Prometheus grotto: Georgia’s Underground Wonder Guide

When I first heard about the Prometheus grotto opening to tourists in 2011, I was incredibly curious. Georgia has dozens of caves, and I’d explored many of them, but this one promised something different. What I discovered exceeded every expectation I had.

After more than 40 visits with tour groups over the years, this place still takes my breath away every single time.

Why Prometheus Cave Is Different

Located 20 kilometers from Kutaisi in Georgia’s Imereti region, Prometheus Cave offers a 1.6-kilometer underground journey through six massive halls filled with extraordinary stalactites, stalagmites, and an underground river you can actually navigate by boat.

The cave maintains a constant 14°C (57°F) year-round, making it refreshingly cool in summer and comfortably mild in winter. I’ve brought everyone from young children to elderly guests here—if you can walk at a moderate pace for 45 minutes, you can experience this wonder.

What Sets It Apart

Most Georgian caves retain their raw, untouched character. Prometheus has been transformed into an international-standard attraction featuring professional LED lighting that shifts through a spectrum of colors, classical music creating an otherworldly atmosphere, and well-maintained walkways throughout. The optional boat ride through the underground river is what truly makes this unforgettable—it’s the experience my guests consistently mention first when recalling their Georgian adventures.

The Legend Behind the Name

The cave is named after the Greek Titan Prometheus, who according to mythology was chained to nearby Khvamli Mountain for stealing fire from the gods. This mythological connection isn’t just marketing—when you stand in the enormous chambers with formations towering overhead like frozen ancient deities, the name feels absolutely right.

The cave was discovered in 1984 by researchers from the Georgian Academy of Sciences, initially called Kumistavi Cave after the nearby village. But once its true scale and beauty became apparent during development in the late 2000s, someone had the inspired idea to give it a name befitting its grandeur.

The Complete Experience

The Walking Tour

After purchasing tickets at the modern visitor center, you’ll join a guided group. Tours run regularly throughout the day, and you’ll walk through six of the cave’s 22 discovered halls. The route covers approximately 1,420 meters and takes about 45 minutes.

What You’ll Witness:

The formations here are extraordinary. Massive stalactites hang from the ceiling like stone chandeliers, some stretching over five meters long. Stalagmites rise from the floor, meeting their counterparts in impressive columns that took millennia to form. Flowstone formations cascade down walls like waterfalls frozen mid-motion.

The highlight is Rustaveli Hall—named after Georgia’s greatest poet—where the density and variety of formations create an almost cathedral-like atmosphere. The colored LED lighting enhances the natural beauty without overwhelming it, shifting subtly from amber to blue to green as you move through different chambers.

Photography Tip: The lighting makes photos challenging but rewarding. Skip the flash, set your camera to high ISO (1600 or above), and steady yourself against the railings. The most impressive shots are in Rustaveli Hall, looking upward at the clustered stalactites.

The Boat Ride

This is where reality surpassed my imagination most dramatically. For an additional 15 GEL, you board small boats holding 8-10 people and glide silently through the final chamber of the cave. The walking tour is impressive, but the boat ride is transcendent.

You float through near-darkness with only subtle lighting along the rock walls, the silence broken only by water dripping and the soft sound of paddles. It offers a completely different perspective of the cave’s beauty and creates an almost meditative experience.

Important Note: The boat tour depends on water levels. Heavy rainfall can occasionally affect operations, and during particularly dry periods, capacity may be limited. If the boat ride is essential to your visit, it’s worth calling ahead (+995 431 27 40 69).

Practical Visitor Information

Getting There

Prometheus Cave is easily accessible from Kutaisi, Georgia’s third-largest city. Whether you’re driving yourself or joining one of our organized tours from Kutaisi, the journey takes about 30 minutes along a well-maintained road. Free parking is available at the visitor center.

Ticket Prices (2025)

• Walking tour: 25 GEL adults, 15 GEL students
• Boat tour add-on: 15 GEL per person
• Photography: Free (no permit required)

The visitor center accepts both cash (Georgian Lari or USD) and credit cards.

Opening Hours

• April through October: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM daily
• November through March: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily

Tours operate continuously throughout operating hours.

Best Time to Visit: Weekday mornings between 10:00 and 11:30 AM see the smallest crowds. Summer weekends can become quite busy, with tour groups of 50 or more people, which diminishes the experience. If weekends are your only option, arrive right at opening time.

What to Bring

Essential Items:

• Non-slip walking shoes (condensation makes surfaces slippery)
• Light jacket or sweater (14°C feels quite cool after walking outside in summer)
• Cash for the boat ride and any purchases

Recommended:

• Water bottle (the café is convenient but overpriced)
• A camera with good low-light capability
• Small flashlight for darker corners

Accessibility and Special Considerations

The cave is suitable for most fitness levels, though it does involve walking on occasionally uneven surfaces with some stairs. The first chambers are relatively easy, but completing the full tour requires moderate mobility. Unfortunately, wheelchairs cannot access the entire route. Families with young children generally have no problems—kids typically love the adventure, especially the boat ride.

For those concerned about claustrophobia: the halls are genuinely enormous, with ceilings reaching 10-20 meters in most sections. This isn’t the tight, squeezing type of cave exploration. The only narrower section is part of the boat tunnel, but even that remains spacious enough for most visitors.

Combining Your Visit

Prometheus Cave fits beautifully into a western Georgia itinerary. You’re just 15 minutes from Okatse Canyon, 30 minutes from Martvili Canyon, and 20 minutes from the fascinating abandoned Soviet sanatoriums of Tskaltubo. Most visitors combine two or three of these attractions in a single day, which is exactly what we offer in our most popular Imereti region tours.

Is Prometheus Cave Worth Visiting?

Absolutely, particularly if you’re exploring the Kutaisi area. At 25 GEL for the walking tour (add 15 GEL for the boat), it represents exceptional value for an hour of genuine wonder in a truly unique environment. The boat ride, while optional, is completely worth the extra cost—it transforms the visit from impressive to unforgettable.

This ranks as Georgia’s most professionally developed show cave, offering infrastructure and presentation quality comparable to Europe’s finest caves, while maintaining authenticity that more commercialized attractions often lose. The reality of standing in those vast chambers, surrounded by formations that took thousands of years to create, exceeded anything I imagined when I first heard about it opening back in 2011.

Frequently Asked Questions

Book Your Experience

Ready to exceed your own expectations? We offer private Prometheus Cave tours from Kutaisi, full-day combinations with Okatse and Martvili Canyons, and custom Imereti region itineraries tailored to your interests.

I personally respond to tour inquiries and would be happy to help plan your perfect western Georgia adventure.

Official cave website: National Parks of Georgia – Prometheus Cave

View photos in our gallery