The real cost of a long weekend in Tbilisi, Georgia

Every six months, Tbilisi appears on another "hidden gem" list. It's been on every "where to go next" round-up since roughly 2019. And yet the vast majority of British travellers still haven't been — partly because Georgia sits in an odd geographic gap in people's mental map (is it Eastern Europe? The Caucasus? The Middle East?) and partly because direct flights from the UK only became properly accessible relatively recently.

Here's the thing: the hype is mostly justified. Tbilisi is a beautiful, strange, genuinely unlike-anywhere-else city with remarkable food, wine that's been made here for 8,000 years, and prices that feel almost rude by Western European standards. It also takes about four to five hours to fly to from London — shorter than a lot of people realise.

This is a cost breakdown for a long weekend (three nights, four days). Real numbers, no rounding up.

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Getting there: flights from the UK

There are no direct flights from the UK to Tbilisi at time of writing, which means a connection — typically through Istanbul, Vienna, Warsaw, or Riga. Total journey time including connection is usually four to six hours.

Budget: £200–£380 return from London with reasonable advance booking. Turkish Airlines through Istanbul is often one of the cheapest options and runs a reliable service. LOT Polish Airlines via Warsaw regularly comes in at the lower end of that range.

Avoid flying at peak summer (July–August) if you can — Tbilisi in high summer is genuinely very hot, and flight prices spike. April to June and September to October are the sweet spots: warm, not sweltering, and significantly cheaper.

Search flights from your nearest UK airport on our site — departure city matters here, as Istanbul connections are particularly competitive from most UK hubs.

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Accommodation: three nights

Tbilisi's old town (Abanotubani and the Narikala area) is where you want to be based. It's walkable, atmospheric, and within easy reach of everything.

• Budget guesthouse or hostel private room: £20–£35 per night. For three nights: approximately £65–£105.

• Mid-range boutique hotel (and there are some excellent ones): £50–£80 per night. For three nights: £150–£240.

• Upscale design hotel in the old town: £90–£130 per night. These are genuinely impressive by any European standard at this price.

Most visitors in the mid-range bracket spend around £180–£220 on accommodation for three nights.

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Food and drink: what it actually costs

This is where Tbilisi becomes genuinely extraordinary.

Georgian food is one of the world's underrated cuisines — khachapuri (cheese-stuffed bread in various regional forms), khinkali (giant dumpling parcels of meat or cheese, eaten by hand, never with a fork), mtsvadi (grilled meat skewers over charcoal), pkhali (walnut-stuffed vegetable rolls). It's rich, specific, and almost entirely unfamiliar to most British visitors.

Prices at a good, full-service Georgian restaurant:

• Khinkali (6 dumplings): 50p–80p each

• Khachapuri (a full Adjarian boat, enough for one): £2.50–£4

• Full dinner for two with Georgian wine: £15–£25

That's not at a tourist trap — that's a proper restaurant with tablecloths. At local neighbourhood spots, it goes even lower.

Coffee and drinks:

• Espresso at a decent café: 50p–80p

• A glass of natural wine (Georgia invented natural wine and takes it extremely seriously): £1.50–£3

• Local beer: 80p–£1.50

Realistically, budget £20–£35 per person per day for food and drink including a nice dinner with wine.

Over four days: approximately £80–£140 per person.

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Getting around

Tbilisi's old town is very walkable. For everything else:

• Metro: incredibly cheap. Single journey around 30p.

• Bolt (Uber equivalent): reliable, fast, and cheap. A ride across town: £1–£2.50.

• Day trip to Mtskheta (former capital, UNESCO site, 20km out): taxi or marshrutka (minibus) return journey, approximately £5–£8.

Transport budget for four days: £15–£30 if you're being sensible.

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Things to do: entry costs

Much of what makes Tbilisi special is free — the old town itself, the Narikala fortress ruins above the city, the sulphur baths district. Entry costs are low where they exist:

• Narikala Fortress: free

• Georgian National Museum: approximately £2.50

• Open Air Museum of Ethnography: £2

• Cable car up to Narikala: £1 return

• Sulphur bath (Abanotubani): private rooms from £8–£15 per person per hour — one of the most genuinely enjoyable experiences in the city, don't skip it

Budget for activities over four days: £20–£40.

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Total cost for a long weekend in Tbilisi (per person)

• Flights: £200–£280 return

• Accommodation (3 nights, room shared): £55–£110

• Food & drink (4 days): £80–£140

• Transport: £15–£30

• Activities: £20–£40

• Total: approximately £370–£600 per person

A solid mid-range long weekend in Tbilisi, all-in, typically lands between £450–£550 per person. For that budget in Paris or Amsterdam you'd cover flights and two nights accommodation with not much left.

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One thing to sort before you fly

Georgia is not in the EU and UK mobile roaming deals don't apply. Pick up an Airalo eSIM before you travel — data packages for Georgia are available for a few pounds and set up in minutes. Much better than trying to find a local SIM in arrivals.

Also: get travel insurance that covers medical repatriation. Georgian healthcare is improving but you don't want to need it without cover.

Ready to book? Search flights to Tbilisi and compare accommodation on our site.

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