Very Friendly Tbilisi Walking Tour (wine tasting & cable car)

Tbilisi reveals itself best on foot, and this tour packs the city’s oldest quarters into one lively half-day route. You’ll cross the modern Peace Bridge, ride above the Mtkvari River to Narikala, wander past sulfur baths, and finish near Orbeliani Bazaar. The cable-car ride gives you a quick view of how the old city fits together.

I like the mix of major sights and small historical details, especially the 6th-century Anchiskhati Basilica and the old wall ruins. I also like the personal tone promised by guide Anastasia, whose warm, friendly approach makes the walk feel less formal. The main caution is that the advertised wine tasting is not explained in detail, and the group-size information varies between a maximum of 15 and a maximum of 100.

Key points at a glance

• Ancient and modern Tbilisi in four hours: You move from medieval wall ruins and churches to the glass-and-steel Peace Bridge.
• A useful cable-car ride: The included trip from Rike Park to Narikala saves a steep uphill climb and opens wide city views.
• A friendly guide matters here: Anastasia de Fellini Travels is identified as the guide, with a warm, conversational style.
• The sulfur-bath district is a highlight: Abanotubani, Chreli Abano, and Leghvtakhevi Waterfall show a more intimate side of Old Tbilisi.
• Good value at $27.24: The guide, bottled water, and cable-car ticket are included, while food, drinks, and any hotel transfer cost extra.
• Check the wine-tasting details: The tour title includes wine tasting, but the supplied schedule does not state where or how it takes place.

Why this route works for a first day in Tbilisi

This is a useful orientation walk because it connects places that can feel scattered when you explore alone. The route begins around Pushkin Square and moves through the old center, across the river, up toward Narikala, and back down through the sulfur-bath quarter.

You’ll cover a lot of ground in roughly four hours. That means the tour is better for seeing the city’s shape and hearing its stories than for spending long periods inside monuments. The listed stops are often short, usually 5 to 20 minutes, so bring realistic expectations.

The route also gives you several versions of Tbilisi in one outing. You see the old defensive walls, early Christian churches, royal monuments, Soviet and imperial layers, modern public spaces, and lively pedestrian lanes. I like that balance. It keeps the walk from becoming a parade of churches and dates.

The tour begins at Tbilisi Pushkin Square. The stated end point is near Orbeliani Bazaar, at Orbeliani Square. Hotel pickup is described as available in the highlights, but the meeting-point information lists Pushkin Square as the start and does not clearly confirm pickup for every booking. Ask before you rely on it.

From the old city wall to Anchiskhati Basilica

The first stop is a section of Tbilisi’s wall ruins, including underground heritage connected with an 11th-century customs gate. It is a brief stop, but it sets the tone: this city was shaped by trade, movement, and repeated rebuilding.

From there, you reach the Rezo Gabriadze Marionette Theater on Shavteli Street. Its clock tower is one of Tbilisi’s most recognizable sights. At the turn of the hour, a golden angel appears from a painted doorway and rings a bell with a small hammer.

The theater was created by Rezo Gabriadze in 1981, and its unusual architecture makes it worth a pause even if you are not attending a performance. If your timing lines up with the hourly display, you may see the clock’s small mechanical show. The schedule gives this stop 15 minutes, so you may not have much time to wait for it.

Anchiskhati Basilica is one of the strongest early stops. It dates to the 6th century and is considered the oldest church building in Tbilisi. Its three-nave basilica form is modest compared with grander cathedrals, but that is part of its appeal.

The church’s name comes from the Anchi icon, which arrived here from South Georgia in 1664. The icon is now held in the Georgian National Museum. You should dress and behave respectfully in the churches, and remember that a short guided stop may not allow time for a long interior visit.

Crossing the Peace Bridge and Rike Park

The next stretch shifts from old stone to modern Tbilisi. The Peace Bridge crosses the Mtkvari River between Erekle II Street and Rike Park. Opened in 2010, its curved glass-and-steel form has become one of the city’s modern symbols.

