Last Updated on 04/11/2024 by kami
I was dreading my second trip to Tbilisi. The time I spent there in autumn 2011 was one of the best and most memorable of my travel adventures and I was simply afraid to face Georgia after all these years, I didn’t want to ruin perfect Tbilisi picture that was still so vivid in my mind. I was well aware a lot has change since then, most of all low cost airline started flying to Georgia bringing lots of tourists there. But while I was expecting to see too many lousy Polish people hoping to experience the incredible Georgian hospitality for free (sadly that’s often the case with travels to Georgia) I wasn’t fully prepared to see how Old Tbilisi is now…
Tbilisi essentials
- Airport transfer: Pre-book the airport transfer from Tbilisi airport to your accommodation in Tbilisi here.
- Where to stay in Tbilisi: Hotel Flower (9.1/10) / Redrum Tbilisi Boutique Hotel (9.3/10)
- Best Tbilisi tour: Private Walking Tbilisi City Tour
- Best day trip from Tbilisi: Day Trip to Armenia Including Homemade Lunch
- Get insured for your trip to Georgia with SafetyWing

Problem with tourism in Tbilisi
First of all: I don’t have anything against tourism, if done wisely. Of course I’d personally prefer if some places stayed hidden gems, not discovered by many, so I could enjoy its authentic vibe. But that’s just my wishful thinking that has nothing to do with how the current world works. I perfectly understand that tourism can bring a lot of money that is especially needed in developing countries, such as Georgia. It can do a great change to the local community and its people when used properly. Unfortunately what I’ve seen in Tbilisi was just a complete opposition and for most of the time I felt that the city is just wasting its enormous potential.


Old Tbilisi – where the time has stopped
I remember Tbilisi as a charming city with a strong feeling of authenticity. It was especially present in Old Tbilisi – part of the capital that dates back to the 5th century yet was badly destroyed in 1795 during the Persian invasion. Most of buildings now represent eclectic architecture of 19th and early 20th century, some of the most beautiful houses I’ve ever seen can be found there. It feels like the time has stopped there: the laundry is hanging high above, kids are playing on the streets, every corner has a small shop with just about everything one might need, small craftsman shops are thrown around here and there. It’s a wonderful place to aimlessly wander around and to blissfully get lost – that’s actually one of my favorite things to do in Tbilisi!



Old Tbilisi is falling apart…
While I loved Old Tbilisi and it was my favorite part of the city both in 2011 and now, it broke my heart to see what’s happening with this district and how much it has changed in these 3.5 years. The place is falling apart, literally. There are so many houses that are haunting with empty windows and closed doors, so many ruins it is just unbearable to look at this wasted opportunities. Even the beautiful, renovated houses right in front of Narikala fortress while having fancy facades were ruined inside and I could easily walk in to see the enormity of destruction there. However one of the most touching spots was the church, probably pretty old one. It looks perfectly fine from the outside, even if a little bit neglected. The doors were ajar so I wanted to peek inside. To my great surprise the place was a ruin, without a roof or any equipment but with grass growing high and bricks strewn around… Wandering around twisting narrow lanes of Old Tbilisi really reminded me of my visit to Gyumri, still bearing scars from the tragic earthquake 26 years ago. The problem is Tbilisi didn’t experience such a natural disaster.



Old Tbilisi tourist trap
Kote Afkhazi street – the main street leading from the Freedom Square to the footsteps of Narikala fortress – has become a tourist fest too. Even if the pavement is crumbling and big holes where houses used to stand strike really bad most of the visitors can find all they need there. Souvenir shops, numerous stands with churchkhelas, overpriced wine places, fancy restaurants, bars attracting customers with names like KGB… It looks like yet another tourist trap, something that attract foreign visitors and can be found in most of the cities. On top of that there’s a red double-decker tourist bus so well known from all over the world, trying to push its way through this cobbled street. It just simply didn’t fit there and was the best sign for me of how Tbilisi is losing its unique identity to become yet another tourist destination.

Modern face of Tbilisi
Across the river Kura a modern part of the city is located, connected with Old Tbilisi by the Peace Bridge. This structure itself shows how the city doesn’t really have a clue how to reinvent itself in a new way. But what’s behind it is even worse. Rike Park might be popular among locals and the green space itself is fine. It’s just full of weird constructions like massive tubes that ruin the whole area. The modern glass and steal presidential palace overlook the place, as an opposite to the old fortress, giving the clear sign of the direction the modern Georgia has taken. On top of that there’s a ropeway connecting Rike Park with Narikala. It was built really fast – when I was in Tbilisi in October 2011 there were no signs of the constructions but it was already opened 6 months later! Sure, it makes getting to the top much easier (but the walk up there isn’t that hard anyway) but at the same time it fits there like a glove…


