Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, is picturesque enough as it is. Each turn around the city will surely lead you to cozy brick buildings, colorfully carved balconies, and eccentric, modern structures. To help you out with this overwhelmingly scenic capital, here are the most Instagrammable places to visit in Tbilisi, Georgia.
1.BRIDGE OF PEACE
The Bridge of Peace is a glass and steel footbridge that crosses the Mtkvari River and connects Old Town Tbilisi to Rike Park. You can visit the bridge anytime of the day. I recommend visiting 90 minutes before the sun sets because the LED lights on the bridge are turned on and makes for a pretty sight to see.
Address: Near Erekle II Street or Rike Park
2. CLOCK TOWER
This peculiar leaning clock tower makes me feel like I stepped into an old cartoon. It was built in 2010 by the puppeteer Rezo Gabriadze right next to his puppet theatre. If you get there around 12 NN or at 7 PM, you’ll see a puppet show called the Circle of Life just below the clock. If you can’t make it at those times, try to get there at the strike of the hour to catch an angel hitting a bell with a little hammer.
Address: 13 Ioane Shavteli St. Tbilisi, Georgia
3.ABANOTUBANI BATHHOUSES
The Abanotubani bathhouses are located in the historic district of Abanotubani in Old Town Tbilisi. The bathhouses have domed-shaped brick rooftops and chimneys, which emits the smell of rotting eggs. This is due to the hot sulphur spring water the bathhouses use for its pools. So expect to smile through the smell when you’re taking your selfie.
Address: Abano street, Tbilisi, Georgia
4.ORBELIANI BATHHOUSE
You can’t miss this lovely blue and yellow mosaic tiled building in the Abanotubani district. It may look like a pretty mosque on the outside but it’s actually a fully functioning bathhouse inside. If you’re interested to take a dip inside, it operates from 8AM-12MN, but you can take photos with the exterior at anytime of the day.
Address: 31 Abano St, Tbilisi, Georgia
5.NARIKALA FORTRESS
For the best views around Tbilisi, you better head to the top of Narikala Fortress. It’s a 4th century Persian citadel. It has impressive and gorgeous views overlooking the old town and Mtkvari River at any time of the day. To get there, you can take the cable car from Rike Park or hike up from Abanotubani.
Address: Near Abanotubani, Tbilisi, Georgia
6.GALLERY 27 / KALEIDOSCOPE HOUSE
The Kaleidoscope House is a beautiful 19th century wooden residence in Old Tibilisi. On the way up to Gallery 27, you’ll surely want to photograph the stained glass adorning the staircase windows. Even Gallery 27 itself is cozy with its ornately carved balcony and handcrafted souvenirs on display. I recommend visiting when the sun is out to make sure the stained glass are illuminated. It’s open from 11AM to 8PM and doesn’t have an entrance fee.
Address: N3 Betlemi St, Tbilisi 0105, Georgia
7. FABRIKA Hostel
Fabrika may have formerly been a Soviet sewing factory, but it has since been transformed into a trendy and artistic multifunctional place to hangout. It has a hostel, a cafe, a few studios, several art shops, co-working spaces, and event spaces. You’ll never run out of Instagrammable shots from the eye-catching street art to the cute restored retro vehicles.
Address: 8 Egnate Ninoshvili St, Tbilisi, Georgia
8. THE DRY BRIDGE MARKET
The Dry Bridge Market is a haven for antique lovers. You’ll find a ton of odd knick-knacks, vintage jewelry, household items, old books, clothes, Soviet keepsakes and a whole lot more. It operates daily from 11AM to 5PM.
Address: Below Dry Bridge, near Saarbrücken Square
9. LONDON HOTEL (CURRENTLY CLOSED)
Hotel London was once the most popular hotel in 19th century Tbilisi. Although the floor tiles are cracked, the staircase is worn down and the painted wall is slightly chipped, the entrance hall still boasts of a once elegant hotel. It is currently inhabited and closed to the public.
