Unlike Istanbul which took me a whole 5 secs to fall in love with, Tbilisi was a little harder to love.
I’m not sure what it is. Maybe the grand but blah architecture didn’t contribute much to the city’s vibe. Maybe because in comparison to Turkey’s known hospitality, I found Georgians aloof and cold.
After numerous visits to this capital city of Georgia, I’ve accumulated a list of favorite haunts in the city. Tbilisi wasn’t an easy city to love for me, but at the end of my time in Georgia, it started to feel a little bit like home. I guess, just like some people, Tbilisi took some getting used to.
So these are some of my favorite spots and things to do in Tbilisi.
Entree Cafe
‘Typical’ breakfast – a chocolate croissant and a cappuccino from Entree, Tbilisi
Entree is the best coffee place in the whole city, I swear. Here’s why:
1. They’re open early. One of the earliest at 8 am.
2. They have really good deals on breakfast. 5 Laris ($3) gets you a cappucino (or other coffee drink) and a croissant. Considering that a cappucino alone costs 5.50 Laris this doesn’t make any economic sense. It’s not even “Buy a cappucino, get a croissant” but it’s “Buy a cappucino, get a croissant AND here’s some money back.” I don’t get it, but I’d be the last person to complaint.
3. It’s one of the very few cafes in Tbilisi where smoking indoors is not allowed. Maybe the only cafe even. For a non smoker, it’s sooooo awesome to be able to enjoy breakfrast in a smoke-free environment.
The Back Streets of Old Town Tbilisi
The peeling paint of old town Tbilisi
Cracked paints on the walls, crooked wooden balconies, and moss covered roofs formed the perfect backdrop to my hours of wandering the narrow alleys and back streets of old town Tbilisi. This was more my kind of scene.
I felt as if as if I’ve entered a wormhole and emerged out at some indeterminate time way in the past.
Boombully Hostel
Boombully hostel common room
I love this hostel.
Boombully is one of the most expensive hostels in Tblisi at 33 Laris per night. But the upside? It’s never crowded. Big dorms, comfy beds, and a large common area with couches and bean bags. I stayed here on 3 separate occasions and each time it felt like coming home.
Envoy Hostel and Fox also came highly recommended.
Narikala fortress
Old town Tbilisi from Narikala fortress
Getting a funicular up to the fortress rewards you with a bird’s eye view of Tbilisi. The city looks even prettier from this height. Tip: take the funicular up and walk back down to the main square passing beautifully renovated, traditional houses of Georgia.
Taking day trips out of Tbilisi
View of Kakheti wine region
Tbilisi makes such a great hub for making day trips to the surrounding countryside. My suggestions for day trips out of Tbilisi: the spectacular Georgian Military Highway, the wine region Kakheti, David Gareji (a cave monastery), and Mtskheta – former Georgia capital. For a longer day trip, go to Vardzia.
Recommended tour: A full day trip to Gergeti Trinity Church in Kazbegi.
Dry Bridge Market
What’s on sale at the Dry Bridge Market, Tbilisi
Every Saturday, a flea market springs up at this bridge, 20 minute walk from Freedom Square. What’s on sale? Old posters, cups and plates, stuffed animals, jewelry, paintings… Some stalls looked like they just dumped the content of their junk drawers and call themselves open for business.
It was a fun place to spend a Saturday afternoon but if you come here to shop, haggling is a must.
Gabriadze Theatre
Gabriadze Theatre in Old Town Tbilisi
Near the renovated part of Tbilisi’s Old Town is a quirky puppet theatre, designed by Rezo Gabriadze, a Georgian artist and sculptor. On weekends (Fri, Sat, Sunday), you can watch different puppet plays written and created by Gabriadze himself (check schedule).
I went to see the Battle of Stalingrad. I really, really wanted to like it but I have to admit, despite the English subtitle, there were a lot of ‘Wtf is going on?’ moments.
I loved the exterior of the theatre itself. It’s so fun and whimsical! As you look closer, you’ll notice unusual details that make the whole theatre is a piece of art in and by itself.
Tip: also check out the attached restaurant, Gabriadze Cafe, for its unusual decor.
Corner Book Store
My fave cafe in Tbilisi, Book Corner Cafe, 13b Tarkhnishvili St, Tbilisi
Tucked away in the residential area north of Rustaveli Avenue (30 min walk from Freedom Square) is this gem of a coffeeshop that could have been my favorite coffee shop in the world! Great atmosphere, interesting decor, and that warm cozy feeling that I look for in coffeeshops. The cakes looks delicious. The soups were divine. I could see myself spending hours and hours in that shop. That is until someone walked in and started smoking one table away.
Address: 13b Tarkhnishvili St, Tbilisi
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Georgia not just Tbilisi. Its great country with cool and adorable places. And its have many regions with them own culture. When I came in Georgia I understood that have taste it from all places. Svanetia – mountains, Kakhetia – the birthplace of wine and town of love – Signakhi, Batumi – new San Francisco. And others)
Great post! but why wasn’t Tbilisi one of your favorite city to being with?
Thanks for the list, i’m planning a trip to Georgia and all these spots look quite interesting. Safe travels, Filipe
I am heading to Georgia tonight and am absolutely looking forward to exploring this interesting country. I am planning to go to the puppet theatre, so will pick another play and we can compare the impressions :).
The wine region looks stunning. Sometimes it takes a while to get to love a place. When I visited Berlin as a 16 year old I didn't like it for example. Now I am 32 I love that city and could even imagine living there. I think you just need to explore a place and head off the beaten path a little, mingle with locals etc to get to appreciate a place.
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Thanks for the great pictures and the interesting perspective about Tiblisi. I have several friends who went there and came back with mixed opinions. Probably Georgia will be one of my travel destinations so I look forward to see more of it.
Hi Markus, just visit our web page to know a little bit more about Tbilisi and other places in Georgia. You can read more about our company in Trip Advisor. If you have some more questions, please contact us. Tips and Advises are for free in our office 🙂
Love those smoke-free cafes! It's a small thing, but makes such a huge difference in you enjoyment level. What are those big tubes pointing towards the river in the center of the old town over-view shot? Some kind of power plant or a modern art installation?
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Haha… those are the new exhibition halls. Quite eye catching, aren't they?
These are great tips. I have had Tbilisi on my list for a couple of years. How much time do you think would be good for Georgia as a whole?
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If you move quick and only hit the main highlights (the Caucasus, Tbilisi, Vardzia and maybe Kakheti) – 7 days would be good. There are 3 different areas of the Caucasus you can go to and if you like mountain sceneries, you can easily spend a whole week in the area. I was there for 2 weeks. I think on average, people stay for 7-10 days.
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Hi Jill, I haven't been to Tbilisi.This is the most I have read about Tbilisi travel actually. Interesting insights. It's good that the city eventually grew on you. I think it's said to leave a place and find nothing endearing about it. I certianly can see some of its endearing qualities from your photos. I like the lovely view of the city from the fortress, the theater in old town, the cafes (minus the smoke). I hope to make it to Georgia someday and climb Elbrus. For now, this is a good introduction to Georgia. I have to check out your other posts on Georgia that I missed. Enjoyed your photos, as usual.