City Rating: Tbilisi

Tbilisi

Population: 1’100’000

Date of visit: March 2018

Attractions & sights: 4/5
Nightlife: ?/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 3/5
Low budget factor: 4/5
Total: 👍👍👍👍/5

The city in a nutshell:

Tbilisi offers the old world charm, but is more developed and globalised than many Eastern European cities (e.g. Sarajevo or Skopje). The city is cheap and has many great restaurants and some incredible landmarks. The capital of Georgia is not a city that blows you away right from the beginning. It’s a city that needs some time to show you its beauty.

Where to stay:

Staying between Rustaveli Metro Station and Old Town is the best choice. The centre of Tbilisi is compact. Walking from A to B doesn’t take too much time and taxis are pretty cheap (1-2 USD for a ride in the city centre).

The Good:

Many travellers use Tbilisi as a base to explore the countryside of Georgia. Nevertheless, spending a couple of days in the capital is recommended, because there are a lot of things to see here.

Seeing all the sights can be done in one full day. Take an extra day if you prefer a slower pace. The main attractions are Old Town, Peace Bridge, Tsminda Sameba Cathedral, Aerial Tramway and Mount Mtatsminda.

I can highly recommend visiting all these attractions during day AND night. Especially Tsminda Sameba Cathedral is a sight you ideally visit shortly before sunset. Watching the cathedral getting lit-up is just spectacular.

Another big plus of Tbilisi is the food. Georgian cuisine is one of the best in the world and there are many restaurants which offer high quality food. Moreover, Tbilisi is a city for wine lovers. The Georgians claim to have the best wine in the world and there are many wine cellars, where you can check whether this is true or not.

Infrastructure in the Georgian capital is better than many think. The streets are in decent condition and there is a metro and also public buses. However, as taxis are very cheap, you won’t even need public transport unless you really want it.

Tbilisi is also a city that has a good mixture between the old and the modern world. Next to charming old buildings you’ll find some skyscrapers and also many international brands with their shops (for food and clothes).

The Bad & The Ugly:

Georgians are not the most warm-hearted people on earth and smiling seems to be a foreign concept. As a consequence, service quality in many restaurant is poor and taxi drivers are rude (sometimes even scammers). Don’t be upset. Most of the time it’s just how they are and nothing personal.

It is a bit sad that Tbilisi’s Old Town isn’t very well-maintained. Some houses look as if they will collapse any moment. That’s also the reason why Old Town is not a UNESCO World Heritage site yet. Moreover, Kura River looks very dirty. Although I’m not sure if that is the city’s fault, it certainly makes the cityscape less attractive.

Another minus is that the city becomes pretty dead after midnight, also on weekends. Therefore, it’s not the best city for nightlife, although there are some bars and nightclubs.

 

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