Visit Tbilisi before it’s too late
I really loved my time back in Tbilisi and still found my places, secret yards and shortcuts around. It felt like I left 2 weeks ago. But at the same time the city was so different and I had so many bitter observations about it. I just couldn’t bear how much money is spent on unnecessary modern version of the city while its true gem and the biggest potential – Old Tbilisi – is slowly falling apart and disappearing. The uniqueness and authenticity of the place can be soon gone and Tbilisi will become yet another tourist destination that can offer only pretty facades but nothing behind them. It’s good to invest money from tourism and to improve living conditions of local people and to create a better offer for visitors, but it just needs to be done smartly. I really, truly hope the local authorities will soon realize what their biggest asset is and will save Old Tbilisi before it’s too late…



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By the way, I’m not the only one who had similar observation about the capital of Georgia. You can read about that issue also at Yomadic and Kołem się Toczy (in Polish though).

Have you been to Tbilisi? Did you have a similar impressions to mine? Have you observe this issue in other places?
Further reading
I published many articles about Georgia that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:
- 22 Wonderful and Unique Places to Visit in Georgia
- 15 reasons to visit Georgia – the amazing emerging destination
- 49 Awesome Things to Do in Tbilisi, Georgia
- 10 Beautiful Day Trips from Tbilisi, Georgia
- How to get from Tbilisi to Yerevan (or Yerevan to Tbilisi) – a complete guide
- Is it worth to visit Kutaisi? Best things to do in Kutaisi, Georgia
- 10 Amazing Places You Can Visit As Day Trips From Kutaisi, Georgia
- 20 Cool Things to do in Batumi, Georgia
- Visit Tskaltubo, Georgia – an abandoned playground
- and more!
If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in the Caucasus and ask your questions there.



