Tbilisi

Tbilisi by car, half day

The city in four hours, without the hills on foot

1 day
≈ 4 h
5 stops
from $120 per carfrom €110 per carfrom ₾315 per car

The price is per car for the whole tour, not per person.

The best views of Tbilisi are a steep climb apart. In four hours by car you see them all: the panorama from Mtatsminda, the monument above the Tbilisi Sea, the old town and the sulphur baths below the fortress. At the end the driver drops you at the restaurant of your choice.

Pickup: 10:00 or 15:00 at your hotel
Length: about 4 hours
On the road: about 1 h 30 min of driving, 40 km
Best season: all year, summer evenings are the nicest

Book this tour

Pick the date and the car. No payment now, you pay the driver after the tour.

Car

Mercedes-Benz V-Class7 seats≈ $25 per person≈ €23 per person≈ ₾64 per person$170€155₾445
Mercedes-Benz S-Class3 seats, recommended≈ $40 per person≈ €37 per person≈ ₾105 per person$120€110₾315
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado4 seats≈ $40 per person≈ €37 per person≈ ₾105 per person$160€145₾420

Date

Time

Passengers2

Book$120€110₾315

per car, for the whole tour
Starts in Tbilisi
Free cancellation up to 24 h before

Itinerary

5 stops

1
Mtatsminda10:15
The viewpoint by the television tower, 300 metres above the river: the whole city, the old town, the river and the mountains behind. The Pantheon of writers on the way down.
2
The Chronicle of Georgia11:00
Sixteen bronze-and-stone columns on a hill above the Tbilisi Sea, carved with kings, saints and the story of the country. Enormous, strange and almost empty of people.
3
Metekhi and the old town12:00
Metekhi church on its cliff, the statue of King Vakhtang, the Peace Bridge, then a walk through the wooden balconies and courtyards of the old town.
4
Abanotubani and Narikala12:45
The brick domes of the sulphur baths, the small waterfall in the gorge behind them, and the fortress above: by cable car or by car, your choice.
5
Rustaveli Avenue and lunch13:45
A slow drive down the main avenue past the opera, the parliament and the museums, and a drop-off at the restaurant you choose.

What's included

Car and driver for about four hours
Fuel and parking
Water, Wi-Fi and chargers on board
Child seats on request, free of charge
A drop-off anywhere in the city at the end

Not included

Cable car tickets and bath bookings
Lunch
A licensed guide. Your driver knows the city and its stories well

Details and questions

About this tour

Tbilisi grew along the Mtkvari river between two ridges, and most of what you want to see is on a slope: the fortress, the churches on the cliffs, the viewpoints above the roofs. A car takes the climbing out of the day and leaves the walking for the parts that deserve it, the lanes of the old town and the brick domes of the bath district.

We begin on top, at Mtatsminda, where the whole city is laid out below the television tower, then drive out to the Chronicle of Georgia, the enormous bronze-and-stone monument on a hill above the Tbilisi Sea that few visitors reach without a car. Back in the centre we cross to Metekhi church on its cliff, walk through the old town to the sulphur baths, and ride the cable car or drive up to Narikala for the view from the other side. The tour ends with a slow drive down Rustaveli Avenue and a drop-off wherever you want to eat.

The half day works as an introduction on your first day in Georgia or as a last look on the way to the airport. Start in the morning for the light, or at five for the sunset from Mtatsminda and the old town at dusk.

Best time to go

Tbilisi is a city for every month. Spring and autumn are mild and clear. In July and August the afternoons are hot, so the tour moves to the morning or the evening. Winter is grey but quiet, and the baths are at their best when it is cold outside.

Food and wine

Tbilisi is the best place in Georgia to eat: khinkali houses in Sololaki, wine bars with natural wine by the glass, a new generation of restaurants cooking Georgian food lightly. Tell your driver what you feel like and he drops you at the door. Lunch for two is about 80 to 120 GEL in the old town.

Which car

The S-Class is the natural choice for two in the city. The V-Class for families and groups. The Prado is not needed here.

Tips from our drivers

Book the sulphur baths a day ahead if you want a private room after the tour.
Wear comfortable shoes for the old town. The cobbles are real.
For the sunset version, start at 17:00 and end with dinner in the old town.

How much walking is there?

About an hour in total, in the old town and the bath district. Everything else is a short walk from where the car stops.

Can we combine it with the airport?

Yes. Arriving in the morning, we take your luggage, do the tour and bring you to the hotel at check-in time. Departing in the evening, we do the tour and drive to the airport.

Can we add the Dry Bridge market or a museum?

Of course. The Dry Bridge flea market is at its best on weekends. The National Museum is on Rustaveli. Both fit in place of one of the stops or as an extra hour.

Is there a sunset version?

Yes. Start at five: Mtatsminda in the golden hour, the Chronicle at sunset, the old town lit up, and dinner at the end.