Roavina

City guide · Georgia

Tbilisi

A photograph of Tbilisi
Photograph · Alexey Komarov · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tbilisi spreads along the Mtkvari River, with Old Tbilisi, the sulfur baths and Narikala concentrated around the historic core. Rustaveli Avenue forms the main museum and theatre axis, while the left bank adds Marjanishvili and riverside districts. The city rises sharply on both sides of the river, so plan adjacent sights together and use public transport for hilltop or outer-city stops.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

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

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Tbilisi

Planning a visit

Suggested stay
Not recorded
Getting around
Walk, metro, bus and cable transport
  1. January: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  2. February: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  3. March: good time to visit
  4. April: good time to visit
  5. May: best time to visit
  6. June: best time to visit
  7. July: good time to visit
  8. August: good time to visit
  9. September: best time to visit — current month
  10. October: good time to visit
  11. November: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  12. December: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  • Best time
  • Good time
  • Viable with trade-offs
  • Difficult conditions

Sources

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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

Old Tbilisi occupies the compact area below Narikala, including Abanotubani, Metekhi and streets near Freedom Square. Rustaveli Avenue runs northwest through the modern centre. Across the river, Aghmashenebeli Avenue and Marjanishvili create a second walkable cluster. Mtatsminda, the Chronicle of Georgia and the open-air ethnography museum require separate uphill journeys rather than being folded into an old-town walk.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Walk within Old Tbilisi and the Rustaveli corridor, then use metro, bus or cable transport for longer links and steep approaches. The official Georgia Travel guide identifies Old Tbilisi as a compact two-square-kilometre core, but the wider visitor map extends well beyond it. Group river crossings and hillside attractions carefully because short map distances can conceal substantial elevation changes.

Checked 2026-08-26

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Tbilisi?

A fixed official stay length is not recorded. Build the visit around Old Tbilisi and Rustaveli first, then add hilltop viewpoints, museums or outer districts according to available time.

What is the best time to visit Tbilisi?

No single official best-month range is recorded. Check current weather and event information, then plan the steepest outdoor routes for comfortable conditions.

Is central Tbilisi walkable?

Yes. Old Tbilisi and the Rustaveli corridor are practical walking zones, although slopes and river crossings make public transport useful between separate clusters.

Which area should I explore first in Tbilisi?

Start with Old Tbilisi around Abanotubani, Metekhi and the streets below Narikala. It contains the city’s densest group of historic visitor sights.

Should hilltop attractions be grouped together?

Plan them as separate transport-assisted blocks. Mtatsminda, the Chronicle of Georgia and other elevated sites are not efficient additions to a continuous old-town walking route.