Tbilisi



Tbilisi (Georgian: თბილისი, Russian: Тифлис Tiflis), is the capital city of the country of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mtkvari River. The metropolitan area covers 726 km² (280 mi²) and has a population of approximately 1.5 million (2022).

Understand
Tbilisi (formerly called 'Tiflis' after its Russian name) lies in the centre of eastern Georgia, in the foothills of the Trialeti mountain range. According to Georgian legends, it was founded in the 5th century by King Vakhtang Gorgasali who, while hunting, shot a pheasant which fell into a warm spring and was either boiled or healed. Either way, the king was inspired to found a city on the site, and the name of the city derives from the Georgian word tbili meaning "warm". Although the city has been destroyed and rebuilt 29 times, the layout of the Old Town is largely intact with narrow alleys and big crooked houses built around courtyards.

Climate
Tbilisi experiences relatively cold winters and hot summers. Because the city is bounded on most sides by mountain ranges, the close proximity to large bodies of water (Black and Caspian Seas) and the fact that the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range (further to the north) blocks the intrusion of cold air masses from Russia, Tbilisi has a relatively mild micro-climate compared to other cities that possess a similar continental climate along the same latitudes. The average annual temperature in Tbilisi is 12.7 °C (54.9 °F). January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 0.9 °C (33.6 °F). July is the hottest month with an average temperature of 24.4 °C (75.9 °F). The absolute minimum recorded temperature is −24 °C (−11 °F) and the absolute maximum is 40 °C (104 °F). Average annual precipitation is 568 mm (22.4 in). May and June are the wettest months (averaging 84 mm (3.3 in) of precipitation each) while January is the driest (averaging 20 mm (0.8 in) of precipitation). Snow falls on average 15–25 days per year. The surrounding mountains often trap the clouds within and around the city, mainly during the Spring and Autumn months, resulting in prolonged rainy and/or cloudy weather. Northwesterly winds dominate in most parts of Tbilisi throughout the year. Southeasterly winds are common as well.

Visitor information

 * [Tbilisi municipal government website
 * [Tbilisi municipal government website

By plane


See this section for the very limited domestic flights to the city.

International flights go to Tbilisi regularly from Aktau, Almaty, Amsterdam, Antalya, Athens, Baku, Doha, Donetsk, Dnipro, Dubai, Istanbul IST & SAW, Kazan, Kharkiv, Kyiv KBP, London LGW, Minsk, Moscow DME & ZIA, Munich, Novosibirsk, Odesa, Paris CDG, Prague, Riga, Rome, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, St Petersburg, Tallinn, Tel Aviv, Vienna, Vilnius, Warsaw, Yekaterinburg and Yerevan. There are summer seasonal flights to the Med and Red Sea resorts.

You may also want to consider arriving in the Kutaisi Airport. Flight prices from Asia and Europe can be as low as €20-30. The low fare routes are (as of May 2021) from Vienna, Larnaca, Prague, Tallin, Berlin, Dortmund, Memmingen, Athens, Thessaloniki, Budapest, Milan, Rome, Riga, Vilnius, Gdansk, Katowice, Kraków, Poznan, Warsaw, Wroclaw and Abu Dhabi. From Kutaisi to Tbilisi you go 4 hours in a marshrutka for. Or you can take the train.

Getting there and away:


 * By bus – Bus 337 leaves from the right corner of the arrival area. From 06:59 to 22:59 every 20-30 min. The night bus between 23:00–06:30 is not running (as of June 2022). Via Avlabari, Freedom Square, Rustaveli, Republic Square and Tamar Bridge to the main train station; allow 50 min. The fare is 1 lari with Metromoney Card, or 1.50 lari with credit card (contactless payment required). You will need either, coins are not accepted anymore. Also see: Tbilisi Transport Company
 * Don't count on the last or last two airport buses to run to the airport. Nothing is overly reliable in Georgia, especially when taxi drivers can earn an extra lari. In May 2023, the last airport bus departed Tbilisi's main railroad station at 23:50.


