Kinchkha Waterfall, Okatse Canyon & Lomina Lake – natural monuments near Kutaisi

by Georgian Tour
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Kinchkha

Kinchkha Waterfall

One of the tallest waterfall of Georgia – Kinchkha together with another water abundant waterfall nearby, Okatse Canyon natural monument (just a few km from Kinchkha in Gordi village) with recently built high quality tourist infrastructure – stairs, footpaths offering magnificent views to the canyon and its surroundings make a nice day out in the nature especially in spring when water levels are high and nature is in blossom with flowers all around and smell of yellow azalea and with still snowed Askhi Pleatau;

Also in summer when you can swim, relax or just find a really cool place for picnic and to taste some homemade Georgian wine with locals.

You need to enter from Dadiani Garden in Gordi. After the checkpoint there is little walk down (then up!) to arrive to Okatse bridge. Locals rent jeeps for 20-30 gel 1 way for lazy tourists especially for the way up. The bridge is 800m long and you are about 50m above the canyon so make sure none of you are so afraid of heights. From there you can continue to explore the area by visiting Lomina small waterfall/lake in the forest, which is perfect place for camping, just 2km from the main waterfalls site.

After you are done with Okatse bridge you can visit Kinchkha Waterfalls (most of the photos are of the waterfall!) – It’s not really good idea to walk to the waterfall – its boring car road which reaches village Upper Kinchkha center. From there part of the road is unpaved ascent. Then you will see long and shallow waterfall and cross short path to it. From the longer waterfall you need to walk down to main water-abundant waterfall following the river and you will be over it.  You can take photos and enjoy the place.
Kinchkha

How to get to Kinchkha Waterfall

Its around 50km from Kutaisi (1 hour) to Gordi ; By bus you cant make it directly to Okatse, you need to take bus to Khoni  which leaves from Kutaisi (bus station at McDonalds) ; From Khoni there are buses to Gordi for around 1 gel. From  Okatse Canyon it is 4-5km to Kinchkha Waterfall where you can take a taxi for 20-30 gel or walk.

Kinchkha Waterfalls can not be missed if you like hiking in the nature (Only the first 5 photos are for Okatse, the rest for Kinchkha)! So plan the whole day. As new visitors center is being built in Kinchkha trip to Lomina lakes is advised.If you want real trekking into the wild you can hike to Askhi massif or hike to Martvili canyons via wild route, camp near gorgeous Oniore waterfall (not recommended without guide).

Entrance of Kinchkha waterfall and Okatse canyon

Both Kinchkha waterfall (can be also called Okatse waterfall) and Okatse canyon have entrance fees. Please see on the link information on pricing on Okatse canyon and as for Kinchkha waterfall you can see here.

For those tourists who dont walk to walk down Okatse by foot from visitors entrance it costs 40-50 gel to go down to bridge and come up by local jeep (otherwise you will need 20 min to go down to the bridge and maybe 30min to come up – depends how much Khachapuri you have eaten already).
Kinchkha

Useful Tips

It’s worth to arrange a car trip with hired driver from Tbilisi or Kutaisi to visit both Martvili and Okatse; The best time to visit the area is spring when water levels are high. Also, dont plan to visit Okatse canyon during days of heavy rain and fog when its usually closed.

Extra Activities

You can even get up to the mountain above (cross) for the nice views if you have enough extra time and passion. There are plenty of camping places in both Kinchkha and Gordi. Gordi used to be a Dadiani (Megrelian principal) summer residence so there is a royal garden in Gordi which you can visit. Also it is advisable to explore less touristic areas of Gordi canyons and if you are interested continue exploring the area by visiting Martvili canyons.

Lomina lake

Its actually waterfall which makes some kind of lake is beautiful and exotic destination from Okatse waterfall. Please check it out for good photos, more walk and swimming. There is no entrance fee there (yet).

For the GPS trek please check:

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For the website of Protected areas please visit. For the Map please see:

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15 comments

An July 22, 2016 - 6:02 am

Hi Davit, we admire your website. It’s an incredible source of information. We will be in Georgia from august 12 untill september 12. We are especially interested in less touristy places. Is it possible to visit the more remote places with public transport? Or do we need to hire a car? Or car with driver? We speak nor Georgian nor Russian so we do not know what is the best option. Is one month enough time to spend in Georgia? Can you recommand a specific itinerary? So far, I’m absolutely most interested in the northern part of the country. But maybe I am wrong… We don’t travel with a tent so we will be sleeping in guesthouses/homestays. We are travellers with a certain experience (last year we spent one month in Kyrgyzstan). So even if we do not speak the language, I’m sure we will have a great time in Georgia! Thank you for your advice!

