- With one day in Tbilisi, walk the Old Town from Freedom Square to the Bridge of Peace, ride the cable car to Narikala, and finish with a private sulphur bath and dinner in Sololaki.
- A second day covers the National Museum, Rustaveli Avenue, the Dry Bridge market, Sololaki's painted hallways and sunset on Mtatsminda by funicular.
- For a third day, choose between the left bank (Sameba, Dezerter Bazaar, Turtle Lake and an evening at Fabrika) or a half day in Mtskheta, 30 minutes north.
- Every stop on days one and two is within a 15-minute walk of the next; the cable car and funicular take care of the two steep climbs.
- If it rains, move the museum, the baths and the covered market forward and keep the viewpoints for the first dry spell.
The best way to spend 1 to 3 days in Tbilisi is to give the first day to the Old Town and Narikala, the second to Rustaveli Avenue, Sololaki and Mtatsminda, and the third either to the left bank and Fabrika or to a morning in Mtskheta. Each plan below is a full day of walking with lunch and dinner built in, and each one also works alone, so you can stop after one day or carry on to three.
This page is the schedule, not the encyclopedia. For background on each sight, the neighbourhoods and where to stay, read our complete guide to things to do in Tbilisi. Here you get the order to see things in, how many minutes separate them on foot, where to eat on each stretch, what to swap when it rains or tops 35°C, and which day trips to add once the city is done.
Tbilisi itinerary at a glance
Days 1 and 2 stay in the historic core on the right bank of the Mtkvari; day 3 crosses the river or leaves town. Distances exclude the cable car and funicular.
| Day | Theme | Main stops | On foot | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Old Town, fortress and baths | Sioni, Anchiskhati, Bridge of Peace, Narikala, Mother of Georgia, Abanotubani, Leghvtakhevi, Metekhi viewpoint | about 6 km | Steady, two short climbs |
| Day 2 | Museums, markets and the holy mountain | National Museum, Rustaveli Avenue, Dry Bridge market, Sololaki, funicular to Mtatsminda | about 6 to 7 km | Easy morning, uphill afternoon |
| Day 3 (A) | Left bank and the green hills | Sameba, Dezerter Bazaar, Turtle Lake, ethnography museum, Fabrika | about 5 km plus metro and taxi | Relaxed, more transport |
| Day 3 (B) | Mtskheta and Avlabari | Jvari, Svetitskhoveli, Samtavro, then Sameba and Fabrika | about 4 km plus a 30-minute drive each way | Relaxed |
One day: follow Day 1. Two days: add Day 2. Three days: pick the Day 3 option that suits you, markets and city life or the old royal capital.
Day 1: Old Town, Narikala and the sulphur baths
The Tbilisi of postcards: carved balconies, a 4th-century fortress on the ridge and brick domes over hot springs, walked as a loop.
Morning: Freedom Square to the fortress (9am to 12.30pm)
- Freedom Square to Sioni Cathedral, 10 minutes
Walk down Kote Abkhazi Street, still widely called Leselidze. Inside Sioni, look for the vine-stem cross of St Nino beside the altar. - Sioni to Anchiskhati and the leaning clock tower, 5 minutes
Follow Shavteli Street north to the 6th-century basilica, then the crooked puppet-theatre tower by Rezo Gabriadze beside it. - Clock tower to the Bridge of Peace, 5 minutes
Drop to the river at Erekle II Square and cross the glass-roofed footbridge. - Rike Park to Narikala, 5 minutes plus a short cable car ride
The gondola rises from the park over the river and the roofs of Kala in about two minutes. - Along the walls to the Mother of Georgia, 10 minutes
Walk the ramparts with care (worn, unfenced steps), then follow the ridge path west to Kartlis Deda.
Lunch near Abanotubani (12.30pm to 2pm)
Stairs drop from the fortress to the bath district in about 15 minutes. Eat in a cellar restaurant around Abanotubani or on Erekle II Street: khinkali, pkhali and mushrooms baked in a clay ketsi make a good first Georgian meal.
Afternoon: the gorge, the garden and a hot soak (2pm to 6pm)
- Abanotubani to Leghvtakhevi waterfall, 10 minutes
A paved path climbs the ravine behind the baths, past the mosque minaret, to the falls. - Optional: the Botanical Garden, 1 to 2 hours
The gate is a few minutes away. Its upper paths are shaded but steep, so skip it if your legs feel the morning. - A private sulphur bath, 1 hour
Book a private room in a domed bathhouse for late afternoon, with a kisi scrub if you want the full treatment. You come out loose-limbed and hungry.
