Tbilisi - Georgia

We decided to get away for a few days during October half term. We stayed for 4 nights and I think that was probably about the right amount of time, although there is so much more to do outside the city which we didn’t get round to on this trip. We will definitely return for skiing in Gudauri and possibly some wine tours too!

Did you know Georgia has proudly claimed the title of the birthplace of wine. The Mother Georgia statue overlooking the capital city of Tbilisi holds a sword in one hand and a wine cup in the other—symbols of the Georgian people’s passionate defence of their freedom, alongside their warm hospitality.

We had some mixed weather whilst we were there with a few cloudy and rainy days, but we made the most it. We opted for the hop on hop off bus on the first day as it was raining but it’s also a great way to see the city and get your bearings. 

How to get there

If you’re travelling from the UAE we flew Air Arabia from Sharjah but you can also fly with Fly Dubai from Dubai. It worked out a bit cheaper to fly from Sharjah. The flight is only 3hrs 15mins and it was only 2hrs 45mins on the return leg. We pre-booked the airport lounge in Sharjah Airport as it’s a small airport with not much to do.
*(Note - Air Arabia is a dry airline)

From the UK you can fly with Turkish Airlines via Turkey. 

Where to stay 

We stayed in the Radisson Blu Iveria which was a lovely hotel with river views, 2 restaurants, a spa and both indoor & outdoor pools. We chose this hotel for the indoor pool for our son but probably would choose another hotel a little closer to the old town which is where we spent most of our time. It was only a 20min walk but probably too much walking for little ones. There are heaps of hotels to choose from and also lots of reasonably priced options on air bnb too.

Things to do  

• Take the Hop on hop off bus around the city - 60 lari per adult 

• Take the Aerial Cable car from Rike Park upto the fortress of Narikala. You need to purchase a “Metromoney” card. Cost of the card is 2 lari. The cable ride is 5 lari per adult return, (free for under 6yrs).
  At the top you get great views across at the city, you can get a drink or snack, take the zip line, enter the botanical gardens and see the Mother of Tbilisi monument. 

• Hot air balloon from at Rike Park for some great views over Tbilisi - 55 lari per adult, 40 lari for over 3yrs Take the Funicular upto Mtatsminda amusement park 10 lari per adult each way, (free for under 6yrs) again your need to purchase a card first

• Mtatsminda amusement park wasn’t one of my favourite places, I don’t know if it was because it was out of season, but a lot of things weren’t open or working, but it’s great for views over the city. You can take a ride on the Ferris wheel or just have a walk around and then take the funicular back down. 

• National Botanical Gardens of Tbilisi  located in the heat of the old town next to Narikala fortress and the Mother of Georgia monument. Take a walk around these beautiful gardens and see the amazing waterfalls, take in the greenery and parks.

• Holy Trinity Cathedral
• Commonly known as Sameba, it is located on Elia Hill above the left bank of the Mtkvari in the historic neighbourhood of Avlabari. It is the main Georgian Orthodox Cathedral.

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• Freedom Square is in the heart and centre of the city and the ideal place to get your bearings. Many hotels and hostels are close by. Freedom Square also marks one end of the Old Town.   

• Bridge of Peace - Take a walk over the Bridge of Peace, a gorgeous glass bridge over the Mtkvari river, with a contemporary design, it is a major landmark in Tbilisi.

Top Tips

- Don’t go in summer - Mid-June through to the end of August is peak tourist season and it’s far too hot to be enjoyable.

- Don’t take a taxi from the airport! Pre book a transfer where you know the cost up front. 
We took a few taxis around the city due to the rain and found that the drivers like to make their own price up as they are not metered. So we downloaded an app called Bolt which is much the same as Uber and found it much cheaper as you know the price upfront. We even used this to book our trip back to the airport.

- Don’t under-budget - Georgia is great value for money, but not everything in Tbilisi is cheap. 

- The city is very safe but still be cautious about scammers.

If you would like any more information about Tbilisi, feel free to send me a message