My route
Sign in
WorldGeorgiaTbilisiDry Bridge MarketMy routeRoute

Dry Bridge Market, Tbilisi

A stall at the Dry Bridge flea market in Tbilisi covered with Soviet badges, medals, coins, banknotes and old documents
Photo: Alexkom000, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free
Hours
Daily ≈ 10:00–17:00; few stalls when it rains
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
1 h
With kids
Fine with kids
Best time
Weekend mornings — some sellers pack up by late afternoon
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Payment
Cash in Georgian lari; cards are rarely accepted
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Where
The Dry Bridge over Zviad Gamsakhurdia Embankment and Dedaena Park by Saarbrücken Bridge, Mtatsminda
On foot
≈ 15 min from Liberty Square, ≈ 25 min from Meidan
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time needed
≈ 1 hour
Coordinates
41.70047, 44.80255YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

Every daythe market runs daily, with the most sellers on Saturday and Sunday
3 sourcesGeorgian National Tourism AdministrationIn Your Pocket TbilisiMadloba
Cash in larithe way to pay — most stalls don’t take cards
2 sourcesMadlobaWhere Is The Market
1851the bridge was completed (work began in 1848–1849)
2 sourcesRussian and German WikipediaWikidata Q12867285
Giovanni Scudierithe Italian architect who designed the bridge
2 sourcesRussian and German WikipediaWikidata
1930sthe arm of the Kura under the bridge was drained and paved — hence “Dry”
2 sourcesRussian Wikipedia (1933)German Wikipedia (by the 1930s)
Late 1980s–1990sthe market grew as locals sold family belongings to get by
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaIn Your Pocket Tbilisi
Dedaena Parkthe neighbouring park where artists sell their paintings
3 sourcesOpenStreetMapGeorgian National Tourism AdministrationMadloba
Mshrali Khidithe Georgian name, meaning “dry bridge”
2 sourcesWikidataGeorgian Wikipedia (მშრალი ხიდი)

Dry Bridge Market hours

There is no official timetable, so treat this as unofficial: sellers set up every day from about 10:00 to 17:00. Some guides say 9:00, others say stalls stay until 18:00 or 19:00. Rain, wind and short winter days all mean fewer stalls and an earlier finish.

Saturday and Sunday bring the most sellers and the widest choice — and the most people. Weekdays are calmer, with gaps along the rows. Come before lunch: by late afternoon many sellers are already packing up. On major holidays such as 1 January and Orthodox Easter the market may not run.

What to buy at Dry Bridge Market

  • Soviet pin badges, medals and orders, army flasks and helmets — the most common stalls.
  • Old coins and banknotes, from tsarist to Soviet.
  • Film cameras and lenses, radios, record players and vinyl.
  • Tableware and porcelain, tea-glass holders, candlesticks, cigarette cases and lamps.
  • Silver jewellery, enamel work, engraved daggers and swords.
  • Handmade rugs, ceramics and knitted goods from local craftspeople.
  • Paintings by Tbilisi artists in Dedaena Park — old-town views, still lifes, abstracts.

Is Dry Bridge Market worth it?

Yes, if you like vintage things, Soviet design or old cameras, or you want an original painting to take home. It costs nothing to wander, nobody pushes you to buy, and an hour is enough for a proper loop. Serious collectors can easily spend half a day.

The market took shape in the hard years of the late 1980s and 1990s, when people brought family silver, books and china here to make ends meet. Today many sellers trade here full-time and most buyers are tourists, so the first price is rarely the real one. If all you want is fridge magnets and churchkhela, skip it — the souvenir shops of the old town are closer.

How to get to Dry Bridge Market

Tap a route to highlight it on the map.

Loading the map…

on footdestinationStreet view

Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.

On foot

More tips

  1. From Meidan (Gorgasali Square), walk up Shardeni Street and on along the Kura past the Bridge of Peace — about 1.7 km, 20–25 minutes.
  2. Coming by metro? Get off at Liberty Square (Tavisuplebis Moedani) — airport bus 337 stops there too.
  3. From Liberty Square, head downhill towards the river through the lanes of the old centre — about 1.1 km, around 15 minutes.
  4. Look for Saarbrücken Bridge over the Kura: the Dry Bridge and the stalls start where it lands on your side of the river.
  5. Walk back along the embankment to the Bridge of Peace and Rike Park, where the cable car climbs to Narikala.

Prices and haggling

Nothing has a price tag — everything is agreed face to face. Everyday Soviet bits cost a few lari; rare watches, silver or paintings run into the hundreds. Expect the opening price to be padded, especially for foreigners.

Haggle calmly and with a smile: ask, offer clearly less, then meet in the middle. Buying several things from one seller helps. Typing numbers into your phone’s calculator saves a lot of confusion, and many sellers speak some English or Russian.

Before you go: checklist

Ready: 0 of 6

Tick what is ready — your ticks stay in this browser.

Dry Bridge vs Dezerter Bazaar vs old-town souvenir shops

Dry Bridgeyou are hereVintage, antiques, paintingsMtatsminda, by Saarbrücken BridgeHaggleCash≈ 1 h
Dezerter BazaarFood, spices, churchkhela, cheeseNext to Station SquareHaggleMostly cash≈ 1 h
Old-town shopsMagnets, wine, ceramicsShardeni, MeidanFixedCash and cardsOn the way

Go to the Dry Bridge for atmosphere and one-of-a-kind finds, to Dezerter for food. For simple gifts, the shops between Meidan and the river are enough.

