Region guide
Shida Kartli
- Best time
- April to June and September to October are best, with mild weather for walking around Uplistsikhe and orchards in blossom or fruit. Summers are hot on the open plain and Uplistsikhe has almost no shade, while winters are cold but the main sites remain accessible.
- How long
- 1–2 days
- Places
- 15 in our guide
- Tours
- 12 tours visit Shida Kartli
Shida Kartli, 'Inner Kartli', is the upper Mtkvari valley west of Tbilisi, a broad farming plain of orchards and vineyards between the foothills of the Greater Caucasus and the Trialeti range. It was the core of the ancient kingdom of Kartli, and its monuments span three thousand years: the rock-cut town of Uplistsikhe, the 7th-century church of Ateni Sioni with its 11th-century frescoes, Samtavisi Cathedral from 1030, and Kintsvisi Monastery with its portrait of Queen Tamar. Gori, the regional capital, is 86 km from Tbilisi, about an hour by car.
Gori is best known as Stalin's birthplace, and its Stalin Museum is one of Georgia's most unusual sights. The northern part of the historical region, around Tskhinvali, has been under Russian occupation since 2008 and cannot be visited; every place in this guide lies in Georgian-controlled territory. Most travellers see Uplistsikhe and Gori as a day trip from Tbilisi or as a stop on the way to Borjomi or Kutaisi. Add a second day for Ateni, Kintsvisi, Urbnisi and Surami.
Why visit Shida Kartli
- Walk the rock-cut streets and halls of Uplistsikhe above the Mtkvari
- See Stalin's birth house and armoured railway carriage at the Stalin Museum in Gori
- Climb Gori Fortress for views over the town and the Liakhvi valley
- Study the 11th-century frescoes of Ateni Sioni in the Tana valley
- Look at the carved east facade of Samtavisi Cathedral, built in 1030
- Find the portrait of Queen Tamar at Kintsvisi Monastery
- Taste Atenuri white wine in the Ateni valley
- Buy warm nazuki bread at the roadside bakeries of Surami
Top things to do in Shida Kartli
Walk the rock-cut streets of Uplistsikhe
Climb the main street carved into the ridge above the Mtkvari, past halls with stone ceilings cut to look like timber, to the brick basilica at the top. Leave through the tunnel towards the river, and go early in summer, as there is almost no shade.
See Stalin's birth house and armoured carriage in Gori
Tour the Soviet-era halls of the Stalin Museum, then step out to the little wooden house where he was born and the green railway carriage he used in the war years. Read about the purges beforehand, as the displays say little about them.
Watch the sun set over Gori from Gorijvari
Take a taxi up to the hilltop church of St George south of town for the widest view of Gori, its fortress and the river valleys. Climb Gori Fortress earlier in the day for the reverse view.
Taste Atenuri wine in the Ateni valley
Drive 20 minutes south of Gori into the Tana valley for family cellars making Atenuri from Chinuri and Goruli Mtsvane grapes. On the way, stop at Ateni Sioni for its 11th-century frescoes.
Find Queen Tamar's portrait at Kintsvisi
Follow the narrow road into the Dzama valley near Kareli to see one of the few portraits of Queen Tamar painted in her lifetime, along with the seated Kintsvisi Archangel. Do not use flash on the frescoes.
Stop at Ruisi and Urbnisi, the two churches of 1103
King David the Builder held his great church council at these two churches a few kilometres apart near Kareli. See the tall dome of Ruisi from the highway, then cross to the long early basilica of Urbnisi.
Follow the Kaspi church route
Between Tbilisi and Gori, string together the carved east facade of Samtavisi, the gorge setting of Kvatakhevi and the quiet village cathedral of Ertatsminda. Allow half a day with a car.
Buy warm nazuki in Surami and climb the fortress
Pull in at the roadside bakeries for sweet spiced nazuki straight from the clay oven, then walk up to the ruined fortress of the Zurab legend. If you have time, visit the house where the Ukrainian poet Lesya Ukrainka died in 1913.
Places to see in Shida Kartli
Suggested itineraries
Shida Kartli in one day from Tbilisi
- Early morning: Samtavisi
Leave Tbilisi by 8 am and drive about 45 minutes west to Samtavisi Cathedral, where the morning sun lights the carved east facade. Allow 30 minutes.
