5 Days in Tbilisi: The Complete Itinerary

Tbilisi doesn't ease you in gently. The capital of Georgia hits you all at once — sulfurous hot springs steaming under centuries-old bridges, a skyline that layers Orthodox domes against Moorish balconies against a futuristic concert hall, wine poured from clay vessels buried underground. Five days here feels both generous and not nearly enough.

This itinerary is built for travelers who want depth over selfies. You'll eat where locals eat, take routes that skip the tourist scrum, and leave with a notebook full of things to tell people back home.

Before You Arrive

Getting There

Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) is 17 km from the city center. Options:

• Metro + Bus: Take bus 37 to Isani Metro (₾1 / ~$0.35), then ride metro to your stop — cheapest option
• Express Marshrutka (minibus): Departs from Isani Metro to the city — ₾1 fare
• Taxi: Fixed rate from official stands — ₾25–35 ($9–13) to Old Town; negotiate or use Bolt app
• Bolt/Yandex Go: Best value at ₾15–22 ($5–8) depending on surge; widely used and reliable

Visas & Currency

Citizens of 98+ countries (including USA, UK, EU) get visa-free entry for up to 1 year. The Georgian Lari (₾) is the local currency. ATMs are abundant; avoid airport exchange booths. The rate in early 2026: ~₾2.65 per USD.

Budget Overview

Traveler Type	Daily Budget	What It Gets You
Budget	$25–40	Guesthouse, street food, public transit, free sights
Mid-range	$55–90	Boutique hotel, restaurant dinners, wine, Uber/Bolt
Comfort	$120–200	Design hotel, fine dining, private tours, spa

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Day 1: Old Town (Dzveli Tbilisi) — Orientation & Abastumanskaya

Start in the heart of it all.

Morning

Drop your bags and walk straight to Metekhi Church — the 13th-century cliff-perched cathedral with a statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali on horseback. The view from here frames the whole Old Town with the Kura River below. Free to enter; modest dress required.

From Metekhi, cross into Abanotubani, the sulfur bath district. The domed brick bathhouses have been here since the 5th century. The baths that expelled Shah Abbas were reportedly so impressive they inspired him to name Tbilisi ("warm place" in old Georgian). You're not required to bathe today — just walk through.

Coffee stop: Fabrika (Ingorokva 8) is a repurposed Soviet textile factory now housing 14 cafés, boutiques, and co-working spaces in the courtyard. Get a coffee at Stamba Café for ₾6 ($2.25) and soak in the architecture.

Afternoon

Walk to Narikala Fortress, which has watched over Tbilisi since the 4th century. You can hike up via the path from Abanotubani in about 20 minutes, or take the cable car from Rike Park (₾2.50 round trip). The panorama from the walls is the best in the city.

Wander down through Leghvtakhevi Canyon — a hidden gorge cutting right through Old Town with a natural waterfall, wooden walkways, and wine bars tucked into the cliffs. Most tourists miss this entirely.

Evening

First dinner: Ezo Tbilisi (6 Zubalovs St) or Shavi Lomi ("Black Lion"), both serving elevated Georgian cuisine. Order:

• Khinkali (dumplings, $0.30–0.50 each; eat 5–8)
• Lobiani (bean-stuffed bread)
• Chakapuli if in season (spring lamb with tarragon)
• A carafe of Rkatsiteli or Saperavi (house wine ₾15–25 / $6–9)

Budget: ₾40–60 ($15–22) for a full dinner with wine.

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Day 2: Rustaveli Avenue & the National Museum

The grand boulevard and Georgia's history.

Morning

Rustaveli Avenue is the Champs-Élysées of Tbilisi — lined with theaters, parliament buildings, and the grand Marriott. Walk the full length from Freedom Square to the top (about 1.5 km) and stop at:

• Georgian National Museum (₾15 / $5.50 adults): The Treasury exhibit in the basement holds extraordinary gold and jewelry from Bronze Age Georgia and the famous "Pitsa Panels." The Soviet occupation exhibit on the top floor is sobering and essential. Budget 2–3 hours.
• Kashveti Church of St. George: A small Orthodox church wedged between modern buildings; the frescoes are exquisite.

Afternoon

Lunch at Vino Underground (8 Gorgasali St) — a natural wine bar run by the Pheasant's Tears winery collective. Order the cheese plate and a glass of amber (orange) wine made in a qvevri (clay vessel). ₾30–45 ($11–17).

After lunch, explore Marjanishvili Square and the surrounding bohemian district of Chugureti, where young Tbilisi arts scene clusters. The covered Dezerter Bazaar (Samgori Metro) is Georgia's biggest market — spices, churchkhela (walnut-stuffed grape candy), dried fruits, live chickens. Wild and worth 30 minutes.

Evening

Book a public sulfur bath experience. Orbeliani Baths (the blue-and-white tiled building you've seen in every photo) charges ₾5 for the public pool, ₾80–120 ($30–45) for a private room. Book the private room for a scrub — the ritual pummeling is remarkable.

Dinner nearby at Barbarestan (132 David Agmashenebeli Ave): food based on a 19th-century Georgian cookbook found in a flea market. Reservations essential. Budget ₾80–120 ($30–45).

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Day 3: Day Trip to Mtskheta & Jvari Monastery

Georgia's ancient capital and the most spiritual site in the country.

Mtskheta is 20 km north and a 30-minute drive. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the religious heart of Orthodox Georgia.

