Roavina

Country guide

Georgia

A photograph of Georgia
Photograph · Alexander Roumega · CC0

Georgia holds 3.9 million people and more than a third of them live in Tbilisi, so most visits begin in the capital and radiate out. The country sits on the east coast of the Black Sea, with Russia along the north, Turkey and Armenia to the south and Azerbaijan to the southeast, and the ground rises from beach to mountain village inside a single drive. Two things meet a first-time visitor immediately: Georgian, a Kartvelian language with no relation to any other language family in the world and its own alphabet to match, and wine, since the earliest known winemaking sites anywhere are here. Christianity arrived in the early fourth century, and the churches are correspondingly old.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Georgian
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+995
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Georgian lari (GEL)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C and F · 220 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor drinking-water statement was recorded

Planning a visit

  1. January: no seasonality data recorded
  2. February: no seasonality data recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: seasonal closure recorded
  9. September: seasonal closure recorded — this month
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Old Tbilisi Old Tbilisi
    02 2 hours

    Old Tbilisi

    ძველი თბილისი

    Old Tbilisi is the historic core of Georgia's capital, known in Georgian as ძველი თბილისი.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Tbilisi
  2. Abanotubani Abanotubani
    03 45 min

    Abanotubani

    აბანოთუბანი

    Abanotubani is the historic sulfur-bath district in Old Tbilisi, Georgia. Its distinctive brick domes rise from the banks of the Mtkvari River, marking the natural hot springs that have defined this location for centuries.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  3. Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi
    04 30 min

    Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi

    წმინდა სამების საკათედრო ტაძარი

    The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, known locally as Sameba, stands as the principal modern Orthodox cathedral of Georgia's capital. Its golden dome dominates the Tbilisi skyline, visible from numerous vantage points across the city.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Tbilisi
  4. Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia
    05 1 hr 30 min

    Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia

    სიმონ ჯანაშიას სახელობის საქართველოს მუზეუმი

    The Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia is the principal building of the Georgian National Museum network, located on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi. It houses the country's archaeological treasury alongside modern history collections.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  5. ქართლის დედა ქართლის დედა
    06 1 hour

    ქართლის დედა

    Mother of Georgia, known locally as Kartlis Deda, is a monumental aluminium statue standing on Sololaki Hill overlooking Tbilisi.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Tbilisi
  6. National Botanical Garden of Georgia National Botanical Garden of Georgia
    07 45 min

    National Botanical Garden of Georgia

    ეროვნული ბოტანიკური ბაღი

    National Botanical Garden of Georgia occupies a deep gorge behind Narikala Fortress in central Tbilisi. The garden follows the Tsavkisistskali River valley, combining steep terrain, historic paths, cultivated botanical collections, and more naturalistic vegetation.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  7. Metekhi church Metekhi church
    08 30 min

    Metekhi church

    მეტეხის ეკლესია

    Metekhi Church stands on a rocky cliff above the Mtkvari River in central Tbilisi, giving the city one of its most recognisable historic views.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Tbilisi
  8. Bridge of Peace Bridge of Peace
    09 2 hours

    Bridge of Peace

    მშვიდობის ხიდი

    The Bridge of Peace is an illuminated glass-and-steel footbridge spanning the Kura River in central Tbilisi. Designed by Italian architect Michele De Lucchi, it opened as a contemporary landmark connecting the historic old town with the modern Rike Park district.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Tbilisi
  9. Mtatsminda Park Mtatsminda Park
    10 2 hours

    Mtatsminda Park

    მთაწმინდის პარკი

    Mtatsminda Park is a hilltop amusement park on Mount Mtatsminda above Tbilisi. It combines family recreation with wide views across the Georgian capital, making the journey and the destination part of one outing.

