Tbilisi 7-day itinerary

Start in the Old Town — leaning wooden balconies, crumbling facades, grapevines on walls, and hidden courtyards. Cable car from Rike Park to Narikala Fortress (3 GEL return) for the definitive city panorama. Walk down through the Botanical Garden (4 GEL) via the waterfall trail. The old town is best explored slowly — every courtyard and side street reveals something.

Explore the sulphur bath district — brick domes steaming since the 13th century. Walk up the Leghvtakhevi canyon to the waterfall. See the Jumah Mosque and Anchiskhati Basilica (6th century) side by side — Georgia's religious tolerance in physical form. Lunch at Samikitno for enormous Georgian meals (8–15 GEL) — try lobio (bean stew), pkhali, and Acharuli khachapuri.

Private sulphur bath at Chreli Abano (30–80 GEL, 45 min) — hot mineral water and a kisi scrub. Then Sololaki wine bars: Vino Underground for natural Georgian wine, g.Vino for a broader selection, or Wine Bar Moustache for the atmosphere. Georgian amber wine (skin-contact, qvevri-fermented) is unlike anything else. Dinner at Café Littera in the Writers' House (mains 25–45 GEL).

Walk Rustaveli Avenue past the Opera House, Parliament, and National Gallery. Visit the Georgian National Museum (15 GEL) — Colchian gold in the Archaeology Treasury, and the Soviet Occupation exhibition upstairs. Coffee at Stamba Hotel — a converted Soviet printing house, now Tbilisi's most stylish hotel lobby. The building's industrial-meets-design aesthetic is worth seeing even without staying.

The Dry Bridge Flea Market is a sprawling treasure hunt — Soviet medals, antique jewellery, old cameras, propaganda art, and Georgian silverwork. Bargaining starts at 50% of asking. Then Fabrika — the converted Soviet factory that's Tbilisi's creative hub. The courtyard has food, drinks, music, and the most diverse crowd in the city. Lunch at Fabrika's food court (8–15 GEL).

Funicular up Mtatsminda (5 GEL return) for sunset over the city and Caucasus. Then a traditional supra at Kakhelebi or Sakhli 11 — Georgian feasting with tamada-led toasts, rivers of wine, khachapuri, khinkali, mtsvadi (grilled meat), and chacha. A supra is not just a meal — it's a ritual of hospitality, storytelling, and connection.

Marshrutka from Didube to Mtskheta (30 min, 1 GEL). Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (4th century, free) is one of the world's oldest churches — believed to house Christ's robe brought by a Georgian Jew after the Crucifixion. The stone carvings and frescoes are extraordinary. Then taxi to Jvari Monastery (10–15 GEL split) — a 6th-century church on a clifftop above the river confluence with transcendent views.

Visit Samtavro Monastery in Mtskheta — where King Mirian and Queen Nana, who converted Georgia to Christianity in 337 AD, are buried. The monastery is still active and serene. Have lunch at a Mtskheta restaurant — churchkhela (grape-walnut candy) and fresh bread from a tone oven are available from street vendors. Return to Tbilisi by marshrutka in the afternoon.

Explore Vera — a quietly trendy neighbourhood with tree-lined streets, hidden cafés, and Tbilisi's best independent restaurants. Dinner at Shavi Lomi for modern Georgian cuisine (tasting plates 15–30 GEL) — their take on traditional dishes is creative and seasonal. Then drinks at Dive Bar on Tabidze for craft cocktails in a basement, or Lolita for wine and vinyl records.

Visit Dezerter Bazaar (Barakashvili Street) — Tbilisi's largest market, named after soldiers who deserted to sell goods here. The market overflows with spices (adjika, khmeli suneli), churchkhela, cheese, fresh produce, and dried fruits. The basement level has the meat and dairy section. Buy spice mixes as souvenirs — the saffron-like flower powder (imeruli) and walnut pastes are unique to Georgia.

Take a Georgian cooking class (60–100 GEL for 3–4 hours) — learn to make khinkali (dumplings), khachapuri (cheese bread), pkhali (walnut-herb pastes), and other staples. Gastronomy is Georgia's greatest cultural expression — the techniques are ancient, the flavours are unique, and the hospitality of sharing food is sacred. Several companies run classes from Fabrika or in the old town.