Evening: lights over the river (6pm onwards)
- Baths to the Metekhi viewpoint, 10 minutes
Cross Metekhi Bridge to the church and King Vakhtang's statue and watch the Old Town and fortress light up across the water. - Metekhi to the Bridge of Peace, 10 minutes
Recross the river on the footbridge, now lit up. - Dinner in the Old Town or Sololaki, 10 to 15 minutes on foot
Book for about 8.30pm: three or four shared plates and a bottle of amber wine.
Day 1 route as a map list
- 1. Freedom Square (start)
- 2. Sioni Cathedral: 10 min on foot
- 3. Anchiskhati Basilica and the Gabriadze clock tower: 5 min
- 4. Bridge of Peace: 5 min
- 5. Rike Park lower cable car station: 5 min
- 6. Narikala Fortress: about 2 min by cable car
- 7. Mother of Georgia: 10 min along the ridge
- 8. Abanotubani bath district: 15 min downhill
- 9. Leghvtakhevi waterfall: 10 min up the gorge and back
- 10. Metekhi Church viewpoint: 10 min across Metekhi Bridge
- 11. Dinner in Sololaki or the Old Town: 15 to 20 min
Day 2: National Museum, Dry Bridge, Sololaki and Mtatsminda
From the 19th-century boulevard to the merchant quarter and up the mountain: a flat, indoor morning and an uphill afternoon.
Morning: gold, fossils and the avenue (9.30am to 1pm)
- Freedom Square to the National Museum, 5 minutes
Give the Simon Janashia Museum two hours: the Colchian gold in the treasury first, then the Dmanisi skulls and the Soviet occupation hall. - Museum to the National Gallery, 5 minutes
Thirty minutes with the Pirosmani canvases is enough if museums tire you. - Gallery to the Opera House, 10 minutes
Pass Parliament and Kashveti Church to the Moorish-style Opera, and buy tickets now if you want a show on Day 3.
Rustaveli Avenue has been under a full rebuild since July 2026, due to finish around the end of November. The museums stay reachable on foot, but expect fences, detours and noise until then.
Lunch in Vera or on Rustaveli (1pm to 2.30pm)
Climb a block or two into Vera, where cafes cook for locals. Try chikhirtma, an egg-thickened chicken soup, or lobio beans in a clay pot with cornbread.
Afternoon: flea market and painted hallways (2.30pm to 6pm)
- Vera to the Dry Bridge market, 15 minutes downhill
Soviet medals, cameras, enamel signs and paintings on the park railings. Bring small notes and haggle with a smile. - Dry Bridge to Sololaki, 15 to 20 minutes
Cross Freedom Square and climb Lado Asatiani Street. Where doors stand open, peek at painted entrance halls, quietly: people live there. - Coffee at the Writers' House, 5 to 10 minutes
The brandy maker Sarajishvili's mansion on Machabeli Street has a garden for a late coffee.
Evening: the holy mountain at sunset (from about an hour before sunset)
- Sololaki to the funicular, 10 minutes uphill
Board on Chonkadze Street an hour before sunset: around 7.30pm in June, 4pm in December. - Stop at the Pantheon halfway up
Step off at the middle station for the writers' graves around St David's Church, then ride on. - Mtatsminda Park and dinner with a view
Walk the terraces at about 770 metres as the city lights up, then dine at the top or back in Sololaki.
A second line, reopened in October 2024, links the park with Rustaveli Avenue in about four minutes, handy for the ride down.
Day 2 route as a map list
- 1. Freedom Square (start)
- 2. Georgian National Museum: 5 min on foot
- 3. National Gallery: 5 min
- 4. Opera House on Rustaveli Avenue: 10 min
- 5. Lunch in Vera: 5 to 10 min uphill
- 6. Dry Bridge market: 15 min downhill
- 7. Sololaki entrance halls: 15 to 20 min
- 8. Writers' House garden: 5 to 10 min
- 9. Funicular lower station, Chonkadze Street: 10 min uphill
- 10. Pantheon and Mtatsminda Park: a few minutes by funicular
Day 3, option A: Sameba, the bazaar, Turtle Lake and Fabrika
The everyday city: a working food market, a woodland lake and the creative quarter around Fabrika, with the metro and taxis to keep walking light.