I like seeing it in the same tour as the wall ruins and Anchiskhati Basilica. The contrast explains Tbilisi better than a list of dates can. The city is not preserved in one fixed period. Old religious buildings, newer public works, and changing commercial streets sit close together.

Rike Park is a pleasant pause before the cable car. Its design is said to form a map of Georgia when viewed from above, while the pathways suggest the country’s regions. From ground level, you’ll mainly experience it as an open public park and the cable-car departure point.

The cable-car ride connects Rike Park, or Europe Square, with the Narikala Fortress area. The ticket is included, which helps the price feel fair. More importantly, the ride saves you from making the full uphill climb on foot during an already busy walking route.

Metekhi, King Vakhtang, and the climb to Narikala

Metekhi Cathedral sits on the left bank of the Mtkvari in the historic Metekhi district. The church is linked with Saint Shushanik, whose remains are kept there, and with the medieval Georgian royal tradition.

Nearby, the monument to King Vakhtang Gorgasali adds another layer to the story. Vakhtang was a 5th and early 6th-century king of Iberia, the kingdom known in Georgian as Kartli. He fought to protect his people from Sasanian Iranian control, though the struggle ended in defeat and a weakened kingdom.

These stops are short, so the guide’s explanation will shape your understanding. I would not expect an extended church visit or a detailed study of Georgian medieval politics. Instead, you get enough context to see why the river cliffs and fortress heights mattered.

The cable car then carries you upward toward Narikala. From this section, you should get a stronger sense of Tbilisi’s steep setting around the river. The ride is one of the practical highlights of the tour, especially if you prefer to save your legs for the old lanes and bath district later.

Mother of Georgia and Narikala Fortress

At the upper station, you see Kartlis Deda, the Mother of Georgia. The statue holds a wine glass for friends and a sword for enemies. It is a simple image, but a memorable one, and it connects hospitality with toughness in a single symbol.

The wine glass also fits the tour’s wider Georgian theme. Wine is part of the country’s cultural identity, and the experience is advertised with a wine tasting. However, the schedule gives no location, tasting format, or number of wines. If that feature is important to you, confirm it with Fellini Travels before booking rather than assuming it is a full cellar visit.

Narikala Fortress occupies the ridge above Old Tbilisi. Its earliest construction is placed in the 4th century, with later expansion under Arab rulers in the 7th and 8th centuries. The surviving walls are a clear reminder that this was a defended city on an important regional route.

The fortress area also contains the 12th-century Saint Nicholas Church. The listed visit lasts about 20 minutes, so expect a look around rather than a long exploration of every fragment. Wear shoes suited to uneven ground and take care near the old stonework.

Down through the mosque, waterfall, and sulfur baths

The route continues downhill toward the Tbilisi Mosque, also called the Juma Mosque. It is described as the only Muslim shrine currently serving the city and sits below Narikala in Old Tbilisi.

The mosque’s story reflects Tbilisi’s shifting rulers and communities. An Ottoman mosque was built here in the early 18th century, destroyed by the Persians in the 1740s, and rebuilt in the 19th century. Later renovation altered its eastern side.

Leghvtakhevi Waterfall is a welcome change of pace. The 22-meter fall lies in an old gorge near Abanotubani. Its name comes from the Georgian word for fig, recalling the fig trees that once grew around the area.

The waterfall is not a grand wilderness stop. It is a compact urban sight tucked into the old city, which is exactly why it works well on this walk. You get a quick break from streets and buildings without leaving central Tbilisi.

Abanotubani is one of the tour’s most distinctive districts. The name refers to the old bath quarter, built around hot sulfur springs at the foot of Narikala. The baths were constructed at different times, mainly from the 17th through 19th centuries.