Georgian Tour July 22, 2016 - 12:56 pm

Hi An,
It is possible to do both. Georgian public transportation system can be hard to navigate but it is possible to use it in some cases efficiently while in some cases its just loss of time. I can help you to make itinerary and advise on transportation issues. Please email me to dberishvili@gmail.com

Csilla September 2, 2016 - 7:42 am

Hi David, we are going to Kutaisi this month. And I m collection some useful infos 🙂 Do you know which bus is going to Okatse from Kutaisi? Are they leaving every day and if yes how often? We are planing to visit also Prometheus cave near Kutaisi, the question is the same 🙂 any bus if yes, which one.
Thank you for answer, really appreciated Csilla

Georgian Tour September 5, 2016 - 1:41 pm

Hi Csilla, Transport to Prometheus Cave – Take a bus from the main station to Tskaltubo, from there are buses to the cave. Each costs 1 GEL. Sataplia: Mini bus NO45 leaves every day except Sunday from Kutaisi Central Agricultural Market (Behind Kutaisi Lado Meskhishvili State Academic Theatre) to Sataplia.
Transport to Okatse/Kinchkha – from Kutaisi central station (Ilia Chavchavadze avenue, next to Macdonald’s) there are minibuses/Marshutkas to city Khoni, it costs around 2gel. In Khoni at 11.00, 12.00 and 2.00pm there is another Marshutka to Gordi (1 gel). Its still better to take a taxi from Kutaisi to see both Okatse and Kinchkha as well as Martvili canyons

Alina September 22, 2016 - 6:49 pm

Hi! If we take a taxi, do you know how much it would cost us? We would like to visit in one day Martvili, maybe Prometheus Cave, Okatse and Kinchka and come back to Kutaisi in the evening. Thanks

Georgian Tour September 23, 2016 - 8:50 am

Hi Alina, 200 gel (which is around 86$) should be enough for taxi driver with some English and his costs, but I will need to contact first and arrange ) In 1 day it will be hard but possible to see all these places as visitors centers work from 10am to 6pm.

Veronika February 7, 2017 - 11:48 am

Hi, I would like to ask if is this place accesible in winter or better said early march.

Georgian Tour February 10, 2017 - 8:42 am

Hi Veronica,
Its accessible in winter, also in early March. If necessary I could help you arrange a tour from Kutaisi/Tbilisi

Ain November 8, 2017 - 12:52 pm

Hi, I am visiting Georgia this late Nov-Early Dec. Could you enlighten me on how’s the weather would be and is it safe to go there at this time?

Thank you so much in advance!?

Georgian Tour November 8, 2017 - 1:31 pm

Hi Ain, its safe to visit. Unless its heavy rain which is less likely. historical average for those dates is +15 max, +8 min.

Alina June 12, 2018 - 2:10 pm

Hi!

Any idea if the weather will allow me to visit the canyon in early August ?
I`ll only stay 2 days and I don`t wanna go there for nothing 😀
Thanks in advance for your answer !

Alina

Georgian Tour August 15, 2018 - 2:07 pm

Weather is hot but fine )

Itziar July 26, 2018 - 10:13 am

Hi Davit!
We are planning to go to Martvili and Okatse Canyons. The firs day will be shorter so we are going to Martvili Canyon. We would like to rent a Kayak or something like that, do you know if it is possible or the only option is to go in a “boat tour”?
The second day we are going to Okatse Canyon, Kinchkha waterfall and Lomina lake to have a swim. We have a car, so our idea is to go from Okatse to Kinchkha by car (it takes 15 minutes) and then walk about 2km to reach Lomina lake. Am I right? I don’t find mucha information about the lake, I found the coordenates but in google maps doesn’t appear, so I don’t know if it is easy to find, or also if it exists 😉

Thanks in advance 🙂

Georgian Tour August 15, 2018 - 2:16 pm

42.513394, 42.559299 This should be Lomina.
There is only boat tour and also diving in Martvili canyon (diving if u agree in advance); Rafting better near Shareula camp or Namokhvani area of kutaisi (can be organized from Kutaisi)

Jos October 2, 2019 - 12:09 pm

Entrance fee for the canyon is GEL17.50 (or some tetri less) state 2.10.2019

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