Vani

Vani is a town of 3,700 people (2014) in Rioni Region (Imereti region) of Georgia. It is famous for its rock tombs, richly furnished with gold finds, which were part of a large urban settlement of antiquity.

Understand

Vani became famous because of its stone grave, filled with gold. The graves were part of a large ancient urban settlement, and it is believed to have been the ancient capital of Colchis.

Get in

By plane

Kutaisi Airport is 30 km away from Vani Station.

By train

Next train station, where express trains also stop: Samtredia. Vani is about 30 km south of Samtredia.

By bus

The Vani bus station is in the center, at the east of the two roundabouts. The usual marshrutkas drive to the neighboring cities.

Regular marshrutkas exist from Kutaisi for 3 lari at: 07:00, 07:35, 08:10, 09:00, 11:10, 12:10, 13:10, 15:40, 16:20, 18:10, and 19:00.

By car

The well-developed regional road შ 13 (Dapnari- Baghdati) runs right through the city.

See

Vani archaeological site

• 1 Vani archaeological site (ვანის ნაქალაქარი) (at the western outskirts of the modern town). The excavation site. Remains of fortifications and temples, locally produced and imported Greek pottery, and sophisticated local goldwork—now on display at the Vani Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Georgia in Tbilisi—indicate that Vani was a vibrant urban settlement from the 8th century down to the mid-1st century BC.  

Vani Archaeological Museum

• 2 Vani Archaeological Museum (Ванский археологический музей), 32 O. Lordkipanidze st, ☏ +995 32 299 80 22. Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. The archaeological museum is on a hill about 2 km outside the center. If you don't want to walk, you can take a taxi. Adult 10 lari; student or child 0.5 lari. (updated Oct 2021)
• Galaktion and Tizian Tabidse House-Museum, ☏ +995 593 560506. Tu-Su 10:00-17:00. In the family home of the two poets in the village of Tktschwischi, personal items as well as sculptures and paintings by other Georgian artists are shown. 1 lari.