# Open Air Museum of Ethnography, Tbilisi > Tbilisi’s Open Air Museum of Ethnography is a hillside village of about 70 real houses, wine cellars and watchtowers moved here from all over Georgia, next to Turtle Lake. Allow 2–2.5 hours. Foreign visitors pay around 20 GEL (unofficial), and it’s open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00, closed Mondays. It’s out of the centre — 15–20 minutes by taxi from the Old Town. Web page: https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/tbilisi-ethnographic-museum - City: [Tbilisi](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi), Georgia - YesGo score: 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:30 - Closed: Mondays and Georgian public holidays - Ticket (foreign visitors): ≈ 20 GEL — unofficial; the museum’s own page still shows an outdated 5 GEL - Children: Under 6 free - Museum guides: English, German, Russian or Georgian; book ahead by phone - Address: 25 Merab Berdzenishvili St. (Turtle Lake road), Vake - Phone: +995 32 272 90 45 - Getting there: Taxi or Bolt from Meidan Square, 15–20 min; or the Vake Park cable car to Turtle Lake and a walk - Coordinates: 41.70182, 44.74369 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1966** — opened on the initiative of ethnographer Giorgi Chitaia, whose name it bears (source: Georgian National Museum (museum.ge); English and Russian Wikipedia; Georgian National Tourism Administration) - **≈ 70 buildings** — houses and farm buildings brought from Georgia’s regions (source: Georgian National Museum (museum.ge); English Wikipedia; Georgian National Tourism Administration) - **52 ha** — of hillside on the Trialeti Range, in 11 zones (source: Georgian National Museum (museum.ge); English and Russian Wikipedia (the National Tourism Administration gives 58 ha)) - **First in the Caucasus** — open-air ethnographic museum of its kind (source: Georgian National Museum (museum.ge); Tbilisi Local Guide) - **8,000+** — everyday objects: distaffs, carpets, pottery, clothes, furniture (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Georgian Holidays (the National Tourism Administration gives 9,000+)) - **5th–6th century** — Sioni basilica in the archaeological zone (source: Georgian National Museum (museum.ge); Georgian National Tourism Administration) - **2nd millennium BC** — a dolmen burial chamber from Abkhazia — the oldest monument on site (source: Georgian National Museum (museum.ge); Georgian National Tourism Administration) - **Since 2004** — part of the Georgian National Museum (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Georgian National Museum (museum.ge)) - **Towers and marani** — watchtowers from Khevsureti, Pshavi and Svaneti; Kakhetian wine cellars (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Darbazi** — flat-roofed East Georgian houses with a stepped wooden dome (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Advantour) ## Tickets, prices and how to pay There is no reliable official foreigner price right now. The museum’s page on the Georgian National Museum site still lists **5 GEL** “until 1 January”, while 2025–2026 guides quote **around 20 GEL** for a foreign adult (one gives 25 GEL). Treat 20 GEL as unofficial and expect to confirm it at the gate. Under-6s are free, and students and school pupils with ID get a reduced rate. Museum guides work in English, German, Russian and Georgian — an overview tour runs up to an hour, an extended one 1.5–2 hours; call +995 32 272 90 45 to book. Visa and Mastercard work almost everywhere in Tbilisi, and Bolt takes cards in the app. The museum ticket desk is out of town, though, so carry 20–30 GEL in cash in case the terminal is down. > **Closed on Mondays** It’s also closed on Georgian public holidays. The last visitors go in at 17:30 and you need at least two hours, so leave the Old Town by 15:00. After rain the slopes and paths get slippery — wear proper shoes. ## Opening hours and the best time to go According to the Georgian National Museum, it’s open **Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00**, with **last entry at 17:30**; closed Mondays and public holidays. One guide says it closes earlier in winter, around 17:00 — if you visit between November and March, phone in the morning. May, June, September and October are the sweet spot: green or golden, and not too hot. On a summer afternoon there’s little shade on the open hillside, so come at opening time. ## How to get to the Open Air Museum of Ethnography 1. Easiest: a **taxi or Bolt** from Meidan (Gorgasali) Square, 15–20 minutes. Enter “25 Merab Berdzenishvili Street” or “Giorgi Chitaia Open Air Museum” so the pin is the main gate, not Turtle Lake itself. 2. By public transport: walk 10 minutes from Meidan over the Metekhi Bridge to **Avlabari** metro, or up to **Liberty Square (Tavisuplebis Moedani)**, and ride to **Rustaveli** station. 