Vanis Kvabebi — "Vani's Caves" — is a cave monastery carved into a basalt cliff in the Kura River gorge, a few kilometres from Tsunda toward Aspindza. It is smaller and far less visited than Vardzia, but arguably more atmospheric: there are no entrance fees, no guides, and no crowds. The caves were inhabited by monks from at least the 10th century and possibly earlier.
The monastery is built on a dramatic site: tiers of rock-cut cells and chapels rise up a near-vertical cliff, connected by narrow carved stairways. Some cells retain traces of fresco painting. The access path from the road is rough but short. Combined with a visit to Vardzia, Vanis Kvabebi gives a fuller picture of the medieval cave-dwelling tradition in this part of Georgia — and the more modest scale makes the earlier monasticism feel more comprehensible than the vast cave city at Vardzia.