Racha Mountain Loop
Three days in Racha: Kutaisi, Tkibuli, Nikortsminda, Ambrolauri, Shaori and Oni.
- days
- 3 / 2 nights
- Total distance
- 790 km
- Total driving
- 14:00
- Car needed
- Crossover / SUV
- Season
- May–October
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Click a marker for details. Coloured lines are ready-made road trips.
Racha is the quietest mountain region in Georgia — no crowds, no large hotels, but forest, lakes, stone villages and the vineyards that produce Khvanchkara. The route climbs from Kutaisi through Tkibuli and over the Nakerala pass, runs on to Ambrolauri and Oni, and ends in the alpine valley of Shovi.
The first day is long: 230 kilometres to Kutaisi, then the Tkibuli reservoir and the switchbacks of Nakerala, where the Racha ranges open up for the first time. Just beyond the pass stands Nikortsminda, an eleventh-century cathedral with what is probably the richest carved facade in the country, almost entirely covered in relief work. Then comes Shaori reservoir, set in pine forest at 1,100 metres, where locals swim in high summer. Day two follows the Rioni upstream from Ambrolauri through Oni to Shovi, where the valley narrows and the road climbs into subalpine meadows below the main Caucasus ridge.
Racha suits travellers who want silence and landscape and do not need polished tourist infrastructure. The road is paved as far as Ambrolauri, though narrow and winding on the pass, and the surface deteriorates past Oni — ground clearance helps here. The season is May to October; in winter Nakerala catches snow and can close for days.
Day-by-day plan
Day 1 · Tbilisi → Kutaisi → Nikortsminda → Ambrolauri (335 km, 5 h 30 min) - 08:00 Leave Tbilisi on the E60, break at the Rikoti pass. - 11:30 Kutaisi: lunch and a short walk (1 h 30 min). - 14:00 Tkibuli reservoir and the Nakerala pass viewpoint (45 min). - 15:30 Nikortsminda Cathedral — carvings and cupola (1 h). - 17:30 Arrive Ambrolauri; wine house and a Khvanchkara tasting (1 h). - Overnight in Ambrolauri.
Day 2 · Shaori, Oni and Shovi (150 km, 3 h) - 09:00 Shaori reservoir in the pine forest, walk along the shore (1 h 30 min). - 11:30 The Rioni valley towards Oni, stop at Barakoni church (45 min). - 13:00 Oni: the old centre and lunch (1 h 30 min). - 15:30 The alpine valley of Shovi and its mineral springs (2 h). - 19:00 Drive back; overnight in Ambrolauri or Oni.
Day 3 · Ambrolauri → Tbilisi (330 km, 5 h 30 min) - 09:00 Market and last purchases in Ambrolauri (1 h). - 10:30 Return over Nakerala and through Tkibuli. - 13:00 Lunch in Kutaisi (1 h 30 min). - 15:00 East on the E60 via Zestafoni and Khashuri. - 19:30 Back in Tbilisi.
Stops on this route
Bagrati Cathedral and central Kutaisi
The cathedral on Ukimerioni hill and the old streets of Kutaisi spread out below it.
3 hNikortsminda Cathedral
An 11th-century cathedral covered in exceptional stone carving, with late medieval frescoes inside.
1 hShovi Resort
A high mountain resort above Oni in the Chanchakhi valley — strictly seasonal and partly rebuilt after the 2023 disaster.
4 hTips
- The Nakerala pass is narrow and winding — take it slowly in fog, and expect worse surface beyond Oni.
- Fill up in Kutaisi and Ambrolauri; between Oni and Shovi there is almost nothing.
- Accommodation in Racha is limited and mostly family-run — book your nights in advance.
- Genuine Khvanchkara comes only from the Ambrolauri zone; check the label and producer before buying.
- In winter Nakerala catches snow and can close for days; May to October is far safer.
- ATMs are scarce around Oni and Shovi — take cash with you.