Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. First of all, take a look at Svetitskhoveli - the main cathedral of the country. Several important shrines are kept here, such as the chiton of the Lord and a fragment of the robe of the Lord, and the relics of Vakhtang Gorgasali and other rulers of Georgia rest in the necropolis of the temple.
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It will take about two to three hours to reach the next attraction - the Jvari monastery - on foot from the center of Mtskheta. The road goes uphill, at times the ascent is very steep, so it is better for families with small children, the elderly and those with health problems to use the services of taxi drivers. A round trip will cost about 20 GEL (7.5 USD).
A beautiful view of Mtskheta and the place where the Aragvi and Kura rivers meet, forming a bizarre triangle, opens from the site near the monastery. By the way, Jvari is mentioned in Lermontov's poem "Mtsyri":
A few years ago
Where, merging, they make noise,
Embracing like two sisters
Jets of Aragva and Kura,
There was a monastery
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How to get there?
Mtskheta is half an hour's drive from
, minibuses go here from the bus station near the Didube metro station. The ticket costs 1.5 GEL (0.55 USD), the travel interval is 15-20 minutes.
If you want more comfort, you can hire a taxi. Drivers charge about 50 GEL (19 USD) for a round trip with waiting.
Sighnaghi
“City of Love” or “Georgian Las Vegas” - this is how the locals call Sighnaghi. The reason is simple - this is the only place in the country where you can sign at any time of the day or night. Walking the streets, you will often meet newlyweds, both Georgians and foreigners, who have come here to get married.
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The main attraction of the city is the fortress wall. Climbing it, you can see the vineyards of the Alazani Valley, stretching to the very horizon (if they are not hidden by fog, which often happens).
Art lovers can visit the Niko Pirosmani Museum, and gourmets can visit any of the many restaurants serving delicious khinkali and homemade wine.
Two kilometers from Sighnaghi is the Bodbe Monastery, where the relics of St. Nino are buried. There is a source of her name on the territory, which is said to have healing properties.
How to get there?
A regular bus departs from the Samgori metro station in Tbilisi every two hours, from 7.00 to 18.00. The ticket costs 6 GEL (2.2 USD), you will spend 1.5-2 hours on the way.
David Gareji
A large complex, including several monasteries (including those operating), some of which are now located in Azerbaijan (for a long time this territory was the subject of disputes between the two countries). It is worth coming here to admire the unusual desert landscapes, see giant lizards close by, chat with smiling Georgian border guards and visit the cave temples carved into the rocks, on the walls of which there are frescoes.
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In the church shop located in front of the entrance, you can buy excellent dry red wine from the Khashmii Saperavi. Its cost is 10 GEL (4 USD) per liter.
How to get there?
The most convenient way is by taxi or with a guided tour, as public transport from the capital does not run regularly. There is also a more budgetary, but long-term option: come from Tbilisi (from the Samgori metro station) to Sagarejo by minibus, and then take a taxi. A ticket costs about 3 GEL (1.15 USD), and taxi services - about 35 GEL (13 USD) round trip, including 2 hours of waiting.
Stepantsminda (Kazbegi)
The main attraction of the village is Kazbek Peak. Locals recommend arriving as early as possible, as by noon the summit is usually hidden in the clouds.
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The second "magnet for tourists" is the Trinity Church, located at an altitude of 2,170 meters above sea level. Believers go to the service on foot in any weather, and travelers prefer to use the services of Georgians in the "Nivas", guarding clients in the central square. The cost of the trip is 25 GEL (9.5 USD) in two directions. This temple is described by Pushkin in the poem "Monastery on Kazbek":
Your monastery behind the clouds
Like a flying ark in the sky
Soars, barely visible, over the mountains.
Distant, longed-for breg!
And also these places are ideal for those who have long wanted to climb into the sky on a paraglider. Here a dream can come true without prior preparation (the flight is carried out in tandem with an instructor). The pleasure costs 360 GEL (140 USD), you will spend 10-15 minutes in the air. The launch sites are located in the Gudauri region.
If you are going by car, be sure to stop near the Ananuri fortress and admire the Zhinvali reservoir, the surface of which has an amazing turquoise hue. Here, on the Georgian Military Highway, is Pasanauri - a village where, according to gourmets, the most delicious khinkali in Georgia are prepared (it is believed that this dish comes from here)!
How to get there?
A regular bus departs from Didube metro station in Tbilisi every hour from 8.00 to 19.00. The ticket costs 10 GEL (4 USD), the journey will take 3-3.5 hours.
Kakheti
Yes, the very region where the best Georgian wine is born. Its capital - Telavi - is not remarkable for anything, except for the nearby airfield. Remember the movie "Mimino"? Many episodes were filmed here! For many years, the airfield was abandoned, and now future civil aviation pilots are honing their skills on it.
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But as a starting point for excursions in the vicinity of Telavi is ideal! The most popular sights of Kakheti, which are worth visiting:
- Alaverdi monastery. Candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Currently, only the Cathedral of St. George is open for tourists, where ancient frescoes have been partially preserved. There are burial places of several Kakhetian rulers on the territory. It is located 20 kilometers from the center of Telavi, away from the highways, so the most convenient way to get here is by taxi.
- Gremi Castle. Candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. On the territory of the complex there are the Archangel Church (it is, in fact, called the castle) and the tower, inside which the museum works (the entrance is paid, the exposition is not particularly interesting). Located 20 kilometers from the center of Telavi, on a hill near the highway. You can get here by any passing bus or taxi.
- Lopota and Kvareli lakes. Elite resorts are located on their shores. Despite the fact that the area around the reservoirs is privately owned, not only hotel guests can get there. If you hired a car with a Georgian driver, ask him to negotiate with the security guard. It's very nice and quiet here!
Of course, you will hardly be able to leave Kakheti without going to the tasting. There are many factories in the district, but the most famous are Corporation Kindzmarauli, Graneli and Khareba in Kvareli, Shumi in Tsinandali. If you want to learn about how Kakhetian wines are made, as well as taste the best of them, try to get on a free tour of the Graneli factory (it is considered the most informative of all).
How to get there?
From the Tbilisi bus station Ortachala, a bus leaves every 30-60 minutes. You will spend 2-2.5 hours on the way, the ticket costs 7 GEL (2.5 USD).
Finally, we will reveal the main secret of a memorable trip to Georgia: you need to go here with an open heart and without any expectations. This amazing country will find a way to make you fall in love with itself once and for all!
