A 5am alarm, 2 border crossings, medieval castles, an enormous cave city and a really friendly tour group… time to cross from Armenia into Georgia… it was a REALLY long day that ended at 2am! BUT SO WORTH IT!
ONEWAYTOUR – THE TOUR DETAILS
📍 TOUR: Rabat, Vardzia & Khertvisi Castle
🚌 OPERATOR: One Way Tour
🇦🇲 DEPARTURE: Yerevan, Armenia
🇬🇪 DESTINATION: Southern Georgia
⏰ SCHEDULE: 06:30 – 00:00
💰 PRICE: 12,000 AMD per
🗣️ GUIDE: Armenian-language tour
👥 GROUP SIZE: Maximum 12 people
💧 INCLUDED: Transport, guide & bottled water
🎟️ NOT INCLUDED: Entrance fees & meals
🏰 HIGHLIGHTS: Rabati, Khertvisi Fortress & Vardzia
🛂 DON’T FORGET: Passport!
⚠️ THIS IS A LONG DAY! The tour starts 06:30 until midnight (17½ hours)
You’re also crossing an international border twice, so border queues can affect the timing – do you need a visa to get back into Armenia, make sure you check this!
TOUR – Rabat, Vardzia, Khertvis Castle
LOCATION
Driving up from Yerevan, passing Gyumri and on towards the border, then across to Khertvisi Fortress, Vardzia Caves and Rabati Fortress before heading back to Yerevan direct
Ugh… 5AM… ARE YOU SERIOUS?! 😂
Waking up at 5am definitely wasn’t my favourite part of the day!
It was dark and the moon was totally out that I had to double check the time and make sure it wasnt midnight or something lol
THE MEETING POINT ~ Where’s Our Van?!
I was the 3rd person at the meeting point around 5:50am – it was dark and the moon was out and the streets were quite and I walked up to them (a mother and her 20 something daughter) and there was 1 bus there but that was going to Tatev
The groups were gathering at the meeting point at Komitas Conservatory
People started trickling in, and our van never seemed to arrive! Everyone was keen on getting a good seat – we ended up leaving at 6:43am instead… dang could have had an extra 30min sleep lol
The group was fantastic! I really liked them all very much! They were all so lovely and friendly from the beginning – all people (except me!) were local Armenians from Yerevan and they all were talking and acting like they all know each other, talking to each other like their family, feeding each other, helping each other, asking questions, laughing… they all curious about me and where im from and how far sydney is and do we ride kangaroos to work 🤣 I had one older lady not take no for an answer and cut me a slice or apple and basically shoved it into my mouth lol –
There were only 3 men on our tour and every time we got back onto the van, they stood aside and waited until all the women had boarded first… VERY different from some of the Western tours I’ve done, I’ve gotta be honest… I’ll choose this any day! 😊
Even better, our guide was Ararat — and I’d actually had him as a guide before! We remembered each other, which somehow made the whole thing feel even MORE like I’d accidentally joined one giant Armenian family outing… Our driver was Armenian but from Georgia, Gaysergeh
The drive was a long one and we were warned from the beginning… we didnt know how long it was going to be!!
We drove for a couple hours and got to Gymri, picked up 3 more people and continued to the border
We drove through the city…
And stopped at a petrol station for 5mins toilet break and kept going…
The cute little pup that came to play (and steal food) from us!
ARMENIA → GEORGIA ~ And Then Came the Border Drama…
9am – We got to the border, we were the only ones there so it didnt take us too long to pass through, the Armenian border guards were really nice and easy going, I actually like crossing the border here!
Because there were not many ppl around yet, it was quick for us to pass through and we waited on the other side for the group
The passport stamp at the Armenian side (notice no more ararat mountains at the top of the stamp, that was quietly taken off)
The quiet and simplistic Armenian border
And THIS is where things slowed down…
9:35 – Georgian Border
The georgian border took longer, we lined up around 20mins and there was another large group (looked like locals though)
They didn’t let one of the ladies over the border fire some reason so we had to wait a while, Ararat looked a bit stressed
… 10:10am and we still waiting for the lady they aren’t letting across the border
10:40 – Finally we moved!
It ended up being they wouldn’t let her in because she had recently changed her surname and back in 2016 the border security hadnt stamped her passport so they never had her stamped out!
So now we are 1hr behind… but everyone on the tour is very relaxed and easy going and our guide takes it in his stride, im impressed!
NINOTSMINDA – Welcome to Georgia!
Passed by a couple of fully Armenian villages…
Local farms, these villages havemt changed at all from the previous times Ive passed through Georgia!
The stacks of hay, the mud and grass covered barns
The beautiful scenery, its actually really beautiful driving through Georgia, Ive always liked the scenery of this country
☕ REST STOP ~ Pastries, Coffee & a VERY Happy Me!
We stopped for our first meal stop in Ninotsminda across the border at an Armenian Food Court (they like those food courts here!)
They had some really nice food!
