The short answer: you can see the heart of old Tbilisi on a single loop of about 5–6 km, starting and ending at Metekhi on the river. Take the cable car up to Narikala fortress, walk along the ridge to the Mother of Georgia, drop down through the Leghvtakhevi gorge to the sulphur baths, then wind through Kala, the old quarter, to Sioni Cathedral, Anchiskhati Basilica and the Gabriadze clock tower, and cross the Bridge of Peace back to where you started. Allow 4–5 hours with stops. Here is the route, stop by stop.
Before you start
- Shoes: the cobbles are steep and polished in places, and slippery when wet. Wear flat shoes with grip.
- Dress code: shoulders and knees covered in the churches; women cover their hair. Wraps are usually available at the door.
- Timing: start by 10:00. In July and August start earlier and keep the middle of the day for a long lunch. If you want to see the clock tower's puppet show, plan to be there at 12:00 or 19:00.
- Cash: bring a few small notes for the cable car, a coffee and church candles.
The route
1. Metekhi Church and King Vakhtang
Start on the cliff above the Mtkvari at Metekhi Church, built by King Demetrius II around 1278–1284 on a site that tradition links with the city's founder [1]. In front of it rides the bronze statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, put up in 1961 [1]. The view across the river takes in the bath domes, the wooden balconies of the Old Town and Narikala on the ridge: the rest of your walk laid out in front of you.
2. Rike Park and the cable car
Walk down from Metekhi to Rike Park on the same bank, a few minutes away, and take the cable car up to Narikala. The ride is short and saves a steep climb; the views over the rooftops are the reason to take it anyway.
3. Narikala fortress
The fortress has been rebuilt many times, but archaeology dates a fortification here to the 4th century [2]. The Mongols called it Narin Qala, "little fortress", which is where the name comes from [2]. Inside the walls, the Church of St Nicholas was rebuilt in 1996–1997 after the medieval church was lost to fire [2]. Walk the walls carefully: the paths are uneven and there are few railings.
4. The Mother of Georgia
From the top station, a path follows the ridge west to Kartlis Deda, the Mother of Georgia: a 20-metre aluminium figure put up in 1958 for the city's 1,500th anniversary [3]. She holds a bowl of wine for friends in one hand and a sword for enemies in the other [3]. Walk as far as you like, then come back towards the fortress.
5. Down to the Leghvtakhevi waterfall
From Narikala, steps lead down into the narrow Leghvtakhevi gorge, the "fig gorge", behind the baths. A short path follows the stream to a waterfall, surprisingly close to the city centre. The entrance to the National Botanical Garden is up this side too, if you want a longer detour.
6. Abanotubani, the bath domes
At the mouth of the gorge you come out among the low brick domes of Abanotubani, the sulphur-bath district. The smell tells you why Tbilisi grew here. If you want a private bath room at the end of the walk, book it now for the evening; see our guide to the sulphur baths.
7. Through Kala to Sioni Cathedral
Walk north-west from the baths through the lanes of Kala, the old walled town, to Sioni Cathedral on Sioni Street. First built in the 6th–7th centuries and damaged and rebuilt many times since, it was the main cathedral of the Georgian Church until Sameba was consecrated in 2004 [4]. To the left of the altar is its most venerated relic: the grapevine cross associated with St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century [4]. Services are held daily; visit quietly.
8. Anchiskhati Basilica
A few minutes further on, the small, plain Anchiskhati Basilica is the oldest surviving church in Tbilisi, built in the 6th century under King Dachi [5]. It takes its name from an icon brought here in 1675 from the monastery of Ancha, in what is now Turkey, for safekeeping [5]. In Soviet times it was a crafts museum; it has been a working church again since 1991 [5].
9. The Gabriadze clock tower
Right next door is the leaning clock tower of the Rezo Gabriadze marionette theatre, built in 2010 by the artist himself from salvaged bricks and tiles [6]. Every hour a little door opens and an angel strikes the bell with a hammer; at 12:00 and 19:00 a short puppet show, "The Circle of Life", plays in the window [6]. It is free to watch.
10. Shardeni Street and the Bridge of Peace
Walk back towards the river through the cafés of Shardeni Street, a good place for coffee or a glass of wine, and cross the Mtkvari on the glass-and-steel Bridge of Peace. It brings you into Rike Park, a few minutes' walk from Metekhi, where the loop began.
Shorter and longer versions
- Short (2–3 hours): Metekhi, cable car up, walk down through the gorge to the baths, Sioni and the clock tower. Skip the Mother of Georgia.
- Without the cable car: you can walk up to Narikala from the baths on steps and lanes. It is steep but short; allow extra time and water in summer.
- Longer: add Sololaki's 19th-century streets below Narikala, or continue from the clock tower up to Rustaveli Avenue and the National Museum (closed on Mondays). Our Tbilisi in 1, 2 or 3 days plan shows how to fill a second day.
Who this walk suits
It suits anyone reasonably fit. Children of school age usually enjoy the cable car and the clock tower; pushchairs are hard work on the cobbles and steps. If walking is difficult for you, do the cable car and ridge, take a taxi down to the baths, and see Sioni and the clock tower, which are on flatter ground.
Walking old Tbilisi with us
If you'd rather have someone explain what you're looking at, our private Tbilisi Old Town walk follows almost exactly this route in about five hours, with a local guide, hotel pickup and a coffee stop; we can reserve a private bath room for afterwards. For the evening, the private Tbilisi food and wine walk starts at the Dezerter Bazaar and moves through a tone-oven bakery and a khinkali canteen to a natural-wine bar in the Old Town. Both are private, for 1–8 travellers. See the tour pages for the current price, or plan your own Tbilisi days. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Metekhi": en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Narikala": en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Kartlis Deda": en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sioni Cathedral": en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Anchiskhati Basilica": en.wikipedia.org
- Georgian National Tourism Administration, "Gabriadze Clock Tower": georgia.travel
Last checked: September 2026. Cable car hours and the puppet-show times can change; check on the day.
