Take a hike to Ninoskhevi Waterfall, considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Georgia. This is how to not get lost on the way.
For those looking to hike to Ninoskhevi waterfall, this is how you get there. Unfortunately, I attempted this hike but never made it. I followed the wrong route thinking it was a significantly shorter walk. The information on the official government website is outdated, as is Komoot. I went well and truly off track. Learn from my mistakes to make the most of this spectacular hike.
The Ninoskhevi Waterfall
The Ninoskhevi Waterfall is on the Ninoskhevi River, which flows through Lagodekhi National Park. This National Park is one of the best preserved in the world. It is known for its incredible landscapes and high biodiversity within its humid subtropical forests.
Hiking to Ninoskhevi Waterfall takes you along the Ninoskhevi River and through a beautiful landscape. The 40-metre-high Ninoskhevi Waterfall is known as the great waterfall and considered to be one of the most beautiful in Georgia. The water level in the Ninoskhevi River can be highly variable. Due to the nature of the landscape (steep valley sides), the river has extreme flood peaks. Consequently, I would not recommend this hike after heavy or prolonged rain. Please check the weather forecast before heading off. Along the way you will see a lot of bank erosion and the original trail has washed away. It is also possible that several bridges once existed, but these too have long since washed away.
There are picnic facilities along the hike. They are located in the forest, next to the river within the first 1km of the hike. In the warmer months this area is popular with locals. If you want a taster of the walk but do not want to do the full hike, I recommend stopping here. It’s very peaceful with the sounds of the river and the forests. During calmer days it’s possible to swim in the river.
How to Hike to Ninoskhevi Waterfall
This waterfall is a fairly remote. The closest town is Khizabavra, just near the outskirts of Lagodeki. For those able to drive, the closest point to the start of the trail is the Resort Lagodeki Reserve. Unfortunately, the waterfall is extremely difficult to access using public transport. It is out of the way even for within a town. As a result, there are two main ways to get here:
- By far the easiest way of getting here would be to drive yourself. I rented a car through Local Rent and would recommend that for a cheap way of getting around.
- Organise a private driver through GoTrip.
It is possible to hire a guide for this walk. A guide costs 50 GEL per day. Visit the Lagodekhi visitor centre website for more information.
Hike Overview
Starting point: The parking lot just near Resort Lagodekhi Reserve.
End point: Ninoskhevi Waterfall.
Total distance: 16km.
Difficulty: Moderate – may be wet rocks, river crossings and uneven terrain.
Type: Out and Back.
Recommend time: 6-7 hours.
Best time to Visit: March – Oct.
What to Bring: A sturdy pair of shoes, lunch, snacks, a map, at least 1.5 L of water per person, swimmers, towel.
Do not attempt this hike in bad weather. In the case of bad weather or heavy rain leave the area as quickly as possible.
Note: AllTrails says it is a 13.5 km round trip. The reality is more like 16.
My Hiking Experience – Hiking The Wrong Way
As part of planning the hike I had checked it out on komoot before heading off. It appeared to only be an eight-kilometre return trip with an easy gradient. It seemed like a straightforward afternoon hike to do with a friend. Turns out I could not have been more wrong.
The hike started off fairly easy. It was well signposted, and the path well maintained. Less than 15 minutes into the hike we met a local man walking the other way. We think he told us to stick to the upper path. As neither of us spoke the same language, communication involved saying something in Georgian and pointing to the upper path. It is possible that he was saying to avoid the upper path. But as he was on the upper path, and it seemed like the right thing to do.
We continued along the upper path and past multiple other signs. The path remained in good condition.
“We will be done in no time.”
I thought to myself happily, already imagining myself going for a swim at the bottom of the waterfall. However, not long after that the condition of the path rapidly deteriorated. The path started going straight down towards the river and got more than a little sketchy. We had to make our way around the edges of some cliffs over very loose terrain. Just after this, the path completely disappeared, and we were standing on a rocky bank next to the river.
