Smart Self-Managed Tours

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.

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 — current month
  9. September: best time to visit
  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. Metekhi Church Metekhi Church
    02 30 min

    Metekhi Church

    მეტეხის ეკლესია

    Metekhi Church is a historic Georgian Orthodox church perched on a rocky cliff overlooking the Mtkvari River in central Tbilisi. Its dramatic position makes it one of the city's most visually striking landmarks.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  2. National Gallery of Georgia National Gallery of Georgia
    03 1 hr 30 min

    National Gallery of Georgia

    ცისფერი გალერეა

    The National Gallery in Tbilisi is formally named the Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery. It stands as a major art museum in Georgia's capital, housed in a purpose-built early twentieth-century building.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  3. Armaztsikhe Armaztsikhe
    04 45 min

    Armaztsikhe

    არმაზციხე-ბაგინეთი არქეოლოგიური ძეგლი

    Armaztsikhe is an archaeological site near Tbilisi, Georgia, associated with the ancient kingdom of Iberia. The local name არმაზციხე-ბაგინეთი არქეოლოგიური ძეგლი identifies it as the Armaztsikhe-Bagineti archaeological monument.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  4. Mtatsminda Pantheon Mtatsminda Pantheon
    05 45 min

    Mtatsminda Pantheon

    მთაწმინდის პანთეონი

    Mtatsminda Pantheon is a burial ground and memorial complex on Mtatsminda hill in Tbilisi, Georgia. The local name is მთაწმინდის პანთეონი. It serves as a national pantheon where notable Georgian cultural and public figures are interred.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  5. Betania Monastery
    06 45 min

    Betania Monastery

    ბეთანიის ყოვლადწმინდა ღვთისმშობლის შობის მონასტერი

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  6. Great Synagogue
    07 45 min

    Great Synagogue

    დიდი სინაგოგა

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  7. Georgian Parliament Building
    08 45 min

    Georgian Parliament Building

    საქართველოს პარლამენტი

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  8. Georgian National Museum
    09 1 hr 30 min

    Georgian National Museum

    საქართველოს ეროვნული მუზეუმი

    • Must see
    • Museum
  9. Kartlis Deda
    10 45 min

    Kartlis Deda

    ქართვლის დედა

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  10. Mshrali Bridge
    11 45 min

    Mshrali Bridge

    მშრალი ხიდი

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  11. Lurji Monastery
    13 45 min

    Lurji Monastery

    ლურჯი მონასტერი

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  12. Orbeliani Palace
    14 45 min

    Orbeliani Palace

    ორბელიანების სასახლე

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  13. Freedom Monument in Tbilisi
    16 45 min

    Freedom Monument in Tbilisi

    თავისუფლების მონუმენტი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  14. Wedding Palace
    17 45 min

    Wedding Palace

    ქორწინების სახლი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  15. National Youth Palace
    18 45 min

    National Youth Palace

    თბილისის მოსწავლე ახალგაზრდობის ეროვნული სასახლე

    • High
    • Historic monument
  16. Queen Tamar Bridge
    19 45 min

    Queen Tamar Bridge

    თამარ მეფის ხიდი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  17. Writers' House
    20 45 min

    Writers' House

    მწერალთა სახლი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  18. Saint Gevorg of Mughni Church
    22 45 min

    Saint Gevorg of Mughni Church

    წმინდა გიორგის მუღნის ეკლესია

    • High
    • Historic monument
  19. Armaziskhevi Complex
    23 45 min

    Armaziskhevi Complex

    არმაზისხევის კომპლექსი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  20. Gabashvili's house
    24 45 min

    Gabashvili's house

    თავად ვასილ გაბაშვილის სახლი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  21. First Republic Square
    26 45 min

    First Republic Square

    პირველი რესპუბლიკის მოედანი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  22. Art Palace of Georgia – Museum of Cultural History
    27 1 hr 30 min

    Art Palace of Georgia – Museum of Cultural History

    საქართველოს თეატრის, მუსიკის, კინოსა და ქორეოგრაფიის სახელმწიფო მუზეუმი

    • High
    • Museum
  23. Agarani Fortress
    29 45 min

    Agarani Fortress

    აგარანი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  24. Church of the Red Gospel
    31 45 min

    Church of the Red Gospel

    თბილისის შამქორელთა ღვთისმშობლის ეკლესია

    • High
    • Historic monument
  25. Lower Bethlehemi Church
    32 45 min

    Lower Bethlehemi Church

    ბეთლემის ქვედა ეკლესია

    • High
    • Historic monument
  26. Metekhi bridge
    34 45 min

    Metekhi bridge

    მეტეხის ხიდი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  27. Bust of Pushkin in Tbilisi
    35 45 min

    Bust of Pushkin in Tbilisi

    ალექსანდრე პუშკინი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  28. Konstantin Leselidze
    36 45 min

    Konstantin Leselidze

    კონსტანტინე ლესელიძე

    • High
    • Historic monument
  29. Shavnabada
    37 45 min

    Shavnabada

    შავნაბადის წმ. გიორგის ეკლესია

    • High
    • Historic monument
  30. Titsian Tabidze
    38 45 min

    Titsian Tabidze

    ტიციან ტაბიძე

    • High
    • Historic monument
  31. Vakhtang Gorgasali's statue
    39 45 min

    Vakhtang Gorgasali's statue

    ვახტანგ გორგასლის ძეგლი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  32. Akhundov House - Museum of Azerbaijani Culture in Tbilisi
    40 1 hr 30 min

    Akhundov House - Museum of Azerbaijani Culture in Tbilisi

    მირზა ფათალი ახუნდოვის სახელობის აზერბაიჯანული კულტურის მუზეუმი

    • High
    • Museum
  33. Armazi Castle
    42 45 min

    Armazi Castle

    არმაზის ციხე

    • High
    • Historic monument
  34. Church of John the Apostle
    43 45 min

    Church of John the Apostle

    წმინდა იოანე ღვრთისმეტყველის სახელობის რუსული ეკლესია

    • High
    • Historic monument
  35. Church of Saint Nino
    44 45 min

    Church of Saint Nino

    წმინდა ნინოს ეკლესია

    • High
    • Historic monument
  36. Gethsemane Church
    45 45 min

    Gethsemane Church

    გეთსამანიის ეკლესია

    • High
    • Historic monument
  37. House of Melik-Azaryants
    46 45 min

    House of Melik-Azaryants

    მელიქ-აზარიანცის სახლი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  38. Mikheil Mamulashvili Garden
    47 45 min

    Mikheil Mamulashvili Garden

    მიხეილ მამულაშვილის ბაღი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  39. Saint Nicholas Church, Kharpukhi
    48 45 min

    Saint Nicholas Church, Kharpukhi

    ხარფუხის წმინდა ნიკოლოზის ეკლესია

    • High
    • Historic monument
  40. Salkhino Tower
    49 45 min

    Salkhino Tower

    სალხინოს კოშკი

    • High
    • Historic monument
  41. St. Panteleimon Church, Vere Cemetery
    50 45 min

    St. Panteleimon Church, Vere Cemetery

    წმინდა პანტელეიმონის სახელობის ეკლესია

    • High
    • 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.