Okatse Canyon: the cliffside walkway and how to get there

Okatse is a canyon in Imereti known not for its water but for its walkway: a metal cliffside path is fixed along the sheer limestone wall, and in one spot a viewing platform juts straight out over the void. Walking along it above the green gorge is what people come for.

Why the canyon is famous

Okatse is a natural monument, an erosion canyon of the Okatse River roughly 20 to 100 metres deep. Its slopes are covered in forest and a river runs along the floor, but the main attraction here’s man-made: a suspended cliffside walkway fixed to the sheer canyon wall. Viewing platforms are set out along it, and the most striking is a balcony jutting forward over the drop.

How a visit works

A visit starts from the entrance and the visitor centre near the village of Zeda-Gordi. First you walk along a forest road - it takes a while, but it sets the mood for the walk. Then the suspended walkway itself begins: it follows the canyon along the wall, now hugging the rock, now stepping out over the void, and leads to the viewing platform above the drop. The route is one-way and railed.

Tickets are sold at the APA visitor centre by the entrance, and the price depends on who you are: 30 GEL for foreign visitors, 16 GEL for Georgian citizens and residents (bring ID), 5.50 GEL for ages 6-18. Children under 6 aren’t allowed on the walkway at all, and neither is anyone under 1.20 m tall, so check heights before you drive out with a small child. As of October 2026 the site opens 10:00 to 17:30 every day (the closing time moves with the season - in early September it was 18:00), but its real season is April to October, and the walkway shuts in rain or snow for safety. If you’re pairing the canyon with the Kinchkha waterfall the same day, ask for the combined ticket - 40 GEL for foreign visitors, 22 GEL for residents - which comes out cheaper than two separate entries. One catch to know: the English-language APA page still shows the waterfall’s lower 12 / 20 GEL for the canyon, so trust the Georgian tariff page or the booth, not the English one.

What to keep in mind when visiting

The main thing is that this is, after all, a walk: you have to cover a fair distance through the forest to the walkway and back, so you’ll want comfortable shoes and some time to spare. The walkway itself runs above a drop - bear that in mind if you’re afraid of heights or going with children. In rain the surface gets slippery, and in hot weather bring water: there’s little shade on the open stretches.

Nearby

Okatse is easy to combine in a single day with Kinchkha Waterfall, the Sataplia reserve and Prometheus Cave - all of them close to Kutaisi. More places are in the things to see section.