We spent a weekend in Tbilisi to renew our visas and celebrate my birthday. We fell in love with the city and would visit again and again. Let me share with you our experience. Click here to see my Instagram Highlight reel.
Travel to Tbilisi
We began our weekend journey by heading to the Yerevan Central Bus Station (Kilikia) and taking a minibus to Tbilisi. The five-and-a-half-hour drive was breathtakingly beautiful as we drove up and down the windy mountain roads of Armenia. The trip cost 6000 AMD; about $13 each way per person. Booked through Transport for Armenia; public transportation. Upon arrival to Tbilisi, we were impressed to see that the city provided public WIFI in some places. This helped us find our way around, as we had no service to rely on.
We mostly used Yandex to get around the hilly city during our stay and rode various scooters when we knew we’d be on flatter terrain. It seemed to us that more people spoke English in Tbilisi compared to Armenia, and there were more international travelers at the time.
The Beginning
Our first stop for the weekend in Tbilisi was McDonald’s, as we were craving some fast food other than KFC after being in Armenia for over six months. Although the menu was different from what we were used to, the food was quite literally delicious.
We spent time going bar and restaurant hopping during our stay. We visited the iconic Fabrika for a drink or two. Notably, we had a lovely dinner at Lolita, enjoyed breakfast at Chaduna, and had another dinner at Ninia’s Garden.
Sulfur Baths
Our favorite part of the trip was undoubtedly the time we spent at The Sulfur Baths of Old Tbilisi. These ancient bathhouses have operated for centuries and offer a unique and memorable experience. The first thing that hits you upon entering the bathhouse is the smell of sulfur, which can be a little off-putting at first. However, as you settle in and begin to relax, the smell fades into the background.
Once you’re settled into the warm and inviting water, a professional scrubber will enter and give you a Kisi/Kisa. Kisi is an exfoliating scrub that is a crucial part of the experience. They will scrub you down with a textured mat, removing all your dead skin. Then soap you up with a foamy bubble pillowcase and wash you down with buckets of sulfur water. The entire experience takes about 15-20 minutes, after which you can relax a bit more in the bath before enjoying tea and sweets. Despite the hot bath, we felt surprisingly refreshed and rejuvenated after leaving the bathhouse. We quite literally felt high afterward.
The Last Days
At a different point of the trip, we walked up what felt like a billion stairs and passed the church to Mother of Georgia. Then made our way to the botanical garden, where we found the Leghvtakhevi waterfall and spent some time relaxing. We also took the tram to Mtatsminda Park, where we had a drink, and enjoyed some ice cream at Luca Polare. My birthday dinner at Filini was fantastic, where I had the Seafood Pappardelle and added red sauce, which was delicious.
Before returning home to Yerevan, we indulged in a little bit of home and had a Subway sandwich. Overall, we found Tbilisi to be more affordable than Yerevan, and the city’s unique experiences left us yearning for more than just a weekend. If you plan to visit Georgia, Tbilisi should be at the top of your list.
If you enjoyed this post, click here to read more about our travels in Armenia