Likhi Range Mountains

The Likhi Range is a mountain chain in central Georgia that separates the country into western and eastern regions and forms a major watershed between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea basins.

A relatively narrow belt of ridges and valleys, the range contains the main mountain passes used for road and rail connections across central Georgia. Roads through these passes concentrate traffic between the two halves of the country and offer short hiking routes and viewpoints along forested slopes.

The range is a natural feature that has served as a travel and communications barrier and corridor for centuries; its passes have been improved repeatedly as road and rail networks developed. Infrastructure through the passes was expanded in the 19th and 20th centuries to improve east‑west travel.

Geographically it runs north-south in central Georgia between the Greater and Lesser Caucasus zones, roughly between the cities of Tbilisi and Kutaisi, and rises from low foothills into higher, forested ridges.

• East‑west watershed: forms the main topographic divide between western and eastern Georgia, creating separate river catchments for the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
• Major transit corridor: contains several road and rail passes that have long served as the principal land links between the two halves of the country.

The Likhi Range (Surami Range) is crossed by Georgia’s main east-west route. Drive or take intercity buses/marshrutkas from Tbilisi toward Kutaisi/Khashuri on the Tbilisi-Kutaisi road (E60/S1) and leave at the Surami/Khashuri area to reach passes and trailheads. There are also regular regional trains and buses from Tbilisi to Khashuri/Surami; from those towns the nearest access points are a short local drive or taxi to mountain roads and trailheads.

• The main modern crossing of the Likhi Range is through the Rikoti Tunnel on the Tbilisi-Kutaisi route; plan to use that tunnel if you want the fastest, all-weather crossing rather than trying to follow old mountain roads.
• Stop at the Rikoti Pass viewpoint area just outside the tunnel for short walks and clear views into the western and eastern Georgian lowlands-it's the most convenient place to stretch and photograph the divide without committing to a long hike.
• Check road and weather reports in winter before you travel: the range is the central spine of Georgia and snow/ice can lead to restrictions or slow, heavy traffic through the mountain corridor.