Walk down Sioni Street in the old town and the city's layers stack up around you: a caravanserai that now holds a history museum, a 19th-century church facade, and the smell of sulfur drifting up from the baths below. Tbilisi rewards slow walking more than ticking off sights.
The city suits travellers who are happy to spend a morning in a single museum, who like their architecture mixed rather than tidy, and who do not mind a steep climb for a view. It is less suited to anyone wanting a neatly packaged route with everything signposted.
This guide covers the museums, churches and streets named in the source material, with practical notes on when to go and what to pair each with. Everything below comes from those listings.
Top things to do in Tbilisi
1. Museum of Georgia
On Shota Rustaveli avenue, about 200 m from Freedom Square metro, this is the main building of the Georgian National Museum and the single richest stop in the city. The permanent exhibition runs from the Bronze Age to the early 20th century, and the highlights are the goldwork — the region mined and worked gold from a very early date, and the local style influenced Achaemenid and Hellenistic jewellery — along with the Homo ergaster fossils from Dmanisi, the Akhalgori hoard, a coin collection of around 80,000 pieces, and medieval icons and goldsmith work.
The Museum of Soviet Occupation occupies the fourth floor of the same building, so you can see both on one ticket. It is closed on Mondays, and a guided tour in English is available if you want the collections explained.
2. Sameba Cathedral
On Elia Hill in Avlabari, about 1 km north of Avlabari metro station, Sameba is the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, built between 1995 and 2004. It is a deliberate synthesis of the styles that dominated Georgian church architecture at different periods, with Byzantine undertones, a cruciform plan and a dome resting on eight columns. The dome carries a 7.5-m cross covered in gold, and the complex includes a bell tower, the Patriarch's residence, a monastery, a seminary and theological academy.
It is a working cathedral and a place of strong local feeling in both directions — venerated by many, regarded as an eyesore by others. Go in the morning if you want the interior quieter, and combine it with Metekhi Church, which is also on the Avlabari side.
3. Open Air Museum of Ethnography
Part of the Georgian National Museum, this is a "Skansen"-type collection of around 70 houses and other buildings from different parts of Georgia, along with household equipment and craft tools. The buildings are in variable condition — some are tumbledown, but those near the entrance are in good order and have helpful docents.
Allow half a day. It sits on Kus Tba, Turtle Lake Road, reached by Bus 59 from Rustaveli metro or Bus 9 from Station Square followed by a short walk uphill. It is closed on Mondays, and it makes a quiet escape from the city rather than a quick stop.
4. Writer's House of Georgia
A mansion on Ivane Machabeli street in Sololaki, about six minutes from Freedom Square, built between 1903 and 1905 by the German architect Karl Zaar for the entrepreneur David Sarajishvili. It combines art nouveau with neobaroque elements, and the terrace mosaic is made from tiles by Villeroy and Boch. It was a meeting place for major Georgian literary figures, including the Blue Horns group, in the early 1920s.
Inside there is a museum dedicated to Sarajishvili and a Museum of Repressed Writers. In summer a cafe operates in the garden. You may need to ring the doorbell to get in, so do not assume it is shut if the door is closed.
5. Tbilisi Art Gallery
On Shota Rustaveli avenue near Freedom Square, this is the National Gallery and part of the Georgian National Museum. It holds an extensive permanent collection alongside rotating exhibitions that usually feature Georgian artists, which makes it a good complement to the Museum of Georgia if you want the modern end of the story.
It keeps the same hours as the other Georgian National Museum sites and is closed on Mondays. Pair it with the Museum of Georgia, which is a short walk away on the same avenue.
6. Sioni Church
On Sioni street in upper Kala, roughly 0.8 km south-east of Freedom Square metro or 0.7 km west of Avlabari metro. It is one of the anchors of the old town, and its position makes it easy to fold into a walk rather than a separate trip.
Combine it with the Tbilisi History Museum at #8 Sioni St, which occupies a former caravanserai on the same street. Both are in the thick of the old town, so plan them as one stretch of walking.
7. Tbilisi History Museum
Housed in a former caravanserai at #8 Sioni St and part of the Georgian National Museum, this is a small, focused museum in one of the oldest commercial settings in the city. It is a natural stop while walking the old town rather than a destination on its own.
It is closed on Mondays and keeps the standard 10:00–18:00 hours of the national museum sites. Combine it with Sioni Church next door and the surrounding streets of upper Kala.
