Tbilisi.
Flight from TLV
2h 20m
Best season
אפר–אוק
Avg temp
20°
Currency
₾ GEL · 1=₪1.17
Time zone
+1 שעה מול ת״א (UTC+4)
Language
גאורגית · אנגלית ורוסית נפוצות בתיירות
Plug
C / F · 220V (כמו בישראל, בלי מתאם)
Visa
אין צורך בוויזה לישראלים, עד שנה שלמה עם דרכון בתוקף
Safety
בטוחה מאוד, גם בלילה. הזהירות היחידה: כבישי ההרים
Overview
🇬🇪Tbilisi
🇬🇪Georgia
Tbilisi has become the Israelis' backyard capital: three hours by air, visa-free, and a city that feels like Prague meets Istanbul. Cobbled lanes and carved wooden balconies in the Old Town, Narikala Fortress above the river, brick-domed sulphur baths, hot khachapuri, qvevri wine, casinos open all night and Shardeni Street bars full of Israelis. All of it compact, wonderfully cheap, and the base for a day in Kazbegi, the wine villages of Kakheti or skiing in Gudauri.
What are you looking for?
Everything for Tbilisi, in one place
Pick a category and dive into its dedicated page.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Tbilisi
Each area and who it suits best.
Old Town and Sololaki
Cobbled lanes, carved wooden balconies and boutiques around Shardeni Street, Meidan Square and the baths, all walkable. The prettiest choice, but expect bar noise on weekend nights and mostly small boutique hotels with no parking. Moxy and Freedom Square sit at the edge of the district.
Rustaveli Avenue and Freedom Square
The main avenue with the Marriott, Biltmore, Radisson and its casino, Galleria Tbilisi and the metro. Central and safe, easy for day trips because drivers pick you up without fuss, but less "Georgian" than the Old Town and dinner is a 10-minute walk.
Vera
Home to Stamba and Rooms, cafes, wine bars and restaurants like Ezo. More elegant and quieter than the Old Town and still a 15-minute walk from Rustaveli. Slightly pricier, and uphill.
Vake
Tbilisi's upscale district by Vake Park and Turtle Lake, with roomy apartments, chef restaurants and a mall. Perfect for calm and comfort, but every trip downtown is a 10-15 minute Bolt ride.
Marjanishvili and Fabrika (Left Bank)
The other side of the river: the renovated Aghmashenebeli Avenue, Fabrika with its courtyard and bars, Shavi Lomi and Barbarestan. Cheaper, young and local, with a metro station in the middle. Nights around Fabrika get loud.
Avlabari
An old Armenian neighborhood facing the Old Town, with Sameba Cathedral, a metro stop and friendly prices. One bridge from the baths and from Kote Afkhazi Street with Chabad and the kosher restaurant. Fewer bars, more real neighborhood.
Year-round weather
Year-round weather in Tbilisi
Temperature averages
Real climate dataינו
8°
0°
Cool
פבר
7°
0°
Cool
מרץ
15°
5°
Cool
אפר
19°
9°
Recommended
מאי
22°
13°
Excellent
יונ
28°
17°
Excellent
יול
31°
20°
Excellent
אוג
32°
21°
Hot
ספט
24°
16°
Excellent
אוק
19°
11°
Recommended
נוב
15°
6°
Cool
דצמ
9°
2°
Cool
Most pleasant weather: מאי · יונ · יול · ספט
Peak season for Israelis (when everyone goes): אפר · מאי · יונ · ספט · אוק. Israelis fly to Tbilisi year-round: the peak is July-August (school break, a base for Kazbegi and Batumi) plus Sukkot and Pesach, and Hanukkah to February thanks to skiing in Gudauri. April-June and September-October are the most pleasant and cheapest months for the city itself.
Based on a 3-year average · measured in Tbilisi · Open-Meteo
This week in Tbilisi
Measured in Tbilisi
19°
Partly cloudy
Next 7 days
Tap a day for hourly detail
Seasonal averages · loading live forecast…
Things to do
Things to do in Tbilisi
On the map
Tbilisi on one map
Every spot travelers love — tap a pin for photos, opening hours, navigation and booking.
Suggested plan
A perfect Tbilisi itinerary
Day by day, so you can picture the whole trip.
