Things to Do in Tbilisi

About Tbilisi

Tbilisi announces itself by scent. The first breath you take outside the airport isn't of exhaust or city smog, but the faint, eggy tang of sulphur from the hot springs that have been bubbling up through the volcanic rock here since the 5th century. This is a city built on geology, not just history. You'll see it in the lopsided balconies of the Art Nouveau houses in Sololaki, leaning over the cobbles like tipsy party guests, and in the brutalist, futuristic swoop of the Chronicle of Georgia monument, a 35-meter-tall Soviet-era Stonehenge rising from a hilltop on the city's edge. The real magic, though, happens in the spaces between. It’s in the 3 GEL (about $1.10) churchkhela — a walnut-studded candy of thickened grape juice — you buy from a vendor on Meidan Square, and the 15 GEL (around $5.50) glass of amber-colored Kisi wine you sip in a sunken, brick-vaulted wine bar in the shadow of the Narikala Fortress. The catch: the infrastructure can be chaotic. The metro is cheap and efficient, but the sidewalks are famously treacherous, a patchwork of missing tiles and sudden drops. It’s a city that demands you watch your feet, but rewards you every time you look up. Come for the 1,500-year-old fortress walls, but stay for the 3 a.m. supra (feast) where the toasts last longer than some countries have been independent.

Travel Tips

Transportation: The metro is your best friend — clean, fast, and costing just 1 GEL (about $0.36) per ride regardless of distance. Buy a Metromoney card at any station kiosk (2 GEL / $0.73 card fee) and top it up. Avoid hailing cabs on the street; they’ll see a foreigner and triple the price. Instead, download Bolt (the local Uber) before you land; a 15-minute ride across the city center rarely exceeds 8-10 GEL ($3-$3.65). For getting to and from the airport, the airport bus #337 runs 24/7 from both terminals to the city center for 1 GEL, but it’s slow. A Bolt taxi will run you about 25-30 GEL ($9-$11), which might actually save you money in time and frustration.

Money: Georgia runs on cash, specifically the Georgian Lari (GEL). While cards are accepted in most restaurants and hotels, the best food markets, taxi drivers, and family-run guesthouses still operate on physical money. ATMs are everywhere, but they tend to dispense large bills (like 50 or 100 GEL notes). Break them immediately at a supermarket — a street vendor selling 2 GEL khinkali (dumplings) won’t have change. A good rule of thumb: a lavish feast with endless wine at a traditional restaurant might set you back 50 GEL per person ($18), while a filling lunch of khachapuri (cheese-filled bread) and a beer at a local bakery is closer to 12 GEL ($4.40). Tipping isn’t deeply ingrained, but rounding up the bill or leaving 5-10% in nicer restaurants is becoming more common.

Cultural Respect: Georgia is a deeply, proudly Orthodox Christian nation. When visiting churches like Sioni Cathedral or the stunningly located Jvari Monastery outside Mtskheta, dress modestly: cover your shoulders and knees. Women are expected to cover their hair with a scarf (often provided at the entrance). Inside, you’ll see locals lighting candles, kissing icons, and crossing themselves — move quietly and don’t use flash photography. At the dinner table, be prepared for the tamada, or toastmaster. The supra (feast) is a sacred ritual here. When the tamada makes a long, poetic toast (usually about family, God, or the motherland), wait until they’ve finished, drink your wine in one go, and never toast with beer — it’s considered deeply insulting.

Food Safety: You can eat adventurously here with minimal risk. The rule is simple: eat where the Georgians are eating. The best khinkali aren’t in a spotless tourist restaurant on Rustaveli Avenue, but in the steamy, basement-level canteens like Pasanauri, where the dumplings are pinched shut by hand and cost about 0.80 GEL ($0.29) each. Salads are typically washed with bottled water, so dig in. The one potential pitfall is the tap water — it’s generally safe to drink in Tbilisi, but the mineral content can be harsh on unfamiliar stomachs. Stick to bottled or filtered water for the first few days. For a truly local experience, follow your nose to the Deserter’s Bazaar, where you can sample churchkhela, fresh tonis puri (bread baked in a circular clay oven), and a dozen varieties of sulguni cheese from the farmers themselves.

When to Visit

The sweet spot is late April through June. Daytime temperatures hover around a perfect 20-25°C (68-77°F), the hills around the city are shockingly green, and the tourist crowds haven’t yet hit their July-August peak. Hotel prices tend to be reasonable, maybe 10-15% lower than high summer. By July and August, Tbilisi bakes. Temperatures regularly hit 32-35°C (90-95°F), and the heat gets trapped in the Old Town’s narrow streets. This is when locals escape to the mountains, and hotel prices in the city actually dip a bit — but you’re trading comfort for value. September and October are a close second best; the heat breaks, the vineyards turn gold and red, and the harvest festivals begin. A wine-tasting tour in Kakheti that costs 80 GEL ($29) in summer might be packed with more seasonal experiences (and actual grape-stomping) in October. Winter (December-February) is cold, often hovering around 0-5°C (32-41°F), and can be grey, but it’s magical if you catch a dusting of snow on the Old Town roofs. New Year’s is a massive, week-long celebration here, so book months ahead. March is the gamble — it can be pleasantly spring-like or stubbornly wet and chilly. Whenever you come, pack layers; the weather in the Caucasus has a mind of its own.