 * By taxi – Between the airport and the city it costs 20–30 lari. Standard rates are listed on a board by the taxi rank as you exit the airport, on the right hand side. As of early 2019, the tourist information in the airport quotes 30–50 lari, but Yandex.Taxi, Cabify and Bolt can already be had for 20 lari. Taxi drivers (even of the "official" taxis) outside might insist that the official rate is 80 lari. They are lying.
 * Beware: Scammer taxi drivers have proliferated at Tbilisi Airport in the past several years and will charge several times the rate. They are aggressive and will immediately accost you upon leaving the baggage claim with greetings like: "Hello, my friend." Be particularly wary of one tall and thin scammer, who will try to be very friendly yet can be menacing if you refuse. Try also to avoid withdrawing money from the ATMs at the airport as many of the scammer drivers that accost passengers try to look over your shoulder to see how much you are withdrawing.


 * By thumb – Getting around in Georgia by thumb is easy, also from the airport. Try along the road to the highway or at the highway north from the airport, especially in case you want to explore Kakheti in the east.

Domestic trains
Trains run twice daily between Tbilisi and Batumi, departing each city around 07:30 and 17:30 and taking 5 hr. These trains also connect to Yerevan (Armenia).

Trains also run from Gori, Borjomi, Kutaisi I + II, Marneuli, Poti and Zugdidi.

International trains

 * Yerevan – There is a train servicing Tbilisi to Yerevan. All of the information which follows this sentence may be outdated.
 * An overnight train runs between Tbilisi and Yerevan in Armenia. From Oct to mid-June this departs from Tbilisi (as Train 371) at 20:20 on odd dates of the month, reaching the border at 22:00 and Yerevan 06:55 next morning. It departs from Yerevan (as Train 372) at 21:30 on even dates, reaching the border at 04:20 and Tbilisi at 07:50. The 31st/1st of the month may be skipped to maintain the alternation. Border procedures either side take 90 min. In summer these trains may be booked out for days ahead, so buy your ticket as soon as possible - you can do so online. The coaches are standard ex-Soviet behemoths, but with fairly comfortable sleeping compartments. No catering, so bring your own food, water, vodka etc.
 * The one way fare is 54.50/61.25 lari (upper/lower bed) in 3rd class, and about 90 lari in a 2nd class sleeper berth. 3rd class can be sticky and uncomfortable if it is fully booked&mdash;check ahead.
 * From mid-June through Sept this train runs daily from Batumi on the Black Sea coast. As Train 201, it departs Batumi 15:35 and Tbilisi 22:15, reaching Yerevan at 07:25. As Train 202, it departs Yerevan 15:30 and Tbilisi 00:45, reaching Batumi at 07:10. Other domestic trains link Tbilisi and Batumi. Batumi is close to the Sarpi/Hopa border crossing between Georgia and Turkey, which is the main overland route into this region.


 * Baku – Trains have not run between the Azerbaijani capital and Tbilisi since COVID-19. There are now no trains that cross the border between these two states.


 * Ankara – Passenger rail service between Baku and Turkey's capital city via Tbilisi has not yet started operating, and there seems to be no set timeline on when it is due to begin.

By bus or marshrutka
There are three main bus stations in Tbilisi, and several smaller ones. In Georgian, bus station is ავტოსადგური or ავტოვაგზალი. Most often than not, large bus stations are located adjacent to big train stations (called sadguri სადგური or vagzali ვაგზალი). To transfer between Didube and Ortachala, use marshrutka 150 or metro.




 * Kutaisi – 07:00-19:00 hourly. 3.5–4 hr. 10 lari.
 * Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) – Connections to Tbilisi at 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:30, 14:00, 15:30, 17:00 and 18:00. 3 hr, 10-15 lari.
 * Gori – Hourly. 1.5 hr. 3 lari
 * Borjomi – Every 2 hr. 3 hr. 8 lari.
 * Mestia – At 05:00 and 07:00 from Tbilisi, and probably also very early from Mestia. 10-12 hr. 30 lari.
 * Turkey – Metro Turizm and Lüks Karadeniz run two buses a day each from Ankara and one from Istanbul, and occasionally all the way from Athens and Thessaloniki. Prices are around 100 lari or 160 TL.
 * Turkey – Metro Turizm and Lüks Karadeniz run two buses a day each from Ankara and one from Istanbul, and occasionally all the way from Athens and Thessaloniki. Prices are around 100 lari or 160 TL.




