Day Trip to Rainbow Mountains and David Gareji from Tbilisi

Drive through Georgia's semidesert, then hike the mineral-colored Rainbow Mountains and David Gareji

A guided tour from Tbilisi explores the Georgian Sahara, Rainbow Mountains, and David Gareji Lavra monastery complex with transportation and a professional guide. The route passes a salty lake and Udabno Village on the way to the monastery, includes walking through the colored rock formations, and returns to Tbilisi. There's an early stop at a shop for snacks, and the tour operates in all weather, so dress accordingly.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Rainbow Mountains and David Gareja

• Meet travelers at meeting point
• Snack stop at a shop
• Visit salty lake for photos
• Drive through Udabno Village desert
• Hike and photograph Rainbow Mountains
• Tour David Gareji Lavra monastery
• Return to Tbilisi and finish tour

The experience

You start at the travelers' meeting point in Tbilisi, a free-to-use space where you can meet other travelers, play board games or listen to music before departure. The first stop is a shop for snacks, since the area you're heading into has no good restaurants. From there, the route continues to a salty lake along the road to David Gareji Lavra, a stop built in for the views and the photographs.

The drive continues through Udabno Village, whose name means "desert" in Georgian. This is the only semidesert in Georgia, and the landscape shifts noticeably as you move deeper into it. When you arrive at the Rainbow Mountains, you walk through the formation itself. The rock is mineral-rich sedimentary stone that appears painted with brightly colored stripes. You spend time here taking photographs and preparing for the monastery visit ahead.

David Gareji Lavra is carved into a cliff face and is one of the most spiritual sites in the country. The guide walks you through the monastery's history and the reasons St. David chose this isolated location for his disciples. There is some hiking involved at the site, and from certain vantage points you can see a Georgian soldier stationed at the border with Azerbaijan. After the monastery, you head back to Tbilisi.

What’s included

• Transportation from Tbilisi.
• a professional English-speaking guide for the full 7 hours.
• walking through the Rainbow Mountains.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (5 to 79 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 200

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Gamarjoba Georgia Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you have a free day in Tbilisi and want to see two very different landscapes (a semidesert and a colored mountain range) without arranging transport or hiring a guide yourself. The guide handles the route and the history, so you can focus on the photographs and the walk.

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Top questions

How much walking is involved at the Rainbow Mountains and David Gareji?

You walk through the Rainbow Mountains to see the colored rock formations and take photographs. At David Gareji Lavra, there is additional hiking around the monastery complex and its cliff-side location, though the guide sets the pace and route.

What is David Gareji Lavra and why is it significant?

David Gareji Lavra is a monastery complex carved into a cliff face and is considered one of Georgia's most spiritual places. St. David chose this isolated location so his disciples could live a life of holiness apart from society.

What do I need to know about the dress code for the monastery?

Visitors cannot enter the church in shorts. Women must cover their heads. Bring a scarf or hat. The tour operates in all weather, so dress for the conditions on the day.

What is the Georgian Sahara and Udabno Village?

Udabno Village sits in Georgia's only semidesert, a landscape that looks dramatically different from the rest of the country. The name Udabno means "desert" in Georgian, and the drive through this area shows the diversity of Georgia's natural geography.