Today I will take you on Iron Age Tour for a Uplistsikhe Cave Town Tour from Tbilisi in Georgia. “Uplistsikhe,” a Georgian word that translates to “Fortress of the Lord,” is an ancient, historical Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age town. This ancient Cave Town has a 3000 years old rich historical and cultural significance from Iron Age to the Late Middle Ages.
It was one of the most important political, religious and cultural centers of Georgia built across the Old Silk Path ranging from the 6th century B.C. to 11th century A.D. This town had a population of about 20,000 during its peak of prosperity and recommended things to do in Georgia.
Uplistsikhe Cave Town Tour from Tbilisi – Day trips from Tbilisi | Tours from Tbilisi
Situated on the rocky banks of Mtkvari river, ancient Uplistsikhe Cave Town is 85-90 km away from Tbilisi(the capital of Georgia). The site of this cave town is 10 km east of the small town of Gori (the birthplace of Stalin). And therefore Uplistsikhe Cave Town tour must be included in your itinerary of day trips from Tbilisi.
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Uplistsikhe Cave Town complex can be divided into three parts, South(lower), Middle (central), and North (Upper) spread across 8 hectares of land. Most structures are constructed through underground tunnels, alleys, and rock-cut steps, which also meet at the river flowing behind. These tunnels and passages served as an escape route during invasions.
This historical town depicts unique combinations of cultures from Anatolia and Iran. This rock-cut city has the co-existence of Pagan and Christian architecture. The central part of the caves do not have many decorations. Still, there are remains of the bakery, prison, cellars, sacrificial altars, a few carved ceilings, and amphitheater all connected through rock-cut steps and tunnels.
During Archaeological excavations, numerous artifacts like gold, silver & bronze jewelry with samples of ceramics and sculptures from different periods have been found. They are now kept in the National Museum of Tbilisi.
Archaeologists have also seen many temples and facts of worshipping Goddess Sun before the arrival of Christianity. At the top of the cave town, a Christian Basilica is dating from the 10th century.
The rock-cut structure includes one large hall with pillars named as Hall of Queen Tamara.
Uplistsikhe Cave Town survived 3000 years but was destroyed by Mongols in the 13th century, and some parts were destroyed by natural disasters like the 1920’s earthquake.
How to reach Uplistsikhe Cave Town | Day trips from Tbilisi
From Tbilisi to Gori (Uplistsikhe Cave Townsite place), public transports like Marshrutkas are available, costing 4 Georgian Lari (3 USD) and taking around 1 and a half hours. Also, private taxis with driver cum guide can be hired from Tbilisi for this day tour. I took a private car with a Georgian guide/driver with many stopovers at houses of Georgian locals in between for lunch and to understand the local living of that place.
Entrance fee for Uplistsikhe Cave Town – 3 Georgian Lari.
If you want English speaking guide, then 25 Georgian Lari extra.
Opening timings of Uplistsikhe Cave Town – 11 A.M. to 6 P.M.
The view from the top of the rock/cliff is fantastic, with views of the flowing Mtkvari river, agricultural farms and settlements of Gori.
There are many day trips from Tbilisi like
There are many itineraries for Georgia in summers and Georgia in winters. Read to know more about Georgia.
So, till then KEEP TRAVELING……………… KEEP EXPLORING……………………………………………………
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Wow! Nice photos! I have to say, you got my intrigued now to visit Georgia! =)
So much naturall history here. Love the off beat destinations you also cover in your blog posts.
Lovely post! You’ve fuelled my love for historical places. The cave town looks quite fascinating with rich history dating back to the Bronze age. Those rock cuts are incredible and the views from the top are simply stunning! I’ve added Uplistsikhe cave town to my bucket list. Thanks for sharing beautiful photographs of the place.
I have heard about Georgia recently from bloggers tweeting about bad experiences at the immigration or in the country. I hope all of that is settled down. Nice post on the rock cut caves. I wonder about the civikisation and the connect back to history, when the town was in its pomp. The image of that car is so beautiful. gives a very old school vibe like in Havana!
i have also heard about that incident but it was single one, I suppose. Anyway I have seen many tourists from our country there enjoying and having no problem. Also you can hear Raj Kapoor’s songs in each and every household or streets.
Off late, Georgia is making news for all the right reasons. I love visiting places like Uplistsikhe Cave Town. It is unfortunate that Mongols destroyed it. It makes me wonder what the original version must have looked like. Surviving for 3000 years is not a joke! Impressive!
It is always fascinating to visit sites that date back to the Bronze or Iron age. There is such an intriguing aura about them and you also realize the ingenuity of Man, way back in history. The Uplistsikhe caves are really intriguing and the intricate world beneath the ground so exciting.
When I first started reading this I thought, hmm they spelled Cape Town wrong. Then, I saw the photos and started reading more. Cave Town looks incredible! I have never been to Georgia, nor have I ever though to much about it. But, this just planted the seed in me that I need to go. Thank you for the great post!
