GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Tatev-Kutaisi Cable Car Project

Suspended ambition above Rioni gorge

Tatev-Kutaisi Cable Car Project

Why go

The Tatev-Kutaisi Cable Car Project represents Georgia's boldest unrealized vision: a 12-kilometer aerial corridor that would have connected Kutaisi's historic core to the Gelati Monastery ridge, mirroring Armenia's famous Wings of Tatev. Conceived in 2018-2019 with Swiss engineering consultation, the project aimed to reduce travel time between Kutaisi and Gelati from 40 minutes to 15 while offering panoramic views across the Rioni River valley and the Colchic forest. Though stalled by funding and terrain challenges, the proposed stations and survey markers remain visible—ghost infrastructure that reveals how Georgia imagines itself. Visiting the route reveals the dramatic topography that inspired the dream, and the tension between preservation and development that defines contemporary Georgian tourism.

On the ground See

  • Trace the proposed cable car alignment from Kutaisi's White Bridge to Gelati, following existing hiking trails that approximate the planned route
  • Examine the concrete survey pillars and abandoned station foundation at the Gelati ridge terminus, visible near the monastery access road
  • Compare the terrain from the actual Gelati Monastery viewpoint—understanding why engineers selected this corridor for its 360-degree vista potential

Practical Know before you go

Best visited April-June or September-October; access the route from Kutaisi's central bus station via marshrutka to Gelati (40 minutes), then walk downhill following marked trails—no special equipment required, though sturdy footwear recommended for uneven survey access paths.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly