9-Days rafting on Kura and Rioni rivers

Description

Welcome to join the rafting tour on the Kura and Rioni rivers. This trip is the most popular tour in Georgia among people who prefer powerful rafting. Many groups from the whole world come to Georgia to spend several days on nature and joy rapidly descent on those rivers. And why is this trip so popular?

The basic information about rafting on the Kura and Rioni rivers.

The Kura (the second name of this river is Mtkvari) and Rioni both are two the biggest rivers in Georgia, you can look for a detailed review of those rivers on that link: Rafting on the Georgian rivers.

We provide that tour from the middle of April till the middle of June. This season is more suited for the trip because intensive snow melting in mounts keep a good water level in those rivers. You get an interesting and energetic descent and warm weather at this time of the year. Yea, a night temperature is usually over +12 celsius degree and during the day times, we often have over +25 degrees.      

We choose those rivers for rafting not accidental. In Georgia, there are many river sections for a rafting activity in that season, but really amazing nature and cultural sights located around the Kura and Rioni rivers area. We will visit and observe the sights present below during the trip:  

• Vardzia cave city ( the city graven in a rock)
• We will have river descent in Tmogvi canyon. Where located the other one ancient cave city which not available for ordinary tourists.
• We will see many military fortresses
• Temples and church built over 1000 years ago
• We will have a bath in the natural mineral thermal springs 
• We will observe the unique lakes Shaori and Tkibuli
• We will visit a winemaker who prepares a rare wine of Khvanchkara. He is using an ancient recipe and makes wine in special clay ewer.
• We will hike to Sairme Svetebi
• We will visit three main cities of Georgia like Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Borjomi
• We will visit karst caves and real Kholkhidian forest
• We will degust Georgian cuisine 
• And without fail we will check own power on the real rafting adventure

Tour timetable by days:

DAY 1. Meet in Tbilisi.

We will meet the group in Tbilisi, and organize transfer to the Samtskhe Javakheti region.

If the group arrives up to noon, we can stop at several sights like as Djvary monastery from which open the view of Kura and Aragvi rivers confluence, Mtskheta, the ancient capital of Georgia during of the transfer service. Transfer duration without stops is 4 hours.

Group will accommodate in a tent camp on the bank of the Kura river close to Vardzia cave city. Dinner will be in camp.

DAY 2. Vardzia cave city and first rafting

Breakfast

From 10 am, the group participants will have two hours to visit Vardzia city. The city graved in rock at the Tamara queen times. It was a unique place closed from alien eyes where can locate army up to 5000 men. But the earthquake in the XIV century broke the rock and opened the city. Vardzia loosed the primary value in protection surrounding areas and was forgot for several centuries.

We will lunch after city visiting. After lunch, we will check and test our equipment, speak about safety on the water, and have short training on a riverbank before first river descent on the upper part of the river.

After rafting in the evening, we will have dinner and visit natural hot thermals springs to bathing there. Water temperature in the bath is over 40 degrees and 20 minutes that you will spend here, have the effect like two hours in the ordinary sauna.

DAY 3. Rafting in Tmogvi canyon

Breakfast

We will raft in Tmogvi canyon, the most intricate and at the same time the most beautiful section of the Kura River. This section takes a start from Vardzia cave city and takes finish close to Khertvisi fortress. There are many intricate and difficult rapids on this part of the river. Also alongside the river located many historical sights like Tmogvi cave city which closed to ordinary tourists because of his location. The duration of the rafting is about 3 hours. Lunch during the way.

In the evening we will back to camp where we will have dinner and rest.

DAY 4. Transfer to the Rioni river

The group will wake up and breakfast early up to 9 am

Today will be a long and interesting day. Firstly our group will stop in Akhaltsikhe city to observe the Rabat fortress. The next point of the trip will be a central park of Borjomi, where we will degust the famous mineral water from natural spring.

 We will drive through Rikoti pass, this pass is the border of Eastern and Western parts of Georgia. We will stop on a local market, where you can buy the clay dishes. In the last part of the way we will climb on the Nakerala pass from where will open a nice view on the Imereti valley, also we will stop on a bank of the mountain Shaori lake. 

The final point of the transfer will a camp close to Utsera village on the bank of the Rioni river. In the evening will dinner with national meals. 

DAY 5. Rafting on an upper section of the Rioni

Breakfast, we will walk to the Utsira village where we’ll degust healthy mineral water from springs. 

