Part of the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands, Georgia’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only listing in the Caucasus region in the nature category, Kolkheti National Park is one of the most impressive landscapes in Georgia.
In a country known for its high mountains, the pancake-flat wetland is not what most people expect. But this area is very special, loaded with history (according to Greek mythology, this was ‘the rim of the world’, the place where Jason and his Argonauts arrived to track down the Golden Fleece), and incredibly important to biodiversity. This area is home to some of Europe’s oldest broad-leaved forests and more than 1,100 species of vascular plants.
The park covers some 30,000 hectares, more than half of which is wetlands – a critical nesting grounds for endemic and migratory birds. There are no hiking trails or camp sites – instead, visitors must explore the park by taking a boat trip along the snaking Pichori River, accessed via Paliastomi Lake near the port city of Poti.
The nickname ‘Georgian Amazon’ comes from this river and the impenetrable forest it winds through.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to plan a trip to Kolkheti National Park, what to expect from the boat trip, and everything you need to know for a smooth visit.
Please note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase by clicking a link (at no extra cost to you). Learn more.
How to get to Kolkheti National Park
Kolkheti National Park is located at the northern end of the Black Sea Coast, 70 km from Batumi, and straddles the border between Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Guria regions.
The most convenient way to visit Kolkheti is by basing yourself in the nearby port city of Poti. There is enough to see and do (and eat) in Poti to justify staying for 1-2 nights.
If your itinerary doesn’t allow for this, you can visit the park as a DIY day trip from Batumi or Kutaisi instead. It takes a minimum 4.5 hours to reach Poti from Tbilisi, so I do not recommend attempting a day trip from the capital.
Bus/taxi/tour from Batumi
Take a Poti-bound marshrutka van from Batumi’s Intercity Bus Station on Mayakovsky Street. As you near the city, ask to get dropped off early at the visitors centre, just after the Memorial Park and Socar petrol station. Travel time is just over one hour and the fare is 8 GEL.
This organised day tour to Kolkheti National Park with Active Georgia includes cycling and kayaking around Okros Tba – but it does not include the boat trip on Paliastomi Lake.
If you prefer to travel by car, I recommend you organise a flexible return transfer from Batumi with a private driver. This starts from 45 USD per car when booked through GoTrip. If you go this route, make sure you add some other sightseeing stops to your itinerary: I recommend Batumi Botanical Garden, Petra Fortress, Shekvetili Dendrological Park and/or Ureki Beach, which are all on the way to Poti.
Bus/train/taxi from Kutaisi
Marshrutka vans to Poti depart from Kutaisi’s Central Bus Terminal approximately every hour between 8am and 6pm. Travel time is 1.75 hours and the fare is 7 GEL. Ask the driver to drop you off early, as described above.
If you prefer to travel by rail, you can pick up the Tbilisi-Poti train at Rioni Station, 20 minutes from the centre of Kutaisi by taxi or city bus #3. The journey is just under 2 hours. However, this is a late train that arrives in Poti at midnight so it’s only an option if you plan on spending a few nights in the city. Trains back to Rioni from Poti depart in the mid-morning. Tickets cost 12-39 GEL and can be purchased online through TKT.GE.
Alternatively, a return transfer from Kutaisi starts from 45 USD per car when booked through GoTrip.
Bus/train/taxi from Tbilisi
Vans to Poti depart from Didube Bus Terminal in Tbilisi at least once an hour starting from 8am. For safety reasons, I do not recommend travelling on this road after dark. Vans use the new Kutaisi bypass highway and arrive on the coast at Grigoleti before turning north. Ask to get dropped off early as above. Travel time is just over 5 hours, and the fare is 30 GEL.
The Poti train departs Tbilisi at around 6pm and takes 6 hours. Tickets cost 16-43 GEL.
A one-way transfer from Tbilisi to Poti takes 4.5-5 hours and starts from 85 USD per car when booked through GoTrip.
Getting to Kolkheti National Park by car
It’s a lot more convenient to visit the park with your own car, especially if you’re staying in Poti. As always, I recommend using Local Rent to hire a car from a local agent.
The visitors centre is a 7-minute drive south of the city centre via the main highway. It is clearly signposted and impossible to miss. Parking is available out front. The boat jetty is 1.4 km away from the visitors centre and also has onsite parking. I describe the procedure for getting to the park in more detail below.
