Tbilisi in one day on foot: a walking itinerary
This Tbilisi one day walking itinerary starts on Rustaveli Avenue at the Museum of Georgia and works down through the old town: two old churches, the marionette theatre, the Bridge of Peace, Sioni Cathedral, Metekhi on its cliff, the sulphur bath district, Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue on the ridge. Ten stops, about 31 minutes of walking between them, and the longest single leg is 7 minutes.
I built the day in Passage AI in October 2026 for a Wednesday. I added the ten stops, let Optimize set the order, and gave each stop a time. Hours and prices are checked against the official sites and linked below.
Last checked: Oct 2026. Prices and hours change. Open the linked official page before you go.
The day at a glance
The table shows the day in order, with a time for each stop and the walking minutes to the next one.
| # | Stop | Suggested time | Walk to next stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Museum of Georgia (Georgian National Museum) | 10:00 | about 7 min |
| 2 | Anchiskhati Basilica | 12:15 | about 1 min |
| 3 | Gabriadze Theatre, then lunch | 12:30 | about 5 min |
| 4 | Rike Park | 2:00 | about 2 min |
| 5 | Bridge of Peace | 2:30 | about 2 min |
| 6 | Sioni Cathedral | 2:45 | about 4 min |
| 7 | Metekhi Church | 3:30 | about 3 min |
| 8 | Abanotubani (sulphur baths) | 4:00 | about 2 min |
| 9 | Narikala Fortress | 5:15 | about 5 min |
| 10 | Kartlis Deda (Mother of Georgia) | 6:00 |
Walk times in Passage AI are straight-line estimates between stops. Tap Directions and your phone's maps app opens with the street route. Old Tbilisi is hilly, and the last two legs climb to the ridge.
Stop by stop
1. Museum of Georgia, 10:00
The Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia sits at the Freedom Square end of Rustaveli Avenue, the 1.5 km main street of the city. Its collection runs from Stone Age archaeology through the history of Georgia, the Caucasus and the Near East, which makes it a good first stop before the old town. (Georgian National Tourism Administration)
The exhibition halls open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, with last admission at 17:30. They are closed on Mondays and on Georgian public holidays, which in the rest of 2026 include 14 October and 23 November. (official hours)
A full ticket for foreign visitors costs 40 GEL. Foreign students and pupils pay 15 GEL with documents, and children under 6 enter free. Buy at the ticket office or online at biletebi.ge. (official prices)
Give it two hours. It opens at 10:00, so the day starts there.
2. Anchiskhati Basilica, 12:15
A 7 minute walk into the old town brings you to the oldest church on this route. Anchiskhati was built in the 6th century and takes its name from an icon brought here from Anchi Monastery in the 17th century. That icon is now in the Shalva Amiranashvili Art Museum. (Georgian National Tourism Administration)
It is a working church, so dress modestly. Rules on covering shoulders and hair can differ between churches; check before you go if you're unsure.
3. Gabriadze Theatre and lunch, 12:30
A minute down Shavteli Street is the marionette theatre founded by Rezo Gabriadze, at 13 Ioane Shavteli Street. Show times and tickets are on the theatre's site. Check before you go if you want an evening show.
This is the place for lunch. The lanes around Shavteli Street and Erekle II Street are full of cafés and restaurants, and the next stop is 5 minutes away. Pick one that is open on your day and book if it takes reservations.
4. Rike Park, 2:00
Cross the river to the park on the left bank. The lower station of the Rike to Narikala cable car is here. You can ride it up now, or save it for the way down from the fortress at the end of the day. Fares and seasonal hours change, so check before you go.
5. Bridge of Peace, 2:30
The glass and steel footbridge over the Mtkvari links Rike Park with Erekle II Street. It opened in 2010, designed by the Italian architect Michele De Lucchi, and its blue glass panels sit in a metal frame. It's free to cross at any hour. (Georgian National Tourism Administration)
6. Sioni Cathedral, 2:45
Back on the right bank, Sioni Cathedral stands in Kala, the oldest neighbourhood of Tbilisi. It has been the patriarchal church for more than a century. The cross of St Nino, the woman who brought Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century, is kept north of the iconostasis. It is the holiest relic of the Georgian Orthodox Church. (Georgian National Tourism Administration)
Services can be running when you arrive. Keep your voice down and stay at the back if one is on.
7. Metekhi Church, 3:30
Cross the river once more, by the Metekhi Bridge, to the church on the cliff above the water. Metekhi is the neighbourhood on that cliff, and the Church of the Assumption stands at its edge. (Wikipedia) From the church you can see across the river to where the rest of the day goes: the baths and the fortress hill.
