Khikhani Fortress

About Khikhani fortress

Khikhani fortress or Khirkhati fortress also known as Abuseridzes family fortress. Is a medieval fortress located in Adjara, in the upper village Tkhilvana of Khulo municipality, at an elevation of 2200 meters above sea level, near the border of Georgia and Turkey.

Khikhani Fortress Historical Facts

The exact date of building Khikhani fortress is unknown, but most of scientists think it was built in the X-XIII centuries. Khikhani fortress was one of the most important fortresses in Adjara. The castle is strategically located in a very convenient location, as it has one pedestrian access from the south-eastern side. It used to be a shelter for the local lords.

The fortress used to be the main residence of the noble Abuseridze family in the late middle ages. The ruler of Adjara, Selim Khimshiashvili, fighting against Ottoman Empire was hiding at some point in Khikhani. There are several layers in the building blocks of the castle: ancient (X-XI century’s period), and new ones (XVII-XIX century’s period, Ottoman ownership period).

In the historical documents, it is stated that the completion of the construction of Khikhani fortress was guided by Tbel Abuseridze’s wife – Bagula. However, also the legend exists, according to which the building of the fortress is assigned to King Tamar – Georgia’s only female king.

The fortress used to have a secret underground passage. Recently, 43 clay pots (“Qvevri”) have been discovered by archaeologists underneath the Khikhani fortress. The newly-discovered wine cellar dates back to the 11-13th centuries.

Nowadays, only ruins are preserved from this formerly inaccessible building: four rectangular towers, a brick wall, a bakery, wine cellar, a water well, and St. George’s Church. The fortress had the curtain wall, some parts of which are nowadays destroyed.

Hiking to Khikhani Fortress

There are several ways to get to the Khikhani fortress. Let’s take a look at each of them!

You can only get to Khikani fortress on foot. The closest point that is reachable with a normal car is Bako village, from there on the road get’s worse and should be driven with an off-road car.

Depending on the weather it might even be hard to reach Bako with a normal car. In winter these villages are isolated from the outer world and not reachable. If the weather is good you can try to drive closer than Bako but this is at your own risk!

In both Khikadziri and Bako you can find guesthouses to stay at another option is to camp at Khikani fortress itself (scroll down for more info).

Hiking from Khikadziri – long route (no off-road car needed to reach)

Walking time (one-way-up): 3h30min
Distance: 11km
Elevation: 1124

Hiking from Bako – middle route

Walking time (one-way-up): 2h12min
Distance: 6km
Elevation: 756m

Hiking from forest border – short route (off-road car needed to reach)

Walking time (one-way-up): 1h10min
Distance: 2.6km
Elevation: 442m

For this part you’ll need a jeep that can take you further from Khikadziri to the forest near Khikani fortress, the rest of the way you’ll have to walk.

Hiking times are based on someone who has a normal condition. If you have a good condition it will probably take you less time. On the other hand if you have a bad condition it will take you longer. Also when hiking in bad weather, the trip will take longer as the road will be slippery so you will have to be more careful.

Also note that the way back will go faster than to way to go.

MAPS.ME

While the path to Khikani fortress is staightforward, it might be that you would like to use a map. On Google maps you cannot find directions to Khikani fortress so we recommend using Maps.me.

Own car

If you want to drive this way on your own. We have compiled for you a list of car rental companies in Batumi.

You can proceed as follows: go from Batumi to the village of Bako, which is located just 6 km from the Khikhani fortress. In Bako, you can stay in guesthouses, which we have indicated below in this post.

The road from Batumi to Bako is good. You can get to Bako by any car. You can also rent a car, or take a taxi, or use the services of local drivers, whose numbers are also listed in this post. (scroll below)

Transport from Batumi

Car Rental - Batumi

Cars4rent
Address: 80 Giorgi Tsereteli St, Batumi
Phone: 557 17 11 44
https://cars4rent.ge/contact
Cars: The company has SUVs and outlander
Price: Car rental per day around 45-50 euros (depends on type of car) with unlimited distances.
MiMiNO RENT CAR
Address: 13 Rustaveli Ave, Batumi 6010
Phone: 579 01 28 01
Car: The company has SUVs.
Price: The company rents a car for at least 3 days. Price per day from $ 70, depending on the car. This adds up to approximately $ 210 in 3 days. Unlimited distances.
https://car24.ge/rent_car_batumi/
Phone: 514820820
On their web-site you can have a look at all cars this company has for rent and choose the one that you like. All prices are mentioned.

Taxi - apps

You can also take a taxi.

If you use the services of private drivers, the prices may vary. There is a risk of falling into a typical tourist story: if you are not guided by local prices, then you may be given a too high price. To avoid unexpected situations, we advise you to use the services of trusted taxi companies.
You can use Yandex Taxi, Maxim or Bolt App. Available for both Apple Store and GooglePlay.

Each of the companies has a different tariff, but for an approximate presentation of prices, we chose in the different application the same route from the center of Batumi to the center of Khulo.

Yandex/Maxim/Bolt
We personally prefer bolt as it’s user friendly and drivers are always friendly.

Bolt

Maxim

Public Transport

There is no direct way from Batumi to Khikhani Fortress (as for now) by public transport. You can take public transport to the center of Khulo. There used to be a marshutka that would go from Batumi to Khikhadziri but at the moment of writting this post the connection was halted.

You can call the tourism information center to double check:
+995 577 90 90 91

Right now you first need to go to Khulo and from there go to Khikhadziri.

