[1] Originating at Bolshaya Shura Mountain in the Greater Caucasus Mountains, it flows southwest and enters the Black Sea at Sochi, itself named for the river and site of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

It is the third longest river in Sochi after the Mzymta and the Shakhe.

The upper course of the Sochi lies in the Caucasus Nature Reserve, a World Heritage site, whereas the middle course, down to Plastunka, belongs to Sochi National Park.

The Sochi River begins on the southern slopes of the 2,250-metre (7,380 ft) Bolshaya Shura Mountain and flows toward the west-southwest through mountainous terrain and is joined by tributaries such as the Ushkho and the Ats along the way.

The Sochi then turns southward and flows through the suburbs of Plastunka, Baranovka, and Navaginka before reaching the city centre of Sochi where it is contained by concrete embankments before it enters the Black Sea.