Tbilisi
3
Day Itinerary •
Georgia
Three days in Tbilisi and its surrounds takes you through one of the most extraordinary capital cities in the Caucasus, a layered city of Georgian, Persian, Ottoman and Soviet architecture in the gorge of the Kura river, and the remarkable landscapes within an hour of its centre including the ancient cave city of Uplistsikhe and the extraordinary medieval cathedrals of Mtskheta, the first capital of Georgia. This route takes in the Tbilisi old town with its extraordinary carved wooden balconies, the Narikala fortress above the sulphur baths, the Metekhi church on the cliff above the Kura, the cable car to the Kartlis Deda monument, the UNESCO ancient town of Mtskheta with the finest medieval cathedral in the Caucasus and a day at the extraordinary troglodyte cave city of Uplistsikhe.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to November
Getting There
Fly into Tbilisi (TBS), 20 min from city centre
Getting Around
Old town walkable; taxi or metro for day trips
Budget Per Day
Approx 40 to 80 USD per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, mostly walking
DAY 1
TBILISI OLD TOWN
MORNING
TBILISI OLD TOWN, THE EXTRAORDINARY LAYERED CITY
Tbilisi old town is one of the most extraordinary capital city districts in the Caucasus, its layers of Georgian, Persian, Ottoman, Russian imperial and Soviet architecture compressed into the gorge of the Kura river. The extraordinary carved wooden balconies of the Abanotubani sulphur bath district, the Metekhi Church on its cliff above the river, the Armenian Surb Gevorg church and the Georgian Sioni Cathedral are all within a short walk of each other. The Narikala fortress above gives the finest panorama. Drive: 15 min walk
MIDDAY
NARIKALA FORTRESS AND THE CABLE CAR
The Narikala fortress above Tbilisi old town dates from the 4th century and the climb through the fortress walls gives extraordinary views over the old town, the Kura gorge and the distinctive dome of the new presidential palace beyond. The Kartlis Deda, Mother of Georgia, aluminium statue at the fortress summit symbolises Georgian hospitality and defence. The cable car from Rike Park crosses the Kura to the fortress in 3 minutes. Cable car 2.5 GEL each way. Drive: 20 min walk down
AFTERNOON
ABANOTUBANI SULPHUR BATHS AND EVENING OLD TOWN
The Abanotubani sulphur bath district below the Narikala fortress is the finest traditional bath quarter in the Caucasus, its extraordinary domed rooftops concealing the hot sulphur springs that have given Tbilisi its name since the 5th century. A private bath room costs 10 to 15 USD per hour. The evening old town fills with restaurants, wine bars and music. The extraordinary Fabrika creative hub in a converted Soviet factory is the finest evening destination.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Tbilisi Botanical Garden below the Narikala fortress contains an extraordinary waterfall hidden in a gorge, a 26-metre cascade fed by the Tsavkisis Tskali river that almost no tourists find despite being a 15-minute walk from the sulphur baths. Entry to the garden approx 1 GEL. The waterfall is extraordinary.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Tbilisi old town Georgian coffee and fresh bread at a cafe on the old town lanes. Costs almost nothing. | Lunch: Shavi Lomi, Tbilisi The finest modern Georgian restaurant in the old town. Local ingredients, natural wine. | Dinner: Barbarestan, Tbilisi Outstanding traditional Georgian cooking based on a 19th-century cookbook. Book ahead.
DAY 2
MTSKHETA
MORNING
MTSKHETA, THE FIRST CAPITAL AND SPIRITUAL HEART OF GEORGIA
Mtskheta is the most important city in Georgia, the ancient capital and the site of Georgia's conversion to Christianity in 337 AD. The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, built in the 11th century and the largest medieval building in Georgia, is the finest cathedral in the Caucasus and contains the coat of Christ among the most sacred relics in Georgian Orthodoxy. The extraordinary stone carving on the cathedral exterior is among the finest medieval sculpture in the region. UNESCO listed. Entry free. Drive: 30 min drive up hill
MIDDAY
JVARI MONASTERY, THE VIEW THAT DEFINES GEORGIA
The Jvari monastery on the cliff above Mtskheta gives the finest view in Georgia, looking down over the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers with the entire Mtskheta valley below and the Caucasus mountains beyond. Built in the 6th century, Jvari is one of the earliest surviving Georgian churches and the prototype for the Georgian cross-in-square architectural tradition that spread across the Caucasus. The view was described by Lermontov in one of the finest passages in Russian literature. Entry free. Drive: 30 min drive back to Tbilisi
AFTERNOON
TBILISI WINE TASTING AND THE OLD TOWN EVENING
The Tbilisi natural wine scene is the finest in the Caucasus, with dozens of extraordinary wine bars in the old town serving Georgian natural wines made in qvevri clay jars. The amber wines of Kakheti and the dark Saperavi reds are extraordinary and cost a fraction of equivalent quality wines elsewhere. The evening old town is the finest time to experience Tbilisi, the carved wooden balconies lit from inside and the extraordinary mix of cultures on every street.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Shiomgvime monastery complex carved into the cliff 10km from Mtskheta is one of the finest early Christian monasteries in Georgia, a 6th-century cave monastery with remarkable churches cut directly into the limestone. Almost no tourists visit. The drive through the extraordinary Tedzami gorge is extraordinary. Entry free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Guesthouse in Tbilisi Breakfast before the Mtskheta drive. The Georgian breakfast of cheese, eggs and bread is extraordinary. | Lunch: Restaurant in Mtskheta Local Georgian food with the Jvari view. Fresh churchkhela walnut candy from the market. | Dinner: Wine bar, Tbilisi old town Natural Georgian wine tasting with cheese and charcuterie in the extraordinary old town lanes.
