Hiking in Tbilisi - Turtle lake (Kus Tba) - Vake Park

On a lovely and sunny Saturday morning, we decided to take hiking from Turtle's Lake down to Vake Park.

First thing first.

How to get to Turtle Lake?

Catch a Taxi, or call a taxi company. Personally, I prefer the taxi company with number 2 155 155.

Drive to Turtle lake should cost you around 5 GEL. If you prefer to catch a taxi on street - the price may go up to 10 Lari, but I wouldn't pay more than 8 Lari.

Update: Use taxi ride companies like Bolt

Actually, Turtle Lake or Kus Tba is one of the best attractions of Tbilisi (my subjective opinion) - so you can stay there all day along without any need to hike or trek somewhere else.

You can enjoy a lovely meal at coffee Intelligentsia there. Mostly I prefer to head to Turtle lake in hot summer days.

Ok, enough talking here is the pictures;

Turtle Lake

Turtle Lake

Sundial at Turtle lake

Sundial at Turtle lake

View to Tbilisi city

View to Tbilisi city

Pine forest and plenty of oxygen

Pine forest and plenty of oxygen

Hiking trails in Tbilisi

Hiking trails in Tbilisi

Hiking trails in Tbilisi used by extreme riders

Hiking trails in Tbilisi used by extreme riders

View to Stadium from trails

View to Stadium from trails

Parallel bars on trails

Parallel bars on trails

Vake park

Vake park

Tennis courts at Vake park

Tennis courts at Vake park

Vake park

Vake park

Memorial at Vake park

Memorial at Vake park

New Building

New Building

About Turtle lake

Turtle Lake is a direct English translation of Kus Tba, a small lake at the outskirts of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, so named due to the perceived abundance of turtles living in these places.

 Turtle Lake is located on the wooded northern slope of Mtatsminda Mount at elevation of 686.7 m above sea level and fed by a small river Varazis-Khevi, a tributary to the Mtkvari (Kura). The area of surface is 0.034 km², while the catchment area is 0.4 km². Maximal depth is 2.6 m.

The Turtle Lake area is designed as a recreational zone and is frequented by the Tbilisians on weekends. It is also a place where festivals and concerts are held. It could be reached either via a road or an aerial tramway leading from Tbilisi’s Vake Municipality, but it is now defunct.

West to the lake is the Open Air Museum of Ethnography, a large exhibition of Georgia’s folk architecture.