Welcome to the complete guide to Old Town, Tbilisi, Georgia! Let’s face it. Most people have not heard of Tbilisi, the capital of the country of Georgia. This isn’t Paris or Barcelona by any stretch of the imagination.
Hell, most Americans don’t even know there is a country that shares its name with our southeastern state. But this is what makes Tbilisi so fascinating to visit. An ancient European city that is off the beaten tourist path.
The Old Town of Tbilisi is full of charming cobblestone streets and eastern orthodox churches on hills just waiting to be discovered. This Tbilisi travel guide will tell you everything you need to know about visiting the Old Town!
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Old Town Tbilisi – What You Need to Know
Where is Tbilisi?
Tbilisi is in central Georgia (that’s between Russia and Armenia), nestled between mountain ranges. With over one million people it’s a pretty big city. But the closest city that could be considered a household name is Tehran.
How to get to Tbilisi
There is an international airport in Tbilisi, the main airport for Georgia. There are not too many direct flights there though. You can fly direct from Istanbul, Frankfurt, and Dubai among a few others. You’ll probably have a one stop flight from wherever you are coming from.
Weather and when to visit
Georgia is a very mountainous country, so storms can occur anytime. But Tbilisi has a semi-arid ecosystem and is dry and sunny most of the time. Summers can get pretty hot and winters can snow. If you visit in the warmer half of the year chances are you will get favorable weather.
Tbilisi can be visited year round but for the best weather and best chance of clear skies visit in the summer. It can be hot, but it’s dry so it’s manageable. Tbilisi is still not on the average tourist’s radar, so it’s not overcrowded. But who knows, maybe by 2030 the world will discover how amazing Georgia is and Tbilisi will become as crowded as Prague or Budapest!
How to get around Tbilisi
I recommend using Bolt to get around. It’s like a Georgian Uber. It’s literally the same thing. But in Tbilisi it’s dirt cheap. If you don’t get a local SIM card for your phone it won’t be as easy to use Bolt, as you’ll need wifi to order, but I think it’s still worth it.
I definitely recommend getting a local SIM card if you’ll be in Georgia a week or more. It’s very cheap and cell coverage in the country is excellent. There is a metro system in Tbilisi but there are limited stops in the Old Town. Given how cheap Bolt is, it didn’t seem worth it to experiment with the metro or the bus system.
Language
Georgian is the official language and it’s likely that even here in the city many locals you will encounter will not speak much English. Even many Georgians of the younger generation struggle with English.
That being said, it’s a vibrant, busy city so it’s likely someone nearby speaks fluent English if you are having trouble communicating. Many locals will also speak Russian.
Money
The Georgian Lari (GEL) is the currency and you will need cash. Many smaller guest houses and a fair amount of restaurants do not accept credit cards. There are ATMs everywhere though. Get some cash at the airport to start your trip.
Compared to a western country Georgia is very, very cheap. Old Town Tbilisi is more expensive than other parts of the country, but it’s still very cheap by western standards. You can easily survive on a budget of $25/day including accommodation. One Georgian Lari is about $0.30 USD, depending on the day’s exchange rate.
Georgian Culture
Georgia has only been an independent country since the fall of the Soviet Union. The last time it was independent before that was 1921. And that was only for a few years after nearly a century of rule under the Russian empire. And before that there were endless changes of power in Tbilisi.
From the Moguls to the Byzantines, many ancient empires claimed Georgia over the centuries. Tbilisi was a major trading post along the silk road and Georgian culture has influences of many different ancient civilizations.
The most dominant cultural influence on modern day Georgia is surely the Soviet Union. Georgia was ruled by the Russians for nearly two centuries. The country is only now rediscovering its traditional practices.
Luckily, Tbilisi has kept much of its historical charm and the Old Town does not look at all like a Soviet city. You don’t have to go far out of the city, however, to find the ugly block apartments the Soviet Union was known for. With Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Georgia’s sovereignty hasn’t been this fragile since Russia invaded in 2008.
Georgian Food
Georgia is known for its food, and Tbilisi has no shortage of fantastic Georgian restaurants. Georgian fare features a lot of different types of food. Everything is fresh. They use a lot of regional herbs and spices that you won’t find elsewhere in the world. See section about Georgian food below.
