The Complete Guide To The Remote David Gareja Monastery

One of the most remarkable sights in Georgia is the ancient cave monastery David Gareja. And not only the complex itself is a must see, but also the road to get there is out of this world. This day trip from Tbilisi takes you along the former Soviet and industrial town Rustavi, semi desert no man’s land at the border with Azerbaijan and the holy cave monastery complex David Gareja in the middle of nowhere. In this blog I share everything you need to know for your self drive day trip to David Gareja.

Practical information for your trip

David Gareja is very much doable as a day trip from Tbilisi. Most people go with organized tours, but I urge you to drive yourself with a 4WD if you can. This way, you can drive a different and much more interesting route than the vans of the organized tours.

Before you head off, you want to buy some snacks, lunch, water and sun screen for the day. You mostly drive through no man’s land, which means that you won’t encounter any restaurants, shops and toilets. There are some toilets and a small restaurant at David Gareja though.

Alright, so once you’re ready get your 4WD car in Tbilisi and take the S4 highway southwards to Rustavi.

Soviet and industrial Rustavi

Rustavi is a former Soviet and industrial town. Once an enormous complex to support Georgia’s largest industrial plant, but now almost abandoned with a post-apocalyptic feel to it. Rows of pastel concrete apartment blocks and remnants of forgotten factories line the road. If you look closely, you see the cracks and flaking paint on crumbling buildings. It’s pure Soviet aesthetic is captivating. Take in this eerie end of the world before heading to David Gareja.

From there, follow the Rustavi – Jandara road land inwards. Before the small town of Lemshveniera, turn left. The paved road changes into a dirt road amid wide open fields. You drive through a semi desert landscape with views as far as the eye can see. No man’s land without any roads, just the tracks of the cars that passed before you. It’s an incredible drive.

There isn’t really a point of navigation I can give you here, except to follow the car tracks. Also use Google Maps and maps.me for navigation. Especially the latter comes in handy, as it allows you to navigate while being offline. Just make sure to download the map of the area in advance. You recognize David Gareja easily by the brand new parking lot, restaurant and toilet facilities.

Cave monastery complex David Gareja

Take a break to process the marvelous road trip you just had. It doesn’t get a whole lot more epic than that. You arrived at David Gareja, the ancient and remote cave monastery complex near the border with Azerbaijan.

Even though David Gareja consists of more than 15 monasteries spread out over a wide area, most are long abandoned. In 1615 more than 6000 monks were killed here, and sadly the place never regained its former importance.

In two to three hours it’s possible to see the Lavra and Udabno monasteries, which are both close to the parking lot. Lavra is the monastery that you see immediately upon arrival, next to the entrance. It’s in good shape as some monks remarkably still live here. At the Lavra monastery, make sure to check out the magical 6^th century cave church with David Gareja’s tomb in it.

In order to reach the Udabno cave monastery, follow the path uphill beside the church shop outside the Lavra monastery. You want to wear decent hiking shoes, because it’s a steep uphill path. At the top of the hill you have breathtaking views of the grassy plains from Georgia on one side and from Azerbaijan on the other. The Udabno caves are located at the other side of the mountain ridge, with some outstanding frescoes. The Lonely Planet warns for ‘poisonous vipers’ in this area, and they aren’t kidding. There are some seriously scary snakes hiding in the bushes and caves, so keep an eye out.

The mountain ridge is the disputed border between Georgia and Azerbaijan. You may find some border guards patrolling here. I didn’t know at the time, but I found out quickly when I was flying my drone around. I was soon greeted by four border guards with Kalashnikovs asking me if “that was my drone”. It all ended well, but I think a warning is in place here. Visiting the monasteries and hiking at the mountain ridge is all fine, though.

The way back from David Gareja

When you’ve seen everything, it’s time to head back to Tbilisi. Instead of going the same way as you came from, it’s more fun to make it a round trip. In order to do so, follow the road to Udabno towards Sagaredzjo (the შ 172) and take the main road (S5) from there. If you want to continue your journey rather than going back to Tbilisi, driving to Sighnaghi is also a good option. Read more about this option in my Georgian road trip itinerary.

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Are you planning on driving to David Gareja yourself? Great choice! If you have any questions about this trip, make sure to let me know. Also, check out my other Georgia posts for more highlights of this wonderful country.