 * Yerevan (Armenia) via Vanadzor (08:00, 6 hr, 30 lari): change there for Sevan and Ijevan. Later marshrutkas start when full, but you are probably better off going from Avlabari bus station (see above). Alternatively, if you are 3-4 people, take a taxi&mdash;Alaverdi is just 110 lari with Bolt from Tbilisi. From Yerevan marshrutkas leave the Central/Kilikia bus station at 08:30 for 6,500 dram.
 * Vanadzor and Sevan (Armenia) – Hourly 07:00–12:00.
 * Ijevan (Armenia) – At least one marshrutka from Ijevan at 09:30 (1,000 dram), with necessary interchange at the border.
 * Ganja (Azerbaijan) – Sprinter, from Tbilisi at 07:00, 15 lari, from Ganja at 09:00, 8 manat, 3-4 hr.
 * Baku – Buses take 12 hr.
 * Qax (Qakh) (Azerbaijan, via Lagodekhi border, 5-6 hr) – marshrutka from Qax (8 manat): 08:30, 10:30, 13:30; marshrutka to Qax (10 lari, pay straight at kassa, otherwise driver will want to take 12 lari from you): 08:40, ~11:00, ~13:00.
 * Zaqatala (Azerbaijan, via Lagodekhi border, 5-6 hr) – marshrutka to Zaqatala, ~09:00 (10 lari). At least one per day from Zaqatala, or if you reserve ahead you might be able to board (along the way) the one that starts in Qax. From Tbilisi, you should be able to also use the Qax one.
 * Tehran (bus 107 lari)
 * Istanbul apparently one daily bus in the morning
 * Istanbul apparently one daily bus in the morning


 * Sighnaghi – Every odd hour from 07:00; 7 lari, 1½ hr.
 * Telavi – A few per day, last one 17:00 from Telavi. To Telavi at 09:00 & 10:00 and later. Up to 2½ hr, 10 lari, some go by near Sighnaghi.
 * Itinerary from Moscow (200 lari), Orenburg (270 lari), Samara and Volgograd (175 lari), Saratov (200 lari), Voronezh (185 lari), Rostov-on-Don, Elista and Yelets and Nalchik (70 lari), Kropotkin, Minvody, Pyatigorsk, Vladikavkaz (55-60 lari) go every day
 * Itinerary from Moscow (200 lari), Orenburg (270 lari), Samara and Volgograd (175 lari), Saratov (200 lari), Voronezh (185 lari), Rostov-on-Don, Elista and Yelets and Nalchik (70 lari), Kropotkin, Minvody, Pyatigorsk, Vladikavkaz (55-60 lari) go every day

By thumb
Getting into Tbilisi through hitch-hiking is mostly not a problem, because most people go into the centre. And even a little further away, you can always catch a cheap (yellow) bus the last metres.

Getting out though can be challenging, as you need to find a place where the traffic goes to where you want. It is best to take a marshrutka or regular bus a few kilometres out of the city and start from there. Also, check the Hitchwiki for detailed instructions.

By public transport
The primary transport inside and outside the Tbilisi city are metro, buses and marshrutkaa (converted transport vans aka minibuses aka microbuses). Check the Tbilisi Transport Company website for live overview and more information on buses. Otherwise, to find the correct bus route, GoogleMaps has comprehensive bus network information with numbers and routes. If you click on one of the numerous bus stops around the city or next to you, you will get displayed the bus lines, their routes and frequency.

There is the Metromoney (IC) card, which must be used for most of Tbilisi's public transport options and tapped when entering any vehicle or station. Visa is also possible on some buses, but 50% extra.

The Metromoney card gives discounts when transferring between metro, buses and minibuses, specifically the first ride is 1 lari (for either metro, buses or marshrutka) and all subsequent rides are free within the next 1½ hr. Several people can use one card together, however, only the first person can profit from the free transfer.

You can buy the card at any metro station, with an one-time "non-refundable" deposit of 2 lari. (It can be refunded though if you have the original receipt and register the card onto your name.) The card can be topped up with any amount in metro stations or at Bank of Georgia pay-booths around the city.

Buses and metro station turnstiles will also accept contactless cards, though your bank may charge you for this service.

By metro
Tbilisi has a two-line metro system, which operates from 06:00–24:00. However, sometimes the last metros leave at around 23:00 from either end.

