Tbilisi city tour

Tbilisi has been a crossroads for fifteen centuries, and it wears every layer of that history at once. Legend says the king Vakhtang Gorgasali founded the city when his falcon led him to the hot springs here — tbili means "warm" — and the sulphur baths still steam under their brick domes in the oldest quarter.

From the baths we climb to Narikala, the fortress that has watched over the river since the Persians, for the best view of the tangled Old Town below. Then it's down through lanes of carved balconies, leaning houses and tiny churches, out to the bold new Tbilisi — the glassy Bridge of Peace, Rike Park and, across the river, the golden dome of Sameba.

Because it's your own private day, we shape it around what you like: more history or more food, a soak in the baths, a wine bar in the afternoon, or a cable-car ride at dusk when the city lights come on.

— The Georgia by Car team

We pick you up at your hotel or apartment and start whenever suits — mornings are quieter in the Old Town, evenings are wonderful when everything is lit. Wear comfortable shoes for the cobbles.

A half day is plenty for the highlights; a full day lets us slow down, add the food and wine, or pair the city with Mtskheta, the old capital, just half an hour away.