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. Abanotubani Abanotubani
    02 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
  2. National Botanical Garden of Georgia National Botanical Garden of Georgia
    03 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
  3. Sioni Cathedral Sioni Cathedral
    04 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
  4. Freedom Square Freedom Square
    05 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
  5. Chronicle of Georgia Chronicle of Georgia
    06 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
  6. Gorgasali Square Gorgasali Square
    07 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
  7. Orbeliani Square Orbeliani Square
    08 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
  8. Queen Darejan's palace Queen Darejan's palace
    09 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
  9. Juma Mosque Juma Mosque
    10 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
  10. Kashveti Church Kashveti Church
    11 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
  11. Bank of Georgia headquarters Bank of Georgia headquarters
    12 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
  12. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
    13 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

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.