2 days in Tbilisi: a day-by-day itinerary
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- 6 of 9 free; 3 paid — see “Cost”
- Duration
- 2 days, 9:30 to 17:42 each day
- Start and finish
- Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba) → Open Air Museum of Ethnography
- On foot
- ≈ 38 min in total
- Transport
- 2 rides, ≈ 44 min
- Lunch
- around 13:12
- With kids
- fine: short walks
- Best time
- Tuesday to Sunday. Mtatsminda can move to the evening — for the sunset, when the city lights come on.
Day-by-day plan
Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.
Day 1 · Tbilisi09:30–17:42 · 7 places · 8 h 10 min
Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba)
· 40 min · Free
- 14 min on foot
Bridge of Peace
· 20 min · Free
- 3 min on foot
Rike Park
· 45 min · Free
- 10 min on foot
Abanotubani Sulphur Baths
· 1 h 30 min · Private room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour
- Lunch · 1 h
- 4 min on foot
Narikala Fortress
· 1 h · Free
- 19 min · transport or taxi
Dry Bridge Market
· 1 h · Free
- 7 min on foot
Rustaveli Avenue
· 1 h · Free
Day 2 · Tbilisi09:30–15:25 · 2 places · 6 h
Mtatsminda Park
· 2 h 30 min · Free entry, funicular ≈ 10–12 GEL
- Lunch · 1 h
- 25 min · transport or taxi
Open Air Museum of Ethnography
· 2 h · ≈ 20 GEL (unofficial)
Add nearby
Places near the plan — Yes puts one into the day and the times update.
What the route costs
6 of 9 are free; 3 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.
| 4 | Abanotubani Sulphur Baths | 57 | 1 h 30 min | Private room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Mtatsminda Park | 46 | 2 h 30 min | Free entry, funicular ≈ 10–12 GEL |
| 9 | Open Air Museum of Ethnography | 29 | 2 h | ≈ 20 GEL (unofficial) |
| Other 6 places | 5 h | Free | ||
| Total | 10 h 50 min | 6 of 9 free |
Tips for each stop
Day 1
- 1
Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba). Start at Georgia's main cathedral on Elia Hill: free, open from the morning. Women need a headscarf and a skirt; wraps are often handed out at the door.
- 2
Bridge of Peace. A glass-and-steel footbridge over the Mtkvari. It is lit up after dark — worth a second look in the evening.
- 3
Rike Park. The park across the river from the old town: lawns, giant chess and the lower station of the cable car to Narikala — from 10:00, 2.5 GEL.
- 4
Abanotubani Sulphur Baths. The bath quarter under the fortress: a private room with sulphur water costs about 50–250 GEL an hour, and a visit takes about an hour and a half. Walking among the domes is free.
- 5
Narikala Fortress. A 4th-century fortress above the old town: free, up by cable car or a 15–20 minute walk from Meidan Square.
- 6
Dry Bridge Market. Soviet badges, cameras, silver and paintings. Haggling is expected and it is cash only; roughly 10:00–17:00 in good weather.
- 7
Rustaveli Avenue. Finish on the 1.5 km main avenue: the opera, the theatre, the National Museum and Kashveti Church.
Day 2
- 8
Mtatsminda Park. Day two — the park on top of the 'Holy Mountain': free entry; up by funicular (about 10–12 GEL) or by cable car from Rustaveli (12 GEL, from 11:00). Rides are paid with a park card, about 2 GEL.
- 9
Open Air Museum of Ethnography. About 70 houses, cellars and towers from all over Georgia on a wooded slope by Turtle Lake: about 20 GEL (unofficial), Tue–Sun from 10:00, last entry 17:30.
Who this route is for
- A weekend in Tbilisi
- First trip to Georgia
- On foot, by funicular and taxi
- Mondays — the open-air museum is closed
- Mtskheta is a separate trip with its own one-day route
Tuesday to Sunday. Mtatsminda can move to the evening — for the sunset, when the city lights come on.
How to spend 2 days in Tbilisi
Day one is the old town and both banks of the river, as in the one-day itinerary. Day two goes up into the hills: Mtatsminda in the morning, the open-air museum by Turtle Lake after lunch — about 25 minutes by taxi between them.
Want the sunset on Mtatsminda? Swap them: the museum at opening time, the park an hour and a half before sunset.
How to get up Mtatsminda
The 1905 funicular leaves from Daniel Chonkadze Street every 20 minutes and takes 3 minutes. The cable car from Rustaveli Avenue runs daily 11:00–22:30. A good combination is up by cable car, down by funicular — you come out in Sololaki. Bus 364 from Rustaveli also goes up.
It is windy and a few degrees cooler at the top — bring a jumper even in summer.
How to get to the Open Air Museum of Ethnography
By taxi or Bolt from Meidan Square in 15–20 minutes, or by the cable car from Vake Park to Turtle Lake and then on foot. The slope has almost no shade — in summer go in the morning.
Is 2 days in Tbilisi enough?
For the city itself, yes. With a third day go to Mtskheta, the old capital half an hour away — it has its own one-day route — or to the Chronicle of Georgia, 16 columns above the Tbilisi Sea, open at any time and free.
How to do it right
- The open-air museum is closed on Mondays and public holidays.
- One Mtatsminda park card can pay for several people.
- Skip the Ferris wheel if you are not after rides: the viewpoints give almost the same view for free.
- Georgia uses the lari (GEL). Cards work in most cafés and shops; keep cash for markets and minibuses.
- Women need a headscarf and a skirt at Sameba.
Questions
Is 2 days in Tbilisi enough?
Yes for the city: the old town on day one, Mtatsminda and the open-air museum on day two. Mtskheta needs a third day.
What to do in Tbilisi in 2 days?
Day one: Sameba, the Bridge of Peace, Rike Park, the baths, Narikala, the Dry Bridge and Rustaveli. Day two: Mtatsminda and the Open Air Museum of Ethnography.
How much does a 2-day itinerary cost?
The Narikala cable car is 2.5 GEL, baths from about 50 GEL an hour, the Mtatsminda funicular about 10–12 GEL, the museum about 20 GEL. The rest is free.
How do I get up Mtatsminda?
By funicular from Chonkadze Street, by cable car from Rustaveli Avenue (from 11:00) or by bus 364.
Is Mtatsminda Park free?
Entry is free; you pay for the funicular or cable car and the rides with the park card.
When is the Open Air Museum of Ethnography open?
Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00, last entry at 17:30.
What about 3 days in Tbilisi?
Take these two days and add Mtskheta — half an hour away, with its own one-day route.
Can I do it without a tour?
Yes: the old town on foot, the funicular to Mtatsminda, a taxi to the museum.
Is it good with kids?
Yes: Mtatsminda has an amusement park, and children under 6 get into the museum free.
Where to stay for 2 days in Tbilisi?
In the old town or near Rustaveli Avenue.
Sources and fact-check
- Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
- Mtatsminda Park: funicular and cable car
- Open Air Museum of Ethnography: hours and tickets