An article with a photo about what you can and should see in Georgia in 1 week. Undoubtedly, seven days is too little time for such a distinctive and diverse country. But, as they say, situations are different: someone at work was given only a week of vacation and he wants to spend it with maximum benefit, while someone has as much as 2 weeks at their disposal - but he wants to see not only Georgia in one trip, but also, for example, Armenia. By the way, this is quite realistic - in my online travel guide to Georgia you can find practical recommendations on how to most reasonably combine these two countries in one trip, as well as much, much more:
In my opinion, having only one week at your disposal and going to Georgia for the first time, it is best to limit your appetites to exploring Tbilisi and its most interesting environs. Of course, you can rush right after Tbilisi, say, to Batumi - but in this case, a fair amount of precious time will be spent on the road to Batumi and back. And, besides, the sights of Adjara are no less interesting than the surroundings of Tbilisi, and also require a thoughtful approach to inspection. So, for the first trip to Georgia, I propose to get to know Tbilisi (and fall in love with it - this is almost inevitable), as well as travel to nearby attractions - let's call it "Route N1".
If you have already been to Georgia and saw Tbilisi, then you can spend your week exploring the "second capital" of Kutaisi and picturesque Imereti - the most "root" region of Georgia - this will be "Route N2"... Or, if it's summer outside and you want to swim in the sea, we go to Batumi for a week and make periodic trips from it to other beach resorts, and also look at ancient fortresses, national parks and trout farms - this is ours "Route N3".
Of course, the proposed routes are nothing more than my personal opinion and not at all the fact that you will agree with it. You can independently compose the optimal route for your weekly travel in Georgia - for this you can use my great article - it describes in detail more than 50 of the most interesting and definitely worth visiting places of this amazingly original and diverse country. In addition, the article contains an interactive map, which will greatly facilitate the elaboration of the logistics component.
Route N1 "Tbilisi and surroundings"
Day 1-2: Tbilisi
Day 3-4: Kakheti - Sighnaghi, monasteries, wineries
Day 5-6: Georgian Military Road - Mtskheta, Ananuri, Gudauri, Gergeti
Day 7: Options are possible - either a quiet farewell to Tbilisi, buying souvenirs, dinner at a restaurant with wine, or a short trip to the Shida Kartli region: a visit to the cave city of Uplistsikhe and the Joseph Stalin Museum in his hometown of Gori.
Day 1-2: Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia and the most beautiful and original city in the Caucasus (forgive me Baku and Yerevan, but this is so). It is necessary to allocate a whole week for a thoughtful inspection of Tbilisi, but according to the terms of the task, we have only a couple of days, and around Tbilisi there are also a lot of interesting things.
6 things to do in Tbilisi:
1. Walk along the old Tbilisi, find the lower station of the funicular and climb to the top of the dominant city over the city. Take a close look at the Tbilisi TV tower, whose silhouette is visible in the city center literally from everywhere, take a walk in the Mtatsminda park and ride a Ferris wheel. On the way down, get off at the Pantheon funicular stop and see the ancient church of the holy father david and Pantheon, where the most respected "sons of Georgia" are buried (and not only - the grave of Griboyedov serves as a proof of this).
2. Leave a map, navigator and other fashionable gadgets at the hotel and throw yourself into a whirlpool: wander through the curved streets of the old city, communicate with people, get lost, stay and again not know where you are. Just go wherever you look and carry your feet - and enjoy the ancient city.
Monument "Mimino" in Avlabari
3. Climb over Bethlehem Stairs to the ancients Bethlehem churches, located in the unique area of Kldisubani ("Rocky area"), where the alleys bend at inconceivable angles, and houses "hang" sometimes contrary to the laws of physics:
4. On the famous cable car, climb onto, admire the panorama of Tbilisi from above - compare it with the views from Mount Mtatsminda, decide for yourself where is cooler.
View of Tbilisi from Narikala
Look close at the "Mother of Georgia", go back to the city through and get out of its "wilderness" exactly to - "Bath district".
The capital of Georgia is a fairly large city (a third of the total population of the country lives in it!) And in order to compose the optimal walking routes, I highly recommend reading these articles-guides to Tbilisi:
To feel even better the unique atmosphere and energy of Old Tbilisi, it is better to settle not in a typical hotel with a buffet and furniture from IKEA, but to rent an apartment from local residents in a real Tbilisi house with carved balconies, high ceilings and creaky wooden stairs in echoing porches. For this purpose, my article can be very useful - in it, based on personal experience, I described the best options in terms of value for money.
If you are traveling alone or do not plan to stay in Tbilisi for more than one or two days, then I would recommend choosing a good guesthouse over the apartment:.
For the most curious and sociable travelers, I recommend ordering author's excursions around Tbilisi from local residents. Your guides will be "Tbilisi" themselves: writers, artists, photographers, journalists, winemakers - in love with their city and who know almost everything about it. Below is a selection of the most interesting and popular excursions in Tbilisi according to travelers' reviews. To see all available options, click View All. At the stage of booking, you will need to pay online only 20% of the cost of the tour - the rest of the amount is given to the guide before it starts.
Useful articles about Tbilisi:
Day 3-4: Kakheti and Alazani Valley
Kakheti- this is the land of stunning landscapes, wine, which many consider the best in Georgia and the place where “Georgia came from”: it was the Kakhetian king Irakli II who once united the country. To visit Kakheti, you need to allocate at least two days (if there is only 1 day, then it is most reasonable to limit yourself to visiting Sighnaghi) and see the following attractions:
When traveling in Kakheti, I recommend staying in Sighnaghi and Telavi for one or two nights. In Sighnaghi, you can stay in a guesthouse immersed in flowers Maria with a very hospitable hostess (the rating of the guesthouse on Booking is 9.5, the price is $ 20 per day), and in Telavi I recommend the guesthouse Top Floor, located in an old "atmospheric" mansion - the rating is also 9.5, the price is $ 20 per day.
Day 5-6: Georgian Military Road
In my opinion, the Georgian Military Road is one of the most picturesque highways in the world (at the time of this writing, I have visited 57 countries of the world, and about half of them I traveled by car).
Georgian military road
Georgian Military Road, view from the Cross Pass
For almost all of its 208 km, the road is one big attraction, but the following points can be especially highlighted:
Mtskheta
Ananuri fortress and Zhinvali reservoir
Trinity Church in Gergeti
Gudauri ski resort
Cross Pass and Friendship of Peoples Monument
Stepantsminda (Kazbegi)
Let's consider some of them in more detail.
