The long-awaited winter trip of my life has finally arrived! Yes, it was a long time coming – ten years in the making to be exact. Anyhow, I was too excited for this adventure that I forgot to take my passport with me LOL. Thankfully, my flight was in the evening so there was ample time to get it. Fortunately, aside from this glitch, everything else was smooth sailing despite having to travel for additional two hours as I’ll be departing from another emirate.
The flight from the sandbox to Tbilisi is three hours and thirty minutes. I tried to get some shuteye while on the plane, but I was too anxious, so I ended up feeling a little groggy when I arrived at Tbilisi airport. Luckily, Immigration was a breeze. In less than thirty minutes, I was already outside the airport and on my way to the hotel.
The goal of this trip is to visit as many sights as possible, indulge in authentic Georgian cuisine as often as I could and enjoy the actual snow when I see it. So, hours after I landed in Tbilisi (capital of Georgia), I began my winter adventure via the Hop On Hop Off Bus tour. This, for me, is the most convenient way to familiarize yourself with the city as it will tour you around the famous landmarks and take you to places you might not visit or see on your own. In fact, I saw a lot of interesting things and places while on board the HoHo Bus. Here are few of the places we passed by.
Since it was the start of the winter season, Georgia was cold, gloomy and wet. Nevertheless, it did not stop me from having a grand time. I actually researched Georgia’s weather prior to our trip, so I was ready for the sun, rain or snow. What I did not expect was how chilly Georgian wind could get. There were times that I was literally shaking despite wearing layers.
In the three days I was in Tbilisi, our assembly point was at the opposite side of the I love Tbilisi signage because the travel agency from where I booked the tours was located in that area. A few meters away from the famous signage is the Europe Square. The nearest attractions around the square are the Statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, the Metekhi St. Virgin Church and the Aerial Tramway in Rike Park. I did not visit the first two attractions as it seemed like the church was undergoing some renovation while the statue can be admired even from afar. Instead, I directly went to the aerial tramway and purchased the cable car ticket in order to see the panoramic view of Tbilisi.
For me, one of the must-do activities when visiting Tbilisi is the cable car ride via the Aerial Tramway. The view from the top is absolutely worth the 2 Lari, chilly winds, and even being scammed at the park (Yes, I was unfortunate enough to fall for it and paid a hefty 120 Lari for taking photos with the parrots LOL). Anyhow, on your way to the top, you will see the gigantic statue of Mother of Georgia. It is really massive. It awed me not only because of how enormous it is but also the thought of how it was built.
Aside from the breathtaking view of Tbilisi and the imposing statue of Mother of Georgia, other sites to visit on top are the scenic ruins of Narikala Fortress and Narikala Church. If you are adventurous enough, you may climb the fortress for a higher view of the Narikala Hill and the city of Tbilisi.
From the hill, you also have the option to walk down towards the Botanical Garden to visit the well-known waterfall of Georgia. Though it was on my itinerary to see the waterfall, but I was not able to do so because we took our sweet time exploring the Narikala Fortress and gazing at the beautiful panoramic view of Tbilisi then it was getting dark when we decided to go down.
Back at the Rike Park, you will find the iconic Bridge of Peace. It would have been nice to see the bridge at night with its beautiful lights, but it was not convenient for me because my hotel was located far from the area. However, it is still beautiful during the day.
On my second day, we stumbled upon the Meidan Bazar. It is a very interesting place as it is located in an underground tunnel. They mostly sell different kinds of souvenirs though a little pricey. We discovered this place by chance as we were trying to find shelter from the rain on that day.
The last attraction we visited was the Tbilisi Funicular. It was on our last night in Tbilisi and it has been raining the whole day. The good thing about the rain was that there was less tourists. However, it was freezing cold at the top – I can clearly see my breath. Nonetheless, we still enjoyed looking at the beautiful city view of Tbilisi.
There are still plenty of places to visit and things to do in Tbilisi that I was not able to enjoy or experience. Hence, if given another chance and when this pandemic is over, I would like to come back during summertime and see a different side of Tbilisi.
Her.Story 