Tbilisi: the Caucasian capital between Europe and Asia

It’s 5:47 a.m. on the Metekhi bridge in Tbilisi, looking south across the Mtkvari river at the old town climbing up the hillside. The wooden balconies — the famous Tbilisi feature, intricate carved-and-painted hanging porches added to the brick-and-stone facades — are still in shadow. The Narikala fortress on the hill behind is just catching the first light. The dawn call to prayer from the small mosque in the Abanotubani sulphur-bath district is winding down. Tbilisi at this hour is one of the most distinctive small capitals I have walked in.

Why I keep coming back

Georgia (the country, not the U.S. state) is at the crossroads of the Caucasus, between Russia, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The country has one of the oldest continuous Christian traditions (since the 4th century AD), one of the oldest wine traditions on earth (8,000 years of viticulture; the qvevri clay-jar winemaking is the original), and a cuisine that synthesises Persian, Russian, Ottoman, and Caucasian influences into one of the most underrated regional cuisines in the world.

Tbilisi has, in the past decade, become one of the most-discovered destinations among Western travellers — and the discovery has not yet ruined it. Prices remain very reasonable. The hospitality is genuine. The country beyond the city — the wine country of Kakheti, the high Caucasus around Kazbegi and Mestia, the Black Sea coast at Batumi — is dramatic and largely empty.

Where to base yourself

Old Tbilisi (around the sulphur baths or Sololaki) for the central old-town walking.

Vera or Vake for the residential 19th-century neighbourhoods with the trees and the cafés.

What to actually do

Have a sulphur bath in Abanotubani. The 17th-century domed sulphur bathhouses still in active use; private rooms or the public sections. Chreli-Abano is the most ornate (Persian-tiled facade). Bathhouse No. 5 is the cheaper local option.

Walk the old town. From the Metekhi church across the river, up Rustaveli Avenue, into the small alleyways behind the Anchiskhati Basilica. The wooden balconies are the city’s signature.

Take the cable car up to Narikala Fortress. The 4th-century fortress on the hill above the old town; the cable car costs 1 lari; the view is the postcard.

Visit Mtatsminda. The ‘Sacred Mountain’ park above the city, accessed by a 1905 funicular; restaurants and the city panorama.

Day-trip to Mtskheta. The 4th-century former capital of Georgia, 20 km north; the Jvari Monastery on the hill above; the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in the town.

Day-trip to Kazbegi. The Caucasus mountain town three hours north of Tbilisi; the small Gergeti Trinity Church on the ridge below Mount Kazbek (5,047 m). One of the most spectacular church-and-mountain photographs in the world.

Spend a few days in Kakheti. The wine country east of Tbilisi; Sighnaghi (the small fortified town), the historic vineyards of Tsinandali, the small family wineries doing qvevri winemaking.

Where to eat

Georgian food: khachapuri (cheese-stuffed bread, multiple regional variants — the Adjarian boat-shaped one with an egg is the iconic), khinkali (large meat dumplings), mtsvadi (Caucasian grilled meat), lobio (bean stews), chkmeruli (chicken in garlic-cream sauce), and the long tradition of supra (feast) meals with toasts.

Café Littera — Modern Georgian in a 19th-century courtyard. Barbarestan — Refined Georgian based on 19th-century cookbooks. Khinkali at Pasanauri — Old-school Tbilisi khinkali specialist. Shavi Lomi (‘The Black Lion’) — Modernised Georgian; rooftop terrace. Tone Café — Cheap, popular, all-day; the boiled-meat kharcho. Wine: Try Saperavi (the red), Rkatsiteli or Kisi (whites), and qvevri-aged amber wines (a uniquely Georgian style — white-grape wines fermented with the skins, producing an orange wine).

When to come

May–June and September–October are the most pleasant.

Summer can be hot (32–35°C) but the mountains are accessible.

Winter is cold and snowy; the high Caucasus is closed but Tbilisi is mild.

Practical notes

• Visa: Most Western passports get 365 days visa-free (yes, a year).
• Money: Georgian lari; ATMs reliable.
• Transport: The Metro is small but useful; taxis (use the Bolt app for fair prices) are inexpensive.
• Language: Georgian, with its own unique script; Russian widely understood; English increasingly common in tourism but still patchy.
• The supra: If you’re invited to a Georgian feast, accept. The supra is the country’s central social institution; toasts (led by the tamada, the toastmaster) are the structure of the meal; refusing to drink politely is acceptable but the gesture matters.
• Wine prices: Excellent Georgian wine starts at €5 a bottle at supermarkets and €15 at restaurants.

A final thought

Georgia is one of the most rewarding under-the-radar destinations I have visited. The combination of the depth of culture (Christianity since the 4th century, wine since 6000 BC, alphabet from the 5th century), the architectural beauty of Tbilisi, the dramatic Caucasus mountains, and the very low prices makes a 10-day trip one of the best value-for-experience trips in the region.

The country has been touched by the post-2022 Russian-Ukrainian war (Russian emigration has shifted prices in Tbilisi) and by the slowly growing tourism numbers. The fundamentals remain unchanged. The hospitality is real. The wine is real. The mountains are real.

Ten days minimum. Three or four in Tbilisi, two in Kakheti, two in the high Caucasus. The country earns the affection it provokes, slowly, and rewards a longer visit much more than a quick stopover.