Our favorite restaurant was Restaurant Usakhelouri. It doesn’t have a 4.9 star average on Google out of 400 reviews for nothing!
Wine
The ancient inhabitants of Georgia were the first people in the world to make wine, about 8,000 years ago. If you didn’t know that before you visit Georgia, the locals will make sure you know.
Georgia has excellent wine and grows grape varieties you’ve never heard of before. You won’t find pinot grigio and merlot here. Be sure to try a saperavi though. It’s a traditional Georgian grape variety and the wine is made in the ancient Georgian way using an underground clay pot known as a qvevri.
Where to stay in Tbilisi
There are endless cheap hotels and guest houses in Tbilisi if you’re on a tight budget. You have your choice of places to stay for around $30 USD per night. You really can’t go wrong.
And if you want to stay in more luxury this is the place to do it. You’ll pay ⅓ to ½ of what you’d pay in western Europe for the same type of hotel here.
For a nice hotel downtown right at the edge of Old Town, we recommend the Mercure Tbilisi Old Town. Hotel Abanotubani is also a great option. Or check out the full listing of Tbilisi hotels on booking.com.
How long to stay
You can easily see the highlights of Tbilisi in two days and have plenty of time to relax and enjoy some good wine. An extra few days will allow you to explore the city outside of the Old Town. One day is also possible to just hit the main highlights.Â
You’ll likely visit Tbilisi in conjuction with a larger trip around Georgia. Check out my ultimate 2-week Georgia road trip itinerary for some ideas!
Travel Insurance
Before visiting Georgia, make sure to purchase travel insurance so that you’re protected for the crazy things that might happen in Georgia. We use World Nomads when travelling abroad. World Nomads provides coverage for travelers in over 100 countries. You can search for a coverage plan using the link below.
Old Town Tbilisi Travel Guide
Tbilisi is full of beautiful old buildings and houses that dot ancient hilly streets. The main tourist area of Tbilisi is the Old Town, where this travel guide is focused. Here you’ll find most of the popular tourist attractions in the city as well as the highest concentration of restaurants and hotels. The Mtkvari River splits the city in two.
Most of the Old Town is south of the river, but there is some neat stuff north of the river too. There is a big cliff on the north side of the river that the buildings are built into. From any rooftop bar on the south side you get a great view of these buildings on the cliff.
In this section we will go through the top things to see and do in Old Town Tbilisi. Refer to the map below for where to find everything. You can make your own Old Town Tbilisi walking tour with these sights and catch a Bolt back to your hotel to freshen up before a fantastic Georgian dinner!
Narikala Fortress
No Tbilisi travel guide is complete without Narikala Fortress. From down on the river it might look daunting to climb up to this ancient fortress perched upon a hill in the Old Town. But it’s not too difficult of a climb. There is also a road that goes up to it if you feel like driving up a 35 degree incline.
If neither of those floats your boat there is an aerial skyway that will take you up there for 2.5 GEL (leaves from Rike Park). The walk takes you through narrow old streets lined with cute buildings though, so use your feet if you’re able to.
At the top of the hill is an ancient fortress with a church. Tbilisi has many eastern orthodox churches scattered around. The one in the fortress – St. Nicholas – might be the most spectacular.
From up here you get a wonderful view of the Old Town below and the Holy Trinity Cathedral on the other side of the river. If you look west you can see the modern architecture of the newer part of town. Looking east you can see some of those old, ugly Soviet housing blocks.
Leghvtakhevi Waterfall
It’s hard to believe that there’s an actual natural waterfall right in the middle of the city, but rest assured it’s 100% natural. This waterfall is along a steep cliff behind Narikala Fortress. It’s a short walk along a creek to get to the waterfall, which warrants a few pictures before moving on.
Jan Shardeni Street
There are many nice streets in Tbilisi to explore. Jan Shardeni Street is one of them. The street is lined with restaurants and hookah bars. Though note that the restaurants on this street are considerably pricier than many other restaurants in town. You’re paying for the ambiance.
The Bridge of Peace
A modern touch to the Old Town, this new steel bridge crosses the river with some funky architecture. Many people visit the bridge, but honestly I didn’t see what all the fuss was about. The best part is the view down the river.
