Vanis Kvabebi

ვანის ქვაბები

A striking cave monastery honeycombed into a cliff near Vardzia, older and more vertiginous than its famous neighbour. Narrow passages and a fortified tower reward those who climb through its multi-level rock-cut chambers.

Things to do

• Climb through the rock-cut levels — Ascend the honeycombed chambers carved into the cliff face, connected by narrow tunnels and stairways cut directly into the rock.
• Explore the fortified defensive tower — Reach the surviving stone tower and defensive wall that guarded the monastery, offering a sense of its medieval strategic importance.
• Visit the Church of St George — Seek out the small rock-associated church that anchors the complex, historically the spiritual heart of this monastic settlement.
• Navigate the vertiginous passages — Squeeze through the tight, steep interior corridors that make Vanis Kvabebi more challenging and thrilling than nearby Vardzia.
• Take in views over the Mtkvari valley — Pause on the upper terraces to look out across the river gorge toward Vardzia and the surrounding Erusheti mountains.
• Combine with a Vardzia day trip — Pair the visit with nearby Vardzia and Khertvisi Fortress, all within a short drive along the same valley road.

Food to try

• Khinkali — Twisted meat dumplings eaten by hand in this mountainous region, best enjoyed hot with black pepper at a valley guesthouse.
• Tenili cheese — A stringy, hand-pulled Meskhetian cheese unique to the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, traditionally aged in clay pots.
• Meskhuri khachapuri — The local Meskhetian style of cheese bread, often rolled or shaped differently from the more famous Adjarian version.
• Apkhazura — Spiced minced meat patties wrapped in caul fat, a hearty dish common across southern Georgian tables.
• Homemade wine and chacha — Family-produced wine and the strong grape spirit chacha are offered generously at rural guesthouses near Vardzia.

Local customs & good to know

• Wear sturdy shoes and go carefully — The steep passages and unguarded drops demand good footing and caution, especially in wet weather when the rock is slippery.
• Dress modestly at the church — As this remains a site of Orthodox significance, cover shoulders and knees and women may wish to bring a headscarf.
• Bring water and a headlamp — There are no shops or facilities at the site, and a torch helps in the darker interior tunnels and chambers.
• Hire a driver or come with your own transport — Public transport is scarce, so arrange a taxi or car from Akhaltsikhe or combine the trip with Vardzia tours.

Nearby

• Vardzia — 2 km
• Khertvisi Fortress — 10 km
• Kumurdo Cathedral — 22 km
• Sapara Monastery — 30 km