Mtskheta and its surroundings in one day: the Svetitskhoveli, Jvari, and Samtavro churches, Bebris Tsikhe Fortress, and the Armaztsikhe excavations.
Mtskheta is the ancient capital of Georgia, a sacred place for the entire Georgian people. Saint Nino of Cappadocia brought the good news here. One of the greatest holy relics of the Christian world—the Lord’s Robe—is preserved here.
Mtskheta is located at the confluence of two mountain rivers—the Aragvi and the Kura—surrounded by majestic mountain peaks. You can come here from Tbilisi for a day if you feel like taking a break from exploring the Georgian capital.
I have been to Mtskheta several times—I love this place: for the silence and the crackling of candles in the churches, for the views of the mountains and Mtskheta itself from the various observation platforms, and for the wonderful restaurants and delicious feasts they offer. Also, during Saakashvili’s time, Mtskheta was extensively restored—now it is pleasant to stroll through its streets and walk down to the river.
So I wholeheartedly recommend visiting this place, especially since you do not even need to rent a car—public transport runs here.
How to Get to Mtskheta from Tbilisi
Mtskheta is located 20 km from Tbilisi in the direction of the Georgian Military Highway. By the way, if you are planning to see the ancient city of Mtskheta and its surroundings in one day, you can safely include it in this itinerary.
You can get to Mtskheta by any means convenient for you: minibus, train, or taxi.
Minibuses run frequently—every 20–25 minutes, and the journey takes 25 minutes. The fare is 3 lari ($1). Minibuses to Mtskheta depart from the Didube – bus station, which is located in the northern part of Tbilisi (Karaleti, 4) . You can reach the bus station by metro—the stop is Didube.
Trains depart from the railway station, but not as frequently as minibuses. In fact, there is one train (the Tbilisi–Ozurgeti route) per day—at 8:50 to Mtskheta and at 17:00 back to Tbilisi. The fare is 8 lari ($2.50). You can buy a ticket the old-fashioned way at the ticket office or on the Georgian Railways website (registration required).
A taxi will cost about 50 lari ($16)—worth it if there are 3–4 of you. You can also arrange with the same driver to take you to Jvari Monastery first, wait for you, and then drive you to Mtskheta. This will add another 20 lari ($6.50) to the fare. To call a taxi, you can try using the Bolt app, but not all drivers are willing to travel outside the city.
What to See in Mtskheta in One Day
We visited two holy sites and several churches, climbed to the top of the fortress, went to Jvari Monastery, viewed the city from an alternative observation platform, ate at a wonderful restaurant, and even saw the ancient Roman Pompey’s Bridge emerge from beneath the water. But let’s take it one thing at a time.
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is one of the main Georgian Orthodox churches, included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. According to legend, Christ’s robe—one of the greatest holy relics of the Christian world—is kept beneath the church. The church also contains the font in which Mirian III, the first king of Georgia, was baptized. Baptisms still take place in the font, which remains in the cathedral to this day.
The interior of the church is very Georgian in its austerity, which is why I love visiting Georgian churches. The cathedral has preserved some of its frescoes, but it seems to me that this is precisely what makes it valuable: it bears no traces of modern restoration work. The stones and faded colors are much better suited to thoughts of eternity.
The cathedral stands inside a large fortress. There were many people across the extensive grounds—we were there on Palm Sunday. But there were practically no tourists. Ordinary people come here to pray and light candles.
Samtavro Monastery
Another holy site—the Samtavro Church—stands next to Svetitskhoveli Church. King Mirian built the church in the fourth century. It was destroyed and rebuilt many times. Saint Nino, who came to Georgia to preach Christianity, lived here.
Samtavro Church contains many holy relics: a piece of the Life-Giving Pillar, the wonderworking icon of the Iveron Mother of God, the wonderworking icon of Saint Nino, given by King George XII to his grandchildren in 1870, and the tombs of the holy King Mirian and his wife Nana.
Jvari Monastery
Jvari Monastery is an ancient holy site for all Georgians. It is the first World Heritage site in Georgia. More than 1,600 years ago, Saint Nino erected here the cross given to her by the Most Holy Virgin.
Jvari Monastery is located in an unusual place: on Mount Jvari above the confluence of the Kura and Aragvi rivers. From the summit where the monastery stands, you can see two differently colored streams merging into one, winding around the mountains and carrying their waters onward. This extraordinarily beautiful place is swept by winds from every direction, and in good weather you can see Mount Kazbek.
