Tbilisi, Georgia

Tbilisi is such an interesting city and is a really great introduction to the country of Georgia. Dating back to the 4th century, the city has a very long history. The history is still here in Tbilisi and you can feel it throughout the city from the old churches, the houses built on the cliffs, and the historic cobblestone streets. There are also modern updates as well. With big international brands of restaurants, coffee shops, and stores, new bridges and architecture, a metro and public transportation system, it feels like a proper modern capital as well. 

Today about 1.2 million or a third of the country’s population live here. The capital city of Tbilisi feels alive in the best way possible. There is so much life and atmosphere on the streets of Tbilisi. We saw everyone from school aged children to young college aged students to the elderly walking up and down the hills, engaging in daily life. It was so fun. 

Visa Free Travel

Getting through customs at Tbilisi International Airport is a breeze as Georgia offers visa free travel for 90 countries. Check your country’s specifics as tourists can stay visa free for up to a year in some cases which makes it an ideal place for remote workers and those looking for a longer term travel destination. Simply arrive at the airport, stamp your passport, and you’ve arrived! 

Leaving the airport is equally as easy. The public bus number 337 stops at the airport and takes you right downtown to Freedom Square. It costs 1 lari if you have a bus card or 1.5 if you use a credit card. It’s super convenient to just tap your credit card or phone wallet on the receiver pad in the bus. This saved us in a pinch because we couldn’t find a place to buy a transit card at the airport. Be warned that taxi drivers will tell you that you can only buy a transit card in the city center. This might be true but you can just use your credit card to pay on the bus instead. 

Getting Around Tbilisi 

While we enjoyed walking most of the city, there is a great public transportation system built by a network of buses. We could find a bus route to almost anywhere. Also the buses have their own lanes so when there is traffic, the bus is actually faster. This is a very nice feature for sure.  The buses only take their preloaded transit card or credit card, cash is not accepted. It was so easy to tap our credit cards to hop on the bus. There is an underground metro system as well but it’s not as far reaching. 

The other option is taxis. We used a ride sharing app called Bolt and it was so easy to catch a ride. Definitely recommend downloading the app before you go and connecting a credit card when you arrive in the country. We were not able to connect our card when we downloaded it because the country we were in didn’t allow Bolt. 

Where to Stay

This all depends on what you want to do. We wanted to walk everything so we chose a central spot near Rustaveli Avenue which we recommend. However, the Old Tbilisi or Vera neighborhoods are nice too. Old Tbilisi you’ll get more of the historic vibe and be close to a lot of the action. Vera you will be further away but we liked this neighborhood best for shopping and restaurants, it’s the type of neighborhood we could live in. There are many brand name hotels if that’s your style and tons of hostels if you’re trying to save money. 

Graffiti or Art? Is it a safety issue?

One of the first things we noticed was how much graffiti is EVERYWHERE! We are used to graffiti as a form of vandalism but here it seems to be an art form. It’s everywhere from the sides of government buildings to store fronts to schools. For us, it got to be a little too much. I appreciate the art form but this seemed over the top and lost its meaning quickly. 

But the graffiti here doesn’t symbolize crime or fear of safety. Crime levels are super low and we felt totally fine walking around the city. Always be aware but we never saw pickpocketers or felt in any danger. There were a few beggars but they weren’t pushy or harmful. 

There is also art everywhere. The people seem to be very creative as you’ll see murals, small paintings, art galleries, and jewelry stores. There is so much beautiful handmade jewelry with gemstones I’ve never seen before. The pieces tend to be large and chunky which is so fun. We learned that this area has a history of beautiful gemstones as found in their ancient graves of nobility and even folklore. Today the gems aren’t always real but they are keeping the tradition of jewelry making alive. 

Areas to Explore in Tbilisi 

Old Tbilisi 

Nestled between a river and sloping sides of a mountain, the old town is so fun to explore. With windy streets, some that go straight up the side of the mountain, put on your walking shoes and be ready to explore. Here are some of our favorites spots to see and experience. 