Best time to visit Kolkheti National Park
Boat tours on the Pichori River and Paliastomi Lake are available throughout the year, including in winter. I did the boat tour in April, and I know someone else who visited in January.
Summer (especially July and August) is peak season on the Black Sea Coast – it’s hot, humid, and the mozzies are out in force. Thus the most pleasant time to visit Kolkheti National Park is during spring or autumn. Late spring and early autumn is the best time to see birds.
More than 190 species of migratory and endemic birds have been documented in this area. As with the Javakheti Protected Areas in south-eastern Georgia, birds flock to the wetlands and lakes to nest as they travel between Africa and Europe.
Important note: Because Paliastomi Lake is so exposed, boats do not depart if there is wind or heavy rain. Early spring and late autumn are notoriously windy, so take that into consideration when planning your itinerary. It’s a good idea to give yourself a couple of days in the area to hedge your bets against bad weather. If there are no boats, you can kayak on the much smaller Golden Lake nearby – but honestly I don’t know if it would be worth it.
Tickets & bookings
As mentioned, the only way to visit Kolkheti National Park is by signing up for a boat tour. Boats are run by a private company but managed under the National Park Administration. I’m not totally clear on how this arrangement works, but everyone seems to communicate behind the scenes and it’s very straightforward to organise!
There are three options available:
- Motorboat tour: 150 GEL for 2 people or 250 GEL for a 5-seater boat
- Pontoon boat tour: 300 GEL total (seats up to 8 people)
- Kayak tour: 350 GEL (including transfer to the river by pontoon plus 2-seater kayak hire)
All boat and kayak trips must be organised through the visitors centre and require an advance booking by phone. It’s extremely important to call ahead – you can’t just show up and expect to jump on a boat.
- Visitors centre contact number: 577 10 18 37 (10am-6pm daily)
- Boat company contact number: 552 22 32 22 (ask for Medea or Natia)
On the morning of our visit, I made a phone call to the visitors centre, who told me to call the boat company directly (both speak English, so it’s an easy process). At first I was told that it was too windy and to call back later that day to check again. I did, and thankfully the wind had died down enough that we could head out on a boat that afternoon. We confirmed the time and price and received instructions on where to meet.
We visited Poti during shoulder season (late April) when there weren’t many other tourists around, so our only option was to charter a private boat. This cost us 150 GEL for two people. During summer or autumn, there’s a chance you’ll be able to join a group on a larger pontoon boat and split the cost.
Note: If you are travelling in summer or autumn, I suggest calling a few days in advance. Staff probably won’t be able to confirm until the day of (weather pending), but at least you’ll have a spot saved.
To avoid being out on the water during the hottest part of the day, we scheduled our boat ride for 4pm. This was a good move – the temperature was nice and the light was fantastic.
First, we drove to the visitors centre to check-in and pay. This process takes a minute so I recommend arriving at least 30 minutes early before your boat departure. There is a small museum with information about the park and its flora and fauna.
Staff need a photo ID to enter you into the ledger, so remember to bring a passport or driver’s licence (only one required per group). Payment can be made with card or cash. They don’t carry much change, so try to bring the correct notes.
After checking in, it was time to proceed to the dock to meet our boat. The dock is 5-minute drive from the visitors centre, across the highway and down a partially paved backroad. At the end of the road you cross an arched bridge and arrive at the edge of Paliastomi Lake. The dock and pier are impossible to miss.
There is plenty of room to park on the grass near the dock. There are apartment buildings and lots of people around (not at all what I was expecting!) and while it’s more than likely very safe, I do recommend locking the car and taking any valuables with.
Note: If you don’t have your own car, you could take a taxi to the visitors centre and ask the driver to wait while you check in then take you the rest of the way to the dock, or you could go by foot. Allow around 20 minutes to walk the 1.2 km – it’s completely flat but it does require crossing the highway.
- Visitors centre location: 222 Guria Street, Poti | 42.110502 41.696614
- Boat dock location: 18 Bodreli Street, Poti | 42.117006 41.702742
We proceeded to the dock where our skipper, Emzari, was waiting for us, boarded our small motor boat, and set off.
What to bring with you
- Photo ID for checking in at the visitors centre
- Cash (correct change) or card to make payment
- Camera and drone if you have them
- Mosquito repellent – very important as this area is known for its huge mozzies! We didn’t encounter any in spring, they must only come out in summer
- Drinking water and snacks
- A hat – but make sure it’s tight fitted because it’s very windy on the lake
- A jacket – it gets quite cold out on the water, especially if you’re in a fast boat
Our boat was open, but we did see a larger pontoon boat with a covered roof. Our motorboat had a protected area under the front seat where we hid our backpacks from the spray.
