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8 minutes readContents
- How to plan an unforgettable tour
- Things to do in Tbilisi
- Experiences around Kutaisi
- Activities in Batumi and the Black Sea coast
How to plan an unforgettable tour
Visiting the places on this list independently can be challenging — many require an off-road vehicle and local expertise. Make it easy for your clients by offering a bespoke tour filled with authentic experiences.
Make it easy for your clients by offering a bespoke tour filled with authentic experiences.
Photo by giorgi gvilava on Unsplash
Things to do in Tbilisi
Tbilisi, the country’s capital, is filled with history, hidden courtyards, and vibrant culture. Here are three activities your clients shouldn’t miss while exploring the city.
1. Explore the courtyards of Sololaki
The Sololaki district hides architectural treasures from the 19th–20th centuries — stained glass, mosaic floors, and painted ceilings. With a guide, your clients can step into courtyards that feel like living museums:
- Kaleidoscope House (Betlemi Street, 3): Behind its stained-glass entrance, beams of blue, amber, yellow, and emerald light dance across the staircase and wooden railings.
- The House of the Sejilanovs Brothers (Tabidze Street, 18): Its modest exterior gives way to a palace-like entrance with preserved paintings, a mosaic bearing the family’s name, and a grand wrought-iron staircase.
- “Tbilisi Hogwarts” (Lado Asatiani Street, 28): Built in 1905 as a boarding house for noble girls, its gothic arches, spires, and pointed windows give it the aura of a real-life school of magic.
The Sololaki district hides architectural treasures from the 19th–20th centuries — stained glass, mosaic floors, and painted ceilings.
Photo by Kaliam on Shutterstock
2. Try minankari enamel jewelry making
Minankari is an ancient Georgian enamel technique still practiced in Tbilisi. Clients can join small workshops — sometimes in groups organized by tour companies — to learn the history of the craft and create a pendant by hand to take home. Master classes are also held at the Tbilisi History Museum in a 17th-century interior, where the setting itself feels like part of the exhibition.
3. Join a Georgian supra
A supra is more than a meal — it’s a cultural celebration of food, toasts, and music, often hosted in family restaurants or guesthouses. The evening is led by a tamada (toastmaster) who guides the flow of the feast.
Key features of a Georgian supra include:
- Tamada: The host of the feast, responsible for leading toasts and managing the celebration.
- Toasts with meaning: Mini-speeches on life, family, friendship, homeland, ancestors, and love.
- Abundance of food: Guests enjoy traditional dishes such as khinkali, khachapuri, sazivi, pkhali, and lobio, paired with wine or chacha.
- Songs and dances: Supras are often accompanied by live music, singing, and traditional folk performances.
The supra is a cultural celebration of food, toasts, and music, often hosted in family restaurants or guesthouses.
Photo by Zu Kamilov on Shutterstock
Experiences around Kutaisi
Kutaisi, one of the oldest cities in Georgia, offers a blend of cultural landmarks and traditional crafts. These activities make excellent day trips in and around the city.
4. See a play at the Lado Meshishvili Theatre
One of Georgia’s oldest and most beautiful theatres, the Lado Meshishvili Theatre is a Kutaisi landmark. Performances are in Georgian, but even without knowing the language, visitors can feel the atmosphere through live acting, music, and lighting. The building itself — with its columns and moldings — is also worth admiring.
How to find it:
- Address: Colombia-Missouri Street, 37/1.
- Location: On David Agmashenebeli Square, next to the Kolhidsky Fountain.
One of Georgia’s oldest and most beautiful theatres, the Lado Meshishvili Theatre is a Kutaisi landmark.
Photo by tete_escape on Shutterstock
5. Taste wine in Bagdati
Just a half-hour drive from Kutaisi, the village of Bagdati is home to small family wineries such as Wine Zura Ghvaladze and Baia’s Wine. Visitors can see how wine is made and sample Tsolikouri, a crisp white grape variety with notes of yellow fruit, plum, and flower honey.
How to get there:
- Distance: About 25 km from Kutaisi.
- Travel time: 30–35 minutes by car.
- Best options: Taxi or rental car; minibuses also run from Kutaisi’s train station to Chavchavadze Street, 6.
