Major city · Georgia
Udabnoუდაბნო
Come for David Gareja monastery as a half-day from Tbilisi or one night in Udabno; skip if you need the painted caves, which sit behind a closed border ridge.
Udabno is a half-desert village on the road to David Gareja, a rock-hewn monastery complex 60–70 km southeast of Tbilisi. The lower monastery, church and hilltop path are open and free; the ridge with the famous fresco caves is in Azerbaijan and closed. Most travellers do it as a half-day from Tbilisi, or sleep one night to catch the monastery in early light.
More ways in
Local time, weather, currency, airports
- Weather
- see forecast
- Currency
- GEL
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- avoid Jul–Aug (desert heat), Dec–Feb (wind and cold)
- Airport
- TBS
- Nights
- 1
Rules in force · 6The Armenia–Azerbaijan and Armenia–Türkiye land borders a…Georgia treats entry to Abkhazia or South Ossetia from Ru…Do not plan travel to Abkhazia or South Ossetia
- Caucasus ↗The Armenia–Azerbaijan and Armenia–Türkiye land borders are closed; any route that crosses them is not a route, however short it looks.
- Caucasus ↗Georgia treats entry to Abkhazia or South Ossetia from Russia as illegal; entering that way can mean arrest or a ban when you next reach Georgia proper.
- Georgia ↗Many passports enter visa-free for a long stay; if yours needs a visa, apply only on the official e-visa portal.
- Georgia ↗Do not plan travel to Abkhazia or South Ossetia: crossing their boundary lines from Georgian-controlled land is treated as illegal entry, and many governments advise against it.
- Georgia ↗In Orthodox churches women cover their heads and shoulders and wear a skirt or a wrap; men remove hats and avoid shorts.
- Georgia ↗Carry Georgian lari in small notes for minibuses, markets and the metro card; cards work in most Tbilisi cafés and shops but not everywhere outside the capital.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾
In this guide
Not in this guide yet
- Walking areas with bag rules
- Day plans checked against opening hours
- Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
- Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Udabno112 ▾
- Police, ambulance and fire112
- Gareji Line shuttle (seasonal)+995 551 951 447
Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.
EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost
Essentials
Quick answers and what things cost
Quick answers
The questions people ask first about Udabno, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.
- Cash or card?Currency is the Georgian lari (₾, GEL).Georgia-wide
- SIM or eSIMMagti, Silknet (Geocell) and Cellfie sell SIMs with a passport; cheap data.Georgia-wide
- Tap watercheckTap water is widely drunk in Tbilisi and mountain towns (check locally); bottled is cheap.Georgia-wide
- TippingcheckRestaurants: Check the bill for a service charge; otherwise 10%.Georgia-wide
- Plugs & powerSockets C/F. US/Canada (A/B): adapter · UK/Ireland (G): adapter · Australia/NZ (I): adapter. 220 V: US 120 V-only devices (hair dryers) need a converter; most chargers are dual-voltage.Georgia-wide
- SafetyLow street crime; the real risks are the closed border ridge, heat in summer, rough roads after rain and no phone signal gaps on the Rustavi shortcut.
Show all 12 answers
- RestroomsFree in cafés for customers; small fees at stations.Georgia-wide
- Emergency numbers112 police, ambulance and fire · +995 551 951 447 Gareji Line shuttle (seasonal) (not 911, 999 or 000)
- Sundays & holidaysMuseums close Mondays; church services continue daily.Georgia-wide
- Your embassyFind your embassy's 24-hour line before you fly.
- AirportTBS Tbilisi International (About 1.5–2 h by car to Udabno; no direct public transport to the village.).
- Getting aroundWalking only at the monastery site.
Cost cheat-sheet
Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.