It’s always interesting to explore caves. but looks like the co-existence of different cultures here makes the uplistsikhe cave all the more exciting to visit and unique. They look beautiful.
‘Uplistsikhe’ – I am having so much of difficulty just to pronounce this word. 😛 The archaeological excavations have discovered such a beautiful part of the history. The caves look amazing with those small steps and tunnels. And then this visit seems so light on the pocket too. I would definitely love to visit these ancient caves someday. The photographs are beautiful.
This part of the world is really well known for caves. When I was in Turkey’s Cappadoccia, there were caves and underground cities everywhere. Also – amazing photos!
We have never heard of a cave town before, especially in Georgia. Do you think this area is accessible during winter when it is cold? We really want to com and visit during. winter, do you know what is happening there during a winter?
winters it is cold and windy but you can visit this place with proper jackets and hats. But it chilly freezing
Wow, what absolutely incredible landscapes! I must say I had no idea this was here – I have added this to my bucketlist. I have to see these for myself! Thanks for sharing.
I would love to travel to the Caucusus region – Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Thanks for sharing with us so many attractions with rich cultural and historical significance – Georgia must have been a melting pot of different cultures (Pagan and Christian), being on the Old Silk Path. I’d love to visit this significant historical site of Uplistsikhe 🙂
Amazing! I had no idea these caves even existed and they are from the B.C era. what a fascinating structure, and thanks for sharing. this will def be on my list for historical and archaeological places to see.
Just to add a note: Your post was so intriguing to me, I looked up the National Museum of Tbilisi to learn more. I think it would be a great combination to visit the museum after touring Uplistsikhe Cave Town so you can really understand more about that time period and the cultures of Anatolia and Iran. Did you get to visit the museum?
yes we attended museum while doing a city tour of Tbilisi.
Wow, the landscape here is amazing. It would be fascinating to explore those caves and learn more about the history.
Thank you for this post about Tibilisi. It is a destination I know nothing of. It looks interesting, but I fear the topography may be too difficult for my bad knees.
I’ve never heard of Uplistsikhe before but it looks fascinating. The rock structures remind me a bit of the caves built into the mountains in Petra. It’s sad that the Mongols destroyed some of this beautiful history.
The rock structures are so unique! It is like nothing I have ever seen before. I would love to go on a history tour there. Do you know if there are any organized tours?
there are organized day tours from Tbilisi(Georgia’s capital) either group or personal tours.
Wow these structures are quite remarkable! I think I’d have a lot of fun wandering around and exploring this place, as well as capturing all its unique nooks and crannies with my camera.
I’ve still yet to visit Georgia, but am inspired to do so after reading this. 3,000 years old is ancient, and it’s amazing to know the history behind this place. The length of the hike is a good time too; I’ll definitely be adding this to the travel list.
That is one of the most unique and interesting natural spots I’ve seen. The Cave formations are so beautiful and looks like the spots would make for a lovely hike. But it is more than just a natural site but also filled with so much history and culture.
You’re becoming one encyclopedia of Georgia destinations!!!
I am a fan of all things prehistoric and Uplistsikhe is just perfect.
Those weathered tunnels & staircases are where today’s europeans’ forefathers lived!
Tbilisi is a very interesting city with buildings from Soviet Union times. Their cheese and wine is surprisingly good!
This looks like a really unique experience. I would love to visit Georgia but never seem to be able to find decent flights. I think BA flies direct though so will keep hoping.
I did this tour from Tbilisi a few months back! I loved the place but unfortunately it was an extremely hot day and roaming about in the area became very tough due to the scorching heat. Nevertheless it was an interesting place to visit and I ended up taking lots of lovely pictures, just like you did too 🙂
This is a unique sight to see! So rich in history and culture, it must have been really interesting to see the remains of the bakery, prison, and sacrificial altars. Despite the destruction by man and nature, the place seems to be well-preserved.
Uplistsikhe cave town in Georgia was unknown for me and just wow! I am happy to have stumble upon your post! Uplistsikhe is beautiful and full of interesting history! The view from the ruins is just so peaceful looking down at the Mtkvari river. I guess I have to squeez in Georgia somewhere this year! It will be hard to choose the tour to go with as there seems to many. I will pin this for future use!
Georgia is very small country and all places are connected very close. So within a week you can go to 7 different town with lots of places.
Wow wow wow! This is one of the most unique places I’ve discovered in quite a while! The structures are absolutely stunning, almost like works of art, and so well preserved. I could easily spend a day exploring this site and learning all the interesting things about its history!
Ahhh I love visiting places like this that are so natural and historic! I would probably do what you did and have a private car take us there. Love how untouched it looks and how well preserved so much of the history is! We just returned from Israel and I love seeing the old caves and learning the history of the area!