Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and largest city of Georgia, located on the banks of the Kura River.
With more than 1.3 million inhabitants, it contains almost one third of the country's population. Tbilisi was founded in the 5th century CE by Vakhtang I of Iberia and has since served as the capital of various Georgian kingdoms and republics. Between 1801 and 1917, then part of the Russian Empire, it was the seat of the Caucasus Viceroyalty, governing both the northern and southern sides of the Caucasus.
Getting to Tbilisi
- 01Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport
- 02Tbilisi Central Station
- 03Station Square
Station Square and along Abastumani street (Located in the large plaza in front of the train station and along Abastumani street.).
- 04Didube
Worth seeing
The Georgian National Museum is the umbrella organisation for a dozen museums and other sites in Tbilisi and elsewhere, with practical info in English. Usually they charge 7 lari for an adult, and are closed Mondays.
Things to do
- 01Sulphur Baths
- 02Bath No
5 (Public bath), 4 Mirza Fatali Akhudovi.
- 03Turtle Lake
- 04Lake Lisi
- 05Climb up to the Narikala Fortress
The crumbling ruins of this once-great fortress, standing alongside the Upper Betelmi Churches and the stunning Botanical gardens, offer panoramic views of the city below.
- 06Botanical
N1 (access via Botanikuri St., or from above through the fortress.
Where to eat
Street side stalls selling Georgian fast food are all over the city. Some kind of hot snack will cost 0.70-2.50 lari. = =
- 01Kiwi Vegan Cafe
6 Ivane Machabeli St (in Old Town between Pushkin and Leselidze),.
- 02Racha
It is not fancy, but it is real and the food is tasty.
- 03Veliaminov
8 Shalva Dadiani St.
- 04Family
Delicious dishes and comfortable atmosphere.
- 05Good Mood Food
Small eatery serving different kinds of Khachapuri.
Getting around Tbilisi the local way
- Get inFrom Kutaisi to Tbilisi you go 4 hours in a marshrutka for .
- Get in{{Infobox|Prices, marshrutka drivers and travel hours|Since marshrutkas are privately owned vehicles, some drivers try to charge tourists several lari more than locals.
- Get inIf you do not want to get ripped off, ask a local about the price and give money straight to the driver, or just pay at a ticket office () if such exists–most larger cities have them, but not all destinations.Also, start early, because marshrutkas mostly start in the morning and become sparse in the afternoon.
- Get inAfter 16:00 it can be hard to catch a marshrutka to/from Tbilisi, or any other city in Georgia for that matter.}} There are three main bus stations in Tbilisi, and several smaller ones.
- Get inTo transfer between Didube and Ortachala, use marshrutka 150 or metro.
- Get inLater marshrutkas start when full, but you are probably better off going from Avlabari bus station (see above).
- Get inFrom Yerevan marshrutkas leave the Central/Kilikia bus station at 08:30 for 6,500 dram.
- Get inIjevan (Armenia) – At least one marshrutka from Ijevan at 09:30 (1,000 dram), with necessary interchange at the border.
From Wikivoyage: Tbilisi, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Francisco Anzola (CC BY 2.0), Wikimedia Commons.