    • Must see
    • Entertainment venue
    • Tbilisi
  10. Sioni Cathedral Sioni Cathedral
    11 45 min

    Sioni Cathedral

    სიონის ღვთისმშობლის მიძინების ტაძარი

    Sioni Cathedral, dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God, is a historic Georgian Orthodox cathedral in Tbilisi's Old Town. It remains a working place of worship, so its importance is both architectural and spiritual.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  11. Dry Bridge Market Dry Bridge Market
    12 45 min

    Dry Bridge Market

    მშრალი ხიდის ბაზრობა

    The Dry Bridge Market is Tbilisi's principal open-air antiques and flea market, known locally as მშრალი ხიდის ბაზრობა.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Tbilisi
  12. Anchiskhati Basilica Anchiskhati Basilica
    13 30 min

    Anchiskhati Basilica

    ანჩისხატის ღვთისმშობლის ტაძრადმიყვანების ეკლესია

    Anchiskhati Basilica is a sixth-century Georgian Orthodox church on Shavteli Street in Tbilisi's Old Town. It is widely identified as the city's oldest surviving church and remains an active place of worship.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Tbilisi
  13. Freedom Square Freedom Square
    14 45 min

    Freedom Square

    თავისუფლების მოედანი

    Freedom Square, or Tavisuplebis Moedani, is Tbilisi's principal civic square and a central meeting point between Rustaveli Avenue, Sololaki and the Old Town. A Saint George monument rises at the centre, while traffic circles the open plaza.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  14. Rustaveli Avenue Rustaveli Avenue
    15 2 hours

    Rustaveli Avenue

    შოთა რუსთაველის გამზირი

    Rustaveli Avenue is Tbilisi's principal ceremonial boulevard, named after the medieval Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli. The avenue functions as the city's political and cultural spine, extending from Freedom Square toward the Rustaveli Metro station.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Tbilisi
  15. State Marionette Theatre Rezo Gabriadze State Marionette Theatre Rezo Gabriadze
    16 1 hour

    State Marionette Theatre Rezo Gabriadze

    რეზო გაბრიაძის მარიონეტების თეატრი

    The Rezo Gabriadze Marionette Theater and Clock Tower is a cultural landmark in Tbilisi's Old Town, created by Georgian artist, writer, and director Rezo Gabriadze.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Tbilisi
  16. National Gallery of Georgia National Gallery of Georgia
    17 1 hr 30 min

    National Gallery of Georgia

    ცისფერი გალერეა

    The Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery is a major art museum on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi. It operates within the Georgian National Museum system and carries the name of Dimitri Shevardnadze, an important figure in Georgian cultural history.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  17. Art Museum of Georgia Art Museum of Georgia
    18 1 hr 30 min

    Art Museum of Georgia

    შალვა ამირანაშვილის სახელობის საქართველოს ხელოვნების სახელმწიფო მუზეუმი

    The Art Museum of Georgia, also known as the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts, is one of Tbilisi's principal institutions for Georgian artistic heritage.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  18. თბილისის ფუნიკულიორი თბილისის ფუნიკულიორი
    19 2 hours

    თბილისის ფუნიკულიორი

    The Tbilisi Funicular is a historic cable railway ascending from Chonkadze Street in the city centre to Mtatsminda Plateau, a recreational area overlooking Georgia's capital.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Tbilisi
  19. Open Air Museum of Ethnography Open Air Museum of Ethnography
    20 1 hr 30 min

    Open Air Museum of Ethnography

    სახელმწიფო ეთნოგრაფიული მუზეუმი

    The Open Air Museum of Ethnography, named after Giorgi Chitaia, presents Georgian vernacular architecture and rural lifeways on a hillside in Tbilisi. Historic buildings relocated from different regions of Georgia show how local materials, climate and traditions shaped domestic spaces.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  20. Chronicle of Georgia Chronicle of Georgia
    21 45 min

    Chronicle of Georgia

    საქართველოს მატიანე

    The Chronicle of Georgia is a monumental sculptural ensemble by Zurab Tsereteli on an elevated hillside above the Tbilisi Sea reservoir.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  21. Tbilisi History Museum Tbilisi History Museum
    22 1 hr 30 min

    Tbilisi History Museum

    თბილისის ისტორიულ-ეთნოგრაფიული მუზეუმი

    Tbilisi History Museum occupies a restored caravanserai, the kind of roadside inn that once served merchants and travellers.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  22. Museum of Soviet Occupation Museum of Soviet Occupation
    23 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Soviet Occupation

    საბჭოთა ოკუპაციის მუზეუმი

    The Museum of Soviet Occupation is a focused exhibition inside the Museum of Georgia in central Tbilisi. It examines Georgia's experience under Soviet rule, including political repression, resistance, and the restoration of independence.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  23. Rike Park Rike Park
    24 1 hour

