Three waterfalls in one day, each distinctly different from the next. This hike has it all, with opportunities for swimming, excellent views, peaceful forests and a bit of adventure. It’s a must for anyone looking to make the most of this stunning landscape around Martvili and Balda Canyon.
This beautiful 15-kilometre loop visits the base of three separate waterfalls. There is the peaceful Toba Waterfall, the impressive Oniore Waterfall and the unique Kaghu Waterfall. The trail takes you over hills, across log bridges and through forests. You will wade across rivers and swim in clear waters. The trail is of reasonable quality, however the section between Oniore Waterfall and Kaghu Waterfall is overgrown and more difficult. The hike takes 7-8 hours to complete, so plan for the entire day. Bring lunch, plenty of water and swimwear with you and make sure you have a map of the route saved.
Where to Start:
I would recommend starting at the parking lot just before the Abasha River crosses the road, here. The parking lot isn’t actually listed on Google Maps (it’s quite new), but it is there.
From this point you can begin your walking by heading back down the road, following the direction of the river.
How to Get There:
If possible, I would recommend hiring a car and leaving it at the parking lot. As far as I can tell no public transport goes here. The only other way would be to get a taxi. Ask the taxi to drop you off at Balda Canyon, next to the Balda Monastery of St. Marys Assumption, as the trail goes right past this point.
The Three Waterfalls
First, a little about the hike. The three waterfalls on this hike are some of the nicest in Georgia. Each waterfall has its own unique character and is distinctly different from the next. The landscape in this area is highly impressive, steep cliff lines and forests define this hike, making it perfect terrain for hiking and waterfalls. All three waterfalls flow into Balda Canyon, the less famous but no less beautiful cousin of Martvili Canyon. Balda Canyon is a great spot for swimming, hiking and kayaking.
A little about each waterfall you will visit on this hike:
- Toba Waterfall is a series of cascades and pools within the forest. Trees obscure the upper falls which give the impression of being hidden away. The combination of forest and waterfalls makes this the most peaceful of the three waterfalls.
- Oniore Waterfall, Unlike the Toba waterfall, dominates the valley. You can hear it long before you see it. With a large vertical drop and roaring waters, Oniore waterfall is an impressive sight. While I was there a chilly wind was blowing from the waterfall. Approaching it involved clambering over slippery rocks. What the Oniore Waterfall lacks in peacefulness, it more than makes up for in impressiveness.
- Kaghu Waterfall is the most easily accessible. It lies on the Abasha River, just downstream of where the Toba River flows into it. The Kaghu Waterfall is incredibly pretty, covered with moss and makes for a stunning view. Unlike the other two waterfalls, it is possible to drive to the base of this waterfall. It is by far the most touristy of the three. It has a restaurant nearby (it was closed in October) and locals selling fresh pomegranate juice. It is a popular spot for locals and on weekends you will often find them having a picnic here. Kaghu Waterfall is also the best spot for a swim with the deepest pools of the three waterfalls.
Being able to visit all three waterfalls in one day makes this hike something truly special.
What To Expect
Distance: ≈16km (depends on how close to the waterfalls you get)
Duration: 7-8 hours
Difficulty: Moderate, recommended for people with previous hiking experience.
I have included a GPX of my path here. It is not the most accurate as the signal was not great in a forest in the valley, but will give you a general idea of the route.
Map of the route
Key things to know:
- The trail is in a loop – so it is possible to walk either way, but I would recommend going counterclockwise (Toba Waterfall first) this is easier and saves the best swimming spot to the end. Following the trail in the other direction is more difficult.
- The trail crosses the river multiple times:
- There is a log bridge crossing the river between the Toba and Oniore Waterfall.
- Directly after Oniore Waterfall, I had trouble finding the river crossing and the trail. I have included a picture of the bridge you need to cross it in the trail overview below. The crossing marked on the map is too far down stream. You should cross closer to the picnic tables.
- You will need to wade across the river as you approach Kaghu Waterfall. I did three crossings in total. Fortunately, the water level was not too high, no more than knee deep. However, I would recommend avoiding this trail after heavy rain as the trail crosses the river multiple times.
- Near the base of each of the waterfalls are picnic facilities including table and chairs.
- If you are a keen birder, there is a bird watching tower on the trail between the Toba and Oniore Waterfalls.
- No drinking water is available, so bring what you need for the day, at least 1-2 Litres per person.
- Mobile phone coverage is patchy at best (you are in a valley), so make sure you download a map of the trail before leaving. I used both AllTrails and Organic Maps for offline maps. I use these apps for most hikes, so much so that I listed them in my essential apps for travel.
- If you have one, bring a power bank to keep your phone charged.
- The trail took longer than I had read elsewhere online, I was expecting 5 hours, and it was more like 7 hours. Start early to ensure you have enough time to finish in daylight.
- The Toba and Oniore Waterfalls are in the Toba River Valley, reachable only via hiking trails. It is possible to drive to Kaghu Waterfall.