Looking for a Bridge
Fortunately, I had saved an offline copy of an elevation/contour map on my phone. I do this on all the hikes I go on (and would highly recommend for anyone hiking). Looking at this map I was able to see that there was supposed to be a bridge just upstream and we could re-join with the trail on the opposite side of the river. The government website mentioned that there were three bridges. But where was that bridge? We continued scrambling up the river bar until we reached the point on the map with a river crossing. The was no bridge. Not even the slightest evidence of a bridge.
Trying to Cross the River
The next option was to try and cross the river. This commenced the next phase of the hike. We could see the other side of the river and there were plenty of rocks in the middle to stand on. Surely, we could just hop and jump across. We spent the next 20 minutes walking up and down the river, searching for some nice big rocks to help us cross. We found a place and started across. But it was not easy. The river was wider than we thought. The rocks further apart and slippery. My friend slipped and one shoe became soaking wet. I almost fell in. Jumping on rocks wasn’t going to work. We aborted that plan.
The next idea was that we would just wade across. Once we found nice shallow looking area, I removed my shoes and started across first. It was going well until it reached mid-thigh and the current was strong. I was not even at the deepest part yet either. The river was deeper than we predicted. I turned around and climbed back onto the same bank. It’s possible that I could have made it across if we tried harder. But my friend was shorter than me. Plus, the risk of walking the rest of the way with three more wet shoes (my friend already had one wet), wet clothes and a ruined phone (with the map on it) didn’t seem worth it. The river had defeated us.
Back Tracking
It was time to back track. But not before a very quick, very cold swim. As we were getting ready to swim, we noticed three hikers heading back from the waterfall along the opposite bank. How did they get there we wondered? It was exactly where we had just spent the last 40 minutes trying to get to. What was the secret?
After backtracking we got back to this sign (see the photo below). It was at this point that It became clear that the large blue arrow was meant for us. On closer inspection there was even a picture of a bridge on the sign.
Unfortunately, there was less than two hours of daylight left. Which meant no waterfall for us. However, I did take the time to scout out this bridge. It was a fallen tree with a rough looking handrail as a way across. Turns this type of bridge is common in Georgia, as I found it on another hike. On the other side of the bridge, someone had painted large red arrows clearly indicating the way to go. I was so frustrated at myself. I had ignored the obvious blue arrow pointing to a bridge. How could I miss this? It was so SO obvious.
So, if you’re going on this hike, please don’t be like me. Come prepared and follow the blue arrow towards the bridge.
The Correct Route
A map of the correct route is on the sign at the start of the trail.
On the way back to the car I met the hikers we saw on the other side of the river when we got lost. They were sitting at a picnic table just a bit further back down the trail. After having a chat to them they told me all about the correct way to get to the waterfall. They were happy to share the details of the correct path. It followed the western side of the valley before crossing the river. The path then wound uphill before arriving at the waterfall. There’s a route on AllTrails which can be found here.
Note: the total distance on AllTrails isn’t correct. It’s more like 16km.
The correct way to cross the river was at the point where there was a sign with a bridge. Also, my initial idea of eight kilometre round trip (thanks komoot) was completely wrong. The original trail that was eight kilometres had washed away. Hence the section of the trail that made its way uphill to avoid this section.
Looking for more waterfalls in Georgia?
Consider the Three Waterfalls Hike near Martvili for another incredible waterfall hike.
Conclusion – Hike to Ninoskhevi Waterfall
The Ninoskhevi Waterfall is said to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in all of Georgia. This 16 km hike to Ninoskhevi Waterfall will take you along the Ninoskhevi River through picturesque forests. Unfortunately, getting there can be slightly confusing. Using this guide you will arrive at the waterfall without getting lost on the way.
Have you made to to this waterfall? How was your experience getting to the waterfall?
Happy Exploring!
Kieren