Get the best views of Tbilisi
To get the best views in Tbilisi take the Aerial Tramway from Rike Park on the Mtkvari River up to Narikala. It’s about a 2 minute journey in air conditioned cars and gives you a wonderful view of the river, Old Town Tbilisi, Bridge of Peace and Rike Park. You can’t pay in cash so buy a Tbilisi metromoney card from any metro station or the aerial tramway station. It costs around Dh3 for a one-way trip.
Take a picnic to the botanical gardens
Like many of Tbilisi’s best attractions, the National Botanical Garden of Georgia sits at the top of the hill overlooking the city. If you don’t fancy the rather long hike up the stairs, take an Aerial Tramway cart instead. Unlike many botanical gardens around the world the Tbilisi gardens is incredibly old, with parts of it dating back to 1671. It was originally part of the private grounds of the Narikala Fortress and now covers around 161 hectares, with each one looking beautiful whatever the season.
Admission: 1 GEL (Dh1.5) per personOpening times: 9am – 5pm (October > February), 9am – 6pm (March), 9am – 8pm (April > August) and 9am – 7pm (September).
Take a walking tour
If you like to explore a new city but don’t want to have your nose stuck in a guide book while you do it, take a walking tour. Tbilisi Hack Free Tours offers daily walking tours around the city with guides that speak English and Russian. You can book a spot on either the Grand Tour Tbilisi which covers most of the well-known attractions in the city such as Old Town, the Sulfur baths and Narikala Fortress, or the Fabrikahood Tour, which promises “hidden nooks and juicy stories” around Tbilisi. The tours start at 12pm and 5pm, rain or shine, and all start at Freedom Square by the Old Town Hall. The guides work on a tip-only basis so you basically choose what you pay based on what you think you tour was worth.
Read more: Skyscanner’s guide to the best hotels in Tbilisi
Learn about Tbilisi’s history
The best place in Tbilisi to get a feel for and learn about the country’s history is Narikala Fortress which dates back to the 4th century. It has been occupied, modified and damaged by various occupants in its long life. It was built by Arab emirs who wanted to protect their palace which was within the fortress walls. There’s a lot to explore but make sure to visit the Church of St Nicholas, which along with other parts of the Fortress was damaged in 1827 when munitions being stored by the Russians exploded. The Church contains some stunning frescos depicting Georgia’s history and biblical stories.
Visit the Experimentorium science museum
If you’re looking for fun things to do in Tbilisi with kids, take them to the Experimentorium science museum. It’s jam packed with interactive exhibits such as light shows, mirror tricks, spaceship simulators, and giant bubble machines (and helpful staff to help out if your physics knowledge isn’t what it used to be!)
Address: 17 P. Ingorokva Street, TbilisiOpening times and tickets: Open daily from 10am – 8pm. Tickets cost 13 GEL (Dh20) for adults and between 9 GEL (Dh14) and 11 GEL (Dh17) for children aged over 3
Escape an Escape Room
It seems there isn’t a city in the world that hasn’t jumped on the Escape Room bandwagon. But that’s no bad thing; they can be a good way to kill an hour on a rainy day or when you’re not up to sightseeing. One of the most popular in Tbilisi is Brian Drain, a franchise of a US escape game featuring Prison Break, AI Rebellion and Psycho themed rooms. Another popular one is the horror-themed 13th Door (definitely not a good thing to do in Tbilisi with kids!). If the weather’s rotten or you’re bored of sightseeing, an hour spent in an escape room could be just the ticket. Both have English language websites where you can book your time-slot.
Address: Brain Drain – 2 Mari Brose Street, Tbilisi. 13th Door – 47 Kote Afkhazi, Tbilisi.
Take a romantic stroll over the Bridge of Peace
The Bridge of Peace, which crosses the Mtkvari River stands out on the city’s skyline, especially with the Narikala Fortress in the backdrop. The ultra-modern bridge lit by LEDs was opened in 2010 and is a lovely place to take a romantic stroll when the lights are switched on. The light show starts around 1.5 hours before, and goes until 1.5 hours after, sunset. Don’t forget your camera (and other half!).
Climb up to Kartlis Deda (aka Mother Georgia)
As we’ve already mentioned, lots of the best things to do in Tbilisi are high on a hill, and this 23m statue is no different. The massive figure dressed in Georgian national dress was built to mark the capital city’s 1,500th anniversary in 1958. The design was by the national sculptor Elguia Amashukeli who designed her in aluminum. The bowl of wine she’s holding in her left hand symbolizes a welcome greeting to visiting friends, while the sword in her other hand is her “greeting” to enemies! Either climb the hill up Solokali Hill or take the easier-on-the-leg option of the Aerial Tramway from Rike Park.
Eat Khinkali
This is one of Georgia’s best local delicacies: a boiled dumpling filled with meats and spices. There’s also a cheese dumpling version known as varenyky which will satisfy the vegetarian (or cheese-loving!) travelers. The Book Corner Cafe (13B Tarkhnishvili Street), an arty sort of coffee shop, serves a great varenyky, and you’ll find Khinkali in virtually every Georgian restaurant in the city. A tip: it’s rude to use a fork with the dumplings so be prepared to get a little messy!
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*Published August 2017. Prices correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change and/or availability.