Day 7: drive to Shida Kartli region
If you decide to devote your last day in Tbilisi to shopping and arrange a farewell dinner at a restaurant, I suggest you read the following articles:
If the thirst for new impressions is stronger than the craving for the material, then I propose on the last day to go to and go to in his hometown of Gori.
Route N2: "Kutaisi and ancient Imereti"
Imereti- the largest region of Georgia with a population of over half a million people. Imereti is located in the basin of the Rioni River, the largest in Georgia. The people of Imereti stand out with their cordiality and hospitality even against the background of stunning Tbilisi residents.
While in Imereti, be sure to try the local wine - it is quite different in taste and production technology from the wines of Kakheti, another largest wine region of Georgia - as well as Imeretian suluguni and Imeretian khachapuri with this cheese.
Day 1: Tbilisi, transfer to Kutaisi (on the way we see the Katskhi pillar)
Day 2: Kutaisi
Day 3: Motsameta and Gelati monasteries, Sataplia park
Day 4: Tskhaltubo and Prometheus cave
Day 5: Martvili monastery and canyon
Day 6: Okatse Canyon and Kinchkha Waterfall
Day 7: Racha (Ambrolauri, Khvanchkara ..)
Day 1: road from Tbilisi to Kutaisi
On the way, you can see the rocky Uplistsikhe city, Stalin Museum and pillar of Katskhi.
Day 3: Motsameta and Gelati monasteries, Sataplia park
Gelati Monastery (Gelati)- one of the most revered Orthodox monasteries in Georgia, Gelati Monastery was founded by King David Agmashenebeli (Builder) - and the great king was later buried there.
The entrance to the temple and the tombstone of David the Builder
According to David's will, his remains are buried under a stone slab at the entrance to the monastery complex, and all parishioners, willy-nilly, “trample underfoot” the ashes of the monarch.
Motsameta monastery... The name Motsameta means "martyrs", it is dedicated to the holy princes-martyrs David and Konstantin Mkheidze, who were the local rulers. Defeated by the Arabs, the brothers refused to convert to Islam and were thrown into the gorge by order of the leader of the invaders, Murvan the Deaf. Motsameta Monastery is located near Gelati, closer to Kutaisi.
Sataplia Park. A nature reserve located on a mountain above the Rioni River and known primarily for the dinosaur footprints found there. The name "Sataplia" means "honey place", earlier in this area wild bees were found in abundance.
I continue my story about Georgia with an article about Tbilisi ... In this article I will tell you what we managed to see in the city in a couple of days, as well as share our findings in terms of hotels, restaurants, shops, etc.
We arrived in Tbilisi by car along the Georgian Military Highway. Stunning beauty road at an altitude of over 2000 meters! Read about it in this article). The border was passed in Upper Lars. On the way, we saw enough beautiful mountain panoramas and other attractions. And therefore they drove up to Tbilisi in the dark.
It was not too late in time, around 9 o'clock in the evening. And we very much hoped that we would still have time to do one important thing - change rubles to local laris ... All guidebooks wrote that it is most profitable to do this in Tbilisi, because in small villages, the rate may not be very good. The only question was - until when do these exchangers work in Tbilisi? When we saw the building of the large shopping center Tbilisi mall, we realized that this was our chance: usually such shopping centers work late, and there is always an exchange office there.
Everything turned out to be exactly that, so after 20 minutes we had Georgian laris in our hands (as well as a local Beeline SIM card), and we decided to walk around it for half an hour until the shopping center closed.
From the very first minutes it became clear that one should not count on enchanting shopping in Tbilisi: the assortment in stores is very standard, you will find the same in any Russian shopping center (in the same SEA-Mall in Sochi), but the prices are probably higher, and despite for September, no discounts on summer collections (although you can understand them, of course, the street was still +25). The shopping center itself is large, 6 floors, but some pavilions are empty. There is a large supermarket Carrefour, but we did not have time to get there.
But we were not upset: there is money now, so you can buy everything in any other supermarket. And we only had to get to the place of our overnight stay. The navigator showed another 10 km of driving.
What tourists should know about Tbilisi
This is how I want to name my story. Because most of the guidebooks that paint you the sights of Tbilisi, alas, will not write about how difficult it is to find normal accommodation here, what a hell it can turn out to be for you to travel in Tbilisi in your car, etc.
Where to stay in Tbilisi: the difficulty of choosing
Despite the fact that we were traveling by car, we had intentions to explore Tbilisi precisely during walking (so as not to suffer with parking lots, or to return to the hotel when we want to rest, we will need to change clothes). Therefore, we were looking for a compromise between a good location and the cost of the hotel.
But booking sites are roomguru.ru, booking.com- We were not happy: we were lucky to arrive on Friday evening, and all the normal options were simply swept away. In short, after much persuasion of ourselves, we decided to take a separate room in the hostel. But right in the center! But in a hostel. But a separate ... You see, yes, the reason for our doubts? You can't count on your own bathroom in the hostel. But we thought that we would still be walking around the city, and we can brush our teeth a couple of times a day (morning and evening) in a shared bathroom. The main thing is that he (the bathroom) and the room itself are clean.
This is how this hostel looked on Mazniashvilli street:
In general, looking ahead, friends, I will give you a friendly advice: never (!) Stay in a hostel if you are over 30 years old, and in ordinary life you have your own separate apartment. Look for budget hotels (even further from the center) or guest houses or apartments. But not hostels. For this is an option for an overnight stay only for poor and cheerful students who do not want to wait 20-30 minutes in the morning until the bath is free, do not soar to walk in their underwear to the kitchen past strangers, do not soar ... nothing at all.
Check out these hotels in Tbilisi: Harmony Hotel Meidan INN.
But for the sake of fairness, I will note: the location of the hostel is really very good. And the interiors are pretty good.
And there are comfortable tables and benches on the street, where we sat down that same evening with wine and fruit bought in the store around the corner. And even our car had a parking space. This concludes my whining about the hostel and move on to the next point.
Tbilisi sightseeing
In the morning we, tired of the previous day on the road, godlessly chilled out almost until noon (plus an hour time difference from Sochi). And they woke up exactly at the same time as most of our neighboring students, who were briskly hanging out all night at the very tables under the window. And therefore, we did not manage to get into the bathroom soon.