Getting There

• Marshrutka: From Didube Bus Station (Metro: Didube), minibuses run every 10–15 minutes, ₾1 ($0.37)
• Bolt: ~₾18–22 ($7–8) one-way, ₾40–50 ($15–19) round trip with wait time
• Taxi tour: Many guesthouses arrange combined Mtskheta + Jvari + Shio-Mgvime for ₾80–120 ($30–45) for the car

What to See

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century): The second-largest church in Georgia and the burial site of Christ's robe according to Georgian tradition. The UNESCO-protected architecture is extraordinary. Open 10am–6pm; ₾3 ($1.10) entry.

Jvari Monastery (6th century): Perched on a cliff where the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers meet — one of the most dramatic views in the Caucasus. The monastery itself is small but the setting is world-class. You'll need a taxi to get up the hill (₾5–8 round trip from town).

Shio-Mgvime (optional): A cave monastery cut into a cliff face, 8 km from Mtskheta. Best reached by taxi or pre-arranged tour.

Back in Tbilisi by 4pm.

Evening

Rest, then dinner at Keto & Kote or Barbarestan's sister restaurant, Kakhelebi for wine-region Georgian food. Or stay local in Old Town.

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Day 4: Kazbegi Day Trip (optional) or Tbilisi Neighborhoods Deep Dive

Option A: Kazbegi (Full Day)

The Caucasus mountain town 157 km north — arguably the most spectacular scenery in Georgia. The drive through the Georgian Military Highway along the Aragvi River gorge is worth it alone.

• Marshrutka from Didube: Departs 7am and 11am, ₾10 ($3.70)
• Shared taxi from Didube: ₾15–20 ($5.50–7.50) each way, more flexible timing
• Private car/tour from Tbilisi: ₾150–200 ($55–75) for the car, shared between travelers

Gergeti Trinity Church sits at 2,170 meters above Kazbegi town — an iconic medieval church against Mount Kazbek (5,047 m). Hike up (2.5 hours) or take a 4WD taxi (₾30–50 / $11–19 round trip from Kazbegi).

Return to Tbilisi by 9–10pm. This is a long day — worth every minute.

Option B: Neighborhood Exploration

• Vera & Vake: Tbilisi's upscale residential areas, great for café-hopping and boutique browsing
• Saburtalo: Soviet-era apartment blocks and the real everyday Tbilisi
• Avlabari: Armenian quarter with Metekhi Church and unexpected backstreet finds

Afternoon: Georgian National Gallery (₾5) on Rustaveli for Niko Pirosmani's extraordinary naïve paintings — this is Georgia's most famous artist, and the originals here are moving.

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Day 5: Wine Tasting, Slow Morning, Departure

Morning

Tbilisi has some of the world's most interesting wine shops. Visit:

• G.Vino (28 Erekle II Lane): Natural wines, knowledgeable staff, tasting flights from ₾25
• Wine House (Agmashenebeli Ave): Old-school, dozens of options, prices from ₾12/bottle
• Vino Underground: Already visited, but worth returning for a morning tasting

Georgia invented winemaking (8,000 years ago, per UNESCO). The amber wines — made by fermenting white grapes with skins in buried clay qvevri — are found nowhere else in the world. Buy 2–3 bottles to take home (check airline liquid rules).

Late Morning

Final walk through Sololaki neighborhood — the 19th-century art nouveau mansions here, now gently crumbling, are hauntingly beautiful. The carved wooden balconies overhang narrow streets; street cats lounge everywhere.

Grab churchkhela from any street vendor (₾2–5 / $0.75–1.85 each) as edible souvenirs.

Afternoon Departure

Bolt to airport: ₾18–25 ($7–9). Book 20 minutes in advance; 30 minutes during rush hour.

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Practical Information

Getting Around Tbilisi

Method	Cost	Best For
Metro	₾1 ($0.37)	Quick cross-city travel
Bus/Marshrutka	₾1 ($0.37)	Outer neighborhoods
Bolt	₾5–15 ($1.85–5.50)	Comfort, late night
Walking	Free	Old Town (most sights within 20 min)

Buy a Metro Card at any station (₾2 deposit) and load ₾10 ($3.70) — covers most city transit for 5 days.

Where to Stay

Category	Option	Price/Night
Budget	Old Town hostel dorms	$10–18
Mid-range	Fabrika Hostel private rooms	$45–70
Boutique	Rooms Hotel Tbilisi	$90–150
Luxury	Stamba Hotel	$150–250

Stamba and Rooms Hotel are design landmarks worth experiencing even if you don't stay — stop for a drink.

Food Budget Guide

Meal Type	Cost
Street khinkali (8 pieces)	₾4–6 ($1.50–2.25)
Local lunch restaurant	₾15–25 ($5.50–9)
Wine bar with snacks	₾30–50 ($11–19)
Fine dining dinner	₾80–150 ($30–55)

Safety & Tips

• Tbilisi is very safe by any standard; pickpocketing is rare
• Georgians are extraordinarily hospitable — if invited to someone's home for wine, go
• Tipping: 10% at restaurants is appreciated but not mandatory
• Bargain at markets; prices at shops are fixed
• Learn three words: madloba (thank you), gamarjoba (hello), gaumarjos (cheers)

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Plan Your Tbilisi Trip with Faroway

Five days in Tbilisi means making choices — Kazbegi or Kakheti wine country? Sulfur bath or cooking class? Old Town deep-dive or Svaneti side trip?

Faroway is an AI trip planner that builds a personalized Tbilisi itinerary around your travel style, budget, and how many days you have. It factors in travel times, neighborhood clustering, and real-world logistics — so you're not spending your first morning figuring out bus routes when you could be eating khinkali.

Tell Faroway when you're arriving, what you care about most (food, history, adventure, wine), and it'll map out your perfect Georgia trip in minutes. Free to use, no account required.

Tbilisi has been welcoming travelers since it was a major stop on the Silk Road. In 1,600 years, the hospitality hasn't changed — but the coffee got better.