The intricate rafting awaits us today. The descent duration is about 3 hours we will finish the trip close to the Baraconi church. Lunch will be after the rafting trip. The next point that we visit will the local winemaker house, where prepare unique Khvanchkara wine in special clay ewers. We will know many interesting things about this wine and will have the opportunity to degust and buy it.  

We will spend the night in camp, dinner will be in the camp too

DAY 6. The descent in the middle Rioni section.

Breakfast

The Middle section of Rioni from the Barakoni church will be today. We will descent about 3-4 hours to Alpana village. After lunch, we can perform a hike to Sairme Svetebi. It isn't a massive hike close to the Alpana village. Track duration is about 5 km stretch, and we need about 3 hours total.

We will spend the night in camp; dinner will bein the camp too

DAY 7. Rafting on the low Rioni

Breakfast

Today will be heavy rafting. The lower section of the river is intricate and includes one of the most beautiful canyons on the Rioni called Tvishi. Also, we will raft the Alpana canyon of the river. Both canyons have incredible beauty and knotty rapids inside.

Route duration is 3,5 hours

We’ll provide lunch after rafting 

We will drive to Kutaisi after the descent. Today evening we will have festive dinner to celebrate a finish of the water part of the trip (include in price).

We spend the night in a hotel.

DAY 8. Kutaisi and Imereti excursion. 

Breakfast in the hotel.

We will devote a day to excursion in Imereti. The first point will be Sataplia in the Georgian language this word mean “Honey place”. The wild bees lived here several decades ago, and locals got honey from them. At present times bees went away, but in the Park are karst cave, dinosaurs track, Kolkhidian forest, and viewing platform with the scenery of Imereti valley. The duration of the excursion is 2,5 hours. 

We will stop at lunch in Kutaisi. 

The second point of our excursion will be unusual historical places Gelati monastery and Motsameta temple. The Gelati was built by famous Georgian king David Agmashenebeli, in this place also located the first science academy on the Caucasus. The Mocameta is a small but amazing beauty church over the canyon of the Tsitelitskali river.

In the evening the group will have free time to discover the city, markets, and shops.

DAY 9. Homing to Tbilisi

Breakfast

Transfer to Tbilisi ( 3,5 hours) 

Time in the old center of the city. Transfer to hotel or airport.

Tour details

Tour price is:

14500 GEL per group up to 6 participants, extra fee is 2800 GEL for one extra participant in the group over 6 persons.

For groups of over 12 persons, we will provide a nice discount.

• We visit the best rivers for rafting in Georgia. Joining to trip you will get 5 day of real and intricate rafting.
• The nice excursion program includes on the trip. You will get not only good rafting, you also get the program of acquaintance with Georgia from inner, you will observe national kitchen, traditions and history.
• We developed the program with a focus on rest and acquaintance with the country for participants. We don't include many long drives from one country's side to another every day. Our time will distribute optimally.
• All own goods will be in the car or in camp during descents. We will not descent the own goods in the boats.
• We are professionals of our work. Our work is rafting and travel service. We using international standards of safety sets like IRF standards. Our guides are training constantly and  have international certificates to confirm it.  
• We use active safety on the tour, the professional kayakers follow with the group during the descents. Kayaker controls a group course and provides extra help for participants who fall and swim away from the raft in rapids.

We provide the next equipment: 

For rafting:

• 6-8 places raft boats
• Personal safety equipment like a helmet, lifejacket, paddle.
• Neoprene wetsuits
• Silicone or neoprene shoes
• PVC dry bags for small goods one on a raft 

For camp:

• Tents (2 and 3 places in)
• Sleep bags with thermal isolation mats.
• Dishes (Cup, Plate, spoon)
• All equipment for accommodation and cooking  in camp (Tables, chairs, gas and )
• First aid kit 

You must take in tour: 

• For camp and city: Backpack or bag, 2-3 complects of underwear, thermal wear, suitable shoes and wear for camp ( Polartec, sport suits), warm  sweater, rain jacket, socks also warm socks too, personal hygiene items, personal medicine.

Price includes

All transfers

Meals in camp

Dinner in the restaurant at 7 day

Excursion program

Rafting

The extra safety by kayakers during the rafting

All equipment (helmet, life jacket, neoprene suit, shoes for rafting, tents, sleeping bag,  mat)

Thermal bath in Vardzia

Cooking and preparation of a camp  in camps

Hotel in Kutaisi.

Price not includes

Lunches during transfers (1,4,8,9th days)

Dinners at 8th and 9th days

Entrance tickets on excursion objects ( up to 20 USD per person on all objects)

Photos