Morning: cathedral and market (9am to 12.30pm)
- Old Town to Sameba, 20 minutes uphill (or Avlabari metro, then 10 minutes)
Climb through Avlabari to the Holy Trinity Cathedral. On Sunday morning, stand at the back and hear the choir. - Avlabari to Station Square by metro, about 10 minutes
Four stops on line 1. - Dezerter Bazaar, 5 minutes from the metro, 1 to 1.5 hours
Herbs, spices, cheese, honey and churchkhela; sellers press tastes on you.
Lunch around the bazaar or Aghmashenebeli Avenue (12.30pm to 2pm)
Eat khachapuri and kharcho in a canteen by the market, or walk 10 minutes to a terrace on Aghmashenebeli Avenue.
Afternoon: the green hills (2pm to 6pm)
- Taxi to Vake Park, about 20 minutes
The ropeway starts at the top of Vake Park on Chavchavadze Avenue. - Ropeway to Turtle Lake, a few minutes
Circle the lake in the cooler woods. If the ropeway is stopped, a taxi takes the hill road. - Lake to the Open Air Museum of Ethnography, about 15 minutes on foot
Allow an hour for the village houses, towers and wine cellars brought here from every region.
Evening: Chugureti and Fabrika (7pm onwards)
Taxi to Marjanishvili (20 to 25 minutes), dine on Aghmashenebeli Avenue, then walk 10 minutes to the Fabrika courtyard, busiest on Friday and Saturday.
Day 3A route as a map list
- 1. Metekhi Bridge (start from the Old Town)
- 2. Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba): 20 min uphill
- 3. Avlabari metro: 10 min, then 4 stops to Station Square
- 4. Dezerter Bazaar: 5 min from the metro
- 5. Lunch on Aghmashenebeli Avenue: 10 min
- 6. Vake Park ropeway: about 20 min by taxi
- 7. Turtle Lake: a few minutes by ropeway
- 8. Open Air Museum of Ethnography: about 15 min on foot
- 9. Aghmashenebeli Avenue and Fabrika: 20 to 25 min by taxi
Day 3, option B: a morning in Mtskheta, an evening in Avlabari
Mtskheta, royal capital of Kartli until about the 6th century, lies about 20 km north, half an hour by car. Its three UNESCO-listed churches fit easily into a morning.
Morning: Jvari and Svetitskhoveli (9am to 1pm)
- Tbilisi to Jvari Monastery, about 30 minutes by car
The hilltop church from around 600 looks down on the green Aragvi joining the brown Mtkvari. - Jvari to Mtskheta town, about 15 minutes by car
No bus climbs to Jvari, which is why a driver or a guided trip makes this morning easy. - Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Samtavro, 1.5 to 2 hours on foot
The 11th-century cathedral of the kings, then Samtavro convent, 10 minutes on.
Lunch in Mtskheta (1pm to 2.30pm)
Try lobiani, bean-filled bread, near the cathedral; stalls at the gate sell churchkhela.
Afternoon and evening: back to the left bank
Get dropped at Sameba for the late light on its dome, walk 15 minutes down to Metekhi and Rike Park, then finish at Fabrika as in option A.
Day 3B route as a map list
- 1. Your Tbilisi hotel (pickup)
- 2. Jvari Monastery: about 30 min by car
- 3. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral: about 15 min by car
- 4. Samtavro Monastery: 10 min on foot
- 5. Sameba in Tbilisi: about 30 to 40 min by car
- 6. Metekhi Church and Rike Park: 15 min downhill
- 7. Fabrika: about 15 min by taxi or 3 metro stops from Avlabari to Marjanishvili
Our private Mtskheta Day Trip collects you from your hotel and can run as a short morning or stretch to include the cave monastery of Shio-Mgvime. Any date, any group size.
