5 Days in Tbilisi, Georgia
Tbilisi St. Trinity Cathedral, Georgia
Tbilisi and Kazbegi in Georgia
Reasons For Visiting Tbilisi
On another recommendation from Emma and Simon, we traveled to Georgia, the second former Soviet country on this leg of our journey. We decided to spend five nights in the capital city, Tbilisi, and planned day trips to Kazbegi and Armenia.
Tbilisi and The Mtkvari River in Georgia
Hotel Rasta, Maidan Square
The cab driver at the airport quoted us above the going rate, so we bailed and hopped on a bus instead of paying 1/60 of the cost. It was a short walk from the bus stop to our hotel in the Old Town at Maidan Square. Hotel Rasta was modern and comfortable, and the staff was friendly and courteous.
We paid just over $75.00 per night. We can recommend this location in Old Town Tbilisi; it is quaint and near attractions.
Watermelons in Tbilisi
Tbilisi, Self-Guided
On the first morning, I ventured out for a walk before the city woke. I have neglected this practice, and I vow to do it more often.
Dogs roam freely in the city, and for a brief moment, I thought I was being followed by a group of barking dogs. As it happened, they had no interest in me and were merely chasing each other.
Later in the morning, we took the gondola to the ancient fortress Narikala, which provides great views of Tbilisi.
The amazing view of Tbilisi from teh Narikala Fortress
After coffee, we moved on to Tbilisi St. Trinity Cathedral, a Georgian Orthodox cathedral that opened in 2004 and can house up to 15,000 worshippers. The feature photo above is from St. Trinity Cathedral.
It was burning hot, but we enjoyed wandering around this enchanting city. Georgia is where Europe meets Asia. Mix that up with impressions from the Middle East, and you have an exciting cocktail of impressions.
Tbilisi St. Trinity Cathedral, Georgia
Restaurants in Tbilisi
We enjoyed traditional Georgian cuisine at Culinarium Khasheria for $11.00 per person. We also sampled coffees, croissants, and breakfast buffets at various Cafés at Maidan Square. Prices were reasonable, at about $7.00 per person for breakfast.
We often share our main course for dinner. Not only do we save on the travel budget, but we usually find two main courses that leave us completely stuffed.
A favorite in Tbilisi is Khinkali, a Georgian dumpling originating in the Georgian mountain regions. On our day trip to Kazbegi, we tried making our own.
Maidan Square in Tbilisi
Day Trip to Kazbegi From Tbilisi
We decided on a day trip to the Kazbegi District north of Tbilisi. Heading into the Caucasus Mountains, we had hoped to see unspoiled nature and perhaps even the peak of Mount Kazbek, which is 5033 meters, 16,512 feet, high.
Emma and Simon had forewarned us about the drivers in Georgia. They are in a hurry and will use every trick in the book to get where they are going as fast as possible.
The mountain town of Kazbegi in Georgia
It did take away from the enjoyment of this tour, but our driver was not the only one in a hurry. Traffic has a different pattern in Georgia, with cars constantly driving in the middle of the road, passing other cars with impeccable precision.
On this old military two-lane highway, the road was much busier than anticipated, with a steady stream of tourist buses, vans, cabs, and heavy trucks from Russia, Belarus, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
This is a major route, and a new four-lane highway is under construction to make the journey easier (safer?) and lighten the load on the old road.
Di learned how to make Khinkali in Kazbegi
The day's highlight was a wonderful Georgian lunch enjoyed at a small guest house in Kazbegi. Di especially enjoyed the Khinkali cooking lesson, which is our new favorite.
Final Thoughts
You cannot go wrong with Tbilisi. Diverse cultures meet in this city on the borders of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. We loved the hospitality, the sights, and the food. If you have been hesitating about traveling to this part of the world, we’d say, go for it.
For our next move, we were heading to Turkey for a quick one-night stay in Bodrum before moving on to the island paradise of Symi in Greece.
The Bridge of Peace in Tbilisi, Georgia
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Photos in this article are captured using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/1.4 R - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Lightroom. I have made use of Fujifilm’s film simulations in this article.
