2026-10-02
A Tbilisi travel guide rests on one fact: this is a city you walk. The old town, the sulphur baths, Narikala fortress and the Bridge of Peace sit inside a circle barely two kilometres across, and what lies further out is a cable car, a funicular or a short drive away. This guide organises the capital district by district: what to see, where a family should stay, where to eat halal, how many days you need and what the trip really costs.
We at Hawa Georgia have welcomed guests to Tbilisi since 2018, and the question we hear most is how to arrange the days so that none is lost on the road. The answer starts with the districts.
The districts: where everything is
The Old Town is the tourist heart: narrow lanes, painted wooden balconies, medieval churches and Freedom Square at its northern edge. Abanotubani, the bath district directly below the fortress, is recognisable by its brick domes sunk into the ground, and a walkway at its end leads to a waterfall inside the city.
Rustaveli Avenue is the main street, running up to Rustaveli Square where Vake begins: quiet and upmarket. Saburtalo is a large residential district with the malls, calmer prices and a ten-minute drive to the centre. Across the river, Aghmashenebeli Avenue has a pedestrianised old section packed with Arab and Turkish restaurants.
What to see in the city
Start at Rike Park, where the cable car rises to Narikala fortress in about two minutes; you pay with the metro card, roughly 2.5 lari each way. From the top the whole city sits in one frame. Walk down through the National Botanical Garden behind the fortress, entry a few lari, and you come out at the baths.
The glass arch of the Bridge of Peace lights up at night, the best spot for evening photographs with Metekhi church on its rock behind. Mtatsminda is the mountain above the city; the funicular climbs it in minutes to an amusement park and restaurants. The Dry Bridge market sells antiques and carpets on weekend mornings. What is worth buying in the malls and markets is set out in Shopping in Georgia: Tbilisi and Batumi Markets, Prices 2026.
Day trips from Tbilisi
Mtskheta, the ancient capital, is about 20 km away, half an hour by car: Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral fill half a day. Kazbegi on the Georgian Military Road is about 156 km and three hours without stops, a full day with Ananuri, Gudauri, the Friendship Arch and Gergeti church; we place it in the middle of a programme, never at the end. Kakheti to the east is about 110 km and two hours to Sighnaghi, a walled hill town above the Alazani valley among orchards, villages and castles.
For the capital and the mountains in the shortest time, Georgia 4-Day Tour – Tbilisi and Mtskheta divides the days between the old town, Mtskheta and a full Kazbegi day. For a single day in the city, Georgia 1-Day Tour – Tbilisi covers what matters without rushing. The rest of the capital's programmes are in Tbilisi Tour Packages.
Halal food in Tbilisi
The easiest area for reliably halal food is Aghmashenebeli Avenue and Marjanishvili: Arab, Turkish and Iranian restaurants side by side, mostly with Arabic menus. In Georgian restaurants, khachapuri, lobio beans, aubergine rolls with walnut and khinkali filled with mushroom or cheese contain no meat. The main mosque is in the old town next to the baths.
Where a family should stay
Stay where you want to walk in the evening. The old town puts everything a few steps away, but rooms are smaller, streets are tighter for the car and the noise runs late. Vake and the upper end of Rustaveli are quieter and more spacious, ten minutes from the centre. Saburtalo suits a family that wants a large apartment near the malls, and Aghmashenebeli is the middle option, with halal restaurants under your building and the old town one bridge away. We compare the districts, and a hotel against a serviced apartment, in Best Hotels in Tbilisi for Gulf Families. The hotel itself is fixed at confirmation by availability, and you always see the whole-stay total with breakfast.
How many days does Tbilisi need?
Two full days cover the city itself: the old town, Narikala and the baths on one, Rustaveli, Mtatsminda and the Dry Bridge on the other. A third day goes to Mtskheta with time for shopping, and a fourth to Kazbegi. With five you add Sighnaghi; with more it becomes a Georgia trip rather than a Tbilisi trip.
Getting around: a private driver or apps?
Inside the centre, walk. Between districts in the evening the taxi apps work well and cost little. But once the day becomes a trip out of the city, or once you are a family with children, luggage and a pushchair, a private car with an Arabic-speaking driver saves time and explanation. What our driver does on a full Tbilisi day is in Arabic Driver in Tbilisi: Daily Prices, No Prepayment.
What a Tbilisi trip costs
Our price is for the whole car with the driver, fuel, parking and the driver's lodging outside the city, and it does not change with the number of passengers. A sedan with an Arabic-speaking driver is from 85 USD a day, a family minivan from 100 USD a day, with 5% off from seven days.
A real example: four days with a sedan from 340 USD for the whole car; with three nights in a double room at a 4-star hotel the total is from 637 USD, and with a 5-star hotel from 937 USD. Children under 5 travel free, and a SIM card for the week comes with every booking. Figures are approximate, checked in October 2026, and the final price is shown in full before confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Tbilisi?
May, June, September and October, at 20 to 27 degrees. July and August reach 31 to 34 degrees at midday, so we keep the baths and museums for the afternoon.
Do Gulf travellers need a visa?
Gulf citizens enter Georgia visa-free for up to a year, and Gulf residents with a valid residence permit for 90 days in any 180, as applied at the time of writing; the border officer has the final say.
How far is the airport from the centre?
About 17 km, or 25 to 40 minutes by traffic. Our driver waits in arrivals with a sign bearing your name.
Are the sulphur baths suitable for families?
Yes. The bathhouses rent private rooms by the hour for a family or a couple, with a hot pool, a cold pool and a resting room.
Book your Tbilisi programme
Send us your arrival date, number of days and group type, and we will arrange the stay and the car with an Arabic-speaking driver. To book directly on WhatsApp: +995 550 000 663. There is no prepayment, you pay on arrival in Georgia in cash in USD or GEL or by bank transfer, and cancellation is free up to 48 hours before arrival for a driver-only booking and up to 72 hours when the booking includes hotels. Hawa Georgia Travel has been officially registered in Tbilisi since 2018, registration number 415120808.