One day in Tbilisi: three ways to spend it
Day 1 is our single-day plan. Here is how to bend it.
| Your situation | Do this | Leave out |
|---|---|---|
| A full day, first visit | Day 1 exactly as written | Botanical Garden |
| You land at midday | Bridge of Peace, cable car to Narikala, baths at about 5pm, Metekhi at dusk, dinner | Sioni and Anchiskhati (catch them next morning on the way to the airport) |
| You prefer views to baths | Day 1 morning, then Sololaki and the funicular to Mtatsminda for sunset | The bath and the gorge |
| A long layover of 8 to 10 hours | Taxi in (about 30 minutes), Old Town loop, cable car, a quick khinkali lunch, back by taxi | Anything that needs a booking |
Walking times between Tbilisi's main sights
Map apps ignore stairs. These are realistic sightseeing-pace times for the hops between days and areas.
| From | To | On foot | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Square | Sioni Cathedral | 10 min | Downhill on Kote Abkhazi Street |
| Sioni Cathedral | Abanotubani baths | 5 min | Past the synagogue and the Armenian church |
| Narikala | Abanotubani | 15 min | Steep stairs down |
| Abanotubani | Metekhi Church | 10 min | Across Metekhi Bridge, short climb |
| Metekhi Church | Sameba Cathedral | 15 to 20 min | Uphill through Avlabari |
| Freedom Square | National Museum | 5 min | Start of Rustaveli Avenue |
| National Museum | Opera House | 15 min | Flat along the avenue |
| Freedom Square | Dry Bridge market | 15 min | Via Baratashvili Street |
| Freedom Square | Funicular lower station | 15 to 20 min | Uphill through Sololaki |
| Marjanishvili metro | Fabrika | 10 min | Flat, via Aghmashenebeli Avenue |
For longer hops take the metro or a ride-hailing app; our things-to-do guide covers transport in full.
Where to eat on each day, by area
Eat where the route takes you rather than crossing town for one address. What each area does best:
| Area | On which day | Best for | What to order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abanotubani and Erekle II Street | Day 1 lunch | Cellar restaurants and terraces by the baths | Khinkali, pkhali, mushrooms in a ketsi |
| Kote Abkhazi (Leselidze) Street | Day 1 morning | Bakeries and quick bites | Warm shoti bread, penovani khachapuri |
| Sololaki (Lado Asatiani and Machabeli streets) | Days 1 and 2, dinner | Natural wine bars and modern Georgian kitchens | Amber Rkatsiteli or Kisi with badrijani and cheese plates |
| Vera | Day 2 lunch | Neighbourhood cafes, brunch, specialty coffee | Chikhirtma, lobio, seasonal salads with walnut |
| Mtatsminda Park | Day 2 evening | Dinner with the city view | Mtsvadi skewers and a bottle of Saperavi |
| Dezerter Bazaar and Station Square | Day 3A lunch | Cheap canteens and market snacks | Kharcho, Imeretian khachapuri, churchkhela |
| Aghmashenebeli Avenue and Fabrika | Day 3 evening | Terraces, craft beer, late bars | Adjarian khachapuri, chashushuli, local beer |
| Mtskheta old town | Day 3B lunch | Riverside and cathedral-side restaurants | Lobiani and trout |
Make one evening a long qvevri wine supper with regional dishes; on our Tbilisi City Break a local host leads it.
What to do in Tbilisi when it rains: day-by-day swaps
Tbilisi rain usually comes as heavy showers, mostly in May and June, while summer afternoons can pass 35°C. The fix is the same: put indoor stops in the bad hours.
| Day | Outdoor plan | Rainy-day swap | Very hot day swap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Narikala walls and the ridge path | Bath earlier, then Sioni, Anchiskhati and the Tbilisi History Museum in the old Karvasla caravanserai on Sioni Street | Narikala at 9am, bath at midday, walk again after 6pm |
| Day 1 | Leghvtakhevi gorge and Botanical Garden | A cellar lunch and a longer bath; cobbles and the gorge path get slippery | The Botanical Garden is the shadiest spot in the centre, so go in the early afternoon |
| Day 2 | Dry Bridge market | National Museum and National Gallery back to back; the market thins out in rain | Market before 11am, museums in the heat of the day |
| Day 2 | Mtatsminda at sunset | Skip the funicular in fog or low cloud; book the Opera or a folk-dance show instead | Perfect: the hilltop is cooler and it opens up after dark |
| Day 3A | Turtle Lake and the open-air museum | Dezerter Bazaar's covered halls, then Fabrika's cafes and shops | Lake in the morning, bazaar and Fabrika later |
| Day 3B | Jvari hilltop | Still worth it: Svetitskhoveli and Samtavro are indoors, and Jvari takes 20 minutes | Go early; the churches stay cool inside |
Adding a fourth day: the best day trips from Tbilisi
After three city days, head out. Mountains, wine villages and cave towns all lie within three hours, so you keep the same hotel.
