Exploring Tbilisi Old Town

Why visit Tbilisi? Exploring the Old Town on foot

Working in the humanitarian sector meant that I have met and liked quite a few Georgians in my time. They have all raved about Tbilisi and said it would suit me. We were based in Cyprus enjoying a warm October, with dusty kitchen renovations taking place, so we checked flights to Georgia. Surprise - a two hour hop from Cyprus. With recommendations from Nina (thank you ), we set off on our 5 day trip.

We had booked Hotel Sharden, right in the middle of Tbilisi Old Town and a 45 minute ride from the airport. To get our bearings and a feel for the place, we had reserved spaces on the free walking tour. It was a 2 1/2 hour wander from Freedom Square. We walked past the theological seminary where Stalin studied, along winding, crumbly back streets, a modern 'old' clock tower, various renovated and 'to be' renovated buildings and ended in the baths area.

Our guide treated us to a healthy dose of anti - communist views and a liberal dose of nationalism. It was a good tour and allowed us to home in on the areas that particularly interested us.

Generally, the tourist season starts around May and ends October. We enjoyed two hot days, two warm days and one torrential rain day. The upside of this, is that there are quite a few tourists around but significantly fewer than in July and August.

A Brief History of Tbilisi with Soviet Rule and Modern Georgia

In order to understand what you see in the Old Town, it is helpful to understand a little of the history. In February 1917, the Russian Tsar was overthrown and Lenin and the Bolsheviks seized power later that year. Georgia had a socialist multiparty government and declared independence in 1918. This was recognised in 1920 by Russia but there were tensions between the two powers with Russia invading in 1921. Georgia was under Soviet power until 1991 when it regained its independence.

For this reason, there are various statues and memorials to fighters lost in battles, renovated, stately buildings dating from 1800's and buildings not yet renovated, mixed in with communist tower blocks and spectacularly designed, modern glass buildings. This hotch potch of buildings makes it fascinating to wander around looking upwards - be careful not to fall off the uneven pavements or into the many potholes.

Balconies and courtyards of the Old Town

One of the things I found most interesting about Tbilisi's Old Town was the traditional housing. If you look beyond the rather precarious wooden balconies, you'll often find open courtyards tucked behind the street-facing buildings. These were the heart of everyday life, often shared by several families living in separate rooms or apartments around the same courtyard. With shared access, stairways and sometimes facilities, they created a small community within the city. Washing hung overhead, neighbours chatted across the balconies and children played below.

It is easy to imagine how much of daily life took place outside the confines of the individual home. Some courtyards are beautifully maintained, others are decidedly shabby, but both give a glimpse of a more communal way of living — and, for me, they were among the most fascinating corners of the Old Town.

Things to see and do in Tbilisi Old Town

1. Walk through Meidan plaza and up to the Mtekhi Church where you get a great view over the river. This area was previously a royal palace and fortress. Look closely at the stone carvings at the back. The names and dates scratched into the church walls are associated with prisoners held there under Russian imperial rule. The fortress was destroyed and a prison built in the 19th century. The Soviet authorities later demolished the prison and considered demolishing the church too.The statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali on his horse is an iconic symbol of old Tbilisi. If you're interested in following the old city walls, you can actually walk up the hill and onto the large, blue circular balcony up above the city, to Queen Darejan's Palace.
2. If the view has wetted your appetite, to see a little more along the Metekhi river, hop on one of the boats for a 30 minute 30 GEL (winter rates) trip. Accompanied by loud Georgian music, you will see quaint hotel balconies somehow hanging off the cliffs, Tbilisi Peace Bridge and the modern House of Justice.
3. Tbilisi's Old Town is home to around 10 historic, sulphur fed bathhouses. Wandering around Abanutobani, you will probably smell them before you see the distinctive domed roofs popping up out of the ground. You can go to the public baths and be prepared for full nudity or book a private bath for 100 - 200 GEL. Don't miss the fabulously vigorous scrubs for 20 - 40 GEL extra.
4. Mother of Georgia with her welcoming offering of wine and threatening sword, will be gazing down at you during your visit to the Old Town. Take the cable car (2.50 GEL) up to Narikala fortress and the imposing statue. Check out the fabulous view over the city and walk back down if you're feeling fit.
5. Shopping is not high on my list of holiday activities, but Meidan Bazaar is fascinating. Sited in a brick vaulted underground passageway, there are oodles of old artifacts belonging to the owner, including an old cart. These are not for sale but interesting regardless and lots of tourist tat including traditional spices, socks and outrageous hats.
6. No trip to Georgia is complete without a wee wine tasting session. There are 10 wine growing regions so it is an important part of this ancient culture. Don't be surprised to see 'home made' wine being sold. It seems everyones' grandmas make it in the villages in massive traditional clay 'qvevris'. (See one on the car roof below)My favourite wine is the 'amber' - not rose wine, as it tastes quite fortified. Try 'chacha' in small portions. It is the Georgian equivalent of fire water or grappa.
7. Whilst you wander round admiring the numerous wooden balconies hanging sometimes precariously overhead, keep your eyes open for the street art. My favourite theme is the fuse boxes painted with cat scenarios. Tbilisi is famous for its thriving creative scene with galleries, arty clothes shops and contemporary culture. All of this is evident from the quantity and quality of street art.
8. It's worth mentioning food at this stage as there really is a lot of variety and even in the real touristy restaurants, the food is good. The main tourists are Russians, Armenians and Israelis so the eateries tend to cater for these customers. As a vegetarian, it was surprisingly easy to find good food. Georgian food seems predominantly simple hearty dishes - stews, pots of meat and sauce, dumplings and bread based foods. We tried a wide variety of places and the best were the smaller, family type establishments. There may be a degree of tourist fatigue at this time of year in the larger places. We had great service and food particularly at Saxlis Gemo and the Unicorn.