- 1
Day 1
Old Town, Narikala and the baths
Start at Freedom Square and walk down Kote Afkhazi Street past the Great Synagogue and Shardeni Street to Meidan Square. Ride the Rike Park cable car up to Narikala Fortress, follow the wall to the Mother of Georgia statue and descend through the botanical garden and the waterfall to Abanotubani. End the evening in a private room at the sulphur baths and a pre-booked dinner in Shavi Lomi's courtyard.
- 2
Day 2
Rustaveli, Sameba and Mtatsminda
A morning on Rustaveli Avenue: the opera house, parliament and coffee at Galleria Tbilisi. Cross the river to the giant Sameba Cathedral and the Avlabari neighborhood, then take the metro back to Rustaveli and ride the funicular up to Mtatsminda Park. Up there: a Ferris wheel, kids' rides and the widest view over the city at sunset; dinner at the Funicular Restaurant Complex with its famous ponchiki donuts.
- 3
Day 3
Kazbegi on the Georgian Military Highway
Leave with a driver at 08:00 sharp. Stop at Ananuri Fortress and the Zhinvali reservoir, pass Gudauri and the colorful mosaic Friendship Monument, and reach Stepantsminda by lunch. A jeep takes you up to Gergeti Trinity Church facing Mount Kazbek, and the keen continue to Gveleti waterfall. Back in Tbilisi by 20:00, finish with khinkali at Pasanauri.
- 4
Day 4
Mtskheta in the morning, casino at night
Half an hour out of town: Jvari Monastery on the cliff above the rivers' confluence, then Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the souvenir lanes of Mtskheta, the ancient capital. Back in the afternoon for the Dry Bridge Market (fullest on Fridays and Saturdays) and shopping at East Point or Galleria. Dinner at Barbarestan or Cafe Littera, then the roulette tables at Casino Adjara or Shangri La.
- 5
Day 5
Kakheti, a wine day
A driver takes you to Sighnaghi, the walled "city of love" overlooking the Alazani valley and the Caucasus; a tasting at Pheasant's Tears and a visit to Bodbe Monastery. Continue to the Tsinandali Estate and a qvevri tasting at a winery, or swap the wineries for a few hours at Lopota Lake with kids. Back in the evening for a last drink at Fabrika or Drama Bar.
- 6
Day 6
Chronicle of Georgia, Tbilisi Sea and last shopping
A morning at the Chronicle of Georgia, giant pillars on the hill above the Tbilisi Sea that look like a Soviet Stonehenge. Families continue to the Gino Paradise water park, couples to Turtle Lake and the Vake neighborhood. A last run through Carrefour for churchkhela and spices, then straight from East Point to the airport, 10 minutes away.
Quick game
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Budget
How much does Tbilisi cost?
Real ILS price ranges, so you know what to expect.
Round-trip flight from TLV
₪800-1,500 (holidays: ₪1,900+)
4-night package pp
₪2,200-3,800 (flight + 4★ hotel)
Mid-range hotel/night
₪250-500 (double room)
5★ hotel/night
₪550-1,100
Restaurant meal
₪40-90 (pp, with wine)
Khachapuri / khinkali
₪15-30 per dish
Local beer
₪9-16
Coffee
₪7-14
Bolt ride in town
₪8-20 (airport: ₪35-50)
Driver with car per day
₪350-600 (per car)
Baths / casino / cable car
₪120-250 per room · free entry · ₪5
Daily budget pp
₪220-420 (excl. flight & hotel)
Family of 4, 5 nights
₪11,000-18,000 (all-in)
Good to know
Good to know before Tbilisi
Getting around
From the airport
Tbilisi Airport is 17 km east of the center. Bolt or Yandex Go from the app costs ₪35-50 and takes 25-35 minutes, while the airport taxi rank asks ₪70-100, so order in the app from the exit area. Bus 337 runs 24 hours to Freedom Square and the train station for just ₪2, about 50 minutes. Many hotels offer a private transfer for ₪60-90.
Need a car?
No. In the city a car is a burden: parking is hard, driving is aggressive and Bolt is cheaper than any rental. For day trips most Israelis don't self-drive either; they book a driver with a car for the day or join a tour, because the Kazbegi road is winding and snowy in winter. A rental only pays off for a full week touring Kakheti, Borjomi and Kutaisi.
Tips
Tbilisi's metro is two simple lines, ₪1.5 a ride with a Metromoney card bought at the booth, reaching Rustaveli, Freedom Square, Avlabari and the train station. Book a day driver through the hotel or GoTrip and agree the price, hours and stops upfront. On weekend nights Bolt surges near Shardeni, so order from a side street.
