Tbilisi to Katskhi Pillar & Chiatura (2026): Day Trip, Cable Cars & Cost
Updated June 2026 · 7 min read
Two sights, one strange and unforgettable day. Rising from a forested gorge in Imereti, the Katskhi Pillar is a 40-metre natural limestone monolith with a tiny church balanced on top — a hermitage so isolated that for decades a single monk lived there, hauled up by an iron ladder. Twelve kilometres away, the mining town of Chiatura is laced with Soviet-era cable cars that once carried workers up the cliffs and have, after years of closure, begun reopening as modern lines from 2023. Together they make one of Georgia's most distinctive day trips. Here is how to reach them from Tbilisi in 2026, what it costs, and how to fit both into a single day.
Where they are and how the day fits together
Katskhi Pillar and Chiatura sit in the Imereti region of west-central Georgia, about 200 km and a 3-hour drive from Tbilisi, or roughly 55 km (about an hour) from Kutaisi if you are already in the west. The pillar is near the village of Katskhi, around 13 km from Chiatura town. Because the two are so close, almost everyone visits them on the same trip — pillar first or cable cars first, then the other. The drive from Tbilisi runs west along the main highway toward Kutaisi before turning north into the gorge country, so the route also lends itself to an Imereti add-on such as Prometheus Cave on the way home.
Options at a glance
| Option | Cost (2026) | Time | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshrutka Tbilisi → Chiatura | ~10 GEL | ~3 h each way | No transport to Katskhi Pillar 13 km away |
| Local taxi Chiatura ↔ Katskhi | ~25–35 GEL round trip | +1 h with waiting | Negotiated on the spot |
| Group day tour from Tbilisi | ~100–120 GEL pp | ~10 h (09:00–19:00) | Fixed itinerary and timing |
| Private transfer with waiting | fixed day rate, paid to driver | 9–11 h round trip | Book ahead |
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The marshrutka route, honestly
Budget travellers can take a marshrutka from Tbilisi's Didube station to Chiatura, around three hours for about 10 GEL. It drops you in town, near the cable-car lines, which is the easy half. The hard half is Katskhi Pillar: there is no scheduled bus the 13 km out to the village, so you end up negotiating a local taxi (typically 25–35 GEL round trip with waiting) or hitching. It is doable for a flexible solo traveller with a whole day to spare, but the return marshrutka timings are limited, and missing the last one means an unplanned night in Chiatura. This is exactly the kind of patchwork that makes the pillar feel further than its 200 km.
Why a private transfer makes this trip easy
Katskhi and Chiatura are the textbook case for a private transfer because the day is one long chain of short hops: Tbilisi to the pillar, the pillar to the cable cars, the cable cars to a possible Imereti add-on, then home. With a single fixed-price booking, your driver collects you in Tbilisi, drives straight to Katskhi Pillar, waits while you photograph it and visit the base chapel, continues to Chiatura for the cable-car ride, waits again, and returns you the same evening — no taxi haggling, no marshrutka clock, no missed connections. For couples, families and small groups splitting one fixed rate it is usually both the simplest and the best-value way to do it, and because OrbiTrip is free you pay only the driver.
See fixed prices: Tbilisi → Chiatura & Katskhi →
What you actually see at Katskhi Pillar
The pillar itself is the spectacle: a sheer column of limestone topped by the small Church of the Maximus the Confessor, rebuilt in the early 2000s on foundations that date back over a thousand years to early Georgian stylite hermits who sought God in extreme isolation. Visitors cannot climb — the ladder is for the monastery's monks only — but at the base there is a chapel, a bell tower and ruins set in a peaceful clearing, and the view straight up the rock is the photograph everyone comes for. Allow 30–45 minutes. Dress modestly, as it is an active religious site.
Riding the Chiatura cable cars
Chiatura grew on manganese, and because the ore was on the cliffs and the workers in the valley, the town built a web of aerial ropeways from 1954 — some of the oldest passenger cable cars anywhere. By the 2010s the original rusting cabins (nicknamed the “metal coffins”) were shut on safety grounds. The good news for 2026 visitors is that several lines have been rebuilt with modern Swiss-style cabins and reopened from 2023, so you can again glide across the gorge for a small fare and take in the Soviet-industrial townscape from above. It is a short, cheap, genuinely memorable ride, and the surrounding streets, with their mosaics and mining-era architecture, reward a slow wander.
Combining with the rest of Imereti
Because the route home passes through Imereti's cave-and-canyon country, Katskhi and Chiatura pair beautifully with the region's other highlights. The easiest add-on is Prometheus Cave near Kutaisi, with its lit chambers and underground boat ride — see our Kutaisi things to do guide (Prometheus & Martvili). If you are basing in Kutaisi rather than Tbilisi, our Tbilisi to Kutaisi transfer guide covers that leg, and nature lovers can swap in the Sataplia Nature Reserve with its dinosaur footprints. To choose the right season, our best time to visit Georgia guide lays out the months.
FAQ
How much does a Katskhi & Chiatura day trip cost from Tbilisi?
Budget: ~10 GEL marshrutka plus ~25–35 GEL local taxi to the pillar. A group tour is around 100–120 GEL per person; a private transfer with waiting is a fixed day rate paid directly to the driver, often the best value for two or more.
Can I see both in one day?
Yes — they are only 13 km apart, so a single day from Tbilisi comfortably covers the pillar, the cable cars and a wander through town, with time for one Imereti stop on the way back.
Is the cable-car ride safe now?
The reopened lines use modern, rebuilt cabins and systems, a world away from the old Soviet cars that were closed for safety. Operating hours can vary, so allow flexibility.
Do I need to book ahead?
For a private transfer, yes — a day's notice is plenty. The marshrutka and cable cars need no booking, just attention to return timings.
Comparing taxis and transfers more broadly? Read taxi vs private transfer in Georgia.
Book a fixed-price Katskhi & Chiatura day →
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