The brick domes of Abanotubani, the bath quarter below Narikala fortress, sit over natural hot springs that have been used for bathing for centuries. The city is said to take its name from them: tbili means "warm" in Georgian. Most of the baths are still working bathhouses rather than spas, and an hour in one is among the simplest pleasures in Tbilisi. This guide explains how it works.
The story
By legend, King Vakhtang Gorgasali was hunting here in the 5th century when his falcon, chasing a pheasant, fell into a hot spring, and he decided to build a city on the spot. Abanotubani once had dozens of bathhouses; around a dozen still work [1]. Alexander Pushkin bathed here in 1829 and wrote that he had never met anything more luxurious than the Tiflis baths, in Russia or in Turkey.
The water
The springs come out at about 38–40 °C [1] and smell clearly of sulphur. Georgians have long credited the water with easing skin and joint complaints; there is little clinical evidence either way, so treat it as a very good hot bath rather than a cure.
Public hall or private room?
- Public halls are separate for men and women, cheap (from a few GEL to about 10 GEL), and where locals go. Bathing is usually nude.
- Private rooms are what most visitors choose: a tiled room for your party with a hot pool, a cold shower or plunge and a changing area, rented by the hour. At the best-known bathhouses expect roughly 100–300 GEL an hour depending on the room; simpler bathhouses charge less [1][2]. Couples, friends and families can bathe together, and swimwear is optional.
The bathhouses
- Chreli Abano (the Orbeliani Baths), with its blue tiled façade in the style of a Persian mosque, is the most photographed and the most booked.
- Gulo's Thermal Spa, the Royal Bath and Bathhouse No. 5 are other well-known names; No. 5 also has cheaper public sections [1].
Prices and rooms change often, so check the bathhouse's own page or ask your guide the day before.
The kisi scrub
For an extra fee, usually paid in cash, an attendant (a mekise) scrubs you down with a coarse mitt called a kisi, then soaps you. It is vigorous, takes 10–20 minutes and costs roughly 10–30 GEL [1]. Ask for it when you book the room, and leave the door unlocked so the attendant can come in. Massage is offered too, but it is a simple wash-house massage, not a spa treatment.
How to do it
- Book a private room a day or two ahead, especially at Chreli Abano and for weekend evenings.
- Arrive a few minutes early: the hour starts on time.
- Soak for 15–20 minutes at a time, cool off, drink water and go back in.
- Take off silver jewellery, which the sulphur can tarnish.
- Bring or hire towels and flip-flops, and bring shampoo and a bottle of water.
- Winter evenings are the most atmospheric time; weekday mornings are the quietest [2].
Who should skip it
Hot mineral water is not for everyone. Skip it, or ask your doctor first, if you are pregnant, have heart disease or uncontrolled high blood pressure, or have open wounds or inflamed skin [2]. Don't go in straight after a big meal or a lot of wine, and keep children's soaks short.
Around the baths
Abanotubani is in the middle of the Old Town. From the domes it is a short walk to the Leghvtakhevi waterfall, up to Narikala fortress (or down from it after the cable car), and across the river to Metekhi church. A bath works well at the end of a day on foot.
With us
Our private Tbilisi city tour walks down past the bath domes on the way from Narikala into the Old Town, and your guide can book you a private room for the evening (not included in the tour price). Romantic Georgia for two, 4 days includes an hour in a private bath room on the first evening, and the 6-day winter tour leaves an evening free for one. We don't sell spa packages or treatments of our own. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Wander-Lush, "Tbilisi sulfur baths" guide and Gulo's Thermal Spa review (updated 18 February 2026): wander-lush.org
- Sakhva Travel, "Sulfur baths in Tbilisi" (February 2026): sakhva-travel.com
Last checked: September 2026. Bath prices change often; the bathhouse's own price is the one that counts.