I didnt know which to choose…
BUT I SAW THIS!!! Its a cheese burek (yea I had cheese!) its got this thick pastry inside which is like pasta… I paid 6 lari ($3.50au) and enjoyed it soooo much!
I washed it down with an Armenian soorj (coffee) $2.20au and i brought along with me a nut and raisin gata which was so tasty and I had that sitting under the sun, closed my eyes and grateful to be alive and where I am! 😊
11:50am we left the food court and headed back on the (bumpy) road and onto our adventures for the day
The scenery from Ninotsminda
Love the contrast between the colours of the scenery and the sky
Ninotsminda is in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region which has a strong Armenian presence and some amazing scenery!
The town itself has around 6000 residents, mostly all Armenians
🏰 KHERTVISI FORTRESS ~ Guarding the valley for centuries!
The drive up to this castle is the BEST!
I was on the wrong side of the bus (DOH!) so couldnt get any photos this time, but see below, this is the whole expanse of the fortress from above (these days anyways) I always wonder what it would have been like in its hey day
This medieval fortress is jaw dropping!… It really is like a fortified european castle
Ive been here twice before and I still love exploring this castle and walking around inside, I had a new photo friend, Armen, and we wandered around and took photos for each other – good to have a photographer buddy!
Bought the tickets to the castle (paid card) 10 lari and went in to explore, I was joined by my new friend from the tour and we took photos for each other which was nice
MY TIP:
If you don’t want to pay to go inside, don’t panic! Some of my favourite photos were actually taken OUTSIDE the fortress while walking up around the side. You get a much better sense of just how dramatically it sits above the landscape from down there
Walking up the side of the castle and just looking up in awe
This gorgeous castle sits on this mountain looking all regal, it sits between the meeting point of the Mtkvari and Paravani rivers and has guarded this important route for so long
The inside of the castle
Loved this bell! The detailed drawing and against the backdrop of the beautiful mountains
From the car park – there is a little cafe there to have something to eat or drink
Hidden inside the enormous stone walls of Khertvisi Fortress is a tiny hall-type church thats carved directly into the natural rock
Its a very small and simple chapel where you can light candles
Just outside the chapel is one of the best views of the mountains from the fortress
Some relics sit outside the office of the fortress, there is so much to see and explore here
We had the time to walk over Khertvisi Pedestrian suspension bridge that spans the Mtkvari River and it was shaking all over the place and it was so much fun!
We left around 13:50 and so happy to explore this fantastic place again!
VARDZIA ~ An Entire City Inside a Mountain?!
Yes! Finally Vardzia… again…
The last time I had been here was 2015 with my family, and I loved every second of it back then, but I had forgotten it and was pretty excited to be able to explore again and get reacquainted…
Vardzia is an enormous medieval cave monastery carved directly into the cliffs
As we drove up, we immediately saw the distinct caves dug out into the sides of the cliffs
First there werent as many cave openings visible
But then as you drive closer, it becomes so obvious and you see the openings of the caves…
We bought our ticket from the ticket office for 15 lari and paid additional 2 lari to catch the bus up to the entrance (Ararat said it was a hot day so worth catching the bus)
Modern Monastic Life Inside the Caves
The caves is still home to a small community of Georgian Orthodox monks!
The monks have their own living chambers in a small area of these ancient caves
They follow the traditional monastic lifestyle of prayer, worship and daily work
One of the caves houses the Church of the Dormition and has inside it 12th c frescoes all over the wall and ceiling,
And it has an eerie feel to it as you walk inside and see the lighted candles and the rough etched out walls – its beautiful in its own way
this part is right behind the church and houses a small chapel down the stairs
You can walk through an area of the caves and see the details carved into the arches and the rooms
“TAMAR’S TEARS” ~ A Secret Water Supply Hidden in the Mountain!
There is a secret spring near the church and around the side and down a narrow passage and here the water is natural and seeps through the rock
Inside is a fascinating network of chambers and passageways and you can see so many of the openings as you walk around and explore
There are tunnels and walkways all throughout the network of caves, who knows how deep it goes!
We heard all these cars beeping and loud songs and looked down from the caves and saw a wedding party had driven up and were taking photos in front of the caves – was nice to experience this and see them celebrating 🙂
5pm and we left VARDZIA caves and walked down enjoying the beautiful view over the valley
LUNCH TIME ~ Khinkali by the Mtkvari River
After exploring the caves, we had walked down to the cafe by the Mtkvari River and had a rest and enjoyed the rushing sound of the water flowing by
My lunch was 6 mushroom khinkali and they were soooo good washed down with a Georgian beer!
Our really nice Georgian food we had at Vardzia Caves cafe near the water, it was sooooo tasty
Passing impressive mountains in Aspindza – I was so impressed by the amazing mountains that we drove by on this trip
RABATI FORTRESS ~ A Connection To Charles Aznavour!
This is the furthest Ive gone into Georgia driving from Yerevan, a good 7hrs to get here… BUT SO WORTH IT as I was about to see!
The fortress is the main sight to see in Akhalitsikhe and stands out as it sits on a small hill on the shores of the Potskhovi River
Its name comes from Arabic meaning “fortified place” and its 90,000 m sq area with unique layerings of buildings from different eras and styles, its truly an amazing!