There was no question of having breakfast in the same kitchen with half-naked students. And so we just decided to go out into the city and have breakfast along the route. For five minutes we walked along D. Agmashenebeli St. - it was on this street that our quiet side street went:
And soon we found ourselves in a large beautiful square (metro Marjanishvili):
Where McDonald's happily welcomed us into its arms:
No, we are not fans of fast food, But we did not see other cafes during the walk, except for a couple of club-type restaurants that did not receive guests at that hour. McDonald's was not particularly pleased either. After talking with the cashier - a young girl who clearly did not study Russian at school (so I had to switch to English), we took some burgers and coffee. In general, the breakfast turned out to be so-so: both expensive and tasteless.
Something needs to be changed urgently, we thought. "Bohemian" hostel, burgers - that's not why we came to Tbilisi! And we opened the navigator and moved towards the embankment, planning to walk to the old city.
As we walked, the mood began to improve - because the architecture around us contributed to this:
We went out to the embankment and walked along it:
On the other side of the river, urban architecture was full of new forms:
But this aunt - Mother of Kartli - we still had to see up close today:
Having reached the bridge, we decided to cross to the other side of the river, because all the sights were located, the ships according to the navigator, exactly there. A lively "flea market" is located on the bridge:
Lovers of rarities and antiques will be able to find on these ruins more than one thing for their collection ... And surely, if you search, among these endless icons, records, suitcases and services of the USSR era, you can find something really worthwhile. But I still do not find any craving for collecting in my house (rather, on the contrary - I mercilessly get rid of old rubbish, because I do not tolerate clutter of housing with things). But for those who love and know how to live among eclecticism, they definitely cannot leave Tbilisi without a couple of suitcases of "artifacts" ;-)
In general, Tbilisi is such an explosive mixture of architectural styles and historical eras that even we did not even try to remember in what year this or that temple or bridge was built.
But in general, it will not be superfluous to know some facts from the history of the city, so that bright puzzles will form a common picture.
History of Tbilisi
The city lies at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, and therefore many peoples and leaders have left their traces here. The name of the city translates as "warm spring", and indeed Tiflis (as the capital was called until 1936) was founded on warm springs, where sulfur baths are now located.
As the legend says, back in 458, King Vakhtang I Gorgasal hunted in the forests on the banks of the Kura River, and wounded a pheasant (according to another version of a deer), and the animal ran to a sulfur spring, and immediately healed with hot water. The king was amazed at the healing properties of the spring, and decided to build a city on this place.
However, this is still a legend, albeit a beautiful one. And the reality is this: the first written mention of Tbilisi as a fortress over the river dates back to the 4th century AD. Then there was already a Persian citadel, which would later become the famous Narikala, and the capital of the Georgian kings was in Mtskheta, 20 km from Tbilisi. And the merit of King Vakhtang was that in the V century he captured and restored the Persian fortress, and also began the construction of the city. At the same time, on the other bank of the Kura, the Metekhi fortress was erected, where today there is a temple of the same name and a monument to Vakhtang, who founded Tbilisi. This citadel became the residence of all subsequent rulers of Georgia.
Such a treasure, of course, immediately attracted the attention of the conquerors, and raids began on the city: the Persians captured it, then the Arabs took over. Both Mongols and Turks did not bypass Tbilisi. And in the 18th century, Tbilisi became the subject of a great dispute in the political battles of the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and Persia. The rulers of Georgia were in a difficult position, not knowing which side to take. As a result, Russia won the negotiations, and an agreement was signed between the rulers of the two states on the annexation of Georgia to the Russian Empire.
After that, a new round in the development of Tbilisi began: in the 19th century, the city grew, new enterprises were opened, trade developed, and the population increased. The city became the cultural center of the entire Caucasus - famous writers, poets and artists from Russia and Europe often visited here. At the same time, a telegraph appeared in Tbilisi, an opera house opened, and the Transcaucasian railway passed through the city. The only tragic event was the earthquake of 1827, which destroyed many houses, and therefore most of Old Tbilisi today is represented by houses from the second half and the end of the 19th century.
Of course, Soviet builders of communism also contributed to the city's architecture. And now Tbilisi has become a "testing ground" for unusual design solutions.
This is all we were to see in the next few hours.
What you can see in Tbilisi: our route around the city
If you are not a fan of amateur performances, then just buy yourself one of the excursions in Tbilisi, since there are a lot of them on offer.
And if you just want to walk around the city, having laid the best route, see everything yourself, then read my article further.
Flower House: Department of Justice
This building, from above, resembling a large white water lily, we saw from afar while walking along the embankment:
For some reason it reminded me of our Olympic facilities in Sochi.
And directly opposite it, across the street, there is a casino:
And what is this beautiful building that rises above the river, on the other side? And this is the President's Palace:
The construction was initiated by the former president of the country, Mikhail Saakashvili. Oh, he is unlikely to be able to grow something like that in the Ukrainian capital ...
Continuing along the embankment, we soon saw one of the new "art objects" in Tbilisi - the Peace Bridge.
The bridge of peace
The glass pedestrian bridge across the Kura River was built in 2010 and very quickly became a symbol of Tbilisi's revival:
Similar to the shell of a giant turtle, the bridge beckons tourists. The architect was an Italian, the designer was a French. The bridge turned out to be very interesting, although some people don't like it (they say that the people call it “gasket”) ... Recently, the new authorities even wanted to demolish this bridge, but so far they seem to have left it.
We take a selfie on the bridge (and of course!) We pass to the other side of the river. And we find ourselves in a beautiful park.
Rike Park
Bright greenery (there is no smell here yet), fountains, benches - the setting is traditional for any city park. But there are also such extraordinary "exhibits" - a piano in the bushes:
Stylish benches and chairs of various shapes will provide rest to feet tired from walking around the city:
And a drinking fountain, even on a hot day, will not let you die of thirst :) By the way, prices for an ordinary 0.5 bottle of mineral water even in the center of Tbilisi can differ 10 times (somewhere we were offered it for 5 GEL, but somewhere for 50 tetri)
Here, in the Rike Park, there is another striking representative of futuristic design, causing aesthetic controversy - the Cultural Center, also known as the Theater of Music and Drama.
State Theater of Music and Drama
This building also causes a lot of controversy among the people, but they have not yet come up with an offensive name for it, and most often they call it Two Pipes. Despite the fact that the structure looks completely finished on the outside, the interior decoration is not finished at the moment.
In the evening, the fountains in the park dance to the music (ah-ah-ak!). But the evening is still far away, and we are attracted by the cable car, which takes tourists up the hill to the Narikala fortress.