A day trip to Mtskheta - Georgia's ancient capital

A trip to Mtskheta was recommended as this is the ancient capital of Georgia. We visited the Jvari Monastery standing high on the hill above the town Mtskheta looking down over the rivers Mtkvari and Aragvi. This is associated with the early christianisation of Georgia.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is an impressive medieval cathedral where allegedly Christ's robe is buried making it one of the holiest places in Georgian Orthodox Church.

Finally we visited Samtavro Monastery, a quiet peaceful location denoting the burial place of KIng Mirian III and Queen Nana and linked to St Nino who converted Georgia to Christianity.

Overall a nice trip and good to see a little of the country outside the old town. However, too many churches and too much religious narration from the guide for me to recommend this particular tour. I did love the local taxi service

Tbilisi Travel tips - food, street dogs and money

Food

Khinkali are large dumpling parcels, filled usually with a meat soup and held by the top knob. The aim is to nibble open the dumpling with a bit of the stew and gradually eat your way through it. You can choose to eat the knob or not. There are a few other fillings available. We found fried khinkali and cheese and chocolate fillings.

Khachapuri are the well known cheese filled bread, normally boat shaped and can sometimes come with an egg on top.

Lobio - great for vegetarians are tasty, mushy, slow cooked kidney beans often served in a clay pot. Lobiani is bread filled with mashed beans - a great snack from ubiquitous hole-in- the-wall style bakeries.

Chakhokhbili - chicken stew.

Ojakhuri - fried pork or chicken served with roast potatoes.

Churchkhela - a stick of usually walnuts strung together and coated with thick, grape juice. (Soutzoukos also found in Cyprus).

Street Dogs

I have seen street dogs before in Turkey and they can be quite daunting. In Tbilisi, they are similar except they are friendlier and enormous. They are usually tagged to show they are neutered and vaccinated in order to manage their numbers. We saw lots of these dogs. They seem to sleep for hours and choose their nap sites in the middle of pavements, roads, in shop doorways, in bars and under restaurant tables. We saw no aggression - quite the opposite in fact. They are very affectionate and will stand next to you so you can stroke them and tickle their ears. They are a genuine tourist attraction in around Tbilisi Old Town.

Money

The exchange rate in October 2026 was 3.5 GEL to 1 GBP. There are numerous ATMs around which charge a small exchange fee and in Freedom Square the banks have ATMs outside. The crime rate appears to be low and with the exception of taxis, prices seemed to be fixed and straight forward.

We used a Wise card which was accepted everywhere.

It was difficult to change 100 GEL notes into smaller notes and you have to buy a Metromoney card (2 GEL) to travel on the cable car and public transport. The metro and buses are 1 GEL but to be honest it was easy enough to walk round the old town on foot.

Is Tbilisi worth visiting?

No doubt about it. I cannot speak for the modern area, but the Old Town is compact enough to explore on foot and there is something different to see round every corner. Sunshine always makes a location better and October was warm without too many crowds. Try it for yourself - you won't be disappointed.