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57 Comments
Ibazela
21/04/2015 at 09:19Kami, I’m at work so I can’t read the whole post, but looking at the pictures I wish I was there with you!
kami
10/05/2015 at 08:09Next time go with me! :)
Karol Werner
21/04/2015 at 09:28Aż dziwne, że nie ma na Twoich fotach ani jednego kota. Tyle ile tam, to nigdzie wiecej ich nie widzialem :D
kami
10/05/2015 at 08:10Eee, nie bylo ich jakos mega duzo, musiało Ci się wybitnie jakos trafic!
Joanna/places2visit.pl
21/04/2015 at 10:01Gruzja – cały czas czeka na odpowiedni czas do zobaczenia :)
kami
10/05/2015 at 08:10Jedz jak najszybciej, zanim do konca straci swoj urok!
zof
21/04/2015 at 10:03I totally second everything you wrote. I visit Tbilisi regularly and my thoughts are the same most of the time.
kami
10/05/2015 at 08:11It’s just so sad, isn’t it…?
Jakub
21/04/2015 at 11:05Ach!
kami
10/05/2015 at 08:11Cokolwiek masz na myśli drogi Jakubie… ;)
Agnieszka /Zależna w podróży
21/04/2015 at 12:58Super wpis! Oczywiście masz pełną rację! Stare Tbilisi łamie serce. Jest absolutnie przepiękne, ale nie można na nie patrzeć, jak na ciekawostkę dla Zachodu – “patrzcie, jak tu jest pięknie i biednie”. I prawda, że te koszmarki architektury najnowszej nie mają sensu. Ale cóż… to jest cecha chyba większości poZSRRowych krajów. Władze chcą pokazywać na przykładach reprezentacyjnych budynków, a nie przez podniesienie poziomu życia przeciętnego Kowalskiego.
kami
10/05/2015 at 08:13No i wlasnie to jest smutne. Zamiast stawiac kolejne nic nie znaczące budynki odremontowalibu te stare, bo w nich jest sila Tbilisi!
Justyna | One-Penny-Trip.com
21/04/2015 at 15:49Hidden gems – everyone wants places to remain as they are, but at the same time everyone want to travel and discover them. So difficult to find a golden mean, isn’t it? :)
kami
10/05/2015 at 08:15Of course ;) but in this case if Tbilisi is developing so fast in the tourism field they should just invest money where it is needed instead of building just another random modern thing…
Koralina
21/04/2015 at 17:28No to jest nas więcej z takimi samymi odczuciami (https://tropimyprzygody.pl/2015/02/27/piekne-brzydkie-tbilisi/) :) Dobrze wiedzieć, że to nie tylko na mnie takie wrażenie zrobiło, bo do tej pory zewsząd słyszałam tylko zachwyty, więc się dziwiłam, że wszystkich zachwyca, a mnie nie. A jednak nie jestem odosobniona :)
kami
10/05/2015 at 08:16A czytalam ten Wasz wpis! I teraz pamietalam, ze ktos podobnie pisal ale za nic nie moglam sobie przypomniec kto ;) mnie mimo wszystko ta stara czesc zachwyca, ale jednoczesnie jest tak strasznie smutna…
Tourystyka
21/04/2015 at 17:55Świetna podróż i rewelacyjne zdjęcia! Tak jest – Gruzja jeszcze na mnie czeka :)
kami
10/05/2015 at 08:17Dzięki! Jedz jak najszybciej, zanim za bardzo sie ta Gruzja zmieni!
Liana Petrosyan
21/04/2015 at 18:04Nice post! thanks! so sad to know that ppl in the region do not realize they need to preserve the old towns…where you can travel in time…
Magda
21/04/2015 at 19:13Niesamowite dysproporcje. Kocham te starocie, choc ich mieszkancy pewnie woleliby ciut lepsze warunki.
kami
10/05/2015 at 09:04W malo jakim miescie az tak bardzo dysroporcje widac jak w Tbilisi, a i z czasem robi sie coraz gorzej i gorzej niestety…
Gertjan AC Rasschaert
21/04/2015 at 18:18I like it more the way it is now, than when they would restore it too much so it becomes fake/over the top. Kinda loved the fucked up combination between the decay of the old town and the ugly modern spacy architecture across the river. But at the same time it feels pathetic: “look what we are capable of, we’re a pretty modern country” But move away one block from Rustaveli av. in any direction and you’ll come across decay of what used to be sublime architectural gems.
Mariusz Stachowiak
22/04/2015 at 08:14wszystko się zmienia, zmieniają to turyści. Takie życie, taki postęp zmasowanej turystki. Jednak nikt nie będzie siedzieć w domu :)
Jarek Szczygielski
22/04/2015 at 08:17Są miasta, które są “zrujnowane” ale mimo wszystko mają swój urok ;)
Marcin Wesołowski
22/04/2015 at 08:35Jedno z moich ukochanych miast!
Ewa Wilczyńska-Saj
22/04/2015 at 08:48Osobiście przekonam się dopiero we wrześniu, ale już niemal odliczam dni! ;))
Aleksandra Świstow
22/04/2015 at 09:23Taka kolej rzeczy… Pewnie zanim ja do Tbilisi dojadę (a że spadam z Europy znowu na kilka lat to się trochę odwlecze), będzie zupełnie innym miejscem niż to, w które pokochałaś.
Łukasz Kocewiak
22/04/2015 at 16:10Tbilisi rządzi Bania (numer) 5, czy byliście?
Frank
23/04/2015 at 10:22Interesting post on a place I honestly know nothing about. As a North American (Canadian) what I love about Europe is the history and the old towns – so I’m surprised they would disregard older buildings for new, modern stuff. You’re right, who wants to see modern steel pipes or ski lifts ruining the landscape?
Frank (bbqboy)
kami
10/05/2015 at 09:08I think it comes with Georgia being a developing country, they just want to show off how modern they are but they do things completely wrong…
Hannah
23/04/2015 at 22:17Wow I have a hard time looking at you photos and imagining one of those massive red tourism busses pushing through the streets! Part of what I love so much about Europe is the old-timey vibe of so many cities… that kind of ruins it.
kami
10/05/2015 at 09:09Believe me, it’s a terrible view, it really broke my heart to see the bus there…
Tim
23/04/2015 at 22:36That is quite the contrast between the old and new cities and your photos capture the deterioration of the old in all its disappointing shades. It could be so beautiful so I completely understand your heartbreak at seeing the decay over such a short amount of time. Hopefully it will get rectified.
kami
10/05/2015 at 09:11I truly hope the money will be invested in the restoration of the old town but at the same time I’mI’m afraid it’d take time for local authorities to understand the real value Tbilisi has…
antonette - we12travel