But we are not the only ones who want to ride the cable car, and before plunging into the cable car, we have to stand in a rather big queue:
Although something tells me that this queue, compared to the summer queues, is just flowers ...
It is worth the ascent on the cable car 5 GEL in one direction (10 round trip, but it is more interesting to go down on foot, we did so), and it works from 11.00 to 23.00 hours.
The views from the cable car booth are simply bombastic! For example, such:
And these are:
The entire ascent takes less than 5 minutes. And now we are enjoying the panoramic views of Tbilisi:
Obligatory collapses with souvenirs and soft drinks are also present here:
And on the other side of the hill is the Tbilisi Botanical Garden. Nice, big, but there was no great desire to walk on it in such heat.
Here on the hill we took a closer look at the statue Mother of Kartli ... This is how she looked from this angle:
In her right hand, Mother Kartli holds a sword to meet those who came with the war, and in her left hand - a cup of wine for guests who came in peace. This monument was built on the top of the Sololak hill in honor of the 1500th anniversary of Tbilisi. At first it was wooden, then aluminum, and in the 90s it was replaced by the one that towers over Tbilisi now.
On the other side of the cable car, there is a path to the Narikala fortress.
Narikala fortress
This place is very popular with tourists, and you probably won't be able to miss it :-) All postcard views of Tbilisi, as a rule, are made here:
This defensive structure was built over 1500 years ago. The entrance to the fortress is free (like most fortresses and temples in Georgia, and this distinguishes it very favorably from Abkhazia). The temple itself is also free entrance (only put a scarf on your hair if you are a woman). During our visit to the temple there was a wedding ceremony. Very beautiful bride and groom, elegant guests (mostly young people), everything is as in the picture.
After the temple, we go up the fortress wall: the views of Tbilisi from here are wonderful both in the afternoon and in the evening, when the lights are turned on. The highest point is near the cross above the fortress, but it is not very convenient to climb there - there are no steps in places, and not everyone can climb on what is left of them ...
From here, the area is clearly visible from above Abanotubani - a quarter in the center of Tbilisi, famous for the complex of sulfur baths. The area of sulfur baths is usually offered to end a walk around Tbilisi in order to take a steam bath after a races around the city.
But somehow we didn’t get into this idea, because on the street and so it was like in a bath. I rather wanted to take a cool shower ...
Old city
We descend from the hill on foot, along a ladder. The descent takes 10-15 minutes. And now we find ourselves in the same Old city ... This is the Tbilisi, where narrow streets steeply take up the mountain. So cool that I would not dare to leave the car here just on the "handbrake" ...
Where carved wooden balconies coexist peacefully with modern hotel and restaurant banners:
Everything here remains almost the same as it was 50 and 100 years ago ... I bet that grandmother, sitting on the porch, will never sit in the cable car, flying over her house? But at the same time, these two Tbilisi - new and old - do not interfere with each other.
We go to Gorgasali square , which is another iconic tourist destination in Tbilisi.
Every tourist who has been here must have a photo with the letters “I love Tbilisi”.
There are many cafes and restaurants on the square, and at the same time they are all packed to capacity with tourists! There are simply no free tables! And we just want to sit down and have something to eat. We decide to go a little further down the street.
We pass Zion Square, pass Sioni Church and a few more chapels - and there are so many of them in Tbilisi that I stop memorizing the names in my twenties ...
We notice such a great wine shop:
But we just want to eat. We buy wine for the evening. Moving on. However, we didn't have to go far - turning into one of the lanes, we find ourselves on just such a street - a whole Food Street. The name of this "edified" street - Sioni street:
Finally, we choose a purely visually cozy table outside and sit down to eat. We are accompanied by such a cute cat:
In the meantime, our order is being carried, you can check the e-mail and upload a couple of frames to Instagram:
As for Georgian food - its cost, and why adherents of healthy food in Georgia will have to look for something suitable for a long time and tediously, I have already written in this article:.
For example, I most often had to be content with about the following set of dishes:
Such a modest snack - two salads, two soups, and lavash, without wine - costs us 42 GEL (the check already contained 10% for the service). A little expensive, I think. But for the tourist center of the city, this price tag is standard.
That little man on the balcony (on the left in the frame) is forced to inhale the aromas of local restaurants around the clock. And for sure, I got into more than a dozen lenses ... Carried away by photography, they themselves did not notice which way they came to a large area.
Freedom Square
There was once a monument on this square - who do you think? - of course, to Lenin. Actually, like in many cities of the Soviet Union. Now Freedom Square is decorated with a column with St. George the Victorious killing a snake.
It also houses the city administration and the hotel "Marriott". We saw nothing else interesting in this square.
But turning to Pushkin Street, we notice just such a trench. This is the excavation of an ancient temple:
They were discovered when they were about to restore several buildings located here. However, after seeing these archaeological finds, it was decided to start large-scale research. The special masonry indicates that these ruins are more than one century old. In fact, you can see several layers of city life here.
Upon completion of the excavation, the road was re-paved. But the ruins of the fortress wall were left open. Before that, I had seen a lot of such "tunnels" in the past in Rome. There, too, you walk along the sidewalk, as if on the ground, and then you look down, beyond the fence - and there, another 5 meters down the catacombs go ...
Pushkin Street smoothly turns into N. Baratashvilli Street. On it, a curious tourist also has something to look at. For example, here are such funny monuments:
You can also sit in restaurants:
This street will lead you to the bridge over the Kura. But we did not go to the bridge, but turned again into the depths of the old quarters. Because behind the bridge an ordinary residential quarter clearly began, and something interesting could lurk in the depths of that narrow street.
And as it turned out, our intuition did not let us down. We went straight to the Rezo Gabriadze Puppet Theater.
Rezo Gabriadze Puppet Theater
You may have heard about Rezo Gabriadze thanks to the films Kin-Dza-Dza and Mimino. He also created a very unusual puppet theater in Tbilisi. In the very center of the city, tourists love to take pictures of a quaint house with a clock tower nearby - this is what it is.
Every hour a golden-winged angel appears from the painted doors and knocks on the bell with a hammer. And at 12.00 and 19.00 you can see a mini-performance in the tower - "The Cycle of Life". We were lucky - we got to the theater just around 19:00. And at first they did not understand why such a crowd had gathered in a small nook in front of the tower. And after a few minutes everything became clear.