| Day trip | Distance from Tbilisi | Drive each way | Why go | Our tour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mtskheta and Shio-Mgvime | about 20 to 30 km | 30 to 40 min | UNESCO churches, a cave monastery, easy half day | Mtskheta Day Trip |
| Uplistsikhe, Gori and Mtskheta | about 90 km | about 1 h 15 min | Rock-cut town, Stalin Museum, two capitals in one day | Uplistsikhe, Gori & Mtskheta Day Trip |
| Kakheti and Sighnaghi | about 115 km | about 2 h | Qvevri wine cellars, Bodbe, the town walls over the Alazani Valley | Kakheti Wine Day Trip |
| Kazbegi | about 150 km | about 3 h | Georgian Military Highway, Ananuri, Gergeti Trinity under Mount Kazbek | Kazbegi Day Trip |
Kakheti suits wine lovers: you meet the families behind the bottles poured in Sololaki. For mountains, our Kazbegi Day Trip crosses the 2,379-metre Jvari Pass. All our day trips are private, any date and any group size, from your hotel door.
Twelve options are compared side by side in our day trips from Tbilisi article.
Tbilisi with a guide: our three-day city break
You can do all of this alone. A guide adds what is hard to arrange: open Sololaki stairwells, the right bath slot, and wines you will not find in shops.
- Day 1: Old Town, Leghvtakhevi, Narikala by cable car and a private sulphur bath
- Day 2: Sololaki's entrance halls, Rustaveli Avenue, the funicular and Pantheon, Fabrika and a qvevri wine supper
- Day 3: Jvari and Svetitskhoveli in Mtskheta, then your airport or hotel by early afternoon
- Two nights in a central boutique hotel, your own guide daily, a car for Mtskheta
We order the days around your flights. Private, year-round, any date and any group size.
Tbilisi itinerary FAQ
Is one day enough for Tbilisi?
One full day is enough for the essentials: the Old Town, Narikala by cable car, the sulphur baths and the view from Metekhi at dusk. You will miss the museums, Sololaki and Mtatsminda, so two days is the better minimum if your trip allows it.
How many days should you spend in Tbilisi?
Two full days cover the historic centre at a comfortable pace, and three let you add either the left bank and Fabrika or a morning in Mtskheta. With four or more, use the extra days for trips to Kakheti or Kazbegi rather than more sightseeing in town.
What is the best 3-day itinerary for Tbilisi?
Spend day one on the Old Town, Narikala and the baths, day two on the National Museum, the Dry Bridge market, Sololaki and Mtatsminda at sunset, and day three either at Sameba, Dezerter Bazaar, Turtle Lake and Fabrika or in Mtskheta. Each day is mostly on foot, with the cable car and funicular for the climbs.
Can you see Tbilisi on foot?
Yes. On days one and two, no stop is more than about 15 minutes' walk from the next. Hills and polished cobbles are the real effort, so wear grippy shoes and let the gondola and funicular handle the steepest parts.
What can I do in Tbilisi on a rainy day?
Spend the wet hours in the National Museum and the National Gallery on Rustaveli Avenue, book a private sulphur bath, browse the covered halls of Dezerter Bazaar or settle into the cafes at Fabrika. Leave Narikala and Mtatsminda for the next dry spell, as the cobbles and fortress steps get slippery.
Can I visit Mtskheta on a short Tbilisi trip?
Yes. Mtskheta is about 20 km north, roughly 30 minutes by car, and a morning is enough for Jvari, Svetitskhoveli and Samtavro. It fits as day three of a city break or as a half day before an evening flight.
What should I do in Tbilisi in the evening?
Watch the lights come on from Metekhi or Mtatsminda, then have a late dinner in Sololaki or the Old Town, since locals rarely sit down before 8pm or 9pm. Later, the Fabrika courtyard and Aghmashenebeli Avenue stay lively, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.
Which day of the week is best for each part of the itinerary?
Put the Dry Bridge market on a weekend morning, when most traders are out, and Sameba on a Sunday morning for the liturgy and choir. Museums are calmer on weekdays, and bathhouses are busiest on weekend evenings, so book those slots ahead.