All signs inside the metro are in Georgian and English, but station name signs are not always visible from the train. Station names are also announced in two languages. There are rarely system maps on the train cars themselves. You will be lucky to find English speakers riding the Metro. You will however have better luck with Russian, which older people will speak. Take a bilingual map with you if you are not proficient with the local alphabet/pronunciation.

Some rebuilt metro cars have USB charging ports near the doors, so that passengers can charge their phone. Cell coverage exists in most stations.

By bus
City buses are green and blue, and come in various sizes. The bus number and a description of the route are usually listed on signs in the bus windows, but only in Georgian. The city has installed electronic arrival boards, with reasonably accurate estimated arrival times, at bus stops on major roads. The signs alternate between English and Georgian and display the bus number, minutes to arrival and destination.

Board through any door you like, usually the double doors in the middle are easiest.

By marshrutka
Marshrutkas are vans which service the side streets of the city. They are independently owned. Like buses, the route is posted in the front window (often only in Georgian), but marshrutkas use a different route numbering system, and the route descriptions may be more general than the buses, e.g. "Vake" rather than a specific street in the Vake area.

Shout "Stop" or "Gaacheret" when you want to get off, and hand the driver your fare on the way out.

On foot
Depending on where you are, certain parts of the city are conveniently walkable, but others cater mostly to motorists. Pedestrians have to contend with significant neglect of the pavements. As far as motorists are concerned pedestrians are allowed to use zebra crossings, but when doing so they do not have priority over vehicular traffic. However, pedestrians do have the advantage of being able to cross the pedestrian only peace bridge and travel on the cable car and funiculars.

By taxi
Taxis in Tbilisi are also cheap, especially through Bolt or Yandex.Taxi. They are typically privately owned vehicles, and are not metered. If you're going anywhere other than the nearest metro station, major hotels, or tourist destinations, or if you don't speak Georgian or Russian, it's likely that your driver will stop multiple times and ask pedestrians for directions. Even then, he may not know how to get to your destination. If the driver has difficulty finding your destination, he will charge you for his trouble. Always negotiate a price beforehand, unless it is a metered taxi. Prices start at 2 lari for very short trips. A trip in the center of town should rarely cost more than 3–5 lari, and anywhere in the city should never cost more than 15 lari. The taxi drivers can be persistent when trying to get customers.

Consider making an account with Bolt, MAXIM or Yandex.Taxi. They are quite cheap and especially going with several people more convenient. They can also help when the metro is closed and you are stuck&mdash;mostly less than 1 lari per km. If you are 3-4 people taxi is an inexpensive alternative to even marshrutkas.

By car
End on parking is widespread, but the ubiquitous informal parking attendants will help you reverse out into the traffic. It is all part of the service they offer in return for the usual tip.

By bicycle
Cycling was rare in the past, but is becoming more widespread, with dedicated bike-paths in some parts of town, including Vake and Saburtalo. In Vake, during rush hour cycling likely is the fastest mode of transport. Cycling on pavements is tolerated, especially by children, as long as done with respect to pedestrians. Experienced cyclists recommend getting thoroughly familiar with traffic and routes before venturing out. (There have been some accidents and fatalities.) The local mobility rental Qari offers rental bikes, requires a local app and pre-payment. A community sourced Safe Cycling map shows some routes that cyclists consider reasonably safe.

By scooter
A number of international scooter services operate, including Bolt, Qari, and Bird (financial issues as of Sept 2023).

Museums

 * The Georgian National Museum is the umbrella organisation for a dozen museums and other sites in Tbilisi and elsewhere, with practical info in English. Usually they charge 7 lari for an adult, and are closed Mondays.

Buildings


Nearby (50-150 km) popular sights that allow for a day trip from Tbilisi are Mtskheta, Uplistsikhe, David Gareja Monastery Complex, Dmanisi archaeological site, Sighnaghi and Rustavi with its Sioni Church and the Auto Trade Center, the biggest market for used cars in the Caucasus.

