Overview
Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, sits where the Caucasus mountains meet the old Silk Road. It is a walkable, affordable city of balconied Old Town houses, sulphur bathhouses, hillside churches and a lively café and wine scene, and it pairs naturally with a trip to the mountains or the Black Sea coast.
Best time to fly to Tbilisi
May, June, September and early October bring warm, dry days and green hills, and are the easiest months for sightseeing. July and August are hot, often in the mid-30s°C. Winter is cold with some snow but opens up skiing at Gudauri and Bakuriani. Fares tend to soften outside the summer and holiday peaks — the When to book chart above shows how prices move through the year.
Airlines and routes
Georgian Airways has operated direct flights from London to Tbilisi, though these can be seasonal, so many UK travellers fly one-stop. Popular connections run via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines or Pegasus, Warsaw with LOT, Vienna with Austrian, Munich or Frankfurt with Lufthansa, and Riga with airBaltic. Wizz Air also flies from London Luton to Kutaisi in western Georgia, a lower-cost gateway around three to four hours from Tbilisi by train or road. A direct flight from London takes about five and a half hours; one-stop trips from London or Manchester usually run nine to thirteen hours including the layover.
Things to do in Tbilisi
Tbilisi rewards slow wandering, but most first-time visitors build their trip around these highlights:
- Old Town and Abanotubani: a tangle of lanes below the fortress, home to the domed sulphur baths fed by natural hot springs.
- Narikala Fortress and cable car: ride up from Rike Park for sweeping views, then walk down past the Mother of Georgia statue.
- Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba): one of the world’s largest Orthodox cathedrals, golden-domed and floodlit at night.
- Dry Bridge Market: an open-air flea market for Soviet-era cameras, jewellery, coins and Georgian antiques.
- Mtskheta: the ancient former capital and its UNESCO-listed churches, an easy half-day trip from the city.
At Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)
Tbilisi International Airport, also known as Shota Rustaveli International, is about 17km south-east of the centre — a 20 to 30 minute drive. Booking a car through the Bolt app is the simplest and usually cheapest option; if you use the taxi rank, agree the fare first. Public bus 337 runs to Freedom Square and Rustaveli Avenue day and night, and a low-cost train links the airport with Tbilisi’s central station a couple of times a day.
Top tips for finding cheap flights to Tbilisi
- Book roughly two to four months ahead for summer and holiday dates; last-minute fares to Georgia are rarely a bargain.
- Choose midweek departures — Tuesday to Thursday is often cheaper than weekends — and avoid the school holidays.
- Use flexible-date search and compare the price charts on this page, as shifting your trip by a day or two can cut the cost.
- Weigh a direct Georgian Airways service against one-stop fares on Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, LOT or Wizz Air, which are often the cheapest overall.
Travel essentials
British passport holders do not need a visa for Georgia and can currently stay for up to one year for tourism; carry a passport valid for your whole trip. The currency is the Georgian lari (GEL); cards are widely accepted in Tbilisi and ATMs are easy to find. No special vaccinations are required, but a UK GHIC is not valid here, so arrange comprehensive travel insurance. Check the latest FCDO advice before booking, as guidance near the Russian-occupied regions can change.
