Georgia

Truso Valley:
mineral springs

Mineral springs, ancient ruins, and a mysterious bottomless lake in the valley. The perfect spot to feel the power of nature and time!

150 GEL

SCHEDULE

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1 day

duration

below average

difficulty

20 km

distance

↑↓675 m

ascent / descent

group hike schedule

July 18. Saturday

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What you'll see on the route

The trail kicks off in the tiny village of Kvemo Okrokana. Only one sweet old lady still lives there. From there, the path follows the Terek River through a gorge with stunning cliffs and waterfalls. We'll take a slow, easy descent down to the valley.

The valley starts with the travertines. It’s like a mix between limestone and marble. Thermal springs rich in carbon dioxide and lime bubble up to the surface. Once they hit the air, the gas escapes and the lime settles. Over the years, this sediment layers up, hardens, and turns into porous stone. It’s full of tiny holes and cavities—traces of air bubbles or twigs and leaves that got trapped in the rock and rotted away over time.

Then we head up the hill for a great view of the valley and walk over to a bubbling mineral lake. They say people once tried to measure its depth with divers, but they never reached the bottom.

Along the way, we’ll run into strikingly bright mineral springs. They’re packed with iron, so they look like flowing lava or rust.

The biggest spring is right by the village of Ketrisi. People left it back in the 90s, and now it’s just ruins.

Next, we’ll pass two active monasteries: one for monks and one for nuns. After that, we’ll hike up to the ruins of Zakagori fortress and grab some tea.

Route Schedule

7:30 AM – 11:00 AM — Departure from Tbilisi (300 Aragveli metro) to Kvemo Okrokana village

Transfer along the Georgian Military Highway with one scheduled pit stop.

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM — Hike from Kvemo Okrokana to the valley entrance (4.5 km)

Start of the hike. We’re budgeting 1.5 hours for the gorge so we can keep a steady pace, stay together, and snap photos of the Tergi River and the canyon.

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM — Entering the valley and the Bottomless Lake (Abano)

We’ll hang out by the bubbling mineral lake, walk across the travertines, and grab some group shots.

1:00 PM – 2:45 PM — Trekking through the valley: from the lake through abandoned villages to Zakagori Fortress

A walk through the open valley past old settlements and monasteries to the foot of the fortress. We’ll keep a pace that’s comfortable for everyone.

2:45 PM – 4:15 PM — Picnic at the fortress

We’ll head up to the fortress ruins, relax after the long trek, and set up a proper big picnic with a view of the gorge.

4:15 PM – 7:15 PM — Return trip from the fortress to Kvemo Okrokana (about 10-11 km)

The long walk back to the car. We’re planning for a full 3 hours since we’ll be tired by evening and our pace will slow down.

7:15 PM – 10:30 PM — Drive back to Tbilisi

Heading out of the valley back to 300 Aragveli metro station. Between the dark and evening traffic entering the city, the drive will take about 3 hours.

Important: This timing is just an estimate. Real time on the trail depends on the group's average pace, fitness levels, and how long we stop for photos and rest.