What to expect from the boat trip
There are two itineraries available for Kolkheti National Park: The standard 9 km loop, and an extended 18 km loop. We weren’t given the option to choose, but we were happy enough to go with the shorter trip.
Skippers don’t speak English – but if you speak Georgian or Russian, they will act as a guide.
The trip lasts 1.5 hours total and follows a standard route set by the visitors centre: 1 hour travelling in the boat plus 30 minutes on land. The boat makes two stops: first at a picnic area inside the park, and then at a bird watching tower where the river meets the lake. You can split your 30 minutes of allotted time however you wish. The landscape around the lookout tower is very flat, so I recommend spending more time at the picnic area, which has a short walking trail and nicer scenery.
The trip starts by crossing the lake to reach the mouth of the Pichori River. Our boat started off very slow – I actually thought there was a problem with the engine at first – but Emzari soon sped up. By the end of the trip he was driving so fast, it was like being on a speedboat. I was a bit nervous of course but it was great fun. By the way, lifejackets are provided!
It was a still afternoon but still the lake was surprisingly choppy. I can understand why they don’t travel in high wind – it would not be pleasant at all. After about 10 minutes bumping across the lake, we entered the river. This is where the scenery gets really special. Just as we approached, a flock of birds took off in front of the boat as if to show us the way. (Sadly this was the only wildlife we saw – we missed out on seeing the wild horses that live inside the park.)
The Pichori River is quite windy, and whipping around the bends was great fun. It’s wide enough that you can get a clear view of the water and the forested banks on both sides. Emzuri made a quick unscheduled stop to drop off a container of wine to a friend in a dingy.
After another 15 minutes or so, we reached the new picnic area. There are wooden gazebos where you can sit and eat a snack, bathrooms, and short walking trails through the forest. The trees are dense and the floor is covered with ferns. It’s incredibly beautiful.
If you have a drone, this is the place to fly it. The location is close to a bend in the river so you get a nice view from above. We weren’t sure whether we would be allowed to fly our drone – and I’m guessing it’s probably not permitted during peak bird season – but Emzari had no issue with it, so we did a quick flight from the boat dock. You can find a photo we took at the top of this guide and see some of the drone footage in our Poti video.
This is as deep into the national park as you go. After the picnic area, we turned around and headed back towards the lake. On the way, Emzuri took us on a ‘secret’ detour down a small, overgrown waterway where the tree branches hang into the river. This was definitely the highlight of the trip for me.
We reached our final stop, the bird watching tower, and had about 10 minutes to climb to the top and take a few photos. There is a small bird watching/ranger’s cabin at this spot too. It was cool to get up high but as mentioned, the landscape at this point is more wetland than forest and it’s quite flat and almost pastoral looking.
Once we were satisfied, we sped back across the lake to the dock. Don’t leave straight away: take some time to walk out to the end of the pier and to soak up the tranquility of the lake.
Other things to do nearby
Okros Tba
Okros Tba ‘Golden Lake’ is a long, narrow lake located between Paliastomi and the coast. It’s more built up, with a bridge, cafes and a resort or two on the shoreline (there are also a few abandoned Soviet-era buildings – see my Poti Guide for more photos).
Kayaks are available to hire here, and there is a bicycle path around the perimeter of the lake.
Poti & Maltakhva beaches
The beaches around Poti and Maltakhva (just south of Paliastomi) have fine black sand – a huge contrast to Batumi’s rocky beaches. There appear to be a few cafes and bars, but everything was closed at the time of our visit.
Sadly, there is quite a bit of trash on the beaches near the city. If you want to swim, I recommend going further south to Maltakhva or even Grigoleti.
Where to stay in Poti
On our first visit to Poti we stayed at Express Inn, a new guesthouse in the centre of the city, close to the lighthouse. Rooms are very stylish and comfortable, and host Nika is a great help.
Related reading
- More things to do in Poti, Georgia’s ‘Little Paris’
- Visiting Kobuleti and the ipsum mire, also part of the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands
- Visiting Machakhela National Park near Batumi
- Top 9 national parks to visit in Georgia
- Tips for visiting Martvili Canyon
- Best hiking trails near Tbilisi
- Where to go glamping in Georgia
- Best nature and mountain cabins in Georgia