Historic Tbilisi compared

Historic places in Tbilisi rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Narikala Fortress601 hFree26 min walk
Abanotubani Sulphur Baths571 h 30 minPrivate room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour27 min walk
Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba)5240 minFree21 min walk
Dry Bridge Marketyou are here501 hFree—
Chronicle of Georgia481 hFree7.8 km
Mtatsminda Park462 h 30 minFree entry, funicular ≈ 10–12 GEL29 min walk
Rustaveli Avenue421 hFree7 min walk
Open Air Museum of Ethnography292 h≈ 20 GEL (unofficial)4.9 km

Market morning, fortress evening

The market while the sellers are out, then along the river to the Bridge of Peace, the cable car up to the fortress and down to the sulphur baths. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Dry Bridge Marketyou are here1 h · Free to browse
  2. 16 min walk from the previous stopBridge of Peace20 min · Free
  3. 3 min walk from the previous stopRike Park45 min · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL
  4. 10 min walk from the previous stopNarikala Fortress1 h · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL
  5. 4 min walk from the previous stopAbanotubani Sulphur Baths1 h 30 min · Private room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour

5 places · about 5 h 8 min with walks · 33 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Rustaveli Avenue

Tbilisi, Georgia

1 h · Free, 24/7 · 7 min walk

Bridge of Peace

Tbilisi, Georgia

20 min · Free · 16 min walk

Rike Park

Tbilisi, Georgia

45 min · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL · 18 min walk

How to do it right

  • Do one full loop without buying anything — you’ll quickly see where prices are fairer.
  • Hunting for a painting? Head into Dedaena Park, where artists often sell their own work.
  • Ask for fragile china to be wrapped in newspaper, then pack it inside clothes.
  • Combine the market with a stroll down Rustaveli Avenue, which starts at Liberty Square.
  • Ask before photographing a stall — not every seller is happy about it.

Questions

What are Dry Bridge Market opening hours?

There are no official hours; stalls are usually out daily from about 10:00 to 17:00 in dry weather, with the most sellers at weekends.

Is Dry Bridge Market open every day?

Yes, but weekdays have fewer sellers than Saturday and Sunday. Heavy rain empties most of the rows.

Is Dry Bridge Market worth visiting?

If you enjoy vintage and Soviet-era things or want local art, yes — it’s free and an hour is enough. For simple souvenirs, old-town shops are easier.

What can you buy at Dry Bridge Market?

Soviet badges and medals, coins, film cameras, silver jewellery, china, rugs and paintings by Tbilisi artists.

Do Dry Bridge Market stalls take cards?

Rarely. Bring Georgian lari in cash, in small notes; dollars and euros aren’t accepted.

Can you haggle at Dry Bridge Market?

Yes, it’s expected — opening prices are high. Make a counter-offer and meet in the middle.

How do I get to Dry Bridge Market?

Walk: about 15 minutes from Liberty Square metro, or 20–25 minutes from Meidan along Shardeni Street and the river.

Can I take antiques out of Georgia?

Genuine antiques and old art need an export permit for cultural valuables. Contemporary paintings and souvenirs don’t.

Why is it called the Dry Bridge?

In the 1930s the arm of the Kura under it was drained and turned into a road — the bridge stayed, the water went.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Russian Wikipedia: Сухой мост
  • German Wikipedia: Trockene Brücke
  • Wikidata: Q12867285 (Mshrali Bridge), Q1526363 (Giovanni Scudieri)
  • Georgian National Tourism Administration: Dry Bridge Flea Market
  • In Your Pocket Tbilisi: Dry Bridge Bazaar
  • Madloba: The Dry Bridge flea market in Tbilisi
  • Where Is The Market: Dry Bridge Market, Tbilisi
  • Law of Georgia on the Export of Cultural Valuables from Georgia and Their Import to Georgia (Matsne)
  • OpenStreetMap: Dedaena Park, Zviad Gamsakhurdia Embankment; walking routes
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 30.10.2026 ·
How we checkedThe market has no official website or timetable, so hours and payment are marked “verifying”: guides range from 9:00–17:00 to 9:00–19:00, and we show the most common window. Bridge history is checked against Russian and German Wikipedia and Wikidata; the start of construction differs (1848 or 1849), completion is 1851 everywhere. Russian Wikipedia dates the draining of the river arm to 1933 and German Wikipedia to the 1930s, while the tourism administration says the 1940s — we say “1930s”. The tourism administration’s claim that the market began in the 1950s is not backed by other sources. Walking times come from OpenStreetMap walking routes.

Top YesGo picks: Tbilisi

Narikala Fortress

Tbilisi, Georgia

1 h · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL

Abanotubani Sulphur Baths

Tbilisi, Georgia

1 h 30 min · Private room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour

Mtatsminda Park

Tbilisi, Georgia

2 h 30 min · Free entry, funicular ≈ 10–12 GEL

All places: Tbilisi →