    Rike Park

    რიყის პარკი

    Rike Park is a central riverfront public space beside the Mtkvari River in Tbilisi.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tbilisi
  24. Leghvtakhevi Waterfall Leghvtakhevi Waterfall
    25 1 hour

    Leghvtakhevi Waterfall

    ლეღვთახევის ჩანჩქერი

    Leghvtakhevi Gorge and Waterfall is a compact natural landmark in Tbilisi’s historic Abanotubani district. The gorge takes its name from Georgian words connected with figs and ravines, recalling vegetation associated with the area.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tbilisi
  25. Gorgasali Square Gorgasali Square
    26 45 min

    Gorgasali Square

    ვახტანგ გორგასლის მოედანი

    Gorgasali Square, also called Vakhtang Gorgasali Square and Meidan, is a historic public square in Tbilisi’s old town. It works as a central meeting point where several important parts of the historic core come together.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  26. Orbeliani Square Orbeliani Square
    27 45 min

    Orbeliani Square

    ორბელიანის მოედანი

    Orbeliani Square, known in Georgian as ორბელიანის მოედანი, is a rehabilitated public square at the northern edge of Tbilisi’s historic centre. It belongs to the flower-market quarter and links nineteenth-century façades with pedestrian lanes.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  27. Queen Darejan's palace Queen Darejan's palace
    28 45 min

    Queen Darejan's palace

    დარეჯანის სასახლე

    Queen Darejan Palace is a surviving royal residence on elevated ground above Tbilisi’s Avlabari district.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  28. Juma Mosque Juma Mosque
    29 45 min

    Juma Mosque

    ჯუმა მეჩეთი

    Juma Mosque is Tbilisi’s sole surviving mosque and an active place of worship in the old town. The mosque stands beside the bath district and the botanical-garden gorge, placing Islamic religious heritage within a predominantly Orthodox Christian city.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  29. Kashveti Church Kashveti Church
    30 45 min

    Kashveti Church

    ქაშვეთის წმინდა გიორგის სახელობის ტაძარი

    Kashveti Church is a stone church dedicated to Saint George on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi. The church stands directly opposite the Parliament of Georgia, making it one of the clearest landmarks on the capital’s main thoroughfare.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  30. Georgia State Silk Museum Georgia State Silk Museum
    31 1 hr 30 min

    Georgia State Silk Museum

    აბრეშუმის სახელმწიფო მუზეუმი

    State Silk Museum occupies a purpose-built institution in Tbilisi that formerly served as the Caucasian Sericulture Station. The museum connects the history of silk with science, industry, textiles, and architecture.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  31. Georgian Museum of Fine Arts Georgian Museum of Fine Arts
    32 1 hr 30 min

    Georgian Museum of Fine Arts

    ქართული სახვითი ხელოვნების მუზეუმი

    The Georgian Museum of Fine Arts is a private museum located on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi. Its local name is საქართველოს სახვითი ხელოვნების მუზეუმი.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  32. Giorgi Leonidze State Museum of Literature Giorgi Leonidze State Museum of Literature
    33 1 hr 30 min

    Giorgi Leonidze State Museum of Literature

    გიორგი ლეონიძის სახელობის ქართული ლიტერატურის სახელმწიფო მუზეუმი

    The Giorgi Leonidze State Museum of Georgian Literature is Georgia's national museum dedicated to preserving and presenting the country's literary heritage.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  33. David Baazov Museum of History of Jews of Georgia David Baazov Museum of History of Jews of Georgia
    34 1 hr 30 min

    David Baazov Museum of History of Jews of Georgia

    ქართულ-ებრაული მუზეუმი

    The David Baazov Museum of History of Jews of Georgia occupies a former domed synagogue in Tbilisi.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  34. Tbilisi Wine Museum Tbilisi Wine Museum
    35 1 hr 30 min

    Tbilisi Wine Museum

    თბილისის ღვინის მუზეუმი

    Tbilisi Wine Museum sits in the historic Karvasla complex and introduces visitors to Georgia's long wine tradition.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  35. Elene Akhvlediani House Museum, Tbilisi Elene Akhvlediani House Museum, Tbilisi
    36 1 hr 30 min