The National Parks of Georgia has information on the Oniore Waterfall and Toba Waterfall on their website. Unfortunately, these pages are currently light on the details, hopefully they get more details in the future.
Note: There are caves in the area. However, these require specialist caving equipment.
Trail Overview – What to Expect
This section describes what it is like the hike the Martvili Three Waterfall Track.
It was a warm sunny day in late October when I set off to hike the Martvili Three Waterfall Track. Heading off solo on this hiking adventure I was nervous and excited. What would the trail be like and how long would it take?
Up and Up
The trail started by following the road, heading away from Kaghu Waterfall. After sticking to the road for about one kilometre, I passed the Balda Monastery of St. Marys Assumption. At this point the trail left the main road. Not far after the monastery were several houses with some friendly locals. Immediately after the houses, I took a sharp right and headed uphill, along an old road. At this point there were many cows around, and not much else. The next several kilometres were uphill. Nothing too steep, but a continuous uphill.
About halfway up the hill, I stumbled upon an unlikely group. Four children, one horse and a dog. The children were taking turns riding the horse. Two were riding and the other two running behind. One runner had one hand holding the horses tail and the other grasping the second runners hand. All of this was proceeded by a tiny little dog leading the way.
After passing this delightful group, I continued to follow the old road. It peaked at a plateau with magnificent views into the valley below. The children on the horse came racing past me at this point.
Down, down to the river.
The plateau was the highest point on the hike. After admiring the views, I headed down hill, staying on the road and passing many more cows. I then walked past a group of campers. They were packing up their campsite next to Vasos Hut. It looked like a lovely place to camp.
Toba Waterfall
After walking past the campers and Vasos Hut, the trail descended steeply through the forest to the river. At the river, there was a turn off to Toba Waterfall. It was an out and back trail, signposted and the path well maintained. Toba Waterfall was tranquil bliss. It was a series of cascading pools in the forest. The forest obscured the view of the top. I hiked uphill to a higher pool for a swim. There was also some caves in the area, but these require specialist equipment to access.
After the swim I went back down the trail and took the route towards Oniore Waterfall. I had to cross a log bridge over the river (pictured below), then climb steeply up and down a hill to get to the waterfall. There was a birding tower on the top of the hill between the two waterfalls.
Oniore Waterfall
Oniore waterfall itself was impressive, loud and windy. I walked along the riverbed to get a closer look. There was a cold damp wind blowing from the falls and I did not stick around for long. It would be a great place for a swim in warmer weather.
Getting Lost
After leaving Oniore Waterfall I have to admit that I became a little lost. The track on AllTrails and Organic Maps said there was a river crossing further down the valley. I headed that way and couldn’t find it. I ended up climbing across on a small tree that had fallen across the river but it did not seem like the track. Then I struggled to find the trail. I decided to backtrack, heading back up the opposite side river towards the waterfall. It was here I found some logs wired together. This was close to the picnic tables at Oniore waterfall. I have included a picture of it here to try and help you out. From log bridge I could see a rough trail heading up hill.
After crossing the river, the trail headed uphill. It was a lot more overgrown, compared to everything else I had walked on so far. So overgrown in fact, that there were several points where I had to stop and triple check the path. I may have gotten lost if I did not have the maps downloaded on my phone. There were no more signposts anymore either. Along the way there was a nice viewpoint where I had a glimpse of Chanchkeri Waterfall (bonus waterfall!) in the valley below.
After the bonus waterfall, the trail slowly wound its way back down hill towards to the river. The maps say there is a turn off to a monastery at this point, but I did not see it (let me know if you make it here). As I got closer to the river, there was a lot of blackberry bushes lining the edge of the trail. It made for some painful going. All of a sudden the trail just ended, heading straight into the river. I checked if it was possible to sick to my side of the river, but there was a steep cliff. It was clear that I needed to cross. This was the first of a total of three river crossings over the next kilometre. Fortunately, the water was no more than knee deep and not flowing too quickly.
Kaghu Waterfall
The final place to wade across the river was just upstream of Kaghu Waterfall. At the waterfall there were some locals having a BBQ here and more people selling food. Unfortunately, I did not have time to swim in this waterfall as it was getting late in the day. It did look amazing and the water clear (so good that I came back the next day to swim).
From Kaghu Waterfall it was a short walk back to the car pack, crossing a footbridge to get over the Abasha River. The walk took a lot longer than I had anticipated, but was a highly enjoyable and spectacular walk.
Conclusion
The Martvili Three waterfall hike is a looped trail of approximately 16km in length. It takes about seven hours to complete and provides the opportunity to visit three distinctly different waterfalls along the way. The landscape is stunning. You will hike over plateaus, through forested valleys and next to cliff lines. The section of the trail between Oniore and Kaghu waters is significantly more overgrown. Make sure you have a map of the trail, bring plenty of water and lunch. You are in for a spectacular hike.
Happy Exploring!
Kieren