:10-13:30
 * Train 635 – Kutaisi I-Sachkhere – 16:05-19:25, return: Train 636 – Sachkhere-Kutaisi I – 20:05-23:25
 * Train 6323 – Kutaisi I-Tkibuli – 09:25-12:20, return: Train 6324 – Tkibuli-Kutaisi I – 13:05-16:26
 * Train 6325 – Kutaisi I-Tkibuli – 18:15-21:10, return: Train 6326 – Tkibuli-Kutaisi I – 05:30-08:51
 * Train 6323 – Kutaisi I-Tkibuli – 09:25-12:20, return: Train 6324 – Tkibuli-Kutaisi I – 13:05-16:26
 * Train 6325 – Kutaisi I-Tkibuli – 18:15-21:10, return: Train 6326 – Tkibuli-Kutaisi I – 05:30-08:51



While private drivers and transport from Tbilisi are available (Mtskheta and Gori are day trips from Tbilisi and back), the Tbilisi-Kutaisi train route offers a good backbone for a tour of Georgia (with a look at its snow-capped mountains even in May) with leisurely overnights in Mtskheta, Gori, Kutaisi, and on to Batumi and the Black Sea.

By marshrutka


From specific destinations:
 * Tbilisi – Marshrutkas and full 54-passenger buses depart regularly for Kutaisi from 'Didube Bus Station' located at the Didube metro stop in Tbilisi. Marshrutkas (hourly, 3½ hr, 10 lari); large buses (every 3 hours, 4 hr). While marshrutkas get to Kutaisi quicker than the train, they are not as comfortable. The driver may not leave Didube until the mini-bus is full, which could mean as many 20 people sitting with bags and backpacks in five rows of four seats. There is no guarantee of any stops along the way to smoke or go to the toilet. There is no standing, of course, and, really, very little room to wiggle, especially if there are people sitting on the aisle seats. The best seats in marshrutkas are the ones next to the driver; however, he may, if he chooses, ask you to move to the back of the bus and give your seat to someone else.
 * Batumi – The marshrutka will get you to the town centre, or drop you off at the airport on the way, for 15 lari. Usually it takes 2-2½ hr, but give yourself about 3 or so. The bus will wait in Batumi until it is full, which could mean waiting on the bus for an extra 45 min. In Batumi, the buses leave from nearby to the entrance to the cable car, but the port. You will see them all parked there.
 * Borjomi – Several during the day, every hour or so, 8 lari, 2 hr. If you do not find a direct bus, it is said to be easy to change buses in Khashuri&mdash;3 lari between Borjomi and Khashuri.
 * Akhaltsikhe – 10:40, 15:00, and 18:10. 3½ hr. 17 lari. (updated Apr 2022)
 * Kharagauli – Twice a day, 10 lari, 3½ hr.
 * Zugdidi – There are hourly (or so) marshrutkas until 16:00. 1½-2 hr, 7 lari.

Get around
The interesting parts of the town are walkable. To visit the monasteries in the mountains nearby booking a day-tour may be a time-saving option.

By bus
No. 1 city bus is a useful circular route (both clockwise and anticlockwise direction) linking the main city square, Kutasi I (main train station), and Kutaisi II (bus station). 0.40-0.50 lari, pay the driver at exit, change given.

From Kutasi II (bus station), clockwise direction (to the left, cross the road from McDonald's) is the faster route to the city centre. Note each direction takes slightly different route on the centre of the city (east side of the river). The clockwise direction does not go in front of Kutasi I but goes south on Tsereteli St. along the river. The anticlockwise direction stops in front of Kutaisi I then goes uphill on Solomon Piveli Street and downhill on 26 Maisi (May) Street towards the main square.

Local marshrutkas ply the city but it can be difficult to find the route for average tourists. Nonetheless, bother enough locals with a map and some broken Russian, and eventually one will take pity and frog march you to the right bus stop.

By train
Schedule of Georgian railways is here.

See




Do

 * Do as the locals do: Sit in the city centre park (Central Garden) and watch the world pass by.

What
The homemade wine in the bazaar in Kutaisi is apparently not that good, because more than often they mix with sugar and other stuff. This is at least what some locals are saying.

Eat
Kutaisi has quite a number of decent restaurants. They are mainly in the city center, but a bit spread out, so just walk around to find what you're looking for.

In the city center is an US fast food chain which is less common worldwide:.

Drink
Kutaisi does not have a great bar or club culture like Tbilisi, but you can checkout the following:

Connect
The tourist office kiosk between the two main bridges is staffed during the summer season only. Rest of the year it is located in the annex building left to the city hall at the ground floor. (It is a bit hard to find since the mayor don't want to have signs to it. Ask in the city hall if you cannot find it.)

Dingy post office on Tamar Mepe St. Previously existing Internet cafés have closed due to numerous freely available hotspots.

Go next
The minibus station is located close to Kutaisi II train station behind the McDonald's. Most of the following destinations can be reached from there:
 * Batumi – The capital of Ajara and Georgia's third largest city is a pleasant Black Sea port with great Ajaruli cuisine
 * Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park (for details see Borjomi) – The largest national park in Georgia. The diversity of physical, geographical and especially climatical conditions of it has shaped the wealth and variety of its flora and fauna. Apart from the largely untouched nature of Borjom-Kharagauli, there are numerous cultural monuments. In particular, there are two easily accessible churches, built in 9th century. Eight tourist trails are operating in the national park. They vary in length, duration and complexity. Open from Apr until October.
 * Jvari – A small town with a couple of great attractions nearby, namely Enguri Dam and Silver Lake. The latter is one of the most impressive alpine treks that you can do in Georgia. The marshrutka to Zugdidi leaves from the main marshrutka station behind the central McDonald's. The journey is 133 km. In Zugdidi connect with the Jvari marshrutka just over the bridge and a minute's walk away.
 * Mestia – The "capital" of Svaneti and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
 * Tbilisi – The beautiful and interesting capital, Georgia's largest and most cosmopolitan city.
 * Tskaltubo – A balneological ex-resort that was very popular during Soviet times (8 km away from Kutaisi). Many sanatoria are populated with refugees since war with Abkhazia. Destroyed luxury Soviet-time hotels are very interesting places to see.
 * Zugdidi – A not very popular city with tourists for itself, however many of them pass through it on their way up to Mestia in Svaneti.

From Kutaisi I train station, the following destinations can be reached:
 * Oni (ონი) – 16:25. 10 lari. – A very pretty, rustic town on the Rioni River up in the mountains that was for millennia a center of Georgian Jewish culture. Today it is becoming a major tourist destination for domestic travelers as well as attracting adventurous foreign travelers attracted to its natural beauty, remote setting and a local culture that has not seen the effects of tourism yet.
 * Tkibuli (ტყიბული) – 08:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 16:40, 17:40. 3½ lari.
 * Chkhari (ჩხარი) – 08:00, 12:10, 16:25. 2½ lari.
 * Tuzi (თუზი) – 10:25, 17:30. 3½ lari.
 * Zeda Alisubani (ზედა ალისუბანი) – 13:40. 2.70 lari.
 * Tavasa (თავასა) – 10;00, 15:20. 3 lari.