Tbilisi is the capital and largest city of Georgia, a 1,500-year-old city strung along the Mtkvari River between steep hills in the South Caucasus. Its crooked Old Town of carved wooden balconies, sulfur bathhouses, Orthodox churches and hillside fortress sits beside Art Nouveau boulevards, Soviet-era landmarks and a fast-growing café, wine-bar and club scene. Visitors come for Georgian food and natural wine, easy day trips to monasteries and mountains, and some of the lowest prices of any European capital.
Cultural orientation
Essential context for travellers.
Georgian hospitality is a point of national pride; accept an invitation to a table, a glass of wine or a plate of food graciously, and expect to be offered more
Dress modestly in Orthodox churches such as Sioni Cathedral and Metekhi Church: shoulders and knees covered, and women cover their heads with a scarf at the door (scarves are usually lent at the entrance)
Learn a few Georgian words: gamarjoba (hello), madloba (thank you) and gaumarjos (cheers); locals respond warmly to any effort in Georgian
A supra (feast) is led by a tamada (toastmaster); toasts are made in order, and it is polite to sip rather than drain the glass until the toast is complete
Georgian polyphonic singing is on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list; catch live folk ensembles at dinner-and-show venues or at concerts at the Tbilisi Concert Hall and the Conservatoire
Tbilisoba, the autumn harvest and city festival (usually in the first half of October), fills the old town with food, wine, crafts and folk music
Remove shoes when invited into a Georgian home, and bring a small gift such as sweets, wine or flowers
Sunday morning services are busy at Holy Trinity (Sameba) Cathedral; visitors are welcome but should keep quiet and not photograph worshippers close up
Do's and don'ts
Quick guide to local norms.
Do
- Cover shoulders and knees in churches and monasteries, and wear a scarf if you are a woman
- Try to join a supra, a cooking class or a wine-cellar visit to see Georgian table culture first-hand
- Say gamarjoba to shop staff and drivers when you enter
- Raise your glass for each toast and wait for the tamada to finish before drinking
- Carry small notes in GEL (1, 2, 5, 10 lari) for markets, taxis and funicular or tram tickets
- Visit the Georgian National Museum (Rustaveli Avenue) to understand Georgian history, archaeology and the 20th-century occupation
- Book Gabriadze Theatre, Opera or Rustaveli Theatre tickets a few days ahead in October and May
Don't
- Do not wear shorts, sleeveless tops or a bare midriff inside Orthodox churches
- Do not toast with water or beer at a formal supra; wine or chacha is traditional
- Do not photograph people at prayer or inside the sanctuary of a working church
- Do not leave a supra table early without thanking the host; it is considered abrupt
- Do not point out religion, Russia-Georgia relations or the occupied territories in a casual joke; these topics are sensitive and political
- Do not refuse food repeatedly; a firm but polite 'madloba, shevidzlebi' (thanks, I am full) is better than silence
- Do not litter in the sulfur-bath district or the Narikala fortress area; locals take great pride in the old town
Etiquette by setting
How to navigate everyday situations.
- Greetings
- A handshake is standard for men; close friends and family exchange kisses on the cheek. Say 'gamarjoba' (hello) and 'nakhvamdis' (goodbye). Elders are addressed with respect, and it is polite to greet older people first.
- Dining
- Bread (shoti or puri) and khachapuri are broken by hand and shared. At a supra, the tamada leads toasts, and the table is filled with many dishes at once. Wine is poured by the host, and the glass is rarely left empty. A guest is expected to try everything.
- Dress
- Tbilisi is cosmopolitan: smart casual works at restaurants and theatres, and trendy bars have no strict code. Covered shoulders and knees are required for churches, and many Orthodox sites lend wrap skirts and scarves.
- Gifts
- When invited to a home, bring sweets, a bottle of wine, chacha, or flowers (an odd number of flowers for a happy occasion, an even number for funerals).
- Business
- Business is relationship-based; meetings often start with coffee and small talk and may be followed by a long lunch. English is widely spoken by younger professionals, while Russian is common among older people.
- Tipping
- Service is sometimes added to the bill as 10% (check the bill); otherwise 10% is a standard tip in restaurants, rounding up the fare in taxis, and GEL 2-5 for bath attendants and guides.
Useful phrases
A few words go a long way.
Gamarjoba
Hello
gah-mar-JOH-bah
Nakhvamdis
Goodbye
nakh-vam-DEES
Madloba
Thank you
mad-LOH-bah
Gtkhovt / Arapris
Please / You are welcome
g-tkhovt / ah-rah-PREES
Diakh / Ki
Yes
dee-AKH / kee
Ara
No
AH-rah
Ukhvad / Bodishi
Excuse me / Sorry
ook-hvad / BOH-dee-shee
Gaumarjos
Cheers
gow-mar-JOHS
Ra ghirs?
How much does it cost?
rah gheers
Ingliseburad laparakobt?
Do you speak English?
in-glee-seh-boo-RAD lah-pah-RAH-kobt
Angarishi, gtkhovt
The bill, please
ahn-gah-REE-shee g-tkhovt
Gemrielia
Delicious
gem-ree-eh-LEE-ah
Religion & spirituality
Understanding faith in Tbilisi.
Main: Georgian Orthodox Christianity is the largest faith (the Georgian Orthodox Church has been autocephalous since the 5th-century foundation of the Georgian church, and Christianity has been the state faith since 337 AD). Tbilisi also has Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim communities.
Sites: Holy Trinity (Sameba) Cathedral, Sioni Cathedral, Anchiskhati Basilica, Metekhi Church, Kashveti Church, Tbilisi Mosque (shared by Sunni and Shia worshippers, Botanikuri Street), Tbilisi Synagogue (Leselidze Street), and the Armenian Cathedral of St George.
Holy Days: Orthodox Christmas is on 7 January and Orthodox Easter follows the Julian calendar, with strict fasting beforehand. Tbilisoba (usually early or mid October) and Mariamoba (28 August, Dormition of the Virgin) are major civic and church celebrations.
Conversations: Religion is a core part of national identity. Be respectful and listen; visitors do not need to pray, but should not joke about icons, clergy or the church.