Rike Park
Rike Park is a beautiful and well kept park on the north side of the river. It’s nice to walk through and see the sculptures and gardens. From the park you can also take a modified hot air balloon above the city. I say modified because it only goes up and down.
The Clock Tower
The Tbilisi Clock Tower is a modern, abstract clock tower built from old materials from the 1800s. It’s not towering above the city like Big Ben or anything, but it’s popular due to its unique style. The streets around the Clock Tower are also interesting and fun to walk around.
National Botanical Garden
The National Botanical Garden sits high above the Old Town and has great views of the city below. There is another waterfall up here as well as manicured gardens and native plants. It’s about a 20-minute from the center of Old Town.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
From any high point in the Old Town you will notice the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the largest monastery in town. It’s a ways north of the river and technically not in Old Town, but it’s worth the walk over. If you don’t make it there, however, there are many beautiful views of this cathedral from throughout Old Town, especially from Narikala Fortress
Other Eastern Orthodox churches
There are dozens of other eastern orthodox churches scattered around Tbilisi. Georgians are quite religious and these churches are an important part of the lives of many of the Tbilisi locals.
The churches are open to visitors. Technically you must wear long pants and women must cover their heads to enter, but many places don’t enforce this.
Dry Bridge Market
In a large park along the river lies Tbilisi’s art and flea market. Here local artists spend their days painting on canvases and trying to sell their works to tourists. The prices are not as cheap as you’d imagine for Georgia, but you can negotiate.
We took home two canvas paintings, one of Mount Kazbegi, and one of Old Town Tbilisi. There are also all sorts of old Soviet memorabilia for sale, such as life size portraits of Joseph Stalin and old war medals.
Thermal baths
Old Town Tbilisi has a lot of thermal baths, leftover from the Ottoman days. You can rent out a room with natural hot sulfur water. The water is supposed to be good for you and your skin. Just don’t stay in too long because the water is damn hot. There are various sizes of rooms you can rent, from small 2-person bath to grand 10-person suites.
There are a few options, but we went with Chreli Abano, which appears to be the only one with a website. Book at least one day in advance. There are also various other baths right next door to Chreli Abano that are cheaper and don’t require advanced booking, should you not want to pay the 70 GEL per hour that is typical at Chreli Abano.
Wine shops
The best part about wine shops in Tbilisi is that you can try wine before you buy it. Any wine shop will offer wine tasting. We tried a few at various shops and even spent an entire night at Wine Therapy Tbilisi with the store manager and some of his friends who invited us to drink with them.
They just kept opening new bottles of wine. Before we knew it it was 1:30 AM! This wouldn’t be a proper Tbilisi travel guide without recommending to stop in a few wine shops for a tasting.
Old Town Tbilisi walking tour
All that being said, the best thing to do in Old Town Tbilisi is just walk around all the old streets and alleyways, discovering little cafes and old houses.
You can’t go wrong walking around the Old Town Tbilisi. The streets are beautiful, the views superb. Even if you never set foot in a building you’ll love your time in Tbilisi.
The info you’ve just read should give you all you need to plan your own self-guided walking tour of Old Town Tbilisi. But if you’d prefer to go with a knowledgeable guide, consider booking a walking tour with Tbilisi Free Walking Tours. You can find more information on their website.
Georgian Food
Georgia has a unique cuisine. For such a small country there are a ton of traditional dishes to try. This post is not meant to be a full overview of all the amazing food that can be found in Georgia, but I’ll just run through some of the most famous and some of the dishes you have to try when visiting Tbilisi.
Khachapuri
Basically bread stuffed with melted cheese. There are various types, some including meat. The most well known type is Khachupuri Acharuli, which is a boat-shaped bread with an egg and like a quarter stick of butter in the middle. It’s simply amazing and probably one of the most unhealthy things you can ever eat. But it is oh so delicious.
Khinkali (dumplings)
Similar to Russian dumplings, these come stuffed with either beef, cheese, or mushrooms. They are amazingly cheap at every restaurant. 5 of them is enough for a full meal and that usually will cost you not even $2 USD.