- Morning: Uplistsikhe
Continue about 40 minutes to Uplistsikhe and spend 1.5 to 2 hours on the rock-cut town before the midday heat.
- Afternoon: Gori and the Stalin Museum
Drive 15 minutes to Gori for lunch, then visit the Stalin Museum and climb Gori Fortress, about 2.5 hours in all.
- Evening: Gorijvari or Ateni
Go up to Gorijvari for sunset, about 10 to 15 minutes by taxi, or drive 20 minutes south to taste Atenuri wine near Ateni. Gori to Tbilisi takes about 1 hour on the highway.
Two days in Shida Kartli
- Day 1: The Kaspi churches and Uplistsikhe
From Tbilisi, visit Samtavisi (45 minutes), Kvatakhevi and Ertatsminda on the hills south of the highway, roughly 2 hours of driving with village roads between them. Finish at Uplistsikhe in the late afternoon light and sleep in Gori.
- Day 2: Ateni, Ruisi, Kintsvisi and Surami
See the Ateni Sioni frescoes and a family cellar in the morning, then drive west to Ruisi and Urbnisi (about 30 minutes from Ateni) and on to Kintsvisi near Kareli. End in Surami for nazuki before continuing 30 km to Borjomi, or return to Tbilisi in about 1 hour 45 minutes.
Shida Kartli at a glance
Gori lies on the E60 highway about an hour west of Tbilisi, with frequent Didube marshrutkas and trains, and makes an easy stop on any drive to the west.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Gori is 86 km west of Tbilisi on the E60 highway, about 1 hour by car. Marshrutkas leave frequently from Tbilisi's Didube station and take about 1 to 1.5 hours, and trains between Tbilisi and western Georgia stop at Gori and Khashuri. Uplistsikhe is about 15 minutes' drive east of Gori. From Kutaisi, Gori is about 145 km east along the same highway, and from Borjomi about 75 km, so the region is an easy stop between Tbilisi and the west.
Getting around
A car or hired driver is the easiest way to combine sites, since Uplistsikhe, Ateni, Kintsvisi, Urbnisi and Samtavisi are in villages off the main highway with little or no public transport. Taxis in Gori make round trips to Uplistsikhe and Ateni. Marshrutkas link Gori with Kareli, Kaspi and Khashuri, and Surami is on the main road to western Georgia. Do not follow minor roads north of the highway toward the occupation line; stick to signed routes.
Best time to visit
April to June and September to October are best, with mild weather for walking around Uplistsikhe and orchards in blossom or fruit. Summers are hot on the open plain and Uplistsikhe has almost no shade, while winters are cold but the main sites remain accessible.
Where to stay
Food & wine in Shida Kartli
The Ateni valley south of Gori produces Atenuri, a light, fresh white wine made mainly from the Chinuri and Goruli Mtsvane grapes, often also as sparkling wine. Other Kartli grapes include the reds Tavkveri and Shavkapito.
Shida Kartli: frequently asked questions
Is Gori worth visiting?
Yes, for half a day or a day. The Stalin Museum is unique, Gori Fortress gives good views, and Uplistsikhe and Ateni Sioni are close by. Most people visit as a day trip from Tbilisi or on the way to Borjomi or Kutaisi.
How do I get from Tbilisi to Uplistsikhe?
Take a marshrutka or train to Gori, about 1 to 1.5 hours, then a 15-minute taxi to Uplistsikhe. By car from Tbilisi it is about 1 hour 15 minutes. Many day tours combine Uplistsikhe with Gori and Mtskheta.
Is it safe to visit Shida Kartli?
Yes. Gori, Uplistsikhe, Ateni, Kintsvisi, Samtavisi and Surami are in Georgian-controlled territory and are visited normally. Do not approach the occupation line of the Tskhinvali region north of the highway, where people have been detained; stay on main roads and signed routes.
What is in the Stalin Museum in Gori?
Six halls of photographs, documents, gifts and personal belongings, ending with one of Stalin's death masks. Outside are the small wooden house where he was born in 1878 and his armoured green railway carriage. The presentation is largely uncritical, reflecting its Soviet origins.
What wine comes from Shida Kartli?
Look for Atenuri, from the Ateni valley just south of Gori: a crisp white, still or sparkling, based mostly on Chinuri and Goruli Mtsvane. For reds, try Tavkveri and Shavkapito, two Kartli varieties.
Tours that visit Shida Kartli
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