Your walk at a glance
- Walking distance
- 4.4 km
- Walking time, estimated
- 70 min
- Allow with stops
- 150–240 min
- Ascent / descent, estimated
- ↑ 60 / ↓ 60 m
Start: Freedom Square
Finish: Freedom Square
Cobbled streets, a short climb to Metekhi and some steps.
Open this walking route ↗Look closely along the old streets
Use Freedom Square to orient yourself before entering the smaller streets. At Gabriadze’s tower, examine the ceramic details and unusual composition, moving from the whole tower to one small fragment. The neighbouring theatre is a separate cultural stop. Check performances independently if you want a show, rather than letting an unplanned wait set the pace of the walk.
At Anchiskhati and Sioni, notice how the space around each church changes the surrounding street. Compare sound, building scale and entrances. Enter only where visiting is permitted and leave room for worshippers. At Meidan, locate the river on your map again: the next section increasingly rewards broad views rather than close façade details.
Change banks after the baths
At Chreli Abano, compare its colourful frontage with the surrounding bath district. Viewing the exterior and taking a bath are different plans; booking and treatment time need separate arrangements. The nearby ravine is not an instruction to continue to a waterfall. This route does not enter Narikala or lead to Leghvtakhevi, where access requires independent checking.
Pause after the short climb to Metekhi and identify places you have already passed on the opposite bank. Rike and the Bridge of Peace then offer lower views of the same city. Comparing these perspectives helps you remember the river’s setting. Watch paving and steps, and use marked embankment crossings even when a mapped stop appears very close.
The map and your stops
The outline follows the saved pedestrian track. External navigation may choose another path. The stop marker does not guarantee an open entrance.
Freedom Square
The central square and its Saint George monument connect Rustaveli Avenue with the Old Town.
Use the square as a starting point for a walk through Sololaki.
Show on the city map ↗Gabriadze Clock Tower
A storybook clock tower beside the puppet theatre on Shavteli Street.
Look closely at the ceramic details; check performance times with the theatre.
Show on the city map ↗Anchiskhati Basilica
An ancient basilica on Shavteli Street, a few steps from the Gabriadze Clock Tower.
Visit the courtyard and basilica without disturbing services.
Show on the city map ↗Sioni Cathedral
A historic cathedral in the Kala quarter, home to the cross of Saint Nino.
After your visit, follow Sioni Street towards the old caravanserai.
Show on the city map ↗Meidan Square
The Old Town's historic trading heart beside Metekhi Bridge.
A convenient starting point for the baths, Saint George Cathedral and old trading streets.
Show on the city map ↗Sulphur Baths
A historic sulphur bathhouse with a richly decorated facade in Abanotubani.
Include the facade in your walk; bathing sessions require a separate booking.
Show on the city map ↗Metekhi Church
The church on a cliff above the Mtkvari links the Avlabari skyline with the Old Town.
Combine your visit with the viewpoint by the Vakhtang Gorgasali monument.
Show on the city map ↗Rike Park
A park on the left bank of the Mtkvari, between the Bridge of Peace and Avlabari.
A convenient break between the Old Town and the climb into Avlabari.
Show on the city map ↗Bridge of Peace
A glass and steel pedestrian bridge connecting the Old Town with Rike Park.
Walk both ways for different views of Metekhi and the old riverbank.
Show on the city map ↗Freedom Square
The central square and its Saint George monument connect Rustaveli Avenue with the Old Town.
Use the square as a starting point for a walk through Sololaki.
Show on the city map ↗
Before you go
- Allow separate time for a church visit, performance or bath session.
- From Metekhi, try to recognise the district you have just crossed.
- Use the designated embankment crossing rather than heading directly towards a marker.
Terrain and access
Cobbled streets, a short climb to Metekhi and some steps.
- The route does not enter Narikala or reach Leghvtakhevi Waterfall: check access separately.
- Use open entrances at churches; opening hours and services are not included in the time estimate.
- Cross the waterfront roads at marked crossings.
Times are estimates, not opening hours. Ticketed visits and queues can extend the walk. Accessibility has not been surveyed on site.
Questions before the walk
Do I need to climb to Narikala?
No. This walk introduces the two banks without entering the fortress. Its access arrangements and a separate climb are not included.
Can I use a pushchair?
The route has paving, a short climb and some steps. A step-free passage is not confirmed, so consider those limitations before choosing it.
Sources and verification
Written by walkymap from remotely checked sources. No on-site walk is claimed.
Georgia Travel — Georgian National Tourism Administration — Strolling Through the Tbilisi Old Town ·
Gabriadze Theatre — About the Gabriadze Theater ·
© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL. Track geometry and distance are from the route dataset.
Elevation estimate: Mapterhorn. Terrain model; stairs and small changes in level may be missed.