Tbilisi is one of my favorite cities in that gray area between Europe and Asia. It has a welcoming, up-and-coming vibe that reflects youth culture without being too pretentious about it. People are cool, without trying too hard.

Locals work hard and salaries are less than other countries in Europe. You can see the continued tension with neighboring nations, especially after the recent war with Russia. While we were in the city, several protests broke out after a Russian politician disrespected the Georgian political process by sitting in the parliamentary speaker’s chair during a religious assembly. Protesters were injured, museums were closed early, and flights were canceled between the two countries. Although the Russian tourists and Georgian locals we met got along extremely well, their governments are definitely still at odds.

In Georgia, people are laid-back and exceptionally welcoming. Tbilisi offers so much to see and do that you can easily spend a few weeks there (or stay forever).

Here are some of the things we did while exploring the city:

Take a day trip

We took several day trips from Tbilisi and it’s very easy to organize a tour or take cheap public transport to explore surrounding areas.

See the views over the city

You can climb up or take a cable car to see the magnificent views of the city, explore the castle and botanical gardens and check out the Mother of Georgia statue.

EAT

One of the best parts of exploring Georgia was trying the cheap, abundant and delicious food. I loved their eggplant or spinach with walnuts as well as Georgian dumplings (khinkali) and bread dishes including khachapuri and lobiani.

Go to the nearby lake

“So I have to tell you,” our Georgian friend told us as we walked through the park at night. “The surprise is there is no lake. They got rid of it years ago.” He had taken us out of the city to walk around the nearby lake. “What?” we cried. We rounded the corner and there was the lake, shining in the moonlight. “Just kidding!” he yelled, and we walked around the shore, swapping stories. Around Tbilisi are two main bodies of water. Lisi Lake, the one we went to is smaller and surrounded by families, people fishing and cyclists. The other is Tbilisi Sea Club on the Tbilisi Reservoir and has a small waterpark and other attractions. Lisi Lake is peaceful and you can swim and fish there.

Get a scrub down in the sulfur baths

You can rent a private room and get a massage and scrubdown in the sulfur baths or pay a little less and hang out in the public baths with locals and tourists as well. Note for tourists: You will be naked. If you don’t specify, you may scrubbed down by a very large Georgian man who gives surprisingly good massages. Or a very old Georgian woman whose massages are a little weak but gives a decent scrub. No matter what option you choose, it’s an experience you will probably never forget.

Drink Georgian wine

The only wine I’ve had that can rival my beloved La Rioja Spanish wine. It’s cheap and plentiful.

Visit the museums

Some of my favorite museums we went to were the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts, Georgian National Museum and the extremely fascinating Museum of Broken Hearts.

Stand in awe of the Golden Church

By this point on our Georgia/ Armenia trip, we had seen a lot of churches, quite a few monasteries and one pagan temple. We were almost churched out. However, the Golden Church was well worth the visit. It’s not just a church. It is a massive complex with gorgeous gardens, sweeping views of the city and impressive architecture. I recommend going just before golden hour so that the light reflects off the buildings and most of the tourists have moved on.