8. Metekhi Church
On Metekhis Rise by Avlabari metro, this is the Church of the Assumption, going back to the reign of St. Demeritus II in the late 13th century and rebuilt in the 17th century. Its design is unusual, which is the main reason to give it more than a glance.
It is on the same side of the river as Sameba Cathedral, so the two work well as one outing. Come down from the hill afterwards and you are back at Avlabari metro.
9. Museum of Fine Arts
On Gudiashvili Street near Liberty Square metro, part of the Georgian National Museum, with a large permanent collection running from antiquity to the present. It is a manageable size and sits in the middle of the centre, which makes it easy to slot in.
Closed Mondays, standard national museum hours. The State Academy of Arts is on the same street — it is a working university rather than a public gallery, but you may be able to peek in at the historic buildings.
10. Mamadaviti
On Mtatsminda hill, within the Mtatsminda Pantheon, Mamadaviti was constructed between 1859 and 1871 and domed in 1879. The hill setting is the point as much as the building.
Treat it as part of a walk up to Mtatsminda rather than a standalone visit, and check the weather before committing to the climb.
11. Jewish History Museum
On St. Anton Catholicos, this is the David Baazov Museum, depicting the history of Jews in Georgia from the earliest historic times to the present day. Rabbi David Baazov was sent to Siberia during Stalin's purges and his son was shot, but he survived and returned to Tbilisi; the collection later became a diaspora and has since been repatriated.
It opens Sunday to Friday, so it is one of the few sites here that is available on a Sunday when the national museum buildings are shut. Note that it is closed on Saturdays.
12. Puppet Museum
On Shavteli N Street near Freedom Square metro, also known as the Doll Museum. It is a small collection and worth a short stop if you are already in the area.
Opening hours shift with the season, and several visitors in summer 2018 found it closed, so treat it as a bonus rather than a fixed point in your day.
13. Galaktion Tabidze Museum
On Marjanishvili N, at Marjanishvili metro, this is the museum of the Georgian poet Galaktion Tabidze (1892–1959). It is a modest, single-subject museum for anyone interested in Georgian letters.
It is closed on Mondays. It sits away from the old town cluster, so give it its own slot rather than trying to squeeze it between central sights.
14. E. Akhvlediani House-Museum
On Leo Kiacheli St, about 200 m from Rustaveli metro, part of the Georgian National Museum, showcasing the work of the painter Elene Akhvlediani (1898–1975).
Closed Mondays, standard national museum hours. It is close to Rustaveli avenue, so it pairs naturally with the Museum of Georgia and the Tbilisi Art Gallery.
15. U. Japaridze House-Museum
On Shio Mghvimeli St, north of the centre, part of the Georgian National Museum and the home of the painter Ucha Japaridze (1906–1988).
It is closed on Mondays. It is further out than the other house-museums, so check your route before setting off.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Museum of Georgia on Shota Rustaveli avenue, near Freedom Square metro, and give the goldwork and the fourth-floor Museum of Soviet Occupation proper time. Walk up the same avenue afterwards to the Tbilisi Art Gallery.
Afternoon. Head into the old town for Sioni Church and the Tbilisi History Museum at #8 Sioni St, then cross to the Avlabari side for Metekhi Church and Sameba Cathedral on Elia Hill. If you have energy left, the Writer's House of Georgia in Sololaki is about six minutes from Freedom Square and may need the doorbell rung.
Evening. Finish on the Avlabari side after Sameba, or return to the old town around Sioni Street. In summer, the garden cafe at the Writer's House of Georgia is an option if you are still in Sololaki.
Frequently asked questions
Which day are the Georgian National Museum sites closed?
Mondays. This applies across the national museum sites, including the Museum of Georgia, the Open Air Museum of Ethnography, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Tbilisi History Museum, the Tbilisi Art Gallery and the house-museums.
What can I visit on a Sunday?
The Jewish History Museum opens Sunday to Friday, so it is available on a Sunday when the national museum buildings are closed. Note that it is shut on Saturdays.
How do I reach the Open Air Museum of Ethnography?
Take Bus 59 from Rustaveli metro, or Bus 9 from Station Square followed by a short walk up. It is on Kus Tba, Turtle Lake Road, and you should allow half a day.
Which sights are close enough to combine?
Sioni Church and the Tbilisi History Museum are on the same street in the old town. Metekhi Church and Sameba Cathedral are both on the Avlabari side. The Museum of Georgia and the Tbilisi Art Gallery are both on Shota Rustaveli avenue.
Pick the museums that match your interests, check the Monday closures against your dates, and build the rest of your days around the old town on foot.