3. Take a bus along **Chavchavadze Avenue** to the upper end of **Vake Park** — Google Maps has reliable Tbilisi bus routes. Tap a bank card or a Metromoney card on the validator. 4. From Vake Park ride the **cable car up to Turtle Lake** (a few minutes; bank card or Metromoney). 5. From the lake, follow the road west to the museum — about 15–20 minutes on foot, partly on a slope. 6. Head back by taxi; with daylight left, go to [Rustaveli Avenue](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/rustaveli-avenue), about 15 minutes away. ## Is the Open Air Museum of Ethnography worth it? Yes, if you want to see how rural Georgia lived and you won’t make it to Svaneti, Khevsureti or Kakheti on this trip. In two hours you walk past homes from almost every region, on a quiet green hill far from Old Town crowds. Skip it if you have only one day in Tbilisi: the round trip takes about an hour, and the [Old Town baths](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/abanotubani), [Narikala](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/narikala-fortress) and the riverside matter more. Unofficial reports say not every house is open inside at the same time, so some you’ll only see from outside. It’s a day-two or day-three stop. ## What is the museum? It’s a village of genuine buildings that were taken apart in their home regions and rebuilt on the hillside above Vake. Ethnographer **Giorgi Chitaia** founded it in **1966**, and it still carries his name — the first museum of its kind in the Caucasus. The site covers 52 hectares (the tourism board says 58) in 11 zones: ten historical regions — Kartli, Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Imereti, Guria, Samegrelo, Adjara, Abkhazia, Racha-Lechkhumi and Svaneti — and one for ancient monuments. Inside the houses are tools, carpets, pottery, clothes and furniture, over 8,000 objects in all. ## What to see - A **darbazi** from Kartli — the classic East Georgian house with a stepped wooden dome and a smoke hole. - A **Kakhetian marani**, the wine cellar with clay qvevri jars sunk into the floor. - **Watchtowers** from Khevsureti, Pshavi and Svaneti. - **Wooden houses of Samegrelo and Imereti** on stilts, and wicker maize stores. - The **Ethnographer’s House** in the Samegrelo zone, with Chitaia’s study and noble wedding costumes. - The **5th–6th-century Sioni basilica**, a **dolmen from Abkhazia** dating to the 2nd millennium BC, and a collection of old gravestones. - Kartli **water mills**, and city views from the upper paths. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] It’s not Monday or a Georgian public holiday - [ ] I’ll be at the gate before 17:30, travel included - [ ] Some cash in lari, in case the card terminal is down - [ ] Comfortable shoes for grass, gravel and slopes - [ ] Water and a hat in summer — little shade - [ ] 2–2.5 hours for the museum, plus an hour for Turtle Lake ## Ethnography Museum vs Chronicle of Georgia vs Narikala | | Ethnography Museum | Chronicle of Georgia | Narikala | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | A village of old houses from all over Georgia | Monument on a hill by the Tbilisi Sea | Fortress above the Old Town | | Where | Vake, by Turtle Lake | Outskirts, by the Tbilisi Sea | Centre, above Abanotubani | | Entry | Paid, ≈ 20 GEL (unconfirmed) | Free | Free | | Closed | Monday | Never | Never | | Time needed | 2–2.5 h | ≈ 1 h | 1–1.5 h | | Getting there | Taxi, or cable car and a walk | Taxi | On foot, or cable car from Rike Park | If you’ll make just one trip out of the centre, pick the ethnography museum — more to see for the hour of travel. The Chronicle suits a quick stop if you already have a car or driver for the day. ## Historic places in Tbilisi compared Every historic place in Tbilisi rated by YesGo. - [Narikala Fortress](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/narikala-fortress) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 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 - [Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba)](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/sameba-cathedral) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free - [Dry Bridge Market](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/dry-bridge-market) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free to browse - [Chronicle of Georgia](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/chronicle-of-georgia) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Mtatsminda Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/mtatsminda-park) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free entry, funicular ≈ 10–12 GEL - [Rustaveli Avenue](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/rustaveli-avenue) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, 