Most cooking classes end with eating everything you've made — paired with Georgian wine and chacha toasts. If you're still hungry, walk to the Marjanishvili area for Tbilisi's best street food — lobiani (bean-filled bread) from a tone oven for 2–3 GEL. Then Bassiani or Khidi for techno, or the bars around Saarbrücken Bridge for a mellower night.

Join a shared minibus or tour to Kazbegi/Stepantsminda (3 hours, 25–40 GEL return) along the Georgian Military Highway — one of the world's most dramatic mountain roads. Pass through Ananuri Fortress on the Zhinvali Reservoir (stop for photos), ascend through the Jvari Pass at 2,395m with views of the Greater Caucasus, and arrive in Stepantsminda with 5,033m Mount Kazbek towering above.

Hike to Gergeti Trinity Church (1.5 hours up, 1 hour down) — a 14th-century church perched at 2,170m with Mount Kazbek's glaciers as a backdrop. The hike is steep but non-technical. Alternatively, a 4x4 taxi goes to the top (25 GEL from Stepantsminda). The view — stone church, snow-capped peak, and sweeping valleys — is one of the most iconic in the Caucasus. Lunch in Stepantsminda at Rooms Hotel or a local café.

Return to Tbilisi along the Military Highway — the late afternoon light on the mountains is spectacular. Back in the city, keep dinner light at Entrée on Marjanishvili for modern café food and natural wine (mains 15–25 GEL). The contrast between the high Caucasus in the morning and Tbilisi's wine bars in the evening captures Georgia's extraordinary range perfectly.

Explore Tbilisi's Soviet architectural heritage — the Ministry of Roads (a Brutalist masterpiece), the Wedding Palace, and the Andropov's Ears residential blocks. Then visit the MOMA Tbilisi (10 GEL) in the Zubalashvili Building for contemporary Georgian art — the post-Soviet art scene is vibrant and politically charged. Walk through Vera and Vake neighbourhoods for tree-lined boulevards and café culture.

Taxi or bus to the Chronicles of Georgia (free) — 16 massive stone pillars on a hill above Tbilisi Sea, carved with scenes from Georgian history and Biblical stories. Nearby, walk to Turtle Lake (Kus Tba) — a small mountain lake surrounded by forest with a trail circling it. In summer, locals swim and sunbathe on the shores. Rent a paddleboat (5 GEL) and enjoy the mountain-city views.

Tbilisi has one of Europe's most exciting nightlife scenes. Pre-drinks at Fabrika's courtyard or Dive Bar. Then the choice: Bassiani (techno in a converted swimming pool under a football stadium), Khidi (techno in a power plant on the river), or Mtkvarze (a floating club on the water). Cover charges are 20–40 GEL. The scene is inclusive, creative, and genuinely world-class.

One last sulphur bath — this time at Royal Bath House for the most traditional experience (private rooms from 40 GEL). Then a final walk through the old town — push open courtyard gates, photograph the balconies, pet the cats, and buy churchkhela from a street vendor. Coffee at Café Leila in Sololaki — a gorgeous courtyard café that captures Tbilisi's crumbling elegance perfectly.

Souvenir shopping at Dry Bridge Market for final treasures. Pick up Georgian wine (Saperavi, Rkatsiteli) from a wine shop on Lado Asatiani — quality bottles cost 15–30 GEL. Buy spices at Dezerter Bazaar and churchkhela from any street vendor. Final lunch of khinkali at Zakhar Zakharich or Pasanauri (1–1.50 GEL per dumpling) — eat at least 10 and remember the technique.

Final dinner at Sakhli 11 for a proper Georgian supra — the tamada leads toasts, the wine flows endlessly, the dishes keep arriving: khachapuri, lobio, mtsvadi, aubergine rolls with walnut paste, and chacha to finish. Georgia is a country that feeds your soul through your stomach. Leave as Georgians would want you to — full, warm, and planning your return.