Kosher & Jewish
Chabad / community
Chabad of Tbilisi operates at 25 Kote Afkhazi Street (formerly Leselidze), steps from the Great Synagogue and in the heart of the area Israelis roam. There are daily minyanim, Shabbat meals by advance registration on their site, and answers to every kosher question in town. Georgia's Jewish community is among the oldest in the world, and the 19th-century Great Synagogue is worth a visit even outside prayer times.
Kosher food
Two kosher restaurants on the same corner: Chabad's Mendi's (mehadrin, 7 Bambis Rigi Street opposite the synagogue, daily 12:00 to midnight) and the veteran King David inside the Great Synagogue compound, with khinkali, skewers and kosher cheese khachapuri. Chabad also provides Shabbat meals and packed food for day trips. Carrefour at Tbilisi Mall and East Point has a shelf of internationally certified packaged goods, and Georgian supermarkets are full of fruit, nuts, churchkhela and bread. Travelers who don't insist on certified restaurants enjoy salads, lobio, stuffed vegetables and trout in regular places, since Georgian cooking is largely vegetarian.
Travel insurance
Travel insurance for Tbilisi 🇬🇪
A hospital day in Tbilisi can cost thousands. Full coverage with Hebrew support.
- Medical + hospital 24/7
- Trip cancellation
- Baggage
- Gadgets & pre-existing conditions
Currency & rates
Live rateCurrency & rates
Quick conversion at today's rate
Convert
You get
116.7
1 GEL
₪1.17
100 GEL
₪116.7
1,000 GEL
₪1,167
Source: exchangerate-api · updated Sep 13 · refreshes daily
Visa & documents
Visa & documents for Tbilisi 🇬🇪
What you need before you fly
- אין צורך בוויזה לישראלים, עד שנה שלמה עם דרכון בתוקף
- Passport valid 6 months
- Travel insurance, leave details for a quote
Local tips
Good to know about Tbilisi
- 📱Install Bolt before landing: a city ride is ₪8-20, airport to center ₪35-50, and no haggling with airport taxi drivers.
- 💳Cards work almost everywhere, but keep ₾50-100 in cash for the Dry Bridge Market, small bathhouses and day-trip drivers.
- 🛁Book a private room at the baths in advance (Chreli Abano or Gulo's) for the evening, ₪120-250 per hour per room, and ask for the kisa scrub.
- 🎰Casinos require only a passport, entry is free and tables are busiest after 23:00. Set a budget in advance and leave the card at the hotel.
- 🚗Don't rent a car for Kazbegi and Kakheti: a private driver with a car is ₪350-600 per car per day, drives the mountain roads for you and stops at every viewpoint.
- ✡️Book Shabbat meals in advance with Chabad Tbilisi on Kote Afkhazi Street; the King David kosher restaurant is on the same street and Carrefour has a shelf of certified packaged goods.
- ⏰Take the Rike Park cable car up to Narikala at 17:30 in summer: you get daylight views, the sunset and the city lighting up.
- 🍷Buy wine at a winery shop or at 8000 Vintages, not the airport: the same Saperavi costs double there.
- 🧥Even in July bring a warm layer: Kazbegi and Gudauri run 10-15 degrees colder than Tbilisi, and in winter the city drops below zero at night.
- 💧Tbilisi tap water is safe, and markets sell Borjomi, the salty mineral water Georgians swear by after a khachapuri night.
מאיה רוזן
Senior agent · Greece for 12 years
"Tbilisi is where I send anyone who tells me "I want something different, close and cheap". You step off the cable car at Narikala, see the brick domes of the baths and the colorful balconies, and realize this is not another European city break. And in the evening, when someone at the next table raises a glass of Saperavi and starts a tamada toast, you're already part of the family."
Loves
A private room at Chreli Abano, the bathhouse with the blue facade, at 21:00 after a day of walking, then a five-minute stroll to the Shavi Lomi courtyard. My small secret: on Friday afternoons the Dry Bridge Market is at its fullest and you can haggle for a real drinking horn.
Skip
Restaurants with photo menus in 12 languages on Shardeni Street and Meidan Square: you pay double for mediocre khachapuri. And don't take the airport taxi rank, Bolt saves you half the price.
Boutique pick
I open your day with coffee at Cafe Leila opposite the Clock Tower, continue on foot past the Great Synagogue to the cable car and Narikala, and do khinkali at Salobie Bia for lunch. Baths in the afternoon, then a table I've pre-booked at Barbarestan and a light roulette session at Casino Adjara, with a Bolt back to the hotel.