From the old bus station in Batumi (see location: https://goo.gl/maps/hVxUwSbuhKTrcYyc7 ) the so-called “marshrutka” – minibus number 1 departs. The stencil will indicate Batumi – Khulo (in Georgian, but you can ask the locals). The cost of the trip is approximately 6 GEL.

Price: 6GEL
Duration: 2h30
Frequency: every 30 min
Working hours: 8am – 8pm

There are several ways to get to the Khikhani fortress from the center of Khulo:

It can also be a minibus, but the problem is that they do not have a specific schedule. Approximately, a minibus leaves the center of Khulo at 9-10 am, but much depends on the number of people willing to go (mostly, they are always local). The state of such minibuses is hard to call luxury, and you must understand this;) You can call the tourism information in center to ask for the most up to date times:
+995 577 90 90 93

You can use the services of local taxi drivers. There is often a large number of Taxis in the center of Khulo, but we decided to make it easier for you and found out the numbers of several verified drivers, who you can contact to get from the center of Khulo to the Khikhani fortress.

Local taxi driver’s contact:
598090966 – Temuri
595074991 – Jony
598092426 – Mikheil

Keep In Mind

Make sure you choose a sunny day for your trip. Best time to visit: May, June, July, August, September, October;

According to the tourist information center, it is almost impossible to visit the Khikhani fortress in winter. We think that the matter is not only in the weather conditions, but also in the fact that the road to Khikhani is rather difficult. Probably, people with experience of such travel will still be able to get to Khikhani, this is not Everest, but without experience of winter hiking it shouldn’t be done!

Start hiking early in the morning;

Make sure you have your ID/Passport with you, as the border guards may ask for it;

Don’t forget to bring a cap and a bottle of water with you.
Stay hydrated!

Camping at Khikhani Fortress

There is a small hut that is open for tourists. It however doesn’t have any amenities, so if you decide to stay there you better bring your mat and sleeping bag!

We recommend taking your tent and camp at Khikani fortress it’s the perfect spot for a cozy campfire and incredible sky full of stars.

Be aware though if the area is dry you should not make a campfire as this can cause destructive even deadly wildfires.

Accommodations Close To Khikhani Fortress

Considering that we are talking about the mountainous part of Georgia, there are no five-star hotels here. It is dominated by a large number of family-type hotels. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information about them on the Internet, but we have compiled a list of accommodations near to Khikani fortress.

You won’t be able these guesthouses on Booking.com. You can make a reservation by calling them. There are no streets on Google maps in the villages, but there is are signs / stencil everywhere and the guesthouse is 200 meters away.

There is a family-type guesthouse Surmanidze at Kinchauri village. Location: https://goo.gl/maps/dpfKdd18bvTji8SH7

Price per night (breakfast and lunch included) – 45 GEL. The guesthouse is located 16 km from the center of Khulo, about 25 minutes.

Contact: +995591446609
Izolda, the guesthouse owner. Also, this lady works at a museum, she also can guide you to Khikhani Fortress.
Dariko Abashidze family-type hotel at Khikhadziri village. Location: https://goo.gl/maps/Yjk5VMD6rx3PVtUh8

A night with three meals a day is 50 GEL. There are hotel signs everywhere, you can call 591714015 and ask them to meet you there.
Contact: +995591714015
Guest house Bako at Bako village. 6 km from the Khikhani fortress. This is the closest point to the Khikhani fortress where you can stay. Location: https://goo.gl/maps/au1kteqhUyx7CCyK9

Contact: +995593470540

Accommodations in Khulo

These are our favorite accomodations. You can find more accomodations on Booking.com.

Hostel 13
You can also stay overnight in Khulo municipality. Hostel 13 is located near the center. Location: https://goo.gl/maps/mqCYrbY6QaLHAezj6
Contact: 577123476
Glamping Tago
If you have chosen the municipality of Khulo as a stopover, you can also come and stay with us in Glamping Tago! You can get to Glamping Tago by a cable car, which goes from the center of Khulo to the village of Tago. You can find more information about Glamping Tago on our website: https://glampingtago.ge/

Nearby restaurants

Proceeding from the fact that on the way to the fortress Khikhani only villages, you will hardly find a restaurant with a Michelin star here. But nevertheless, there are several places in Khulo where you can eat deliciously.

Food close to Khikani fortress

We would like to point out that although there are not many cafes and restaurants here, you can grab a bite to eat at the guesthouses/hostels above, without the obligation to stay overnight.

Restaurants in Khulo

– Restaurant “ABX” (our personal favorite)
This restaurant can be a bit tricky to find as it is on the top floor of the building. The restaurant has some great views and good price-quality food! Do note they have cheap wine but often only white one and for sure not the best one in Georgia. This is when we went there maybe they now also have red. If you go there and they have for sure let us know!
https://goo.gl/maps/Ui2XAt62m3A9FJqP9

– Khulo restaurant
https://goo.gl/maps/kaAJoV3tGCKyA1JS7

– Adjara Restaurant
https://goo.gl/maps/yHa53JAivRFhrdiSA

Restaurants in Tago

Glamping Tago has a restaurant that you can visit. We offer a vegetarian menu. You can take the cable car from the center of Khulo to the village of Tago, where the Glamping and the restaurant are located.

Glamping Tago is a small start-up set on a mission to enhance mindful traveling, providing equal care and love to our guests, environment and team members.

We do so, by creating a comfortable space in one of the most authentic places in Adjara.

Turning it into a getaway where people can reconnect with themselves, step into adventures and begin new stories.