DAY 3
UPLISTSIKHE AND GORI
MORNING
UPLISTSIKHE, THE ANCIENT CAVE CITY OF THE KURA GORGE
Uplistsikhe is the most extraordinary archaeological site in the Tbilisi region, an ancient cave city carved into the volcanic rock above the Kura river from the 1st millennium BC and continuously inhabited until the 13th century. The extraordinary complex of carved halls, streets, wine cellars, a theatre, a pharmacy and multiple temples represents 3,000 years of continuous habitation in the Caucasus. The view from the top of the cave city over the Kura valley is extraordinary. Entry approx 7 GEL. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
GORI, STALIN'S BIRTHPLACE
Gori 30 minutes from Uplistsikhe is the birthplace of Josef Stalin, the Soviet leader who shaped the 20th century. The extraordinary Stalin Museum in the city centre is the finest museum dedicated to Stalin anywhere in the world, a Soviet-era monument that has survived unchanged and contains the dictator's personal railway carriage, his childhood home and an extraordinary collection of Soviet propaganda. The museum is extraordinary and surreal in equal measure. Entry approx 15 GEL. Drive: 1.5 hour drive back
AFTERNOON
RETURN TO TBILISI AND FINAL EVENING
The drive back to Tbilisi from Gori takes 1.5 hours. The final afternoon in Tbilisi is best spent in the extraordinary Rustaveli Avenue, the finest boulevard in the Caucasus, lined with Georgian national institutions including the Opera House, the National Museum and the Parliament. The evening in the Marjanishvili district has the finest street food and wine bars in the city at extraordinary value before the flight home.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Ateni Sioni church in the Ateni gorge south of Gori is one of the finest 7th-century Georgian churches in existence, its extraordinary carved exterior and remarkable interior frescoes in near-perfect condition. The drive through the Ateni gorge is extraordinary. Almost no foreign tourists visit. Entry free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Tbilisi Final Georgian breakfast before the Uplistsikhe drive. Pack water for the cave city. | Lunch: Restaurant in Gori Local Georgian food in Stalin's home city. Khinkali dumplings and local Saperavi. | Dinner: Marjanishvili, Tbilisi The finest street food area in Tbilisi. Extraordinary khinkali, khachapuri and Georgian wine.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Tbilisi Old Town, all nights Fabrika hostel area or boutique hotels. Approx 30 to 80 USD per night. Mid-range option Hotel Betsy or similar near the old town. Approx 50 to 120 USD per night. Budget option Guesthouses in the old town from approx 15 USD. Tbilisi is very affordable.
Top Tips
1. Georgian wine is the oldest in the world, made in clay qvevri jars buried underground for 8,000 years. Order Rkatsiteli or Saperavi everywhere and it will cost almost nothing.
2. Tbilisi's sulphur baths in Abanotubani are the finest in the Caucasus. A private room costs 10 to 15 USD per hour and the sulphur water is extraordinary.
3. The Fabrika creative hub is the finest place to experience modern Tbilisi, a converted Soviet sewing factory with outdoor bars, galleries and music. Free to enter.
4. Mtskheta is Georgia's spiritual capital and the scene of the country's conversion to Christianity in 337 AD. The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is the finest in the Caucasus.
5. Georgian food is extraordinary. Khinkali dumplings, khachapuri cheese bread and churchkhela walnut candy are all remarkable and very cheap.
6. The Tbilisi cable car to the Narikala fortress gives the finest view over the old town. Runs daily, costs 2.5 GEL each way and the view is extraordinary.
Total Budget
40 to 80 USD/day