- CoffeeCoffee or tea at a village café₾2–5
- Beerdraught or bottle₾3–6
- Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)Taxi, about 3 mi (5 km)Taxi, Tbilisi to Udabno with waiting₾100+
- SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week₾20–40
- Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personGEL 25
- Mid-range bedGuesthouse double room, a night, per roomGEL 100
- High-end bedGuesthouse double room, a night, per roomGEL 180
A day, not counting the bed: Budget GEL 60 · Mid GEL 110 · High GEL 200
Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →
DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works
Decide
What it is known for, and when the weather works
At a glance
What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.
- Airports
- TBS Tbilisi International (About 1.5–2 h by car to Udabno; no direct public transport to the village.)
Best months at a glance
From the guide's best and avoid lists
Jan
Avoid
6°C (43°F)43°F (6°C)
Feb
Avoid
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
Mar
not flagged
13°C (55°F)55°F (13°C)
Apr
Best
19°C (66°F)66°F (19°C)
May
Best
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
Jun
Best
29°C (84°F)84°F (29°C)
Jul
Avoid
33°C (91°F)91°F (33°C)
Aug
Avoid
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
Sep
Best
27°C (81°F)81°F (27°C)
Oct
Best
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
Nov
not flagged
13°C (55°F)55°F (13°C)
Dec
Avoid
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
Best: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Avoid: Jul–Aug, Dec–Feb. Month by month →
Warmest Jul (33°C (91°F)91°F (33°C)), coolest Jan (−2°C (28°F)28°F (−2°C) low), wettest May (9 rain days), driest Aug (3). Averages, not a forecast.
Weather and climate
Udabno: next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Air quality
Loading…
Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.
Jan
6°C (43°F)43°F (6°C)
−2°C (28°F)28°F (−2°C)
5 rd
Feb
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
−1°C (30°F)30°F (−1°C)
6 rd
Mar
13°C (55°F)55°F (13°C)
3°C (37°F)37°F (3°C)
7 rd
Apr
19°C (66°F)66°F (19°C)
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
8 rd
May
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
12°C (54°F)54°F (12°C)
9 rd
Jun
29°C (84°F)84°F (29°C)
16°C (61°F)61°F (16°C)
7 rd
Jul
33°C (91°F)91°F (33°C)
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
4 rd
Aug
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
19°C (66°F)66°F (19°C)
3 rd
Sep
27°C (81°F)81°F (27°C)
15°C (59°F)59°F (15°C)
4 rd
Oct
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
9°C (48°F)48°F (9°C)
6 rd
Nov
13°C (55°F)55°F (13°C)
4°C (39°F)39°F (4°C)
6 rd
Dec
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
0°C (32°F)32°F (0°C)
5 rd
High / low, both scales · rd = rain days
Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Arrive & move
Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Getting around
Walking only at the monastery site. The Gareji Line shuttle links Tbilisi, the monastery and Udabno in season; otherwise you need a car or a chartered taxi. Roads via Sagarejo are in regular condition; the Rustavi shortcut is rough and hard after rain.
Nearest full guides
Straight-line distance, not travel time
See & doDay-trips, door to door
See & do
Day-trips, door to door
Day-trips
Door to door: About 1 h 15 min
Car or taxi via Sagarejo and the Kakheti highway
Wine town with walls and the Bodbe convent; pairs well with a night in Udabno.
Gurjaani
goDoor to door: About 1 h
Car or taxi northwest on the Kakheti highway
Wine cellars and the Kvelatsminda church.
Telavi
goDoor to door: About 1 h 30 min
Car via Sagarejo and the Kakheti highway
Kakheti's main town; Alaverdi monastery is on the way.
Door to door: About 1 h 30 min–2 h
Gareji Line shuttle in season, or car via Sagarejo
The shuttle returns in the late afternoon; check it is running before you rely on it.
Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in
Eat & sleep
Which area to sleep in
Where to sleep
Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.
Udabno village
One hostel and a few guesthouses; the only place to sleep within walking distance of the monastery road.