Tabor Monastery – while it’s a very small church, the reason you come up here is for the hike and views, not necessarily the Monastery. You will see priests who live here tending to the gardens and doing work on the church. The hike up the side of the mountain is worth the amazing view. Google Maps will take you on actual streets with no sidewalks which can be dangerous and is a very long route. Instead, take the local route. Start at loseb Grishashevelli street near the hammams / sulfur baths. Walk east until you see a signpost with arrows pointing to different locations. Follow the sign for Tabor Monastery, and go up that street that is straight uphill. Eventually you get to a staircase that feels like you are walking into someone’s house but keep using the staircase to the left. Past the houses, you will find a circular staircase that leads to a brand new path. Take that path to the top and you’ve made it! Be prepared to sweat on the way. 

Bath District – at the start of loseb Grishashevelli there are a bunch of hammams which are natural sulfur hot springs. You can rent a room by the hour which includes a hot bath, tea, and towel. We didn’t do it but although it’s open year round, it seems to be very popular as a winter activity for locals. Located among the baths is Restaurant Gorgasali which has a very traditional feel. Inside there are many different traditionally themed rooms. They also host nightly dance performances on top of the hammam which functions as a patio area. The food is good and very traditional. 

The Mother of Georgia statue can be seen high on the hill. It is a symbol of the Georgian National character. The creator gave her in one hand a bowl of wine to greet friends and in the other hand a sword for those who come as enemies. She sits high on a hill overlooking Old Town Tbilisi. To get up to the top to see her up close, you have two options. You can take the cable car from across the river (which we didn’t do) or you can walk up a bunch of stairs similar to the monastery. To get to the stairs, start at the Betlemi Street Stairs and walk straight up past both churches. There are many people taking this path so it’s hard to miss the top. At the top, you can get close to the statue. On the back side of the mountain, you will see the Tbilisi Botanical Garden. We didn’t have time to go but it’s massive and you can spend hours walking around the mountain side they created into a garden, complete with a Japanese Garden, Giant Sequoia, and huge waterfall. On top of the mountain very close to the Mother of Georgia is also Narikala Fortress. It is closed right now for restoration but looks very interesting as the fortress is built into the side of the mountain. There is a good view of it from the Tabor Monastery as well. 

Back in the streets of Old Tbilisi you’ll find Maiden Bazaar. It is smaller than I expected but it’s unique because it’s an old underground bazaar that runs the length of the street. It is full of both antiques and new items showing off Georgian’s culture and handmade goods. While we didn’t find goods we wanted to buy here, we recommend that you walk the streets around it for additional souvenir shops. 

We really enjoyed the cute streets around Zion Cathedral. We found some of the shops to be more authentic and have better jewelry, plus there are tons of cafes and restaurants offering outdoor patio seating. It’s adorable. Nearby you’ll find the Bridge of Peace which is a beautiful steel and glass structure. There are many bridges to cross the river but this is the most modern. Heading north, the area around the Anchiskhati Basilica and the Leaning Clock Tower are super cute too. 

If you want to step inside for a moment, check out Bazari Orbeliani which is a modern take on a food court and it’s adorable. With homemade craft goods in the center tables and fun, interesting food vendors on the perimeter, there is something for everyone here. Don’t miss the City View top deck!

We really enjoyed both Dedaena Park and April 9 Park. They are beautifully laid out and so vibrant. Have a stroll through both enjoying the large trees and beautiful flowers. While you are over here, don’t miss The Dry Bridge Market. It’s a collection of antique and second hand goods for sale. Literally vendors spread a blanket or pop up a table and sell goods they’ve gotten out of their car. Pro Tip: make sure to stop in the March 9 Park behind most sellers for the art area! If you’re in this area, we recommend Radio Cafe for a delicious meal. They sell classic Georgian dishes with an upscale vibe. We really enjoyed all the dishes we tried and recommend the Georgian appetizer sampler platter to try some delicious local appetizers. 

Just south of Freedom Square is an interesting more residential area that feels a little more grungy but super safe. It’s hipster in the best way possible. We found a few great restaurants back here like Pasanauri and Rocka both serving delicious traditional Georgian food. There are some cute shops like the Bitadze Tea Museum and Gallery27. Honestly, just plan to walk around the streets as each neighborhood has a different feel and there is something to discover around every block. 