8. Abanotubani, 4:00
Abanotubani is the old bath district, a short walk back over the river. Its domed 17th century bathhouses are fed by hot sulphur water, and the city's founding legend says these waters are what made King Vakhtang Gorgasali build here. (Georgian National Tourism Administration)
If you want a soak, give it an hour. Each bathhouse sets its own prices, hours and booking rules, so check the one you pick before you go. If not, walk between the domes and keep going.
9. Narikala Fortress, 5:15
From the baths, take the steps up to the fortress. Narikala's walls run along the steep hill between the sulphur baths and the botanical garden, and the St Nicholas church in its lower court was rebuilt in 1996 and 1997. (Wikipedia)
When you arrive at a stop, Passage AI's Guide opens a card like this with the story of the place. Tap Listen if you want it read aloud.
10. Kartlis Deda (Mother of Georgia), 6:00
Walk west along the ridge to the 20 metre aluminium statue on Sololaki hill. Elguja Amashukeli made it in 1958, the year Tbilisi celebrated its 1,500th anniversary. She holds a bowl of wine in her left hand for friends and a sword in her right for enemies. (Wikipedia)
From here, walk back to Narikala and ride the cable car down to Rike Park, or take the steps back into the old town for dinner.
How Optimize ordered the day
I added the ten stops in the order they came to mind, then tapped Optimize. It found an order with 7 minutes less walking, 31 minutes instead of 38. Rike Park and the Bridge of Peace move up to right after lunch, Metekhi comes before the baths, and Narikala and the Mother of Georgia close the day on the ridge.
Optimize shows a preview with each stop's old position before anything changes, and nothing saves until you tap Apply new order.
What to book ahead in Tbilisi
Most of this day needs no ticket. The churches, the bridge, the park and the bath district streets are free to walk into.
| Stop | Official source says (Oct 2026) | My call |
|---|---|---|
| Museum of Georgia | 40 GEL foreign adult, ticket office or biletebi.ge; closed Mondays | Buy on the day, or online if you like |
| Gabriadze Theatre | Shows and tickets on the theatre's site | Book if you want a show |
| Sulphur baths | Each bathhouse sets its own rules | Check the one you pick |
| Rike to Narikala cable car | No official fare page found | Check before you go |
| Lunch and dinner | Varies | Book if the place takes reservations |
What to skip or swap
- Short on time? Skip the inside of the museum. At two hours it's the longest stop of the day. Start at Anchiskhati at 10:00 instead and you gain a slow lunch.
- Visiting on a Monday? The Museum of Georgia is closed. Swap in a walk up Rustaveli Avenue, past the Parliament, the Opera House and Kashveti Church. (Georgian National Tourism Administration)
- Want a bigger church? Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba) stands on the left bank, north-east of Metekhi. Built between 1995 and 2004, it is the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church. (Wikipedia) Allow about an hour extra.
- Want a garden? The National Botanical Garden sits behind the fortress hill. Its website was being rebuilt when I checked, so check hours and the entry fee before you go.
- Pairing it with Armenia? My Yerevan in one day on foot plan follows the same format.
FAQ
Can you see Tbilisi in one day on foot?
You can see the old centre in one day: the Museum of Georgia, the old town churches, the Bridge of Peace, the sulphur baths and Narikala, with time for lunch and a soak. The stops sit close together, though the climb at the end of the day slows you down.
How much walking is this itinerary?
About 31 minutes of walking between stops in the optimized order, measured in straight lines. The longest leg is the 7 minute walk from the museum into the old town. The climb from the baths up to Narikala and along the ridge takes longer than the flat legs.
Is the Museum of Georgia open every day?
No. The exhibition halls open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, with last admission at 17:30, and close on Mondays and public holidays. A foreign adult ticket is 40 GEL.
Do you need to take the cable car to Narikala?
No. You can walk up from Abanotubani by the steps, as this plan does, and use the cable car to come down to Rike Park at the end. Check the current fare and hours before you go.
What day of the week is best for this walk?
Tuesday to Sunday. On Mondays and Georgian public holidays the Museum of Georgia is closed, so start at Anchiskhati instead.
Is there an Android app?
An Android app is coming soon. On Android today you can plan in the browser at mypassage.ai.
How this was made: planned in Passage AI on 12 October 2026, facts checked against the official sites of the Georgian National Museum and the Gabriadze Theatre and the Georgian National Tourism Administration (georgia.travel), with Wikipedia for history only, written by Edward.
Cover photo: Saskia Heijltjes on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped)