Client stories
What returning travelers say about Tbilisi
"We stayed at Stamba, and on the first night we were already in a private bathhouse room and then in the Shavi Lomi courtyard with barrel wine. On day three a driver took us to Kazbegi and we stood in front of Gergeti church in snow in mid June."
Noa and Ido, Tel Aviv
Couple · 4 nights · June
"The kids couldn't stop talking about the cable car to Narikala and the funicular to Mtatsminda, and we about the khachapuri at Machakhela that cost like a falafel back home. We closed the summer break with a full day at the Gino Paradise water park."
The Levi family, Rishon LeZion
Family · 5 nights · August
"Three friends, four nights: Shardeni bars, a roulette table at Shangri La until three in the morning and khinkali at Pasanauri the next day to recover. Best value trip we've done abroad."
Roi, Alon and Tomer, Haifa
Friends · 4 nights · October
"Keeping kosher took no effort: Shabbat at Chabad on Kote Afkhazi Street, meals at King David and salads everywhere. We were surprised by the Great Synagogue and by how warmly Georgians treat Jews."
Rachel and Moshe, Jerusalem
Older couple · 5 nights · September
FAQ
Common questions about Tbilisi
Do Israelis need a visa for Tbilisi?
No. Israelis enter Georgia visa-free for up to a full year with just a valid passport. You get a stamp on arrival in Tbilisi and that's it.
How long is the flight to Tbilisi and are there direct flights?
About three hours nonstop from Ben Gurion to Tbilisi with Israir, Arkia, Georgian Airways and El Al, several flights a day most of the year. In summer and the holidays there are also direct flights to Batumi and Kutaisi.
When is the best time to visit Tbilisi?
April-June and September-October are perfect in Tbilisi: 20-28 degrees, pleasant evenings and low prices. July-August are hot (32 degrees) but it's the Israeli peak because people combine Kazbegi and Batumi; December-February are cold and that's ski time in Gudauri.
How many days do I need in Tbilisi?
Three full days for Tbilisi itself (Old Town, Rustaveli, Mtatsminda, Mtskheta), plus a day per excursion: Kazbegi, Kakheti, Borjomi. A 4-5 night package is the most popular format among Israelis.
How do I get around Tbilisi?
Bolt handles everything in Tbilisi at ₪8-20 a ride, and the metro is cheap and fast to Rustaveli, Freedom Square and Avlabari. Walk the Old Town, and take a driver with a car for day trips.
How much does a Tbilisi vacation cost?
A 4-night Tbilisi package with flights and a 4★ hotel usually costs ₪2,200-3,800 per person, and on the ground you spend ₪220-420 per person per day on food, fun and drivers. A family of four does 5 nights for ₪11,000-18,000.
Is Tbilisi safe for Israelis?
Tbilisi is one of the region's safest capitals, even downtown at night, and Israelis and Jews are treated especially warmly. Normal caution applies: closed pockets at the market and metro, and taxis only via Bolt.
Where are the best casinos in Tbilisi?
The casinos Israelis love in Tbilisi are Casino Adjara by the Radisson, the big glittering Shangri La, Casino Iveria inside the Radisson and Casino Jewel at the Biltmore. Entry is free with a passport, they're open 24 hours, and table minimums are lower than in Europe.
Where do you go out at night in Tbilisi?
Shardeni Street and the lanes around it are Tbilisi's bar street, Fabrika is the young courtyard across the river, and real techno lovers have Bassiani and KHIDI. The good cocktail bars, like Drama Bar, are in Sololaki.
Is there kosher food and a Chabad house in Tbilisi?
Yes: Chabad of Tbilisi at 25 Kote Afkhazi Street with minyanim and Shabbat meals by registration, the kosher King David restaurant on the same street, and a certified packaged-goods shelf at Carrefour. It's one of the region's easiest destinations for kosher travelers.
Is Tbilisi better for families with kids or for couples?
Both. Families love the cable car, the funicular and Mtatsminda Park, the Gino Paradise water park and the prices; couples fall for the Sololaki lanes, the private baths and Vera's chef restaurants. In summer Tbilisi also works as a base for Batumi and Kazbegi.
What should I combine with Tbilisi?
The classic Israeli combination is Tbilisi + a day in Kazbegi + a wine day in Kakheti, and in summer 2-3 nights in Batumi. In winter swap Batumi for a ski week in Gudauri, two hours from Tbilisi.