24/7 - [Open Air Museum of Ethnography](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/tbilisi-ethnographic-museum) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ 20 GEL (unofficial) ## Museum morning, city afternoon The open-air museum first thing, a taxi into town, Rustaveli Avenue, the Dry Bridge flea market and the Bridge of Peace at dusk. 1. [Open Air Museum of Ethnography](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/tbilisi-ethnographic-museum) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ 20 GEL (unofficial) 2. [Rustaveli Avenue](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/rustaveli-avenue) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, 24/7 3. [Dry Bridge Market](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/dry-bridge-market) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free to browse 4. [Bridge of Peace](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/bridge-of-peace) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free > **Pair it with Turtle Lake** The lake is 15–20 minutes’ walk away, with cafés, rowing boats and the cable car down to Vake Park. Best order: the museum in the morning, lunch by the water, then ride the cable car down. ## Don’t mix it up The Georgian National Museum on Rustaveli Avenue also has ethnography displays — that’s a different place, in the centre. The open-air museum is on the hill by Turtle Lake; its full name is the Giorgi Chitaia Open Air Museum of Ethnography. ## Tips - Arrive at opening time — it’s cooler and quieter, and the hillside has little shade. - In spring and autumn the museum runs folk-craft sessions — pottery, blacksmithing, woodcarving, weaving; phone for dates. - Climb to the upper paths for a view over Vake and the city. - Don’t plan it for a Monday — nearly every museum in Georgia is closed that day. - Afterwards, taxi down and stroll Rustaveli Avenue to the [Dry Bridge market](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/dry-bridge-market). ## Questions ### How much is the ticket to the Open Air Museum of Ethnography? Around 20 GEL for foreign visitors (unofficial). The museum’s own page still shows an outdated 5 GEL. Under-6s are free. ### What are the opening hours? Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:30. Closed Mondays and Georgian public holidays. ### Is the museum open on Monday? No. Like most museums in Georgia, it’s closed on Mondays. ### How do I get to the Open Air Museum of Ethnography? Taxi or Bolt from the centre, 15–20 minutes. Or a bus to Vake Park, the cable car up to Turtle Lake and a 15–20-minute walk. ### Is it worth visiting? Yes on a second or third day, especially if you won’t reach Georgia’s mountain regions. With only one day in Tbilisi, stick to the Old Town. ### How long do you need? 2–2.5 hours for the main zones, about an hour more if you add Turtle Lake, and around half an hour each way from the centre. ### Can I pay by card? Cards are accepted almost everywhere in Tbilisi, but bring some lari in cash for the ticket desk just in case. The cable car takes bank cards and Metromoney. ### Can I get an English-speaking guide? Yes. Museum guides speak English, German, Russian and Georgian; an overview tour lasts up to an hour, an extended one 1.5–2 hours. Book ahead by phone. ### Is it good for kids? Yes — lots of space, wooden houses, mills and towers. Under-6s go free. The gravel slopes are hard work with a stroller; a carrier is easier. ## How we checked Hours, closures, last entry, guides and the address come from the museum’s page on the Georgian National Museum site. That page lists 5 GEL “until 1 January”, which is out of date; 2025–2026 guides quote 20 and 25 GEL, so the price is marked unofficial and “verifying”. Other facts are checked against at least two sources. Figures differ for the area (52 ha from the museum and Wikipedia, 58 ha from the tourism board) and the collection (8,000+ or 9,000+), so we show both. Shorter winter hours (to 17:00) appear in only one guide, so we mention them as possible. We give no bus number to Vake Park because we found no reliable current source. ## Sources - Georgian National Museum (museum.ge): Open Air Museum of Ethnography page — hours, closures, fares, address, history, 30.10.2026 - Georgian National Museum (museum.ge): opening hours and official public holidays - Georgian National Tourism Administration (georgia.travel): Giorgi Chitaia Ethnographic Museum - English and Russian Wikipedia: Tbilisi Open Air Museum of Ethnography; Wikidata Q2920430 - Tbilisi Local Guide and The Georgian Guide, 2026 — foreign visitor price, cable car - Georgian Holidays, Advantour, In Your Pocket — exhibits, hours and transport --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.