Address: 31 Atoneli St., Tbilisi, Georgia
10. LEGVTAKHEVI AREA AND WATERFALL
One of Tbilisi’s surprises, Legvtakhevi, which translates to Fig Ravine in Georgian, is a beautiful small gorge just behind Abanotubani. You’ll want to visit the pretty waterfall at the end of the gorge. You’ll also find a legend bar below near the river. There’s even a love lock bridge that has padlocks from couples symbolizing their unbreakable love for each other.
Address: 1 Botanikuri Street, Tbilisi, Georgia
11.MTASMINDA PARK
On top of Mount Mtatsminda, you’ll find Mtatsminda Park, which is the highest park in town. I had amazing views of the city and the entrance is free. There are a lot of rides like carousels, ferris wheel, water rides and even restaurants for a quick bite. You can take a funicular (cable car) trip to reach the park or take a bus or a car.
Address: Mount Mtatsminda, Tbilisi, Georgia
12.THE CHRONICLE OF GEORGIA
A truly majestic sight, I was left speechless when I visited The Chronicle of Georgia. There are 16 gigantic pillars describing Georgia’s history and its kings and queens at the top part of the pillars and the life of Jesus at the bottom. It isn’t in the city center so to get there, you can take the Metro Line 1 to Ghrmaghele station. Stay on the same side of the road and take bus 60 all the way to the drop off 500 meters from the Chronicle of Georgia. There weren’t a lot of visitors when I visited and even if there were other visitors, the place is big enough for a tourist-free Instagram shot. You’ll also get a view of the Tbilisi Sea, Georgia’s artificial lake, which also serves as their reservoir and local vacation place.
Address: Chronicles of Georgia Temqa, Tbilisi, Georgia
13.UNDERGROUND TUNNELS AND STREET ART
While walking around Tbilisi, I had fun catching glimpses of Georgian street art popping up now and again. There are huge colorful murals and even tiny statement art pieces all around town. Try to spot them in Heroes Square Underpass, Baratashvili Bridge Underpass, Fabrika Hostel, Vake Park Underpass and the Dry Bridge Market.
14.MEIDAN BAZAAR
Nestled underneath the Meidan Square, you can find the Meidan Bazaar. It’s overflowing with all kinds of items for sale, such as paintings, Georgian wine, spices, clothing accessories, musical instruments, sculptures, and more. It’s open from 10AM – 10PM.
Address: Meidan Square, Tbilisi, Georgia
15.MTASMINDA CABLE CAR STATION
Mtatsminda cable car station, more commonly known as Tbilisi Funicular, is a 19th century cable-operated railway from Chonqadze Street all the way up to Mtatsminda Park. The lower station displays the Funicular’s history and the upper station has a Funicular Restaurant with great views of the capital. It operates 9AM to 11 PM.
Address: Daniel Chonqadze Street, Tbilisi, Georgia (across from Vilnius Square)
16. SHARDENI STREET
Shardeni Street is a busy little street near Meidan Bazaar. It’s lined with beautiful cafes and restaurants for your next best Instagram photo. You can visit during the day or at night, either way you’ll surely get to experience the colourful Tbilisi social scene.
Address: Shardeni Street, Tbilisi, Georgia (near Meidan Bazaar)
17. G VINO HOTEL COURTYARD
For a quaint dining experience, I recommend g.Vino City Wine Hotel’s courtyard. There are potted greeneries all around the courtyard with globe string lights radiating up above. Two of the building’s facades are covered in white intricately stenciled patterns giving a modern touch to the historic building’s exterior.
Address: 82, Uznadze street, Tbilisi, Georgia
18. THE BLUE COURTYARD
One of the things about Tbilisi that I love the most is that you can be walking down any street there, randomly turn into an alley, and find yourself in the middle of a gorgeous scene. That is exactly what happened when I came across this blue courtyard. While you can tell that other Instagram-worthy places actually put in the effort to earn their place in your social media feed, the simplicity and effortless charm of this little corner is such a refreshing reminder that there are those that are simply beautiful without even trying.
Address: Ietim Gurji Street 9/4, Tbilisi, Georgia
19. Architecture of Houses around Old Town
