Rustavi travel guide

Rustavi, Georgia

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Rustavi

Introduction

Rustavi is a city in the southeast of Georgia, in the Kvemo Kartli region, sitting about 20 km south of the capital, Tbilisi. It is one of the country's largest cities, and its economy is dominated by the Rustavi Metallurgical Plant, which shapes the character of the place.

Before you go

Rustavi is an industrial city whose economy rests on two things: a steel mill now running well below its former Soviet-era output, and a vast used-car market on the western side of the Tbilisi–Baku highway, the largest of its kind in the southern Caucasus. Knowing this shapes what to expect — this is a working city, not a resort town.

Plan your visit around the car market if that's your interest, and treat the mill as context for the city's character rather than a sight in itself. The source gives no detail on seasons, costs or facilities, so check practicalities before you set out.

Getting there

Rustavi is easiest to reach by marshrutka from Tbilisi. Minibuses leave from two metro stations in the capital: at Station Square (Sadguris moedani), where the Rustavi-bound vans park behind the cluster of stores directly in front of the metro entrance, and at Politeknikuri, where they load just outside the northeast exit in the thin parking lot next to the university. All of them carry a რუსთავი (Rustavi) sign in the windshield. Marshrutka no. 19 (yellow) starts in the Saburtalo district and runs straight through the capital to Rustavi. Services begin early in the morning and continue until midnight from both the Politeknikuri and Station Square sites.

On the way, the marshrutkas take the main riverside thoroughfare (President Heydar Aliyev Embankment/Gorgasalis St), so you can flag one down as it passes if there is room. On entering town they run down Megobroba Street; you will know you have arrived when Soviet-style nine-story apartment blocks appear all around. Call out "Gaacheret" to have the driver let you off, and note that you reach new Rustavi first, with old Rustavi lying past a bridge over the Mtkvari. Two trains a day also serve Rustavi Railway Station, about 1.5 km north of the town hall square; the Tbilisi–Baku night train that once stopped here is suspended as of June 2025.

Getting around

Rustavi is easily explored on foot, and walking is a genuinely practical way to cover a lot of ground. The city is split by the river Mtkvari: Old Rustavi (Dzveli Rustavi) lies on one side of the bridge and follows Stalinist architecture, while New Rustavi (Akhali Rustavi) sits on the other, dominated by Soviet-era block apartments. More is happening in the new part of town, so where you stay will shape how you get around. Many marshrutka routes cover the length and breadth of the city at a flat rate of 50 tetri; the #1 and #14 run the main road connecting Old and New Rustavi, making them the useful routes for crossing between the two halves. When boarding, check that there is a sign in the windshield saying "pirdapir" (პირდაპირ, "direct") — otherwise you may end up on the super scenic routes.

Treat schedules as planning clues only and check the Rustavi Transport app on your travel day, since timings shift with school terms, holidays and municipal events. Choose accommodation by route geometry — a cheap room far from N20, N21 or N24 can negate the fare savings once you add taxi legs — and check the nearest route before booking.

Where to stay

Rustavi sits close enough to Tbilisi that you may find more scenic and comfortable places to stay in the capital, but the city has its own options if you want to base yourself here. In New Rustavi, the main hotel on Megobroba Avenue is easy to spot: its triangular architecture is the only break in the monotonous apartment blocks around it, about halfway along the main drag toward Old Rustavi. In Old Rustavi, a modern, clean hotel sits in a quiet neighbourhood near the metallurgic plant at the end of the main road — go right just before a nice park and you cannot miss it; rooms can be a bit noisy and hot water is limited. Also in Old Rustavi, near the city hall on Merab Kostava Avenue, you'll find another central option.

Food & drink

Georgian restaurants are scattered inconspicuously across Rustavi, and the standard fare — khinkali, khachapuri, lobio — is available throughout. Prices tend to be much the same wherever you go. Near the city hall you'll find a branch of the legendary lemonade Laghidze, which also serves inexpensive snacks such as khachapuri.

For something more substantial, Hollywood on Kostava Street at the city plaza in old Rustavi serves decent Georgian, European and American food and has an English menu. Cafe Askili on Alexandre Pushkini, near Rustavi Arena, comes highly recommended by locals and travellers alike — don't be put off by the surroundings. Out by the Racing Track, Cafe Ukrainka at the Hotel Autobazroba is another option. Georgian wine and chacha are easy to find at almost every restaurant and convenience store around town. In New Rustavi, Guda Buda on Megobroba Street is a good spot for a coffee or beer with wireless internet, and Cafe Askili doubles as a café and bar. For bottles to take away, head to Ghvinos Saxli (Wine House), also on Megobroba Street in New Rustavi, housed in a round yellow building on the south side of the road; the English-speaking owner and helpful staff will steer you towards a good Georgian wine or chacha.

What to see and do

Rustavi's appeal lies in its Soviet-era urban landscape, and many visitors find that simply walking around is the best way to experience it. The town square is pleasant, with a river nearby and plenty of crumbling apartment buildings to wander past; they are lit up at night and look striking. In Old Rustavi, Merab Kostava Avenue invites a leisurely stroll, with the city hall and its newly designed square featuring bronze orchestral groups in the middle, and a theatre along Niko Pirosmani Street near the city hall. The ethnographic museum sits at the corner of Odisharia and Mshenebelta Street, and the Park of Culture and Rest lies near the Mtkvari river, with the entrance to Rustavi fort accessible through the park. The steel mill at the east end of Kostava can be visited on a tour, though these must be arranged in advance through their website for groups rather than spontaneously.

In New Rustavi, Friendship Square is good for strolling and coffee, with the WWII Memorial nearby, and Rustavi Sioni Church is also here. The Caucasus Auto Trade Center is the place to explore the region with your own car, and the Rustavi International Motorpark, a renovated 1970s race track, also contains a training centre where you can rent motor cross bikes for exploring the surrounding steppe. Beyond the city, the Gardabani Managed Nature Reserve lies toward the Azerbaijani border and protects forest groves, with a few walking tours available, while the Mravaltskaro Colorful Mountains, about 20km east, offer undulating hills striped in red, green, black and white; arrange a tour from Rustavi or Tbilisi, or rent a vehicle with extra ground clearance. The city festival, Rustawkalakoba, takes place at the end of October. You can also go to the cinema, the theatre, check out a cafe, or drink some beer.

When to go

Rustavi has a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers and relatively cold winters. Summer heat shapes the pace of a visit, so plan your outdoor time for the cooler parts of the day. Winters are relatively cold for this climate, so pack for chilly conditions if you visit then.

Three days in Rustavi

Day one: Start in Rustavi, in the Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia, and get your bearings in the planned Soviet city, whose layout rewards a little planning of your own. Walk the President Heydar Aliyev Embankment and follow Gorgasalis St and Megobroba Street to see how the town is put together. In the evening, head to Station Square, where minibuses and marshrutkas connect Rustavi with Tbilisi and beyond.

Day two: Turn to industry and history. The Rustavi Metallurgical Plant shaped the city, and the planned Soviet layout is best understood by comparing Old Rustavi (Dzveli Rustavi), with its Stalinist architecture, and New Rustavi (Akhali Rustavi). Take your time between the two, and use minibuses or a marshrutka to cover the distance.

Day three: Use Rustavi Railway Station and the marshrutka services to make a day trip to Tbilisi, or stay local and explore the Caucasus setting along the Mtkvari river. If you are heading onward to Baku, plan your connections from Station Square before you leave.

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