Do



 * Watch football (soccer) at FC Dinamo Tbilisi, who play in Erovnuli Liga, the top tier of Georgian football. Their home ground is Dinamo Arena, capacity 54,500, east of the river near the main railway station. The soccer season in Georgia runs Feb to Nov with a winter break.
 * Watch football (soccer) at FC Dinamo Tbilisi, who play in Erovnuli Liga, the top tier of Georgian football. Their home ground is Dinamo Arena, capacity 54,500, east of the river near the main railway station. The soccer season in Georgia runs Feb to Nov with a winter break.
 * Watch football (soccer) at FC Dinamo Tbilisi, who play in Erovnuli Liga, the top tier of Georgian football. Their home ground is Dinamo Arena, capacity 54,500, east of the river near the main railway station. The soccer season in Georgia runs Feb to Nov with a winter break.
 * Watch football (soccer) at FC Dinamo Tbilisi, who play in Erovnuli Liga, the top tier of Georgian football. Their home ground is Dinamo Arena, capacity 54,500, east of the river near the main railway station. The soccer season in Georgia runs Feb to Nov with a winter break.
 * Watch football (soccer) at FC Dinamo Tbilisi, who play in Erovnuli Liga, the top tier of Georgian football. Their home ground is Dinamo Arena, capacity 54,500, east of the river near the main railway station. The soccer season in Georgia runs Feb to Nov with a winter break.
 * Watch football (soccer) at FC Dinamo Tbilisi, who play in Erovnuli Liga, the top tier of Georgian football. Their home ground is Dinamo Arena, capacity 54,500, east of the river near the main railway station. The soccer season in Georgia runs Feb to Nov with a winter break.

Money
Money exchange kiosks generally have a spread of less than 1% between "buy" and "sell" rates for major currencies&mdash;excellent value by western standards.

Shopping
Shops and restaurants around Kote Afkhazi Street (i.e. Old Tbilisi) are overpriced tourist-trippy-rippy places, double or more of what you pay elsewhere.

What

 * Antiques & other miscellaneous gifts – in Georgia you will able to find many antiques from Georgia, the Middle East, Mediterranean, Russia and Europe.
 * Gold, silver, precious stones, and other jewellery – Many foreigners visit Georgia to buy jewellery, because of its cheap cost and superior quality, there is a dizzying selection available upstairs in one of the malls N/W of station square metro.
 * Georgian wine – Georgia is the cradle of wine making, and with 521 original varieties of grape you will be sure to find excellent wines.
 * Brandy (locally called 'cognac') – made from Georgian wine.
 * Mineral waters – Borjomi, Sairme, Nabeghlavi mineral waters from Georgian resorts. Georgian sparkling waters all have a much more metallic taste (not unpleasant, more unexpected) than that of those in Western Europe.
 * Chacha – Grape vodka, a Georgian version of grappa. Available in supermarkets or homemade available in local markets for as little as 3 lari. Peach chacha is harder to find but goes down rather more smoothly than the more traditional 'grappa'-type stuff.
 * Churchkhela aka "Georgian snickers" – A traditional sweet made by dipping a string of nuts repeatedly into a grape sauce, a must-try.
 * Tea -- Georgia, especially Guria and Samegrelo, has a small tea production, and at least in luggage, tea makes an easier gift than wine. The Tea Museum (really a store) on Galaktion Tabidze street can explain more about what is on offer. Other stores in tourist areas also offer a small selection of organic teas.

Where
Markets:

2nd hand:

Tbilisi is a great place to get cheap and good quality 2nd-hand cloths. Sure, there is lots of cheap stuff from China all over this city, but considering environment and durability, you are probably better off with the former.

Various:

Budget
Street side stalls selling Georgian fast food are all over the city. Some kind of hot snack will cost 0.70-2.50 lari.

Other
Some outlets of sterile international hamburger "restaurants" exist, also some "freed chicken" imitators in the city, offering the same kind of material Americans consider "food" at prices which are high by local standards.

Drink
One is never far from a corner store opening late selling the bare essentials of life late into the night, which always include booze and bread. Georgia is known as the cradle of wine having produced wine since the neolithic period; and locals are very proud of this. Georgian wine was and still is the best in post-Soviet culture and there are many wine tasting shops in the upmarket areas of the city where wine culture is greatly respected. Try one of the famous wines from Kakheti or the other popular regions.

It is possible to have a great night you may or may not remember for only 10 or 15 lari if you follow students to the cheaper bars where tourists are welcome, but you might be shortchanged a few lari. Nightlife tends to congregate north and northwest of the city centre; do your best to avoid the overpriced drinks in the old town.

Also of note (especially for non-drinkers) is the famous Georgian "Laghidze Waters", sweet drinks based on soda and natural fruit and herb syrups, listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia. There is a Laghidze Waters restaurant in Tbilisi selling the genuine article, but Natakhtari is quite similar and sold in corner shops all over.

