Kharagauli
The western gateway town of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park in the Chkherimela valley — visitor centre, forest valleys and railway history.
- Time needed
- 2 h
- From Tbilisi
- 165 km · 2:50
- Road
- Paved
- Car needed
- Economy class
- Season
- All year
- Entry
- free
Kharagauli is where Imereti dissolves into national park trails. The small town lies in the narrow, forested valley of the Chkherimela river and shares its name with one of Europe's largest national parks — Borjomi-Kharagauli. The settlement was born in the 1870s as a station on the Poti-Tbilisi railway, and the train remains the axis of local life.
The park is the reason to come: established in 1995 and opened to visitors in 2001, Borjomi-Kharagauli covers more than 85,000 hectares — roughly one percent of Georgia's entire territory. Kharagauli is its western gateway.
What the town gives you:
- The park visitor centre — registration, free maps and booking for the mountain shelters
- Trailheads on the Marelisi and Nunisi side — beech forests, high meadows and genuinely wild country
- The ruins of Khandi fortress nearby — by tradition the wedding site of King Vakhtang VI
In autumn the valley burns copper; in spring the Chkherimela runs full and the forest glows green. Both seasons are ideal for setting off on the trails.
Practical advice
Register at the visitor centre before entering the park — overnight stops on the trails (tourist shelters, camping spots) are booked in advance, several days ahead in peak months. The centre keeps office hours, so arrive in the morning. The town has a few family guesthouses, small shops and an ATM; bring any serious gear from Tbilisi. Summer heat rarely bites here — the valley stays pleasantly cool.
How to get there from Tbilisi
From Tbilisi take the E60 (S1) west through the Rikoti tunnel, then in the Dzirula valley turn off right at the Kharagauli sign — the last 15-odd kilometres are a narrow but asphalted road along the Chkherimela. About 165 km in total, up to three hours. Refuel in Khashuri or near Zestafoni — choices inside the valley are thin. An economy car is fine as far as the town; on the park's inner roads (towards Nunisi, for example) higher clearance is the wiser choice.
Click a marker for details. Coloured lines are ready-made road trips.
Nearby places
Nunisi
A very small forest spa in Kharagauli municipality, whose mineral water is used for skin conditions.
Shorapani Fortress
The ruins of a fortress on the site of ancient Sarapana, at the meeting of the Dzirula and the Kvirila.
Ubisa Monastery
A 9th-century monastery of St George in the Dzirula valley, holding an almost complete cycle of 14th-century frescoes.
Zestafoni
An Imeretian wine town on the banks of the Kvirila — home of Tsolikouri, a lively market and a handy stop on the E60.
Best car for this trip
Guides
- Driving in Georgia: What the Distances Actually Cost You Georgia is a small country with slow roads. Here is what 267 measured drives from Tbilisi say about how long y
Pickup locations
Car Rental in Kutaisi — 49 km (straight line)