Other foods to try
- Georgian beans in clay pot: So simple but so delicious. Sort of like a mix of an Indian curry and Mexican refried beans.
- Shkmeruli: A chicken dish cooked in sour cream, garlic and butter and served sizzling. A must try.
- Eggplant with walnuts: This is a starter made from eggplant and mashed walnuts with garlic.
- Georgian salad: Kind of like a Greek salad but with different cheese and various herbs instead of olive oil. Georgian cheese is spongy and honestly wasn’t my favorite unless it was melted.
- Chakapuli: There are various types of stews you can get that should all be delicious. If you don’t eat meat you can ask for it to be made with just veggies if your server speaks English
- Fresh produce: Everything in Georgia is fresh and locally sourced. The cucumbers and tomatoes just taste better.
The list goes on. There are too many amazing foods to discuss in this blog. Consult the Wikipedia page for more info.
Get Outside of Old Town
The primary focus of this post is on the Old Town of Tbilisi, but there are many things to do outside of the city center as well. Here are a few things you can do if you venture out from the Old Town.
- Mtatsminda Park: High above the city sits the Soviet era theme park of Mtatsminda Park. You can drive, walk, or take the funicular. There are nice views of the city below from up here.
- Tbilisi Sea Club: this is Tbilisi’s beach. It’s not on the sea or anything, just a large lake outside of the city, but could be worth a visit on a hot day.
- Tbilisi Open Air Museum of Ethnography: An open air museum of traditional Georgian architecture and lifestyle.
- Tbilisi Zoo: If you’re into zoos.
- Jvari Monastery: Just outside of Tbilisi in the small town of Mtskheta is one of the most beautiful monasteries in Georgia. You’ll need to take a Bolt or drive yourself to get here, but it’s definitely worth the 30-minute drive each way.
There are also a lot of traditional Georgian restaurants outside of the city center that you’ll have to take a Bolt or taxi to. I did not try any of these but there are some highly rated ones on Google. One you might want to check out is Georgia House.
Day Trips from Tbilisi
Due to its central location in such a small country, there are tons of day trips possible from Tbilisi. As you walk around old town you will be approached not fewer than 6,000 times by people offering day tours to beautiful sights in rural Georgia.
Some of the more popular ones are the Kazbegi region, Mount Kazbegi, Sighnaghi, Mtskheta, Uplistsikhe, even Yerevan, Armenia. Or if you’re up for a real adventure, consider Vashlovani National Park.
If you’d prefer to have the arrangements handled for you in advance you can book a day trip with GetYourGuide. The banner below shows a few options available you can click on to book.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tbilisi famous for?
Tbilisi, Georgia is known for a number of things, including its historic city center, unique food, and eastern orthodox churches scattered around the city. Tbilisi is also a great place to get a taste of all Georgia’s wines.
What is the historical district of Tbilisi?
The historic district of Tbilisi (Old Town) is west of the Kura River flanked by Narikala Fortress and Liberty Square, though there is no official boundary. The historic district features a number of old orthodox churches and buildings, though many of the residential buildings only date back to the 1800s.
Is Tbilisi good for tourists?
Tbilisi is an amazing tourist destination. Featuring some of the best food and wine you’ll find in any city across the globe, as well as historic buildings, fortresses, and churches, Tbilisi should be the start or end for any trip to Georgia. The city is also remarkably cheap to visit.
Is Tbilisi safe for US citizens?
Tbilisi is a safe destination to visit for US citizens and really anyone from around the world. The biggest danger is potentially the political instability in the border regions with Russia and Russia’s continued regional aggression. For now, however, Georgia remains a very safe country to visit so long as you don’t go near the Russian occupied territories.
What is the best month to visit Tbilisi?
The best month to visit Tbilisi is debatable, but May and June offer longer days and more mild temperatures than the hot summer days, not to mention slightly fewer tourists.
Old Town Tbilisi – Final Word
Tbilisi is a lovely city full of surprises and lacking the crowds of tourists you see in most other European capital cities. All trips to Georgia should either start or end with a day or two wandering Old Town Tbilisi. Meander the old streets, try the wine, and explore the culinary offerings. You won’t be disappointed by Tbilisi!