When they reconstructed it back to 2012, Charles Aznavour sang at the opening as his dad was born in this city
LAYERS OF HISTORY… Destroyed!
During the reconstruction (or demolishing!?) of Rabati Fortress, a lot of the original masonry from these multiple periods was destroyed and replaced with concrete and new stone and now you cant see what was original and whats modern… a lot of historians at the time of the reconstruction were against this and voiced their concerns, the government still went ahead
- 9-10th c. – original Lomsia
- 12-16th c. – The Jaqeli period
- 16-20th c. – Ottomon period
- 19-20th c. – Russian period
There is also an Armenian church and Catholic church within the grounds
What the critics specifically argued:
The core complaint, voiced by Georgian architectural historians and heritage professionals at the time, was that the project proceeded without adequate prior archaeological survey or documentation of the existing fabric. The reconstruction treated the site as a blank canvas to be reinterpreted rather than a partially preserved monument to be conserved in situ.
A TripAdvisor review from a visitor put it bluntly: “there was absolutely no historical or archaeological rationality in rebuilding, as it contained Ancient Georgian, Persian, Turkish, Russian times styles mixed one atop the other… tons of concrete used to reconstruct everything, over the old ruins which were destroyed.”
In short, the “lost evidence” is not a set of specific artifacts but the irreplaceable physical record of how a thousand-year-old fortress accumulated its history — a record that, once demolished, cannot be recovered.
It does look more amazing now but a lot of the history was ruined to build this modern complex
OUTTA TIME! ~ When Jogging & Exploring go hand-in-hand
After a couple of hours driving up from Vardzia, I dont think I was ready for what I saw
Driving up I saw the fortress from afar and sat up in my seat… iin shock, camera ready, ass in gear to get exploring!
Rabati Fortress as you see it from the town centre… what a view!
We drove up to the fortress and looked down towards the bustling town
We got inside and bought our tickets into the fortress for 20 Lari and I really couldnt wait to see this beauty! I was so excited…
Note: There are 2 seperate sections, the lower section is free to roam around but the upper section is ticketed
Hard to think that this amazing building is a public toilet… very extravagant!
The Caravanserai was a Turkish roadside inn built during the Ottomon period when this Town was called Ahiska and was the administrative centre of the Childir Eyalet Province and a regional Turkish trading hub – there buildings provided shelter and stables and a place to trade with other merchants and travellers – its now a hotel and wellness centre
The map of the fortress area – the ticketed area is on the left side
Before we start on this… here is an aerial view I found online looking down towards the main Citadel
A content dog crossing its legs amongst all the tourists
We got our tickets and headed up the steep steps to the upper courtyard area and into a mouth dropping scene which I was NOT expecting!
The entrance to the upper area as you climb the stairs and hand your ticket over
Heading to the Upper Citadel... this is the first building which got my eye and I left the group and started jogging / skipping happily towards it
The place was pretty empty at this time and I basically had the main fortress to myself to explore for a while
This is the oldest and most “castle-like” of the whole complex and sits at the hightest point, perched on jagged grey rocks which looks like its carved from it
This part was a lot of fun, it was dark and gloomy and the stairs were so rickety and actually broken but I headed down with my torch on and roamed about hoping not to bump into anyone in the dark!
There are underground tunnels that connect this citadel to the town below – why am I NOT surprised!?
From the watch tower in the citadel I got an amazing view over the complex! check out how beautiful it is
Looking over towards the lower area and where we entered from and looking towards the guard towers
The Mosque sits in the courtyard and dominates with its golden roof, the inside is beautiful open space and when I walked in a lady started singing opera and it sounded amazing with the acoustics
The nicely trimmed hedges, this mosque is now used as a museum and exhibition hall
The Madrasa – which was an ottoman religious school and this arcaded marble corridor reminds me of being in Turkey and so out of place in Georgia! The minaret in the background has a beautiful fountain feature inside with lions
I love this photo of the citadel from the courtyard, it sits looking over the town on its high perch
Another courtyard as you enter, nicely maintained and looked after
This is one of my favourite photos of the fortress complex! The Ottomon style courtyard with its beautiful ornate features and the sounds of water trickling, its a magic feeling wandering around, especially when there isnt a crowd
The fountain feature, with lions trickling water out of their mouths…
A place which I adore! A mix and mash up of cultures that once lived here, we destroyed much of the original but if we use our imagination we can see the people of the past living here and living in style… I wonder always what that world would have been like to live in…
I had to get dragged out of there by my tour guide lol last one on the bus… it started raining, there was a glow in the sky and the sunset streaming through the wild clouds… and I was so appreciative to be alive at this time to enjoy what I had just explored
ITS TIME… jump on the bus and sleep
The bus ride back was long but not bad as it was raining by now and bus rides always put me to sleep, so went to sleep and 6-7hrs later, we arrive in Yerevan at 2am, exhausted BUT oh so so happy and on a high!
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