Chreli Abano is especially easy to recognize. Its colorful, domed facade can look like a mosque, but it is a sulfur bath. The tour does not include a bath session, and food and drinks are not included, so treat this as a look at the district rather than a spa booking.

Markets, lanes, and Sioni Cathedral

Meidan Bazaar gives you a chance to see the commercial side of Old Tbilisi. The square has long served as a trading place and has carried different names over time. Today, you might find Georgian wine, handmade goods, souvenirs, and local delicacies there.

This is also the most natural point to ask your guide about the wine tasting. The market may be useful for browsing and buying, but do not confuse shopping time with an included tasting unless the operator confirms the arrangement.

Jan Shardeni Street and the nearby pedestrian lanes are more polished and social. Galleries, cafes, and shops line Shardeni, Bambis Rigi, Rkinis Rigi, and nearby Erekle II Street. These lanes show a more fashionable side of the old center, though they may feel less traditional than the wall ruins or bath district.

The final listed stop is Sioni Cathedral. The church is a cross-domed Georgian architectural monument on the lower right bank of the Mtkvari. It served as Tbilisi’s cathedral for centuries and became the Patriarchal Cathedral in 1920.

The tour ends near Orbeliani Bazaar, not back at Pushkin Square. That is useful if you want to continue exploring the central city, but less convenient if you parked or left luggage near the starting point. Plan your next move before the walk ends.

Is $27.24 good value?

At $27.24 per person, this is a reasonable price for a four-hour guided walk if the group stays small. You receive a local guide, bottled water, and the cable-car ticket. The route covers many key sights, and the cable car alone saves both time and effort.

The value depends partly on the group size. The highlights describe a maximum of 15, while the additional information gives a maximum of 100. Those figures are very different. A group of 15 could allow easy questions and a personal pace. A much larger group would make the short stops and church explanations less intimate.

I would ask for the expected group size, confirm the wine-tasting arrangement, and clarify hotel pickup before paying. Those questions matter more here than a small price difference.

The tour has free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. If the minimum number of participants is not reached, the operator says you will be offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Who should book this Tbilisi walk?

I recommend it for a first visit, especially if you want a clear introduction before exploring independently. It suits adults and families with children accompanied by an adult, and most participants can take part. The route uses public areas and is near public transportation.

It is also a good choice if you want history without committing to a museum-heavy morning. You’ll hear about kings, churches, fortifications, religious communities, baths, and modern city planning while continuing to move.

It may be less suitable if you want long interior visits, a slow photography walk, or a full wine-focused experience. The schedule is tight, and several stops last only 5 or 10 minutes. You should also be comfortable walking on old streets and around fortress ruins.

The guide’s tone may be a major part of the experience. Anastasia de Fellini Travels is identified by name and is described as very friendly, close, and enthusiastic about her work. One Spanish-speaking review praised her warmth and said she made the walk pleasant. If you speak Spanish, her response suggests she may be comfortable engaging across languages, though the tour’s official language is not stated.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want to get your bearings fast and see Tbilisi’s essential old-city sights in one outing. The best parts are the cable-car connection to Narikala, the walk through Abanotubani, the historic churches, and the mix of old and new architecture.

Before booking, confirm three things: the exact group size, whether hotel pickup applies to you, and what the wine tasting includes. If those details suit you, $27.24 is a fair price for a friendly, active introduction to Tbilisi. If you prefer a slow pace or a serious wine tour, choose something narrower and leave more time for the city’s lanes on your own.

FAQ

How long does the Tbilisi walking tour last?

The tour lasts approximately four hours.

Where does the tour start?

The stated starting point is Tbilisi Pushkin Square in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends near Orbeliani Bazaar at Orbeliani Square.

Is the cable-car ticket included?

Yes. The listed inclusions cover the cable-car ride from Rike Park to the Narikala area.

Is hotel pickup available?

Hotel pickup is described as available in the tour highlights, but the meeting-point details list Pushkin Square as the start. Confirm the pickup arrangement when booking.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.