Region guide
Racha-Lechkhumi
- Best time
- Late May to October. Summer is best for the mountains of Upper Racha and for Shaori Lake, and September and October bring the grape harvest and autumn colours. Winters are snowy and quiet, and some high roads close.
- How long
- 2–3 days
- Places
- 15 in our guide
- Tours
- 3 tours visit Racha-Lechkhumi
Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti is Georgia's least populated region, a mountainous stretch of the upper Rioni and Tskhenistskali valleys on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. It joins three historic provinces: Racha around Ambrolauri and Oni, Lechkhumi around Tsageri, and Kvemo (Lower) Svaneti around Lentekhi. Forested gorges, stone villages and high meadows make it feel far from Georgia's busy routes, although Kutaisi is only two hours away. Rachans are known across Georgia for their smoked ham, their bean bread and the naturally semi-sweet red wine Khvanchkara.
Most visitors base themselves in Ambrolauri, the small regional capital, and explore from there. Close by are two of the finest churches in western Georgia: Nikortsminda, built in 1010 to 1014 and covered in carved reliefs, and Barakoni, an 18th-century church on a cliff above the Rioni. Wine lovers visit the cellars around Khvanchkara, while Shaori Lake and the Nakerala ridge offer cool summer air. Up the valley, Oni has a 19th-century synagogue and the regional museum. Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, to the west, see very few travellers.
Why visit Racha-Lechkhumi
- Nikortsminda Cathedral (1010 to 1014) and its carved facades
- Barakoni Church on a cliff above the Rioni and Lukhuni rivers
- Tasting Khvanchkara wine in the village where it is made
- Shaori Lake and the drive over the Nakerala ridge
- Oni's 19th-century synagogue and the Racha Regional Museum
- Rachan smoked ham with bean-filled lobiani
- Quiet roads into Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
Top things to do in Racha-Lechkhumi
Read the stone carvings of Nikortsminda
Circle the outside of this early 11th-century cathedral slowly to find the Transfiguration, the Last Judgment and a crowd of real and fantastic beasts cut into the facades. Shaori Lake, on the plateau a few kilometres south, makes a breezy stop afterwards.
Taste Khvanchkara in the village that named it
Family cellars around Khvanchkara pour the village's sweetish ruby wine, pressed from the local Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli grapes, usually with smoked Rachan ham and bean-filled bread. Visit in autumn to see the late harvest on the slopes above the Rioni.
Stand above two rivers at Barakoni
This richly carved church of 1753 sits on a cliff where the Lukhuni flows into the Rioni, about 15 minutes from Ambrolauri. Come in the late afternoon, when low sun picks out the ornament on the stone.
Visit Oni's synagogue and regional museum
Oni's large stone synagogue recalls the Jewish community that once filled the town, and the Racha museum nearby covers everything from Bronze Age finds to folk costume. Ask in town if the synagogue door is closed.
Take the mineral waters at Utsera
Fill a bottle from the fizzy springs of this small forest resort in the upper Rioni valley, then walk under the firs along the river. It is a cool escape when the lowlands swelter in July and August.
Walk the high villages of Mtaracha
At the head of the Rioni valley, Ghebi, Chiora and Glola sit among hay meadows and forest below the main Caucasus ridge. Use a guesthouse as a base for walks to summer pastures and viewpoints, ideally with a local guide.
Taste Lechkhumi's Tvishi and Usakhelouri
In the vineyards above the Rioni south of Tsageri, family winemakers turn Tsolikouri grapes into honeyed Tvishi, and a few also offer the scarce red Usakhelouri. Arrange tastings in advance through a guesthouse.
See the Svan towers of Kvemo Svaneti
Lentekhi and the villages around it keep stone defensive towers and small early medieval churches, with a fraction of the visitors who go to Mestia. Ask locally for church keyholders.
Eat Rachan ham with lobiani
Racha's smoked pork ham and its bean-stuffed bread are famous across Georgia, and they taste best in a village guesthouse. Ask your host in Ambrolauri or Oni to cook a Rachan supper, perhaps with shkmeruli.
Cities, towns & villages
Places to see in Racha-Lechkhumi
Suggested itineraries
Racha in one day from Kutaisi
- Morning: over the Nakerala ridge to Nikortsminda
Leave Kutaisi early and drive via Tkibuli over the Nakerala Pass, about 1.5 hours to Shaori Lake. Stop for the view, then continue a few kilometres to Nikortsminda Cathedral and its carved facades.
- Midday: lunch and wine near Ambrolauri
Drive about 30 minutes to Ambrolauri for a lunch of Rachan ham and lobiani, then head roughly 20 minutes west to a family cellar in Khvanchkara for a tasting.