We were returning to the Bridge of Peace at dusk, when Tbilisi began to play with evening illumination:
The bridge itself also shimmered in the night and looked no longer like a tortoise shell (and not like a backlit pad, no!), But like some kind of space object:
Our day in Tbilisi ended again with the Rike park. The fountains in it were already dancing with might and main:
Over the river, on the hill, the illuminated Narikala shone. And the statue of Mother Georgia.
And we barely had the strength to walk to our car, which was parked in front of that very hostel. By the way, the street next to the hostel in the evening also turned out to be nicely illuminated, just yesterday we didn't have the strength to walk far along it.
However, this evening we also walked through it very quickly. We didn’t smile at spending one more night in a “student's” atmosphere, we wanted banal comfort. I mean, your own private bathroom. And we booked ourselves very well during the day Hotel Stal + somewhere in the area of the Tsminda Sameba Cathedral. It cost “only” 80 GEL and - oh, a miracle! - this price tag even included breakfast.
After a 9-meter room in a hostel (but a separate one! And with a double bed), such a room with a balcony, its own bathroom and shower, seemed to us just paradise on earth:
Yes, it’s impossible to get to this hotel without a car (if only by taxi). Yes, the cemetery is across the road (do you know about the Old Believers cemetery in the center of the Olympic Park in Sochi?). But the breakfast made us very happy: after catering, any homemade food is welcome!
And we, well-fed and satisfied, went to look at the Tsminda Sameba Cathedral.
Tsminda Sameba Cathedral
This cathedral, unlike many others in Tbilisi, is completely new; it was built in 2002 on the Avlabari hill. It can be seen from almost anywhere in the city, especially in the evening and at night - it is beautifully illuminated. The cathedral is striking in its monumentality - almost 70 meters in height. The gilded dome shines in the sun so that it can be seen at the opposite end of Tbilisi.
Only now, in order to get to it by car, we had to (thanks to the navigator!) Wander pretty much along these murdered streets:
And then still look for a parking place on the narrow streets adjacent to the cathedral: on this Sunday there were a lot of people who wanted to get into it ...
Finally, having driven the car a block from the cathedral, we go up the street where handkerchiefs, candles are sold and a few beggars are sitting. Probably, here they have a better chance of finding a compassionate soul ...
We get to the territory of the cathedral from somewhere on the side:
And therefore, first we go into the temple itself, and only then we go out to the main alley leading to it. Everything is very decent here - benches, fountains, and fountains with drinking water:
Further, according to the plan, we had to call again in the Rike Park area, on Europe square to take a closer look Metekhi church and Gorgasali statue on horseback (yesterday we saw them only from the funicular). But after looking at what "squiggles" the navigator drew for us, we part with this idea - there is no desire to wander through the labyrinth of tangled Tbilisi streets again. And the heat drives us away from the big city ...
In the meantime, I want to sum up the results of our tour of Tbilisi and ... not to give advice, just to say in a friendly way:
- do not skimp on placement. We were very spoiled by the impression of Tbilisi that first night in the hostel. More precisely, it was not the impressions that turned out to be spoiled, but our physical condition the next day (in terms of energy, they fell somewhere below the baseboard, and it was very difficult then - they came to their senses all day);
Recommended hotels in Tbilisi: Harmony Hotel(an inexpensive option, in which we planned to live, but the last number was taken right from under our noses), Meidan INN.
- do not strive to see everything-everything-everything in two or three days! We even half of the interesting places in Tbilisi have not been seen as I understood. But who needs these records? You can deliberately walk around Tbilisi in the places listed above, or you can just wander aimlessly - both options work in the capital of Georgia;
- automobile in Tbilisi itself, you don't really need to - you can see the main sights in the center of Tbilisi without it.But if the boundaries of your interests extend outside the city , then it will be very inconvenient to get to most of them without a car. Rent a car on the site Myrentacar
- if you don’t like to “assemble a constructor” (ie plan a route, book hotels on your own), but just want to come to Georgia and see the sights, take a ready-made tour to Georgia. You can select and order a tour >> here<<
Definitely, Tbilisi is a very interesting and beautiful city. But somehow, a direct brain explosion did not happen. I realized for myself: natural attractions inspire me much more.
But if they ask me - is it worth coming to Tbilisi, would I go back there again? - I will answer without hesitation: OF COURSE, YES!
See you on the blog and have a wonderful trip!
Tbilisi is the largest city and capital of Georgia with a population of 1.1 million.
Last fall we spent 4 days in Tbilisi, and this is quite enough to see the main sights of Tbilisi, to feel the atmosphere and fall in love with this beautiful city. I recommend reading this article if you are planning a trip to this country.
But below you will find information about what tourists can (and should) do in Tbilisi.
I will make a reservation right away that in 4 days we still could not see everything we wanted. After all, we were in Georgia with a small child, for whom the trip began with a stressful flight (our flight was delayed by 8 hours), and then she had a malfunction in her body due to the fact that the food at the airport was not as needed ... Also, as we later realized, milk in Georgia is very different from Ukrainian milk. Even for us adults, it didn't work very well. As a result, we gave up milk during our stay in Georgia, and everything became normal. But the first days of travel in Georgia were a little blurry because of all this. And, nevertheless, we really liked Georgia, in particular, Tbilisi. Our daughter constantly remembers the trip to this country, and asks when we will go again. =)
Must See in Tbilisi (must see)
Everyone will, of course, have their own list. Nevertheless, I tried to collect important places where we liked it and which other travelers in love with Tbilisi advised us.
If you are traveling to Tbilisi for 1-2 days, and do not have time to cover everything, then I recommend choosing a walk along Old Tbilisi with a passage through the Peace Bridge to Rike Park, and from there to the cable car and up to walk around the fortress. If you have time, then take a look at the botanical garden (in the same place near the fortress). If there is one more day, then in the afternoon take a walk along Rustaveli Avenue and other central streets. And a couple of hours before sunset, take a taxi to the funicular. There you can hang out for several hours, admiring the panoramas of the city, and ride a Ferris wheel. The territory there is very large, there are cafes, restaurants, and attractions for children.
If you have one more day, then you should also go to the ancient capital of Georgia, Mtskheta. It's unrealistically cool there, and there will be a separate article about it. But now in more detail about the main attractions of the capital of Georgia.
