Day trip

Chiatura: Georgian Chernobyl Day Tour

Day trip

Chiatura: Georgian Chernobyl Day Tour

From US$ 80 per person

A tour to experience some lesser known Georgian sites, as you delve deep into the mining town of Chiatura. Built in the 1950s, this town may be dilapidated, but still oozes character and offers unique and wonderful views.

About this activity

Free cancellation
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Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 10 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the ticket line
Live tour guide
English, Russian
Pickup included
Your accommodation in Tbilisi
Small group
Limited to 6 participants

Experience

Highlights
  • Enjoy fantastic aerial views
  • Be picked up and dropped off from your accommodation
  • Learn from an informative, friendly and professional guide
Full description
At 8:00AM, your driver and guide will meet you at your hotel/place of residence in Tbilisi. From here you will drive to the Katskhi pillar. Stunning and mysterious, this 40-meter high natural limestone monolith towers over the gorge of the Karshuna River. On top of the pillar, there is a monastery and reconstructed 8th-century church most likely built by the Stylite. There is only one inhabitant, monk Maxime who has been living in the monastery for over 25 years in solitude and silence. You will then continue onward to Chiatura, an industrial town founded in the late 1800s. In Soviet Georgia, the town was a center of manganese mining. Present Chiatura attracts visitors who are interested in Soviet time left-overs and remnants. To grasp a true feeling of the past, you can ride a communism-era cable car still used by the locals as a means of transport. This transport system has a dozen operating ropeway lines for passengers and two cargo lines for transporting manganese. The total length of the cableway exceeds 6,000 meters. Located between steep valleys and deep gorges Chiatura will leave an unforgettable impression on anyone visiting this off-the-beaten-track Georgian destination. At the conclusion of your day, you will be driven back to Tbilisi before being dropped off at your hotel/place of residence.
Includes
  • All transfers as per itinerary
  • Sightseeing tour program with English-speaking guide
  • Cable car ride
  • Mineral water (500ml per person per day)
  • Lunch
  • Gratuities
Not suitable for
  • People with back problems
  • People under 3 ft 9 in (120 cm)

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Sunglasses
  • Sun hat
  • Sunscreen

Know before you go

  • Please note that some cable lines are closed or under repair and visiting them may not be possible
Customer reviews

Overall rating

5 /5

based on 7 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    5/5
  • Transportation
    5/5
  • Service
    5/5
  • Organization
    5/5

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Star rating:

It was really a great experience and I enjoyed the trip to the maximum. The tour guid Alex was super kind, experienced and had great knowledge about the region and history. It was really a memorable day and I would definitely recommend this trip again.

March 29, 2023

Chiatura was an incredible Soviet place. If you interested in seeing something different and step back into Soviet times this is the tour for you. Also see other things churches also. My driver/tour guide was great. Not afraid to get dirty and explore. Great day trip!

March 29, 2023

Our guide Alex and our driver David were really great. It was an awesome day for us - It was a perfect tour, the whole day was well organized and Alex gave us some hints and told us how to find some hidden gems on our further trip. They also asked us about our wishes (picknick, unusual foto-stops, coffee-breaks, ...) during the day and fitted everything possible in our plans for the day. They really know how to do such kind of tours!

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March 29, 2023

Product ID: 166304