How to Get by Car to David Gareja Monastery in Kakheti?

Located in the Kakheti region of Georgia, David Gareja Monastery is a rock-hewn Georgian Orthodox monastery complex. It’s perhaps the most remarkable of all Georgia's ancient sites.

David Gareja Monastery

Where is David Gareja Monastery?

The monastery is located southeast of Tbilisi, near the Azerbaijan border, in the southeastern part of the country.

Why is David Gareja Monastery Famous?

The 6th-century David Gareja Monastery, also known as Davit Gareja, Davit Gereja, or David Gereji, is one of Georgia’s most important landmarks. It’s located on the arid half-desert slopes of Mount Gareja, at an elevation of 695m (2,280ft) above sea level. Neglected during the Soviet era, the monastery is in a very remote area. The landscape is lunar-like in many places, but it transforms from April to early June when the steppe flowers bloom.

How Long is the Road to David Gareja Monastery?

The road to the monastery, totally isolated from nearby communities, is called Road 172 (შ172). Starting from Sagarejo (in the Sagarejo district), the road is 48.1km (30 miles) long. It was fully paved in the 2020s.
Pic: Davit Bumbe