Sagarejo
Town on the Tbilisi–Kakheti highway, about 30 km (19 mi) northwest; more beds and marshrutkas, but you need a car or taxi onward.Town on the Tbilisi–Kakheti highway, about 19 mi (30 km) northwest; more beds and marshrutkas, but you need a car or taxi onward.
PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Practical
What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Cost per day
- Budget
- ₾60–100 excl. bed
- Mid
- ₾100–180 excl. bed
- High
- ₾180+ excl. bed
Trip budget
| Guesthouse double room1 × 1 night × GEL 100 | GEL 100 |
| Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × GEL 110 | GEL 220 |
| Gareji Line shuttle, round trip from Tbilisi2 × GEL 40 · check | GEL 80 |
| Chartered taxi from Tbilisi with waiting time1 × GEL 100 · check | GEL 100 |
| Monastery toilet2 × GEL 1 | GEL 1 |
| eSIM, about a week of data2 × GEL 30 | GEL 60 |
| Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge | GEL 56 |
| Trip total≈ GEL 309 per person per day, bed included | GEL 617 |
2026 estimate in lari; Tbilisi transport and tours excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.
Prices of common things
| Coffee or tea at a village café | ₾2–5 |
| Khachapuri or a simple lunch | ₾10–20 |
| Beer, draught or bottle | ₾3–6 |
| Taxi, Tbilisi to Udabno with waiting | ₾100+ |
| Taxi, Sagarejo crossroads to Sighnaghi | about ₾70 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₾20–40 |
2026 estimate; check locally.
Watch out
Safety
- The ridge above the monastery is Azerbaijani territory and closed; do not walk past the marked line.
- Azerbaijani soldiers may occasionally block the upper path during the border dispute; it is not dangerous, just a dead end.
- Road signs are sparse: use offline maps before leaving Tbilisi.
- It is often windy; winter needs a warm layer even on a sunny day.
Emergency numbers
- Police, ambulance and fire
- 112
- Gareji Line shuttle (seasonal)
- +995 551 951 447
Pocket card
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Udabnoუდაბნო
Pocket card · Voykit
My bed tonight
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ამ მისამართამდე, გთხოვთTo this address, please
Emergency
- Police, ambulance and fire112
- Gareji Line shuttle (seasonal)+995 551 951 447
Embassy
No embassies in Udabno; most are in Tbilisi. The US embassy is in Tbilisi (check the address).
My embassy: —
Fare anchors (2026 estimate)
- Gareji Line shuttle, Tbilisi → David Gareja → Udabno → Tbilisi: ₾40 round trip, Apr–Oct, departs Pushkin Square 11:00 (check)₾40 round trip, Apr–Oct, departs Pushkin Square 11:00 AM (check)
- Taxi Tbilisi → Udabno with waiting: from ₾100 (check)
- Taxi Sagarejo crossroads → Sighnaghi: about ₾70, 50 min (check)
Say or show
- გამარჯობა — Hello (gamarjoba)
- მადლობა — Thank you (madloba)
- რამდენია? — How much is it? (ramdenia)
- სად არის ტუალეტი? — Where is the toilet? (sad aris tualeti)
- ბარათით შეიძლება? — Can I pay by card? (baratit sheidzleba)
- ვერ გავიგე — I don't understand (ver gavige)
Carry cash: card machines are rare in the village.
Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources
Deep dive
What this guide covers so far, and its sources
Not a trip line yet
This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Udabno. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.
What we know, and what is coming
On this page
- Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (desert heat), Dec–Feb (wind and cold) · month by month →
- 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
- Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
- Cost per day in 3 bands
- 4 day-trips, door to door
- 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers
Coming as the guide grows
- Airport-to-bed contract for TBS: drive time to Udabno, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
- Walking cluster at the monastery: lower church, tomb, hilltop path, with the closed ridge marked.
- Place pages with verified cutoffs (David Gareja, Natlismtsemeli) and eat pages with last orders.
- Seasonal shuttle fixture so the Tbilisi day trip can go green only when the bus runs.