    Elene Akhvlediani House Museum, Tbilisi

    ელენე ახვლედიანის სახლ-მუსეუმი

    Elene Akhvlediani House Museum preserves the Tbilisi residence and studio of one of Georgia's leading twentieth-century painters. The house creates an intimate setting in which the artist's work, rooms, belongings, and creative life can be considered together.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  36. Iakob Nikoladze Museum
    37 1 hr 30 min

    Iakob Nikoladze Museum

    იაკობ ნიკოლაძის სახლ-მუზეუმი

    Iakob Nikoladze House Museum preserves the former home and studio of Iakob Nikoladze, recognised as the founder of modern Georgian sculpture. The museum connects his sculptural work with the rooms where he lived and created.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  37. Mose Toidze House-Museum
    38 1 hr 30 min

    Mose Toidze House-Museum

    მოსე თოიძის სახლ-მუზეუმი

    Mose Toidze House Museum is a memorial house museum in Tbilisi dedicated to the Georgian artist Mose Toidze. It occupies his former residence, preserving the atmosphere of the place where he lived and worked.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  38. Zurab Tsereteli Museum Of Modern Art Zurab Tsereteli Museum Of Modern Art
    39 1 hr 30 min

    Zurab Tsereteli Museum Of Modern Art

    ზურაბ წერეთლის თანამედროვე ხელოვნების მუზეუმი

    The Zurab Tsereteli Museum of Modern Art, known locally as ზურაბ წერეთლის თანამედროვე ხელოვნების მუზეუმი, is a museum on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  39. Tbilisi Auto Museum
    40 1 hr 30 min

    Tbilisi Auto Museum

    თბილისის ავტომუზეუმი

    Tbilisi AutoMuseum is a private museum devoted to restored Soviet-era vehicles. It gives the city’s cultural landscape an automotive and industrial dimension, with cars serving as objects of design, engineering, and twentieth-century social history.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  40. Literary-Memorial Museum of Ilia Chavchavadze Literary-Memorial Museum of Ilia Chavchavadze
    41 1 hr 30 min

    Literary-Memorial Museum of Ilia Chavchavadze

    ილია ჭავჭავაძის ლიტერატურულ-მემორიალური მუზეუმი

    Ilia Chavchavadze Literary-Memorial Museum preserves the Tbilisi home and memory of Ilia Chavchavadze, a major Georgian writer, journalist, banker and statesman. The visit brings literary history and national identity together in a domestic setting.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Tbilisi
  41. Tbilisi Zoo Tbilisi Zoo
    42 1 hr 30 min

    Tbilisi Zoo

    თბილისის ზოოპარკი

    Tbilisi Zoo is a long-established zoological park in the Vere valley and a major family attraction in Georgia's capital. The zoo brings wildlife encounters into an urban landscape and forms part of the city's recreational life.

    • Must see
    • Family attraction
    • Tbilisi
  42. Turtle Lake Turtle Lake
    43 1 hour

    Turtle Lake

    კუს ტბა

    Turtle Lake, or Kus Tba, is a lakeside recreation spot on the wooded hillside above Tbilisi’s Vake district. Its appeal is immediate: water, trees, open air and a break from the city’s dense streets.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tbilisi
  43. Lisi Lake Lisi Lake
    44 1 hour

    Lisi Lake

    ლისის ტბა

    Lisi Lake is a recreational lake on the western edge of Tbilisi. Known in Georgian as ლისის ტბა, it gives the capital an open landscape of water, trails and broad outdoor space away from the dense historic core.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tbilisi
  44. Vake Park Vake Park
    45 1 hour

    Vake Park

    ვაკის პარკი

    Vake Park is a large terraced green space on the hillside in western Tbilisi.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tbilisi
  45. Mziuri Park Mziuri Park
    46 1 hour

    Mziuri Park

    მზიურის პარკი

    Mziuri Park is a restored public park in Tbilisi’s Vere valley, designed around family recreation and outdoor time. It combines a natural valley setting with walking paths, children’s play spaces and areas for cultural activity.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tbilisi
  46. Dedaena Park Dedaena Park
    47 1 hour