Cafés
Tbilisi is the one city in Georgia where coffee vending machines 0.50-0.80 lari may be found, though with a huge load of sugar.

Unless you would like to forget you are in Tbilisi and drink in fancy expensive places where only tourists and immigrants may be found, Chardini and its connecting streets should be avoided as the most blatant tourist trap in the country. The best pubs and cafes in Tbilisi are tucked in unlikely looking side streets of the Old City, often underground or sometimes without even a sign to mark their presence. Keep your eyes and ears open.



Clubs
Be wary about scams and tourist traps – see below. Some shady clubs/bars have specialised in forcing tourists to pay unjustified amounts of money for drinks and services, especially strip bars. If it's shiny and classy, be wary.



Budget
Due to the countless budget options, prices have dropped significantly in the city. Check out prices on the usual suspect websites and turn up on site stating the price; hostel owners will happily give you the online rate, so they can skip the fee they pay via such websites.



Stay safe
Tbilisi is very safe after the Rose Revolution. You will be welcomed with the cheerful hospitality that is a hallmark of Georgian culture. The police system was reformed completely and the public's trust in police rose dramatically. The police are usually quick to respond, though usually only Georgian and Russian are spoken.

While walking is generally fine, even for solo women, it makes sense to take a bus or taxi home at night. Use common sense and big-city awareness. Night time at the clubs and bars are generally safe but fights between locals can escalate quickly. The taxi service is safe as long as it's a company taxi like "009" or others. The public bus is also a good, safe option for 1 lari.


 * Police Tel: 112
 * Ambulance tel: 112

Nightlife
Extreme caution should be exercised when frequenting any establishment in the "Shardeni" area, between Kote Apkhazi street and the river, on streets "Chardin", "Bambis Rigi", and "Rkinis Rigi". These bars, clubs, and restaurants are well known for operating expensive scams, charging upwards of US$1,000 for a few drinks and forcing tourists to pay. Although a few establishments in this area have a reasonable reputation, such as "KGB", it is safer and cheaper to completely avoid this area. This is the only area of the city where such caution should be taken.

Taxi drivers
As always, taxi drivers will try to cheat tourists; especially coming from the airport, rigging the meter, misrepresenting the value of the lari or quoting a price in lari then demanding payment in US dollars. Stand your ground and walk away if necessary.

Homeless people and kids
Beggars have become more aggressive in the tourist areas, and especially children may cling to the legs of wealthy-looking tourists or several adults may cling to a tourist whilst pickpocketing them; yell for help and fight back. Unfortunately, the police appears to be in on this and will often turn a blind eye; or encourage you to let the perpetrators go.

Connect
SIM cards can be bought almost anywhere tourists abound (you'll see the signs or will be offered costly at airport), but the most reliable method to obtain the highest quality service is to hike over to the store on Rustaveli Avenue and purchase a SIM card there. As of October 2022, data prices are quite reasonable: 7 lari gets you one week of unlimited data, while 28 lari gets you four weeks unlimited. Magti's provides 4G coverage to all but the most remote areas of Georgia. Be prepared to wait a while at the Magti store, however; bring something to read. And don't forget to bring your passport.

Wifis are available in some newer establishments, but you can not count on availability and good expereince not even everywhere in the center.

Cope
The Government postal service is notorious for being over-priced and unreliable with many thefts, and lost or damaged packages. Use a private postal company for anything important.

Embassies
More details here: https://www.embassypages.com/georgia


 * 🇦🇲 Armenia
 * 🇦🇹 Austria
 * 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
 * 🇧🇾 Belarus
 * 🇧🇷 Brazil
 * 🇧🇬 Bulgaria
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * Czechia
 * 🇪🇪 Estonia
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇻🇦 Vatican City
 * 🇭🇺 Hungary
 * 🇮🇷 Iran
 * 🇮🇶 Iraq
 * 🇮🇱 Israel
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 🇯🇵 Japan
 * 🇱🇻 Latvia
 * 🇱🇹 Lithuania
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland
 * 🇹🇷 Turkey
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next
It is worth mentioning that online prices and in-person prices for trips vary widely as of 2022. You can bargain hard or price shop for tours in the old town (there are several competing companies). The tour guide sales people are mostly students who work on commission and many will drop the price in order to make a sale. Competitive pricing for tours is around 2x Marshrutka prices (per person).

