Georgia
Tbilisi is one of the most rewarding and least predictable capitals in Europe’s far corner, a city of carved wooden balconies, domed sulfur baths and Soviet-era printing houses turned design hotels, strung along the Mtkvari river beneath the walls of Narikala Fortress.
The old town tumbles down the hillside in a jumble of churches, wine bars and courtyards; the grand avenue of Rustaveli runs past the national museum and the opera; and the golden cross of Holy Trinity Cathedral watches over everything from its hill across the river. Georgia’s food and wine are reason enough to come, from cheese-filled khachapuri and soup dumplings to amber wines made in buried clay qvevri, a tradition thousands of years old. And within a day’s drive lie the country’s greatest set pieces: the medieval churches of Mtskheta, the old royal capital; the vineyards and hilltop walls of Sighnaghi in Kakheti; and Gergeti Trinity Church high under the glaciers of Mount Kazbek. This guide books the tours worth booking, flags the winter road closures that can affect the Kazbegi trip, and shows how to fit it all into a first visit.
Mtskheta and Jvari Monastery
Georgia’s ancient capital and spiritual heart, half an hour from Tbilisi: the hilltop Jvari Monastery above the meeting of two rivers and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, on a five-hour tour that adds the Chronicles of Georgia and a wine cellar.
Abanotubani Sulfur Baths
The brick-domed bathhouses at the foot of Narikala, fed by the hot springs that gave Tbilisi its name. Book a private room for an hour, add a vigorous kisi scrub, and soak in naturally hot sulfur water as locals have for centuries.
Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba)
One of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world, finished in 2004 on Elia Hill above the old town, its golden cross visible from almost everywhere in central Tbilisi. Free to enter; dress modestly.
Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church Day Trip
The great Georgian day trip: up the Georgian Military Road past Ananuri fortress and the Gudauri viewpoint to Gergeti Trinity Church, high under the glaciers of Mount Kazbek. In winter the road can close for snow, so keep a spare day.
The great Georgian day trip: up the Georgian Military Road past Ananuri fortress and the Gudauri viewpoint to Gergeti Trinity Church, high under the glaciers of Mount Kazbek. In winter the road can close for snow, so keep a spare day.
A four-hour guided walk through the old town with a local guide: Metekhi Church, the cable car up to Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue, the sulfur bath district and a stop at a traditional bakery.
A full day in Georgia’s wine heartland: Bodbe Monastery, the hilltop walls of Sighnaghi above the Alazani Valley, and nine tastings of qvevri wines and chacha at family cellars, on one of the most reviewed tours in Georgia.
Georgia’s ancient capital and spiritual heart, half an hour from Tbilisi: the hilltop Jvari Monastery above the meeting of two rivers and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, on a five-hour tour that adds the Chronicles of Georgia and a wine cellar.
The ancient fortress walls that crown Old Tbilisi, reached by a short gondola ride from Rike Park, with the best panorama in the city and the Mother of Georgia statue along the ridge. Free to explore; the cable car costs a small fare.
The brick-domed bathhouses at the foot of Narikala, fed by the hot springs that gave Tbilisi its name. Book a private room for an hour, add a vigorous kisi scrub, and soak in naturally hot sulfur water as locals have for centuries.
The flagship of the Georgian National Museum on Rustaveli Avenue, with the dazzling gold of the Archaeological Treasury, the Dmanisi finds of early humans and a sobering hall on the Soviet occupation. Closed Mondays.
FreeOne of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world, finished in 2004 on Elia Hill above the old town, its golden cross visible from almost everywhere in central Tbilisi. Free to enter; dress modestly.
A four-hour private food walk through the bohemian Sololaki district with nine tastings at old taverns and local eateries: khachapuri, khinkali, Georgian wine and more, with a guide who explains what you are eating and why.
An evening of Georgian hospitality: a traditional feast with khachapuri, pkhali and lobio, wine and toasts, and a live folk dance performance at a top-rated local restaurant, on one of the best-reviewed nights out in Tbilisi.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$$Vera
Tbilisi’s most celebrated design hotel, in a 1950s Soviet publishing house in leafy Vera, a two-minute walk from Rustaveli Avenue, with a soaring concrete atrium, art-filled rooms and a creative complex of cafes and bars.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$Old Tbilisi (Shavteli Street)
A full-service five-star in the historic heart of Tbilisi, five minutes on foot from the Bridge of Peace and Freedom Square, with an indoor pool and spa, a terrace with old-town views and 121 rooms.
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$$Sololaki
A bohemian 13-room boutique hotel in a restored townhouse in Sololaki, beside the Botanical Garden, with jewel-toned rooms, a Negroni bar in every room and a Georgian breakfast at a shared communal table.
Rates on Expedia →Stepantsminda (Kazbegi)
The famous mountain hotel in Stepantsminda, with a long terrace facing the snowy peak of Kazbek and Gergeti Trinity Church, 143 rooms, an indoor pool, a spa and a free breakfast buffet. The best way to turn the Kazbegi trip into an overnight.
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$Chughureti (Marjanishvili)
A former Soviet textile factory in Chughureti turned into Tbilisi’s liveliest budget stay, with private rooms and dorms above a courtyard of cafes, bars and shops, a rooftop terrace and a coworking space.
Rates on Expedia →The practical primer for a first visit to Tbilisi: how many days to plan, what to book ahead, the winter road closures that affect the Kazbegi trip, getting around the city, and how to fit in Mtskheta and Kakheti.
Where to stay in Tbilisi: the old town, Sololaki, leafy Vera and up-and-coming Chughureti, plus a night in the mountains at Kazbegi, with the best hotel in each area for every budget.
