# Abanotubani Sulphur Baths, Tbilisi > Abanotubani is Tbilisi's old bath district below Narikala fortress: low brick domes over naturally hot sulphur springs. Wandering between the domes is free at any hour. A soak takes about 1.5 hours — a public hall costs a few lari, while private rooms run roughly 50–250 GEL an hour (unofficial). Most bathhouses open daily until late. Web page: https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/abanotubani - City: [Tbilisi](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi), Georgia - YesGo score: 57/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - Entry: Private room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour - With kids: Fine with kids - Walking the district: Free, any time - Public hall: A few lari per person, up to about 10 GEL - Private room: ≈ 50–250 GEL per hour for the room, depending on the bathhouse and size - Kisi scrub: ≈ 15–30 GEL, paid to the attendant in cash - Hours: Daily; each bathhouse sets its own — many until midnight or later - Booking: Weekend rooms 1–3 days ahead, by phone, messenger or the bathhouse's website - Where: Abano Street off Meidan (Gorgasali) Square, Old Tbilisi - Metro: Avlabari or Liberty Square (Tavisuplebis Moedani), then 10–15 minutes on foot - Time needed: 1–1.5 hours in a bathhouse, plus 20 minutes on the domes - Coordinates: 41.68778, 44.81111 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **≈ 37–40 °C** — natural spring water — nobody heats it (source: Russian Wikipedia — up to 37 °C; Triplinkhub — 38–40 °C; Sakhva Travel — 37–42 °C) - **5th century** — legend says King Vakhtang Gorgasali found a hot spring here and founded the city (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Investor.ge (AmCham Georgia)) - **Tbili** — Georgian for “warm” — the springs gave Tbilisi its name (source: Russian Wikipedia; Investor.ge (AmCham Georgia)) - **1829** — Pushkin bathed here and praised the baths in A Journey to Arzrum (source: Russian Wikipedia; Sakhva Travel) - **17th century** — the age of Chreli Abano, the tiled Orbeliani Bath (source: Georgia.travel (Georgian National Tourism Administration); Investor.ge (AmCham Georgia)) - **Hydrogen sulphide** — gives the water its rotten-egg smell and tarnishes silver (source: Sakhva Travel; Triplinkhub) - **Bath district** — what Abanotubani means: abano — bath, ubani — quarter (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **1858** — Alexandre Dumas visited the baths and wrote about them with delight (source: Russian Wikipedia; Investor.ge (AmCham Georgia)) - **Below Narikala** — on the Mtkvari river bank at the foot of the fortress (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **2016** — Sting soaked at Gulo's Sulphur Bath (source: Russian Wikipedia; Georgia.travel) ## How much are the Tbilisi sulphur baths? There is no official price list for the district — each bathhouse is a private business with its own rates. Going by unofficial guidebook figures, a **public hall** costs a few lari per person, up to about 10 GEL. A **private room** is charged per hour for the whole room, not per head: from ≈ 50 GEL in the simpler places to 250 GEL and more at Chreli Abano or for a large room. Extras are paid separately: the kisi scrub (≈ 15–30 GEL), a massage, and towel hire if you don't bring your own. The scrub is usually paid to the attendant in cash, so carry some lari; ask when you book whether the bathhouse takes cards for the room. A private room is the better deal for two or more — you split one hourly price. Travelling solo? The public hall is cheaper and more local, but it is single-sex and people bathe naked. > **Leave silver behind and wear an old swimsuit** Hydrogen sulphide blackens silver jewellery within minutes, and the sulphur smell clings to hair and fabric for a couple of hours. Take silver off before you go and wear a swimsuit you don't love. In private rooms swimwear is up to you; in public halls people bathe naked. ## Sulphur bath etiquette: what to wear and what happens In a **private room** you get a hot sulphur pool, often a cold plunge or shower, a bench and sometimes a sauna. Couples, friends and families book them together, and most foreigners keep a swimsuit on. In a **public hall**, men and women bathe separately and naked, though a towel around the waist is fine. Shower before you get in and don't use soap in the pool. Stay in the hot water no longer than 10–15 minutes at a time, then cool off and drink water. The ritual most people come for is the **kisi**: an attendant (mekise) scrubs you down with a coarse mitt, then washes you in a cloud of soap foam. It takes 10–15 minutes and is firmer than you