Day trips

 * Mtskheta – The old capital, and nearby is Jvari monastery. Marshrutka from Didube (1 lari), or take a tour (prices range from 30-120 lari per person).
 * Rustavi – For a Soviet immersive experience, to the east. You'll be glad to come back. Unspoiled and 25 km, about half an hour by frequent marshrutkas from metro station "station square" (1.5 lari) yellow marshrutka no. 19.

East
Not far east of Tbilisi is the beginning of the Kakheti region with various sights, including:
 * Telavi – Gateway to the close-by Alaverdi Monastery, Gurjaani (part of the wine route) and the mountain region of Tusheti
 * Sighnaghi – A restored wine town with an extensive wall and close-by the popular Monastery of St. George at Bodbe (aka Bodbe Convent)
 * David Gareja Monastery Complex – A 6th-century cave monastery, though not as impressive as Vardzia

North

 * Gudauri – A popular ski resort about 120 km north
 * Stepantsminda/Kazbegi – A great hiking and mountaineer destination with one of the highest mountains in Europe, Mount Kazbeg, and home to the spectacularly situated Gergeti Trinity Church. And along the way from Tbilisi the beautiful Ananuri Fortress Complex. Competitive day-tour price is 45 lari as of 2022. You can ask to be left there for an overnight stay at no extra cost.

West
All sights are covered under the according region article and its cities, especially Rioni Region, Samtskhe-Javakheti and Northwestern Georgia. Some highlights:
 * Gori – Known for its Stalin cult and the close-by Uplistsikhe, a 3,600-year-old Silk Road cave city that was a major regional centre of Caucasian pagan religion.
 * Borjomi – A resort town popular for its mineral well, the nearby Borjomi (Kharagauli) Nature Reserve, a hiking paradise, and Mtsvane Monastery (aka the Green Monastery).
 * Bakuriani – A ski resort and scenic slow train trip destination from Borjomi.
 * Vardzia – The best cave monastery to visit in Georgia, beyond Uplistsikhe and David Gareja.
 * Mestia/Svaneti region – 10–12 hr away by bus, and the most famous mountain region in Georgia with the famous Svan Towers, glaciers, the authentic village Ushguli, as well as numerous hiking destinations
 * Batumi – About 250 km away by night and day train, plane, or bus marshrutka, a summer and beach city on the Black Sea, also on the way to Turkey.
 * Ozurgeti – A good jumping off point for nearby beaches and mountain resorts. About 200 km via night train, leaves around 21:45, arrives 06:10. There is also a marshutka from Station Square (the train station), which leaves at 16:00 and arrives around 22:00), is a regional centre.

Armenia

 * Alaverdi – About 2 hr from Tbilisi, most transport options run through here from Georgia. It is set in the deep Debed Canyon and dominated by a copper plant, but the actual attraction is the entire length of the canyon, studded with stunning monasteries such as Sanahin, Haghpat, Kobayr, Horomayri, Akhtala and Grigori Bardzrakash. The first two are UNESCO World Heritage sites, and all the monasteries in the gorge are linked by hiking trails.
 * Ijevan – A cute riverside town with a busy market. Also, easily reached by marshrutka from Tbilisi, several a day, and easy to get to Dilijan from here.
 * Dilijan – A town south of Ijevan known as the "Little Switzerland" of Armenia. Set in beautiful forested mountains, with some examples of nicely preserved traditional wooden architecture, and lots of hiking in the Dilijan National Forest.
 * Lake Sevan – The nearby lake (biggest in Armenia comprising 5% of the surface area of the country) is a famous summer destination. Several marshrutkas from or on the way to Yerevan.
 * Yerevan – The capital is a must see, and an excellent base for exploring the country.

Azerbaijan

 * Ganja – First large town when entering Azerbaijan from Tbilisi along the main highway. Popular for its architecture as well as nearby hiking destination, Goygol National Park.
 * Baku – The most eastern point of Azerbaijan. The capital, cosmopolitan and spectacular. Best reached by plane, but also possible by marshrutka.
 * Qax (Qakh) – A popular and remote city near the Caucasus, great for hiking into the Caucasus
 * Zaqatala – Similar to Qax, though a little more touristic