Three Days of Racha-Lechkhumi Heritage
Churches fortresses Khvanchkara Oni Lentekhi and Mount Khvamli.
- days
- 3 / 2 nights
- Total distance
- 470 km
- Total driving
- 10:00
- Car needed
- Crossover / SUV
- Season
- May–October
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Click a marker for details. Coloured lines are ready-made road trips.
A three-day cultural landscape route from Kutaisi through the contrasting valleys of Racha and Lechkhumi.
Day-by-day plan
Day 1: Shaori → Nikortsminda → Barakoni → Ambrolauri. Day 2: Khvanchkara → Minda Fortress → Oni Synagogue → Mravaldzali. Day 3: Lentekhi → Mount Khvamli → Kutaisi.
Stops on this route
Nikortsminda Cathedral
An 11th-century cathedral covered in exceptional stone carving, with late medieval frescoes inside.
1 h
Barakoni Church
A domed church of 1753 at Tsesi, above the meeting of the Lukhuni and the Rioni — the last great work of medieval Georgian architecture.
1 h
Minda Fortress
Medieval fortress ruins on a high rocky promontory near the village of Tsesi.
1.5 h
Ambrolauri
Georgia's smallest regional capital, on both banks of the Rioni — the practical base for Racha and the edge of the Khvanchkara wine zone.
2 h
Khvanchkara Wine Zone
The narrow right-bank vineyards between Tola and Sadmeli, where Georgia's best-known naturally semi-sweet red wine is made.
3 h
Oni Synagogue
An 1895 synagogue in Oni's old Jewish quarter — among the largest in Georgia, and still in use.
1 h
Lentekhi
The centre of Lower Svaneti in the Tskhenistskali valley — green, heavily wooded and almost untouched by tourism.
2 h
Khvamli Massif
A limestone massif of just over 2,000 metres between Lechkhumi and Imereti — flat-topped, cave-riddled and wrapped in a treasure legend.
3 hTips
- Adapt the Khvamli section to weather.
- Book overnight stays in advance.
Booking and enquiries
The easiest way to reach these places is by car — you pick the route and the stops.