Old Town and Beyond: A Tbilisi Silk Road Feast with Culinary Backstreets
- Live Guide
- Day Trip
- Group Tour
- E-Ticket
- 7 hr
As Georgian food culture slowly emerges from its Soviet-era deep freeze, Tbilisi’s chefs are looking beyond their country’s borders while also reviving and safeguarding Georgia’s unique culinary traditions. The open spirit of the Silk Road is back in town, and on this epic day of eating, we’ll get a taste of what it’s all about. Our day begins where Tbilisi got its start millennia ago, by the natural hot springs in the oldest part of the city. Here, a mosque, synagogue and Georgian Orthodox cathedral provide a panorama that tells much about the city’s diversity and its history as an important center of trade and culture and a key stop along the ancient Silk Road. Tbilisi’s strategic location made it a desirable place to occupy, and there’s no shortage of conquerors that passed through: Romans, Byzantines, Mongols, Khazars, Arabs, Persians, Ottomans, Russians and, finally, the Soviets.
Itinerary Details
Operated by: Culinary Backstreets Walks
Stop At: Old Town (Altstadt) Tbilisi
We’ll begin in the atmospheric old town of Tbilisi, where we will visit an underground Azeri tea house.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Sioni Cathedral Church
We will make our way to a church-run shop selling products straight from Orthodox monasteries – long-time bastions of artisanal production – here we will sample some stunning treats
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At:
In the back streets near Freedom Square we will visit an unusual wine bar for a tasting of Georgia's finest small-scale wine producers.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Anchiskhati Basilica
We will visit the oldest church in Tbilisi, an architectural and cultural treasure.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Rezo Gabriadze Marionette Theater
Near this famous theater, we will sit down for shkmeruli, a sizzling chicken dish and certpeice of any Georgian feast.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Parliament of Georgia
Near Parliament we will visit a khinkali master and sample her freshly-made dumplings.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Metekhi Cathedral
Another stunning Cathedral we will pass by on our way to an artisanal cheese shop for a tasting.
Duration: 30 minutes