Visitors can see how wine is made and sample Tsolikouri, a crisp white grape variety with notes of yellow fruit, plum, and flower honey.
Photo by azerbaijan_stockers on Freepik
6. Visit pottery workshops in Shrosha
Not far from Kutaisi, the village of Shrosha is Georgia’s center of pottery crafts. Visitors can watch artisans hand-shape jars, plates, and other products — and even try the potter’s wheel themselves. A visit can be arranged with local guides, or travelers can simply stop at one of the workshops visible from the E-60 highway.
How to get there:
- Distance: About 30 km from Kutaisi.
- Travel time: 30–40 minutes by car.
- Best options: Organized tour, taxi, or rental car. The workshops are located right along the highway and are visible from the road.
Visitors can watch artisans hand-shape jars, plates, and other products — and even try the potter’s wheel themselves.
Photo by k_samurkas on Shutterstock
Activities in Batumi and the Black Sea coast
Batumi, Georgia’s lively seaside hub, is known for its Black Sea coastline, national parks, and tea-covered hills. Recommend these experiences to clients looking for both adventure and relaxation.
7. Go fishing on the Black Sea
In Batumi, visitors can join sea fishing trips arranged through tour companies or directly with local fishermen at the port or along the promenade. After the catch, the fish is often grilled and enjoyed right on board — a true sea-to-table experience.
8. Take a photo safari at Lake Paleostomi
Part of Kolkheti National Park, Lake Paleostomi is a haven for bird-watchers and photographers. Visitors can spot pelicans and herons on guided boat tours and may also try fishing for carp and pike, with equipment available on site.
How to get there:
- Distance: About 50 km from Batumi.
- Travel time: Around 1 hour by car.
- Landmark: Near the town of Poti, close to the Kolkheti National Park Visitor Center.
- Directions: Take the E70 highway towards Poti and turn at the Visitor Center sign.
- Best options: Car or taxi; minibuses also run from Batumi to Poti, where travelers can take a taxi to the lake.
Part of Kolkheti National Park, Lake Paleostomi is a haven for bird-watchers and photographers.
Photo by k_samurkas on Shutterstock
9. Pick tea in Chakvi
The green slopes of Chakvi hold the Caucasus’ oldest tea plantations, dating back to the 1890s. Visitors can walk the green slopes, learn about tea production, and — in season — take part in the harvest. The preserved ruins of Lau-Jan-Jau’s house, a Chinese craftsman who helped develop Georgian plantations, add historical depth to the experience.
How to get there:
- Distance: About 15 km from Batumi.
- Travel time: 25–30 minutes by car.
- Landmark: Located in the upper part of Chakvi, behind the main residential area, closer to the hills.
- Directions: Follow signs marked Georgian Tea Plantation or Tea Route.
- Best options: Car or taxi from Batumi.
The green slopes of Chakvi hold the Caucasus’ oldest tea plantations, dating back to the 1890s.
Photo by jaikishan patel on Unsplash
10. Climb the lighthouse in Poti
About an hour from Batumi, the coastal town of Poti is a place rarely visited by tourists. Here stands an active lighthouse, built in 1864, that still guides ships today. Visitors can climb its 153 spiral steps to a viewing platform with sweeping views of the Black Sea. Unlike many lighthouses turned into museums, this one remains a living part of maritime history.
How to get there:
- Location: Next to Iver Church in Poti
- Best options: Car or taxi, using navigation for “Poti Lighthouse”
- Walking option: From Central Park, the lighthouse is just a 15-minute walk
Visitors can climb its 153 spiral steps to a viewing platform with sweeping views of the Black Sea.
Photo by Vladimir Mulder on Shutterstock
Supercharge travel to Georgia with RateHawk
Georgia’s diverse cities and landscapes offer visitors a wealth of cultural, culinary, and natural adventures. Whether they’re raising a toast at a supra, exploring Tbilisi’s courtyards, or climbing a Black Sea lighthouse, these experiences guarantee lasting memories.
With RateHawk, you can effortlessly compile a customized hotel collection that includes accommodations, transfers, flights, rail tickets, and car rentals, all leading to a quick, confirmed booking.
Cover image: Photo by Neil Sengupta on Unsplash