    Dedaena Park

    დედაენის ბაღი

    Dedaena Park is a riverside public park in central Tbilisi, beside the Mtkvari and close to the Dry Bridge area. Its name refers to the Georgian-language memorial within the grounds.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tbilisi
  47. Vera Park Vera Park
    48 1 hour

    Vera Park

    ვერის ბაღი

    Vera Park is a neighbourhood green space in central Tbilisi's Vera district. Its appeal comes from everyday local use and from the late-Soviet architecture of the Chess Palace and Alpine Club buildings.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tbilisi
  48. Tbilisi National Park Tbilisi National Park
    49 1 hour

    Tbilisi National Park

    თბილისის ეროვნული პარკი

    Tbilisi National Park is Georgia’s first national park, on forested mountain ridges immediately north of Tbilisi. It is the capital’s nearest large protected natural area and makes a strong contrast with the city’s dense streets, courtyards, and traffic.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tbilisi
  49. Bassiani Bassiani
    50 2 hours

    Bassiani

    ბასიანი

    Bassiani is an internationally known electronic-music nightclub beneath Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi.

    • Must see
    • Nightlife venue
    • Tbilisi
  50. Bank of Georgia headquarters Bank of Georgia headquarters
    51 45 min

    Bank of Georgia headquarters

    საქართველოს ბანკის სათავო ოფისი

    Bank of Georgia Headquarters is one of Tbilisi’s most striking late-Soviet modernist landmarks.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  51. Tbilisi Circus Tbilisi Circus
    52 1 hour

    Tbilisi Circus

    თბილისის ცირკი

    Tbilisi Circus is a distinctive circular hilltop building overlooking Heroes Square. It is both a Soviet-era architectural landmark and a performance venue for traditional circus entertainment.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Tbilisi
  52. Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin, Tbilisi Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin, Tbilisi
    53 30 min

    Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin, Tbilisi

    ყოვლადწმიდა მარიამის ზეცად აღყვანების კათოლიკური საკათედრო ტაძარი

    The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin is Tbilisi’s Catholic cathedral in the historic centre. Its Georgian name is ღვთისმშობლის ამაღლების კათოლიკური კათედრალი.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Tbilisi
  53. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
    54 45 min

    Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

    სვეტიცხოვლის საკათდრო ტაძარი

    Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is a Georgian Orthodox cathedral located in Mtskheta, the ancient capital near Tbilisi. Its local name is სვეტიცხოვლის საკათედრო ტაძარი.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Tbilisi
  54. Jvari Jvari
    55 30 min

    Jvari

    ჯვრის მონასტერი

    Jvari Monastery is a sixth-century hilltop church above Mtskheta, overlooking the meeting point of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers. Its Georgian name is ჯვრის მონასტერი.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Tbilisi

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Georgia be?

Seven to ten days supports Tbilisi plus Kakheti, Kazbegi or a western city without racing across the country. Combining Svaneti, the Black Sea and the capital needs additional nights because mountain and cross-country transfers consume substantial portions of a day.

What entry documents are needed for Georgia?

Georgia’s official eVisa service explains whether advance permission applies to a particular passport. Confirm the permitted stay, entry route and documentation there, and consult current government guidance before any overland crossing rather than assuming every neighbouring border operates normally.

What is the best way to travel around Georgia?

Tbilisi and Kutaisi are useful air gateways; trains serve a limited set of major corridors, and marshrutkas or hired vehicles reach many regional towns. Mountain itineraries need weather and road checks, while Tbilisi’s metro and buses handle most urban movements.

When is a practical time to visit Georgia?

May to June and September to October are versatile for cities, wine regions and lower mountain routes. High passes may open later or close earlier, and Batumi has a wetter pattern, so one national forecast cannot settle dates for a multi-region journey.

What money and payment basics apply in Georgia?

Georgia uses the lari. Cards are common in Tbilisi, yet guesthouses, markets and mountain transport can still depend on cash; withdraw or exchange through recognised providers and confirm whether an quoted tour price includes regional transfers.

What practical safety details should I save for Georgia?

The emergency number is 112, with Type C and F sockets at 220 V. Tap-water guidance is Not recorded in this dataset; seek local confirmation, and keep official road or emergency alerts available when travelling into mountain districts.