- Afternoon: Barakoni and the drive back
Finish at Barakoni Church above the river confluence, 15 minutes from Ambrolauri, in the best of the afternoon light. The return to Kutaisi takes about 2 hours.
Three days in Racha and Lechkhumi
- Day 1: Kutaisi to Ambrolauri
Drive from Kutaisi over the Nakerala Pass, stopping at Shaori Lake and Nikortsminda, and reach Ambrolauri in about 2.5 hours with stops. Spend the afternoon tasting wine in Khvanchkara and sleep in Ambrolauri.
- Day 2: Barakoni, Oni and the upper Rioni
See Barakoni in the morning, then drive about 40 minutes up the valley to Oni for the synagogue and museum. Continue roughly 30 minutes to Utsera for the springs, or an hour to Ghebi, and spend the night in a guesthouse.
- Day 3: down the valley to Lechkhumi
Return down the Rioni past Ambrolauri and continue to Tvishi, about 1.5 hours from Oni, for a tasting of Lechkhumi's semi-sweet white. Look around Tsageri before driving back to Kutaisi, about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Racha-Lechkhumi at a glance
The quickest approach is from Kutaisi, about 2 hours over the Nakerala Pass via Tkibuli and Shaori Lake, while from Tbilisi most drivers leave the highway at Zestaponi for a 4.5 to 5 hour trip.
Hiking in Racha-Lechkhumi
Festivals in Racha-Lechkhumi
A regional wine fair for the producers of Khvanchkara, Usakhelouri and Tvishi in the mountains of western Georgia.
Season: late September to late October, later than KakhetiRtveli in Imereti and RachaWestern Georgia's grape harvest, from Imereti's Tsitska and Tsolikouri to the late-picked Khvanchkara grapes of Racha.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Ambrolauri is reached from Kutaisi via Tkibuli and the Nakerala Pass, a mountain drive of about 1.5 to 2 hours that passes Shaori Lake and Nikortsminda. From Tbilisi the drive takes about 4.5 to 5 hours, leaving the main highway at Zestaponi or Kutaisi. Marshrutkas link Ambrolauri and Oni with Kutaisi and with Tbilisi's Didube bus station, usually a few times a day. Tsageri, the centre of Lechkhumi, is about 1.5 to 2 hours from Kutaisi. Ambrolauri has a small airport for light aircraft, opened in 2017, but scheduled flights have run only intermittently, so check before planning around them.
Getting around
Public transport within the region is sparse: marshrutkas connect Ambrolauri, Oni and Tsageri with Kutaisi, but they do not serve Nikortsminda, Barakoni or Shaori Lake directly. A car or a hired driver is by far the easiest way to explore, and guesthouse owners can often arrange one. An ordinary car copes well with the main roads, which are all paved. Side roads to mountain villages can be rough, and a 4x4 is needed in Upper Racha beyond Shovi and on the high routes of Kvemo Svaneti.
Best time to visit
Late May to October. Summer is best for the mountains of Upper Racha and for Shaori Lake, and September and October bring the grape harvest and autumn colours. Winters are snowy and quiet, and some high roads close.
Where to stay
Food & wine in Racha-Lechkhumi
Racha and Lechkhumi make some of Georgia's most prized naturally semi-sweet wines. Khvanchkara, a red from Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli grown around Khvanchkara village, is the best known; Lechkhumi adds Tvishi, a semi-sweet white from Tsolikouri, and the rare red Usakhelouri.
Racha-Lechkhumi: frequently asked questions
Is Racha worth visiting?
Yes, especially if you want quiet mountain scenery, medieval churches and wine without the crowds. Nikortsminda and Barakoni are among the finest churches in western Georgia, and Khvanchkara and Shaori Lake are close to Ambrolauri. Accommodation is simple, mostly family guesthouses.
How do I get to Ambrolauri from Kutaisi?
Drive via Tkibuli and over the Nakerala Pass, about 1.5 to 2 hours, passing Shaori Lake and Nikortsminda Cathedral on the way. Marshrutkas also run from Kutaisi a few times a day.
What is Khvanchkara wine?
Khvanchkara is a naturally semi-sweet red wine made from the Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli grapes, grown only in a protected zone around Khvanchkara village near Ambrolauri. It is deep ruby with a raspberry flavour and was famously one of Stalin's favourite wines.
When is the best time to visit Racha?
June to October. Summer suits hiking and Shaori Lake, while September and October bring the grape harvest. Winters are snowy and some mountain roads close.
Can you visit Shovi after the 2023 landslide?
On 3 August 2023 a mudflow down the Buba valley destroyed much of the Shovi resort and killed 33 people. Most of the resort has been closed to holidaymakers since. Check the current situation locally before planning a visit, and treat the site with respect.
Tours that visit Racha-Lechkhumi
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