Inside the monastery itself, I heard strange sounds: as if someone were quietly singing a sad Georgian song. It was the wind howling around the monastery, but at that moment I was convinced that someone was singing. There was no one inside; only candles were burning and crackling softly. This contrasted sharply with what I had seen in the church just half an hour earlier Samtavro —the Saturday service was underway, there were many people, and someone was being baptized. But here it was so quiet that even the few tourists who entered with a guide spoke in whispers so as not to disturb the absolute silence.
A huge wooden cross rises in the middle of the monastery. Everything in Jvari is so natural and unforced. It is as though these walls grew by themselves on the edge of the cliff and live their own life through time. Nature itself conceived and created this place, while the wise hand of man continued the landscape without ruining it, complementing the severe lines of the mountains with equally clear, unadorned lines of the monastery walls.
Bebris Tsikhe Fortress
We came here by chance—we were simply walking along the river and reached the fortress. We expected nothing from this place, but unexpectedly, we liked it.
The walls offer a wonderful view of the river—my daughter was immediately inspired to draw it. The fortress dates back to the 9th century AD. It was built to guard the road to Mtskheta. Some sections of the walls are in a dangerous condition—be careful when climbing up.
The Ancient City of Armaztsikhe-Bagineti
Armaztsikhe is a very important historical site. There was an ancient and late antique city here, and fragments of ancient structures have survived. Armaztsikhe was the residence of the Iberian kings. It is one of the oldest cities of antiquity, and it has not yet been fully explored. It is also called the Georgian Acropolis.
In 2012, the site was reconstructed, making Armazi more attractive to visitors. Today you can see the royal baths, the remains of army barracks, an ancient wine cellar, and an unusual hexagonal pedestal next to the wine cellar, shaped like a flower.
The historical site is located on a hill above the confluence of the Kura and Aragvi rivers. Admission is free. Few tourists come here—and that is wonderful. At least, the view of Mtskheta from Armaztsikhe is not as widely photographed as the view from the Cross Mountain of Jvari Monastery. The monastery itself also looks very beautiful from here. The historical site is located on a hill above the confluence of the Kura and Aragvi rivers.
Walks around Mtskheta
A walk around Mtskheta takes no more than an hour—just enough time to see how the city has been restored and made attractive to tourists. People often come here from Tbilisi for wedding photo shoots.
Take a walk along the river—if you are lucky and the river level falls that day, you will be able to see Pompey’s Bridge, built in ancient times. It was flooded in 1926 after the construction of the Zemo-Avchala Hydroelectric Power Station. Today it can be seen when the hydroelectric station lowers the water level by three meters or more.
Where to eat in Mtskheta—restaurants and cafés
I really liked the Armazis Kheoba, a restaurant located not far from the railway station. Yes, it is not in the center of Mtskheta, but locals come here, and the food is so good that you will lick your fingers. Prices are lower than in tourist restaurants. The restaurant is located in a large garden on the riverbank; there are many tables, but we were there on a Saturday and barely found a seat (but we did!). It felt as though we had landed at a Georgian wedding: live music was playing, people were singing, and children were playing in the meadows. In short, the atmosphere was on fire!
On the way to Mtskheta, there is another famous restaurant popular with locals—Salobie, which means “bean house.” It specializes in bean dishes: lobio and lobiani, as well as potato and meat pies and, of course, local lemonades and beer. The food is delicious here too—we enjoyed lunch with shashlik, tried lobio, and, naturally, drank some wine. Prices are very reasonable.
Where to stay in Mtskheta
If you have arrived in Mtskheta in a rental car and decide to stay overnight after a delicious dinner with wine, finding accommodation will not be a problem. Most tourists come here from Tbilisi for one day. But if you want to plan your overnight stay in advance, choose accommodation on Booking-Mtskheta. There are more than a hundred accommodation options here—from hotels to cozy guesthouses.
Useful links for preparing for your trip:
Travel insurance—a reasonably priced option can be found on the HotlineFinance
Hotel, accommodation, and apartment bookings— Booking.com
Car rental in Georgia— DiscoverCars
What else to read:
- Tbilisi in three days—what to see in the capital of Georgia
- Route and attractions along the Georgian Military Highway
- One day from Tbilisi—routes to Rkoni, Birtvisi, and Samshvilde
- Svaneti, Georgia — above the mountains, there can only be mountains