Mtatsminda Neighborhood

This is a long, thin neighborhood that stretches parallel to Rustaveli Avenue. It’s very hilly so get ready for a lot of uphill and downhill walking. Here you’ll find the walking path to the Tbilisi TV Tower which sits at the top of the mountain. While it’s not the most riveting thing up close (it’s just an old tower), the hike to get there is worth the views. There are a few ways to get there: drive, cable car, funicular, or walk. We opted to walk and so glad we did. Start on Mama Daviti Rise and walk up to the Mtatsminda Pantheon which is a church and burial grounds for national authors, scholars and heroes. It’s a beautiful, small place to walk around. If you want to visit the church, bring a head wrap for women. Then take the staircase to the left and hike the rest of the way to the top. The whole thing took us an hour with photo stops for the views. 

At the top of the mountain is an odd theme park (Mtatsminda Park) with rides and games for kids. It was cold when we went so no one was there but maybe it’s popular in the summer? At the top is also the beautiful Funicular Restaurant. The cafe on the first floor opens at noon and serves basic sandwiches but the Restaurant on the second floor opens at 5pm with high end dining and amazing views of the city as it sits on one of the highest peaks in the area. The walk back down took us less than 30 minutes but if you want, you can take the cable car or funicular back down for a small fee. 

Rustaveli and Vera Neighborhood 

Talk about fun neighborhoods to walk through! This area is way more yuppie in the best way possible with specialized boutique stores like record stores, handmade ceramics, and authentic Georgian lemonade cafes. These two neighborhoods are so much cuter than Marjanishbili (see more on that below). We noticed way less graffiti and honestly more friendly people. With so many cafes to grab coffee or tea, read a book or relax on the cute outdoor patios, and restaurants galore, you could spend days just eating and drinking your way through these neighborhoods. 

We recommend walking up Paliashvili Street for the little shops and cafes until you hit Vake Park and then walk back on Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue to see the bigger stores. It’s a fun afternoon walk for sure! We also noticed a lot more expats in the area and many international schools out this way. It’s a fun blend of cultures here while keeping the Georgian charm. 

Marjanishbili Neighborhood 

We had really high hopes for this neighborhood because it has a few of our favorite things: markets and an art scene. Unfortunately we were really disappointed. The art of this side of town is all just graffiti with spray paint. There weren’t any large murals. Spray paint can be a beautiful medium but this neighborhood took it too far covering up legitimate business shop signs and destroying property. It’s quite sad. 

Also the area has a lot of “vintage shops” which again has promise but turned out to be old clothes stuffed in small underground shops with no order to them. Think piles of clothes, not organized and not worth going through. The area around Fabrika Tbilisi was the worst. Fabrika Tbilisi was an old Soviet factory that had been converted into a coworking space, cafes, hostel, and art creative park. This too was slightly disappointing to us. It’s worth walking through so you can compare it to other neighborhoods though. One bright spot is that our favorite restaurant, Ninia’s Garden, is here. It’s high end but the whole meal with appetizers, two meals, and drinks was under $50 USD. Definitely recommend stopping in for lunch as dinner needs reservations. 

Chronicles of Georgia 

This monument situated farther from town is fascinating because there is so much mystery around it. It’s rumored that it was supposed to be a pro Soviet monument when built in the 1980s but the artist switched to telling the history of Georgia and telling many Biblical stories. Unfortunately there is no map or legend to explain each panel so it’s hard to tell who each figure is supposed to be. Some are obvious like Jesus on the cross but others could be a few different people. Apparently it was never finished by the original artist. We heard the scaffolding has been recently taken down thanks to other artists finishing it. 

One interesting thing we learned is that locals don’t go here. They aren’t really sure why visitors do either. This makes it still free to enter. But make sure you have 1 lari in cash to use the bathroom if you need! 

Getting here: you can take the bus for cheap but it will take you over an hour from downtown. It sits high in a hill so depending on which bus you take, you’ll have to walk uphill quite a distance. The fastest way to get here is a taxi or Bolt (ride hailing app). We did this and it’s super easy and relatively cheap (16 lari). The driver dropped us off at the main entrance so we didn’t have to walk far. 

In Conclusion

We LOVED Tbilisi. It’s such a fun city to walk and wander around. There are so many cafes and shops to visit. The streets are fun to explore and there is so much to do. We spent 5 days and felt like we saw a lot! You could spend more time exploring just the city or even venture out to the other destinations around Georgia. Let us know what you think of the capital of Georgia!