25/04/2015 at 10:46To be honest, I’d rather have a place waste its touristic potential than over-doing it. Iceland is being ruined by tourism nowadays (and yes, I’ll be one of them, I booked before my Icelandic friend told me about the current state the country is in) and it’s the locals who are suffering … so I’m sure that if you say Tblisi does have great potential, I’m sure that it will be discovered sooner or later as the next eastern European destination to visit with a low cost carrier … unfortunately …
kami
10/05/2015 at 09:13There’s already Wizzair flying to Georgia (not to Tbilisi though…) so things will get only worse and worse there, I’m afraid… Btw, yyou’d love it there, hiking in the Caucasus is amazing!
What happens with Iceland? I was there 3 years ago and it was still fine…
Jenny - ikreis.net
26/04/2015 at 00:06Thanks for sharing. I’m heading to Yerevan tomorrow and I’ll visit Tbilisi in about a week.
I’d never realized that there are so many tourist in Tbilisi already. Georgia is still unknown in Holland, even though the Dutch seen to go everywhere…
kami
26/04/2015 at 19:49Yerevan is pretty amazing, I just cannot leave it ;) I’m here for the third time now and it just doesn’t get boring! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as well! How long are you gonna stay here?
Tbiisi is still cool, just not as great as it used to be!
Jenna
27/04/2015 at 05:03It’s always so frustrating to see places you love get turned into tourist traps or fall apart. Glad you were able to still find some good spots though. Tbilsi looks like a great city–hope they can start preserving it so it doesn’t all fall apart completely!
kami
10/05/2015 at 09:14It is a great city, one of the most beautiful I’ve ever been to so I truly hope it still can be saved!
Sammi Wanderlustin'
28/04/2015 at 19:42It’s always hard seeing places change like that when they’ve been undiscovered, it’s a shame that the old things are being neglected! I definitely want to visit Georgia some day, so we’ll see, I hope there are still things worth seeing when I make it there. It’s so much better when things are preserved & taken care of.
kami
10/05/2015 at 09:15You should definitely plan a trip there as soon as possible, before it’s too late!
Old Tiflis and Modern Tbilisi – A Study in Contrast | concrete and kitsch
03/07/2015 at 05:17[…] have articulated the issue better than I have, so I highly recommend you head over to Yomadic or Kami & The Rest of the World to check out their summaries of the […]
Monika
30/07/2015 at 21:32Ah it´s heart-breaking to read these lines even if I´ve never been there. In fact, I´m getting ready for my trip to the Caucasus in two weeks and I´m a bit concerned now. I had no idea tourism has progressed so much but I hope I will be able to see a bit of authentic Georgia. Though I´m aware of the fact that it´s us – visitors who are responsible for these changes. Hopefully Georgia will find the right way to benefit from tourism without losing its identity.
kami
03/08/2015 at 22:27It’s not THAT bad so there’s nothing to worry about! I more meant that the city has changed, a lot, and it’s not as it used to be but it still has its moments! It’s still a long way for Georgia to become a major touristic hotspot (I’m afraid this will happen eventually) and I truly hope they will transform wisely
minas
23/03/2016 at 22:20OH! Now I see that you have been in Georgia. May I ask you if you like Georgia or Armenia more? It’s really interesting to know :P
kami
13/04/2016 at 09:25I actually prefer Armenia, big time :)
minas
23/03/2016 at 22:39Hey again for the third time… So I read your post about Tbilisi now and I might disagree on some points with you… You mentioned that Tbilisi didn’t have any natural disasters in the past… There was actually an earthquake in like 2001 and it destroyed buildings in the Sololaki area, so those buildings that you mentioned in the post might have been destroyed because of the earthquakes… Second, I don’t know if I understood it right, but you didn’t like the cable cars in Tbilisi from the park(I think it’s called Rike to Narikala fortress? But in my opnion I think they go well with the older town architecture and it makes the city looks better… And back to the buildings which you mentioned… I hope that and I think it is already the case that those buildings will get renovated in the nearest future… And now at last about the new architecture style in the city, that I kind of agree with you, not every building is really necessary or goes well with the rest of the architecture like the new Theatre and so the new hotels… In my opinion Georgia would be so much cooler if they just left maybe everything alone from now on (atleast for a while) and just renovate the buildings and houses in the Old Town parts of the city and get ready for inflow of tourists… Btw have you been to Svaneti and Tusheti?
kami
13/04/2016 at 11:31I’ve been twice to Tbilisi, in 2011 and then 2015 and I don’t remember that many destroyed or empty buildings from my first visit so I’m not sure the earthquake was the reason. And yes, I didn’t really like the cable car (again I’m comparing what I’ve seen during these two visits) but of course we might have different opinions and that’s fine! :) I really hope Old Tbilisi will get renovated soon as it’s a real gem and one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen! I haven’t been to both Svaneti and Tusheti yet but really would love to!
Tatiana
27/07/2016 at 15:38What a sad view…I can’t believe my eyes – the city is falling apart. I guess it’s the matter of city/country budget and priorities. Just can’t understand why the city government doesn’t pay attention to the one of the most important aspects of tourism / first sight impression of the capital etc.
kami
04/08/2016 at 14:29It is about priorities I’m afraid and while they should focus on restoring the old legacy they invest in the new buildings. So sad…
Prince
31/10/2016 at 13:13your post was really helpfull for my tbilisi trip
kami
01/11/2016 at 22:20Thank you
DinoMerlino
31/12/2016 at 23:07Good evening. Happy New Year, I really like your pictures of Sarajevo.
kami
04/01/2017 at 09:48Thank you. Happy New Year!
Agness of Fit Travelling
21/02/2017 at 22:28Tbilisi has some unique type of beauty and thus, it is on my bucket list. I think your post was very inspirational and helpful, Kami!
kami
21/02/2017 at 22:54Thanks. You definitely should go there, Tbilisi is amazing!