expect. Don't photograph other bathers or the attendants. ## Which bathhouse is best? - **Chreli Abano (Orbeliani Bath)** — the landmark: a pointed façade of blue tiles with two minaret-like towers at the end of Abano Street. Private rooms only; book ahead. - **Sulphur Bath No. 5** — one of the few with both public halls and private rooms, decorated with colourful mosaics. The easiest place to try a public hall. - **Gulo's Thermal Spa** — five rooms, tea with homemade jam; Sting came here in 2016. Rooms are booked through messenger apps. - **King Erekle's Bath** — rooms with pools and walls of decorative stone; among the pricier options. - **Royal Bath House** — private rooms, including a big one for a group. - Unnamed baths along the same street are cheaper but rarely have English-speaking staff or a website — you sort things out at the door. ## How to get to the Abanotubani sulphur baths 1. Take the metro to Avlabari or Liberty Square (Tavisuplebis Moedani). A ride is 1 GEL by contactless bank card or a Metromoney card — no cash on city transport. 2. From Avlabari, walk down past Metekhi Church and cross the Mtkvari on Metekhi Bridge — 10–15 minutes. 3. From Liberty Square, walk downhill along Kote Afkhazi Street to Meidan Square — also about 10–15 minutes. 4. From Meidan, turn onto Abano Street: the domes start by the mosque and run to Chreli Abano. 5. From the airport, bus 337 runs to the Liberty Square area (about 40 minutes); walk on as in step 3. A ride-hailing taxi drops you right at Meidan. ## Is it worth it? Yes, if you want to try the thing Tbilisi was literally founded on — and especially on a cold or rainy evening. A private room with a kisi scrub is the full experience; the public hall is cheaper and more local. Skip the soak if you dislike heat, strong smells or nudity, or if you have heart problems, high blood pressure, skin inflammation or are pregnant — guidebooks list these as reasons to avoid sulphur baths, so check with a doctor first. Instead, walk across the domes for free and follow the path into the Leghvtakhevi gorge to a small waterfall. ## A short history of the bath district Legend says King Vakhtang Gorgasali was hunting here in the 5th century when his falcon fell into a hot spring; he decided to build his capital on the spot. Tbili means “warm” in Georgian. For centuries the baths were Tbilisi's social club — merchants from Persia and Armenia did business in them, and men's and women's days took turns. Visitors left famous descriptions. Pushkin, passing through in 1829, wrote in A Journey to Arzrum that he had never met anything more luxurious than the Tiflis baths, in Russia or in Turkey. Alexandre Dumas came in 1858, and the domes you see today are still in use. ## What to bring: checklist - [ ] Room booked, if it's a weekend or Chreli Abano - [ ] Cash in lari for the kisi and a tip - [ ] Flip-flops — the floors are wet and slippery - [ ] Own towel, or money to rent one - [ ] An old swimsuit - [ ] Silver jewellery left behind - [ ] Water to drink afterwards ## Baths, Narikala or the Bridge of Peace: what to do tonight | | Sulphur baths | Narikala Fortress | Bridge of Peace | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Hot sulphur springs under brick domes | Fortress on the hill above the Old Town | Glass footbridge over the Mtkvari | | Entry | Paid, except walking the district | Free | Free | | Time needed | 1–1.5 h | ≈ 1 h | ≈ 20 min | | Best time | Evening, winter | Sunset | After dark | | Go for | A local ritual | The view over the whole city | The light show | All three are within 15 minutes' walk of each other. Good order: Narikala at sunset, walk down to the baths, then the bridge. ## Tbilisi by the water compared Tbilisi places by the water rated by YesGo. - [Bridge of Peace](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/bridge-of-peace) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free - [Rike Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/rike-park) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL - [Abanotubani Sulphur Baths](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/abanotubani) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Private room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour ## Old Tbilisi from the top down The fortress and its view, the walk down to the sulphur baths, the bridge and the riverside park — all on foot, with the cable car if you want to go back up. