Tbilisi
The minimum setup tasks newcomers should complete in week one.
Pick up a local SIM at the airport arrivals kiosk - a Magti card gives you 30GB for 15GEL ($5.50) and solid city coverage, with Geocell as a rural alternative. On Day1, walk Rustaveli Avenue from Freedom Square to the Rustaveli Metro station (about 25minutes) to spot the Opera House, Parliament and other key landmarks. Open a Georgian bank account within the first week by visiting any TBC Bank or Bank of Georgia branch on Rustaveli Avenue; you only need your passport. Verify that your travel or private health insurance covers Georgia (EHIC does not) and note the emergency number112 so you can register for care if needed. The most common surprise is taxi pricing - always agree on the fare before you hop into a yellow or white cab, otherwise you may be overcharged. Your next step today: head to the airport SIM kiosk, buy the Magti card, and activate it so you can arrange transport, banking and health registration right away.
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Airport · Experience date Mar 30, 2026
Got Magti SIM at the airport kiosk in arrivals. 30GB for 15 GEL ($5.50). Coverage is great in Tbilisi but drops in some mountain areas. Geocell (Silknet) is the alternative with slightly better rural coverage.
Freedom Square · Experience date Mar 18, 2026
Tbilisi is very manageable without Bolt or digital tools — though a smartphone makes it easier. Taxis: hail yellow/white taxis on major streets (always agree price before entering — say your destination, driver will quote a price; 10–20 GEL for most city trips). Metro: buy a Metromoney card at any Metro station for 2 GEL (card fee) and load credit — tap on the reader (1 GEL per journey). Marshrutka (minibus): 0.50 GEL, wave down on major roads, shout destination name. Food without apps: walk any central street — restaurants and cafés are abundant. Tbilisi is compact enough that its central areas are very walkable — Old Town to Vake on foot is about 45 minutes.
Vake · Experience date Feb 23, 2026
Best way to orientate in your first week: Day 1 — Walk Rustaveli Avenue end-to-end (from Freedom Square to Rustaveli Metro — 25 minutes), see the Opera House, Parliament, and main cultural institutions. Day 2 — Old Town: Narikala fortress walk (30 minutes uphill from Abanotubani), Metekhi church, Leghvtakhevi waterfall canyon. Day 3 — Fabrika complex (Chugureti district, 10-minute walk from Old Town): cafés, co-working, street art, local community. Day 4 — Vake Park (take Metro to Delisi, 15-minute walk): green space, expat community, morning runners. By day 5: you'll have a solid mental map and feel oriented.
Fabrika · Experience date Nov 27, 2025
Healthcare planning for your first week: 1) Check your travel/health insurance covers Georgia (international policies generally yes, EU EHIC does not cover Georgia — it's not an EU country). 2) Save the number for American Medical Center Tbilisi (English-speaking doctors, private clinic) in your phone. 3) Locate the nearest GPC pharmacy to your apartment — useful for minor ailments. 4) Get your prescriptions filled for 2–3 months if on regular medication — either bring from home or check Georgian pharmacies (many medications available OTC in Georgia that require prescriptions elsewhere). 5) Private healthcare is cheap — don't be concerned about seeing a doctor if you feel unwell; a consultation costs $15–30.
Fabrika · Experience date Jan 27, 2026
Best currency exchange in your first week: At the airport arrivals exchange desk — acceptable for $100–200 to cover immediate needs (not the best rate but convenient). In the city: Rustaveli Avenue sarafi kiosks — competitive rates. The TBC Bank app: excellent rate for converting larger amounts once your account is open (usually better than street kiosks above $500). Tip: always compare at 2 sarafi kiosks before exchanging. Ask for the rate on a specific amount — rates sometimes vary by amount. Bring USD or EUR from home — these get the best rates in Georgia. GBP also widely exchangeable. Avoid: hotel front desks, cruise ship exchanges, Tbilisi Airport exchange for large amounts.
Vake · Experience date Jan 17, 2026
First grocery run in Tbilisi: head to Carrefour (Saburtalo) or Goodwill for comprehensive stocking. Must-buy Georgian staples: puri bread (tone-oven flatbread, 0.50 GEL) from a nearby bakery, suluguni cheese (mild, stretchy Georgian cheese, 10–15 GEL/kg), churchkhela (walnut-filled grape candy, 3–5 GEL), Borjomi mineral water (1–2 GEL), and local vegetables from the market. Basic grocery spend for one week: 60–80 GEL ($22–30) cooking at home. Beer: local Georgian beers (Natakhtari, Kazbegi beer) at 2–3 GEL per 500ml bottle. The Georgian food supply is excellent — fresh, seasonal, and very affordable.
Vake · Experience date Apr 6, 2026
Fastest ways to connect with Tbilisi's expat community: Join Facebook group 'Tbilisi Expats' (40,000+ members) — post an introduction, ask questions. Join Telegram channel 'Digital Nomads Georgia'. Visit Fabrika complex on any weekday afternoon — the cafés (Fabrika Coffee, Coffee Bike) are filled with digital nomads. Go to Impact Hub Tbilisi for a day pass ($10) — meet the local startup and nomad scene. Attend the weekly Tbilisi Expats meetup (usually Thursdays, check Facebook for current venue). The community is genuinely welcoming — people remember arriving in Tbilisi and are happy to help new arrivals. You can be socially settled within a week.
Freedom Square · Experience date Apr 4, 2026
Shardeni Street (the main tourist street in Old Town): restaurants charge 2–3x normal Tbilisi prices. One block back (Gorgasali Street, Kote Afkhazi Street): half the price, similar or better quality. Wine bars on Shardeni: overpriced. Wine bars on Perovskaya Street and in Vera: better quality and price. Souvenir shops near Narikala: inflated prices — better to buy at Dezerter Bazaar or Dry Bridge Sunday market (antiques, art, crafts at negotiable prices). Taxi touts at the airport: ignore them, use Bolt at $6–8 instead of $25–30 they'll quote. The rule: one block away from any obvious tourist concentration, prices normalise dramatically.
Rustaveli · Experience date Feb 2, 2026
Priority order for your first two days: 1) Buy a Magti or Geocell SIM at the airport ($5–6 with 10GB). 2) Download Bolt app and take a taxi to your accommodation ($5–8). 3) Load a Metromoney card for Metro and bus (5 GEL to start at any Metro station). 4) Find your nearest Carrefour or Goodwill supermarket for basics. 5) Visit TBC Bank to open a Georgian bank account (just bring your passport). 6) Exchange $100–200 cash at a Rustaveli sarafi (exchange kiosk) for immediate GEL needs. The bank account is the highest-priority bureaucratic step — opens everything else.
Rustaveli · Experience date Jan 6, 2026
Georgian food is generally safe and excellent. Khinkali dumplings and khachapuri at traditional restaurants: completely safe, freshly made. Water: Tbilisi tap water is drinkable. Ice: made from tap water — safe. Meat: well-cooked in Georgian restaurants, rarely an issue. Street food: Georgian pastries (puri bread from tone oven, lobiani, gozinaki) are safe and delicious. Risk areas: unrefrigerated dairy products at outdoor markets in summer — buy dairy from supermarkets. Fruit and vegetables: wash before eating. Georgian mineral water (Borjomi, Nabeghlavi): excellent and available everywhere. Tbilisi food safety standards have improved dramatically in the past decade — eat freely at established restaurants.