Tbilisi, Georgia exudes old-world cool

Walking around Tbilisi, there’s a palpable energy, like a city on the cusp. Lush greenery twines around crumbling façades, young people smoke on corners, wine bars spill into the street, graffiti and ripped posters for upcoming art shows line the sidewalks, protests spark in the square each night, and it feels like there’s a thrumming underground party somewhere, a block away 

Stay

We stayed at Rooms Hotel Tbilisi, which is in the same building complex as Stamba Hotel. There are also many affordable, beautifully-designed Airbnb options.

Eat & Drink

Explore the city

A few sights/activities...

• Go for a soak in the thermal springs at Chreli Abano bathhouse. (Book a room in advance!)
• Walk across the Dry Bridge Market
• Explore the shops around Fabrika Tbilisi hostel (Vodkast Records, Shavikata clothing, Retromania Records
• Take the funicular (or hike up that path) for great views
• See a puppet show at Gabriadze Theater (tickets here)
• Check out The Chronicles of Georgia in Tbilisi monument for the sheer scale of it (note you’ll need to take a taxi)
• Visit the massive Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, which was (surprisingly to me at least) built between 1994-2004
• Shop for produce, spices, and walnut grape candy at the Dezerter Bazaar
• Admire the traditional wooden architecture

Then, take a dramamine and a day trip to Kazbegi

We had seen some recommendations to rent a car and drive up into the mountains. But unless you’re comfortable overtaking 10 trucks at a time on a winding, narrow mountain road... I’d highly recommend hiring a driver to take you high into the Caucuses, with some stops along the way. And packing a jacket!

We took this tour through Tinggly, which stopped at Zhinvali Water Reservoir, Ananuri fortress complex, Russian Georgian Friendship Monument, Gergeti Trinity Church, and lunch at Rooms Hotel Kazbegi

At a particularly breathtaking overlook, our driver pointed to the valley below. It was his childhood home, which was occupied by Russian forces in the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia – and still sits in occupied territory; he’s never been able to return.

The road to Kazbegi is a major regional thoroughfare, where you’ll see trucks heading to and from Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Kazakstan, Syria, Iran, and Iraq. All of those trucks make slow progress, so when your driver asks if you’ve seen American action movies, and to hold on tight, you should follow instructions before he swerves and speeds into the other lane. And when he suggests you drink from a naturally-carbonated roadside spring, take the recommendation!

The way up to Kazbegi was gorgeous, getting colder and more dramatic with each switchback. And the borscht and lobio at Rooms Hotel Kazbegi, swaddled in a blanket on the patio, was a perfect treat at the top.