Peace Bridge and Rike Park
Probably the main new sights of Tbilisi are located in the Rike Park or near it. Beautiful fountains, cozy benches, a giant chessboard, swing chairs, a futuristic building of the theater of music and drama, a monument to Ronald Reagan - all this is located here. Also, the glass pedestrian bridge of Peace leaves no one indifferent. And also a lot of young people gather in the park, so the atmosphere is very interesting. Next to Rike Park on Europe Square is the lower cable car station, from where you can go straight to the Narikala Fortress and the Botanical Garden. If you leave the park through the Peace Bridge, you will find yourself in the old part of the city with its incredible streets and cozy cafes.
Of course, the Rike Park and the Peace Bridge are a must in the cultural program in Tbilisi.
Chess in Rike Park against the background of the theater of music and drama 
As I wrote above, on the Europe Square near the Rike Park there is the lower station of the cable car. This is the place below, and the upper station can also be seen!
Cable car, Narikala fortress and botanical garden
We got on the cable car on a cold September evening (probably the coldest in our 2 weeks in Georgia). But the most unpleasant thing that awaited us at the Narikala fortress was a piercing wind. This should be taken into account if you are traveling in Georgia during the cold season.
We also usually try to visit the observation decks before sunset in order to look around both in the light of the sun and without it. But this time it didn't work out. As a result, we spent only 20 minutes on the mountain, reached Mother Kartli (the statue of Mother Georgia looks like the Motherland in Kiev), turned around and left.
In good weather and during daylight hours, one could walk around the Narikala fortress and look into the botanical garden.
The cable car itself is very modern, and even with a gusty wind it was not scary. We highly recommend this entertainment in Tbilisi!
Narikala fortress - we climbed! But how cold and windy it is! 
Narikala fortress at night - view of Tbilisi 
Funicular to the top of Mount Mtatsminda, observation decks and a Ferris wheel
A funicular ride in Tbilisi is just WOW! Our baby was delighted, but we adults also got high. We rode very comfortably and got a lot of positive emotions. You can also go down on foot to see another flavor of Tbilisi, but this is definitely not with a tired two-year-old child in the dark.
At the top station of the funicular, there is a large restaurant, binoculars nearby and gorgeous views of the city center. Then you can walk to the park, see mechanized dinosaurs, ride the rides (which almost did not work at the end of September) and be sure to walk to the Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel itself did not work either (we got on a technical day), but right under it there is a completely magical observation deck with a completely different perspective on Tbilisi and the mountains outside the city.
As for me, this is one of the most peaceful places in Tbilisi!
By the way, the TV tower in Tbilisi can be seen almost from everywhere - even from our window. 
Back to the funicular - next to the first observation deck there is a restaurant overlooking the city 
Night Tbilisi from a height looks like this Old Tbilisi - Shardeni and Shavteli streets
Shavteli street is famous for the Rezo Gabriadze puppet theater, and Shardeni - for exhibitions of artisans, many cafes and its special atmosphere. However, in any ancient city, the sensations roll over extraordinary. You need to walk along these streets for a long time and with pleasure, look carefully, groan and gasp. A really cool historic center in Tbilisi. The only thing that was missing was a tour guide or a guide of some kind. But this is already a note to us for the future, when Olivia grows up.
Every centimeter can be viewed in places 
Shavteli street - cozy here and selling paintings 
Rustaveli Avenue and Freedom Square
The central avenue of Tbilisi - as for me, is not as unique and charming as the old part of the city or as observation decks, but it has its own flavor. It is interesting to walk a kilometer or a half along it, and feel yourself among the locals hurrying somewhere; feel the real rhythm of this city.
Also on this avenue there are such important buildings as the Parliament of Georgia, the Rustaveli Theater, the Academy of Sciences, the Tbilisi City Council - a lot of things ... We were also delighted with flowers, lush greenery and all sorts of figures in the facades of houses and on parapets, lanterns with squiggles - in general, nice place.
Parliament of Georgia - I liked the architecture very much
Radisson Blu in Tbilisi - an immodest hotel 
On the way, we punch for readers if there are beautiful girls in Tbilisi)) 
Tbilisi City Council on pl. Freedom - Rustaveli Avenue rests against it 
Freedom Square in Tbilisi at night Our impressions and feedback about Tbilisi
Initially, we really wanted in Batumi - to improve our health, take the child to the sea, see the surrounding beauty of this resort. But flights Kiev-Tbilisi turned out to be much more profitable than Kiev-Batumi (). We immediately learned that modern fast double-decker trains run from Tbilisi to Batumi, and this interested us. We decided that we shouldn't rush to Batumi with a child from the plane - it would be better to take a breath in Tbilisi and at the same time walk for several days in the Georgian capital.
Unexpectedly, we liked Tbilisi even more than Batumi. Why? Probably because it is more sincere and tastier.
I will write about Batumi separately (and we also liked the resort), but Tbilisi simply amazes with its soul wide open. In this city, everyone is glad to see you, and there is no feeling that they are looking at you like a bag of money. And in Tbilisi, there is very tasty cuisine, a bright interweaving of ancient and modern architecture and the availability of cheap and convenient transport (a taxi in Tbilisi costs an average of $ 2). In principle, comparing the millionth capital with the best resort in the country is a thankless task. I will say unequivocally that if you want to feel the real Georgia, do not bypass Tbilisi. This city is worth your attention.
Frequently asked questions about Tbilisi
Where to go for 1-2 days from Tbilisi?
Mtskheta, the Georgian Military Road, Kakheti, the "city of love" Sighnaghi ... There are many places. In fact, Georgia is a small country, so if you have seen everything in the capital and you have a couple of days left, then you can choose any point in Georgia and drive there quickly. Especially if you are in a good car (there are many mountain roads in Georgia).
When is the best time to go to Tbilisi?
Many experienced travelers recommend traveling to Georgia out of season - April, May, September, October. We ourselves spent our holidays in Tbilisi and Batumi from late September to mid-October, and the weather was beautiful almost all the time, and there were few tourists.
Is it legal to smoke cannabis in Georgia?
Not yet. It is assumed that in the near future the number of tourists in Georgia will increase due to the possible legalization of marijuana, but it is not yet clear how this story will end.
You need to allocate at least a few days to the capital of Georgia, but if you are limited in time, then information on what to see in Tbilisi in 1 day will be useful. This is what I will tell you about in the article, which includes a description of one - the most exciting - route. At the end of the post, you can also familiarize yourself with several other variations that will allow you to see no less interesting sights of Tbilisi.