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Narikala Fortress](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/narikala-fortress) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL 2. [Abanotubani Sulphur Baths](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/abanotubani) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Private room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour 3. [Bridge of Peace](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/bridge-of-peace) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free 4. [Rike Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/rike-park) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL ## Good to know Abanotubani is both the district and the umbrella name for all its bathhouses — search maps for the specific bathhouse you booked. The balneological resort on Gorgasali Street is a medical clinic, not a historic bath. Sulphur baths near Lisi Lake or elsewhere in Tbilisi are separate places. ## Tips - Even if you skip the soak, walk over the domes and follow the path from the end of Abano Street into the Leghvtakhevi gorge to a small waterfall. - The best shot of the domes is from above — on the lane up to [Narikala Fortress](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/narikala-fortress) — or from Metekhi Bridge. - Bathe after your sightseeing, not before: after hot water you'll want tea, not a climb. - Winter and rainy days are when the baths make most sense — the warmest evening in town. - Don't plan a smart dinner straight after: the sulphur smell lingers for a couple of hours. - In the evening the lit-up [Bridge of Peace](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/bridge-of-peace) is ten minutes' walk away. ## Questions ### How much do the sulphur baths in Tbilisi cost? There's no official price list. Unofficially, a public hall costs a few lari per person, up to about 10 GEL, and a private room ≈ 50–250 GEL per hour for the whole room. A kisi scrub adds ≈ 15–30 GEL in cash. ### Do you need to book the Tbilisi sulphur baths? Not for a public hall. For a private room at a weekend or in the evening, book 1–3 days ahead by phone, messenger or the bathhouse's website — Chreli Abano always ahead. On weekday mornings you can often walk in. ### What do you wear in the sulphur baths? In a private room, whatever you like — most visitors wear a swimsuit. Public halls are single-sex and people bathe naked. Bring flip-flops and leave silver jewellery behind. ### Which is the best sulphur bath in Tbilisi? Chreli Abano for the setting and tiled façade; Bathhouse No. 5 if you want a public hall too; Gulo's for a small, friendly place. It depends on budget and whether you want privacy. ### How long should you stay in a sulphur bath? Rooms are rented by the hour, and an hour to 1.5 hours with the scrub and rest is plenty. Stay in the hot pool no more than 10–15 minutes at a time. ### Are the Tbilisi sulphur baths worth it? Yes for a one-off ritual tied to the city's founding, especially on a cold evening. If you dislike heat, smell or nudity, just walk the domes — it's free. ### What is the kisi scrub? A firm full-body exfoliation by an attendant with a coarse mitt, followed by a soap-foam wash. It takes 10–15 minutes and is paid to the attendant in cash. ### How do I get to the sulphur baths? Metro to Avlabari or Liberty Square, then 10–15 minutes downhill on foot to Meidan Square and Abano Street. From the airport, bus 337 to the Liberty Square area. ### Who should avoid sulphur baths? Guidebooks list heart and circulation problems, high blood pressure, pregnancy, open wounds and skin inflammation. If any apply, ask a doctor first. ## How we checked The district has no official price list or hours — each bathhouse is private — so prices and hours are shown as unofficial and marked “verifying”. Guides disagree: private rooms are quoted anywhere from 15–80 to 50–250 GEL an hour, public halls from 3–5 to 5–10 GEL, so we give a wide range. Water temperature also varies by source: up to 37 °C, 38–40 °C and 37–42 °C. We leave out the height of the Leghvtakhevi waterfall (22 or 25 m) and the mosque's construction date because sources conflict. Other facts are checked against at least two sources. ## Sources - Russian Wikipedia: Abanotubani — history, bathhouses, Pushkin, Dumas, water temperature - English Wikipedia: Abanotubani; Wikidata Q36985 - Georgian National Tourism Administration (Georgia.travel): Tbilisi Sulfur Baths - Investor.ge (AmCham Georgia), 2026: guide to Tbilisi's sulfur baths - Sakhva Travel, 2026: Abanotubani guide — prices, etiquette, contraindications - Triplinkhub, 2026: bathhouse prices, water temperature, booking - A. S. Pushkin, A Journey to Arzrum (1829 campaign) - Tbilisi International Airport: bus 337 route and fares; Madloba: Tbilisi public transport fares --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.