Tsalka Canyon Tour: Canyon Hike, Glass Bridge & Five Lakes

Walk the 1800-meter trail to waterfalls and a café perched above the gorge

A private full-day tour from Tbilisi to Tsalka Canyon combines a 1,800-meter hike through a canyon with cascading waterfalls, a 240-meter glass bridge with a diamond-shaped café, and stops at Manglisi Cathedral, Poka Nunnery, the Dukhabor Ethnographic Museum in Gorelovka, and the former German colony of Asureti. An English-speaking guide leads the route through five lakes at high altitude, and the tour includes private transport and bottled water. Lunch is available as an add-on option with local wine tasting.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore historical sites and nature

• Visit Manglisi Sioni Cathedral
• Visit Paravani Lake
• Visit Phoka Nunnery of St. Nino
• Visit village Gorelovka Ethnographic Museum
• Visit Tsalka Canyon and glass bridge
• Visit village Asureti German colony

The experience

The day covers 385 kilometers round-trip from Tbilisi, moving through the high plateaus of southern Georgia. You start at Manglisi Cathedral, built in the 6th–7th century on the site where Bishop John stopped before reaching Mtskheta to preach Christianity. From there, the route climbs to Paravani Lake at 2,073 meters, the largest of five lakes you'll see, covering 38 square kilometers and freezing solid from mid-autumn through mid-spring. The guide navigates the stops in sequence, and the air-conditioned vehicle handles the long drive so you're not exhausted before the canyon itself.

Poka Nunnery of St. Nino sits on the route where the saint herself stayed for two days after crossing the Javakheti mountains into Georgia. The nunnery has operated as a Georgian-speaking outpost for centuries and still produces its own cheese, candles, cloisonne enamel and confectionery. In Gorelovka, near the Georgia-Armenia border, you enter the Ethnographic Museum of the Dukhabors, a Christian spiritual sect of Russian origin who rejected priesthood, icons and church rituals and were resettled to Georgia between 1841 and 1845. Asureti, the former German colony of Elizabettal, preserves the houses, Lutheran church (built 1871) and wine cellars built by 7,000 German colonists who arrived in 1817. Stalin deported most of them to Central Asia in 1941, but the oak balconies and sulfur baths remain intact.

The canyon itself demands a 30-minute hike down a 1,800-meter path to reach the river, where the Dashbashi Canyon reveals cascading waterfalls in shades of emerald. The centerpiece is the 240-meter glass bridge with a diamond-shaped café suspended in the middle: a single crossing that frames the canyon floor and the water below. The canyon closes during bad weather, and visitors must be taller than 1.2 meters to enter. Modest dress is required in the Georgian Orthodox churches (head scarves and dresses for women, no short trousers for men). Scarves and dresses are available at church entrances if you need them. You'll also stop for lunch at a restaurant along the route. If you choose the Lunch & Wine Tasting option at checkout, the meal includes local endemic wines and dishes from Georgian cuisine.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned transportation for the full 385-kilometer route.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• English-speaking guide.
• all entry fees and taxes to the cathedral, nunnery, museums and canyon complex.

Options for this experience

2 options

Standard TourGuide in English · 08:00Includes pickup

Tour including lunch and a wine tastingGuide in English · 08:00Sample local food and wine; includes pickup

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SundayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (under 12)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effort

Operated by SelectGeorgia-For Holiday

Is this one for you?Book the standard tour if you want to move through the sites and canyon at a steady pace with lunch at your own cost. Choose the Lunch & Wine Tasting option if you'd rather have the meal and local endemic wines arranged and included, so you can focus on the day without stopping to order.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

4 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 12).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Poka Nunnery known for making?

Poka Nunnery of St. Nino produces cheese, candles, cloisonne enamel and confectionery products. The nunnery has served as a Georgian-speaking center for centuries and continues to operate as a working monastery.

Can I walk across the glass bridge in Tsalka Canyon?

Yes, the 240-meter glass bridge spans the canyon with a diamond-shaped café in the middle. You'll hike down a 1,800-meter path to reach the canyon floor, and the bridge crossing is part of the tour. Visitors must be taller than 1.2 meters and the canyon closes during bad weather.

What happened to the German settlers in Asureti?

Asureti was founded by 7,000 German colonists in 1817 who built houses without cement or nails, oak balconies, and wine cellars. In 1941, Stalin deported most of them to Central Asia. Only those married to Georgians were allowed to stay. The original architecture and the Lutheran church from 1871 still stand.

How many lakes will I see on this tour?

You'll visit five lakes: Paravani (the largest at 2,073 meters elevation and 38 square kilometers), Tsalka, Saghamo, Bugdasheni and Madatopa. Paravani freezes solid from mid-autumn through mid-spring.

Is lunch included in the standard tour?

The standard tour stops at a restaurant for lunch, but you pay for your meal separately. If you choose the Lunch & Wine Tasting option at checkout, the meal and local endemic wines are included.

What should I wear to visit the churches on this tour?

Women should wear head scarves and dresses. Men should not wear short trousers. Scarves and dresses are available at church entrances if you don't have them, so you can enter without needing to bring your own.