The nuances of the route in Tbilisi for 1 day
To begin with, it is worth understanding and accepting that it is physically impossible to visit all the sights of Tbilisi in one day. Firstly, some interesting places are located at a considerable distance from others. Accordingly, they will need to be allocated a separate day. For example, the local ethnographic museum is located on the road to Turtle Lake behind the outskirts of Tbilisi Vake. Secondly, even the central points of interest are far removed from each other. Two tourist areas can be distinguished: the Old City, across the river from which there is the Rike Park and the Avlabari metro station, and new areas, the center of which is Rustaveli Avenue, ending at Freedom Square (with the metro station of the same name). For a better acquaintance with the culture of the capital of Georgia, I propose the following route in Tbilisi for one day: - Rike Park and Peace Bridge - Metekhi - Narikala - Old Town.
Tsminda Sameba and Rike Park
You should start your trip around Tbilisi from the main cathedral of the city called Tsminda Sameba, which is also called the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. The temple is located just above the Avlabari station (5 minutes on foot), so the entire route can be started from this transport interchange (however, if it is more convenient for you to get to the temple on foot or by other means of transport, then the metro stop may not be included in the route). Tsminda Sameba is an impressive religious site in its size and surrounding area. In the morning hours, the building is effectively illuminated by the sun from the east.
From the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity we go down to. You can get lost in the interweaving of the streets of Tbilisi, but this will only add color to the walk, and you can find your way here as easy as shelling pears - you just need to move down towards the river. The landmarks will be the same Avlabari metro station and the massive Presidential Palace overlooking the park. The very same green zone off the banks of the Kura River is distinguished by its modernity and interesting design solutions. You can spend some time looking for original benches, look at a giant chess set and a white grand piano, be surprised at the futuristic nature of the cultural center of Tbilisi.
Bridge of Peace and Metekhi
There are two bridges thrown across the river in the direction of the Old Town, one of which, the Peace Bridge, is also distinguished by its modern bold architectural features. Skeptical locals call it "laying", but it seems to me that this bridge is worth seeing in Tbilisi in 1 day. 
But our path lies not across the Peace Bridge, but in the direction of another bridge and the region of the same name -. It is located at the northeastern end of Rike Park, behind European Square. This is one of the most ancient districts of the city; the legend about the founding of Tbilisi by King Vakhtang Gorgasal is associated with it. A monument to this ruler stands above the river, and an old church rises here. Metekhi was rebuilt many times, before there was even a palace here, and therefore the thousand-year historical past of Tbilisi is especially felt here. 
Cable car and Narikala fortress
The next stop of the walk in Tbilisi in 1 day is the lower station of the cable car in Rike Park. The same European square separates it from Metekhi, but the upper station of the cable car is quite far away - on the slope of the Sololaki ridge. The trip itself on this type of transport can be considered an interesting journey, because the cabins offer a beautiful view of the entire city. Well, above you will find another Georgian monument - the symbol of Georgia and Tbilisi. The monument stands a few tens of meters from the cable car stop, but there is no point in going up the mountain just for the sake of this attraction. Sololaki's main object is yet to come. 
Directly from the upper station of the cable car, you can enter the territory of the ancient. Nowadays, a well-preserved Lower Castle remains from it, which houses the main entrance and a small temple, as well as a large number of fragments of the walls of the Upper Castle. From the monument to Mother Kartli, the road leads just to the upper part of Narikala, from where you can see the panoramas of Tbilisi (the best views open from the highest point - the towers with a cross). If you are looking for what to visit in Tbilisi in one day, then the Narikala fortress is the undisputed leader of the rating. And after examining the upper territory, it is worth going down to the main entrance, from where the old streets will lead you to the historic center of Tbilisi.
Old Town - Sulfur Baths or Botanical Garden
Orbiri street will lead us straight to the Old Town, which stretches under the Sololaki ridge. The main attraction of this area (apart from architecture, of course) is the famous ones. There are several dozen of them here, each bath differs in its conditions and prices, but it is definitely worth taking a steam bath for at least an hour in these complexes. Firstly, it is useful, since the water is saturated with natural hydrogen sulfide directly from the springs under the city. 
And secondly, visiting the baths will help you better understand the culture of Tbilisi. At this point, the main route can be finished, because if you pay due attention to each attraction, then by the time you descend to the Old Town it will already be evening. But there are a few more ideas of what to see in Tbilisi in 1 day, and now I will share them.
- Visiting instead of sulfur baths and / or Narikala fortress (it is very pleasant to be in a large green zone on hot days).
- Visit Tsminda Sameba at sunset instead of in the morning (so as not to take a detour from the Avlabari metro station, but go straight to Rike Park).
- Visit to the main flea market in Tbilisi - the market on the Dry Bridge, where there is everything that can be brought from Georgia. The market is located northeast of Rustaveli Avenue, on the banks of the Kura River (instead of the Mtatsminda Amusement Park or Rike Park).
Tbilisi one-day route map
I marked all the main points of the one-day route through the Georgian capital on the map. It is very simple to trace it - the sights are marked with numbers from 1 to 10. Points from 7 to 10 are not included in the main route, but if you wish, you can change it, giving preference to one or another place.
- Tsminda Sameba.
- Metekhi area.
- Narikala Fortress and Mother Kartli.
- Botanical Garden.
- Sulfur baths.
- Freedom Square.
- Dry bridge.
- National Museum.
- Mount Mtatsminda.
What to see in Tbilisi in 2 days == >>
Options for other one-day itineraries
In order not to confuse tourists who have visited the city for the first time, we will consider all the options using the example of the above route. And the first deviation from it will be a turn to the Peace Bridge, from which the road will lead us to Freedom Square (there is a metro station of the same name). 
This is the modern center of Tbilisi, from which Rustaveli Avenue also departs. The main street of the city will be of interest to those who love leisurely walks, enjoy the architecture and developed infrastructure. There are many old buildings on the avenue, the street itself is very green. Here you can visit:
- Drama Theater named after Griboyedov.
- Theater named after Rustaveli.
- Opera and Ballet Theater named after Paliashvili.
- National Museum of Georgia.
- National Gallery.
- Old Parliament building.
The avenue ends at Rustaveli Square, where the metro stop is also located. This is a rather remote place from the Old Town, so it makes sense to end the route here. However, there is always an option to start your walk around Tbilisi from here, and continue in the area of sulfur baths.
But families with children who are interested in what to see in Tbilisi in 1 day can be advised from Freedom Square to go not along Rustaveli Avenue, but along Chonkadze Street, on which the lower station of the city is located.
