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There are several scenic hikes in Tbilisi.
And Turtle lake hiking trail is one of my personal favorites. Turtle lake is a very popular place in Tbilisi. Most people go only to the lake. They do some sports there or simply relax with family and friends. You can get there by car or taxi; it’s super easy to get to. However, I would highly recommend you to go on a hike in the area — it’s so worth it!
Continue reading to learn more about the Turtle lake hike!
1. Turtle Lake Hike: Basics
It’s not just one trail but a network of hiking trails.
You can spend between 1 hour to full day hiking near Turtle lake. If you like being in nature, a visit to this lake, and to this area, is surely one of the best things to do in Tbilisi. There are trail signs in several places, so don’t worry if you don’t have a plan.
MY ROUTE:
TIME & DISTANCE: around 5 miles / 8 km (around 2 hours).
That’s a walk from the bottom of the mountain (Vake Park) to the top, and then onwards to Mtatsminda Park and Mtatsminda Pantheon.
TIPS: it’s rocky in some places, and can be confusing the find the right trail. So, when in doubts, just follow the map on your phone. I was using Google Maps and built-in map of Strava app, and managed to find everything easily.
The trail isn’t as straight as on the map above.
It’s a technical glitch it was recorded like this.
2. How to Get to Turtle Lake, Tbilisi?
There are several options for getting to Turtle lake.
You can take a taxi or drive a car all the way to the lake. There’s also a parking lot next to the lake where you can park your car. For taxi we recommend Bolt and Yandex taxi apps.
There’s also a cable car to Turtle lake.
It’s old and rusty, and… one of the coolest activities in Tbilisi.
You buy a ticket at the cable car station. You can also take your bicycle with you on the cable car, just in case you are with a bicycle. They attach it to the outside of the cabin.
You can walk from Wake park to Turtle lake.
It’s not the prettiest walk in Tbilisi, nor the easiest. In some places you are simply walking on the side of the road, in others walking through the bushes. But it’s totally doable, and if you, like us, like to walk, this is yet another great way how to get to Turtle lake and the nearby mountains.
3. Turtle Lake Hike: Our Experience
First time, we arrived to the lake without a plan.
We had heard that it’s a beautiful place, one of the best places in Tbilisi for walking. And since hiking in Tbilisi sounded exactly like what we needed, we just jumped into the taxi and went to the Wake park, to start a walk up the mountain.
Once on the mountain you’ll have to make a choice a few places.
It can be a very short walk, and you can spend only an hour or two there. Or, you can go on a longer walk until the Mtatsminda Park and Mtatsminda Pantheon, like we did. And it’s also possible to spend a whole day hiking there — if you head into direction of the Udzo monastery and Azuela fortress.
Here are a few photos from our Turtle lake hike:
Have you been to Tbilisi? Did you check out any hikes in Tbilisi? Did you try the Turtle lake hike? What was your Tbilisi hiking experience?
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