The Book of Legends of Old Tbilisi

This is not a tour, it's a quest. Every child gets a Book of Legends — a notebook with their own name on it. At each of the ten stops the same loop repeats: a short legend, a task, a riddle and a stamp. The route runs from the eighteenth century back to the founding of the city and returns to the present, at a calm pace with a stop every eight to twelve minutes.

What your child will do

• Walks ten stops of the old town — from the queen's balcony to the painter's square
• Hears ten legends: the falcon and the pheasant, the perfume maker who became a saint, the poet of four languages
• Solves ten riddles and collects ten stamps in their own Book of Legends
• Understands how a hot spring grew into a city fifteen hundred years old
• Takes the book home — and retells it to you for another week

How every stop works

Two ages in one group — and neither is bored

A teenager on a children's tour usually rolls their eyes. Here they are a captain, responsible for a team, and get their own award at the finale — in front of everyone.

The route, minute by minute

1. 01

   0:00 · Sachino

   Queen Darejan's balcony

   The balcony has hung over the drop for 250 years.

   It was built by Darejan, wife of King Erekle II. "Sachino" means "a place to be seen" in Georgian: the children turn to face the city and work out the name for themselves.

   Task: Count how many churches you can see from the balcony Stamp: The queen's crown 15 min at the stop
2. 02

   0:18 · Chekhov Street

   The darbazi house, the oldest house in Tbilisi

   The house is half underground, and instead of a window there is a hole in the ceiling.

   It is 350 years old and the only darbazi left in the city. The roof is built of logs stacked in tiers and is called "gvirgvini" — the crown.

   Task: Draw the crown roof in your book Stamp: The gvirgvini crown 10 min at the stop 3 min walk
3. 03

   0:33 · Metekhi

   Metekhi church

   The king who rode to his death to save his country.

   Demetre the Self-Sacrificer and Saint Queen Shushanik. The children look for the Georgian cross with drooping arms on the walls: legend says Saint Nino tied it from a vine with her own hair. The church is 750 years old and was once a prison.

   Task: Find the cross with the unusual shape Stamp: Saint Nino's cross 10 min at the stop 5 min walk
4. 04

   0:44 · Metekhi viewpoint

   Vakhtang Gorgasali

   A falcon, a pheasant and a hot spring: this is where Tbilisi began.

   The king was hunting here fifteen hundred years ago. His falcon chased a pheasant, and both fell into a hot spring. Vakhtang tasted the water and said: here there will be a city. "Tbili" means warm. And "Gorgasali" is Persian for "wolf's head": the king wore a helmet shaped like a wolf.

   Task: Pick a spot on the panorama you want to come back to Stamp: The falcon 12 min at the stop 1 min walk
5. 05

   1:01 · Metekhi bridge

   Abo of Tbilisi

   He came here at seventeen.

   An Arab from Baghdad who made perfume. Here he was baptised, refused to renounce his faith — and was executed. The relief stands right by the water because his ashes were thrown into the Mtkvari.

   Task: Choose one word for how he looks on the relief Stamp: The perfume maker's flask 8 min at the stop 5 min walk
6. 06

   1:14 · Abanotubani

   The sulphur baths and the archaeological museum courtyard

   The very place — and it still smells like it.

   The baths are hidden underground; from above you only see the domes. Kings, ambassadors and Pushkin bathed here — he later wrote that he had never known a greater pleasure. The finest is the Orbeliani bath, with its Iranian tiles.

   Task: Breathe in and write down what the smell reminds you of Stamp: The bath dome 12 min at the stop 5 min walk
7. 07

   1:31 · Meidan

   Surb Gevorg and Meidan

   The poet who wrote in four languages at once.

   Sayat-Nova wrote in Georgian, Armenian, Azerbaijani and Persian — because on Meidan everyone traded and talked together. An Armenian cathedral in the heart of a Georgian city is the norm here, not the exception.

   Task: Find three houses of different colours Stamp: The chonguri 12 min at the stop 5 min walk
8. 08

   1:49 · Betlemi

   The climb to Betlemi church

   Georgian "Betlemi" above, Armenian "Petkhain" below. Both words mean "Bethlehem".

   The church is more than 250 years old, and the frescoes inside are a picture Bible for people who could not read. The climb is long, so we rest halfway up.

   Task: Count the saints in the dome Stamp: The vine 10 min at the stop 6 min walk
9. 09

   1:59 · Asatiani Street

   The Petkhain stairs

   A stone patchwork quilt: the steps differ because the stairs were built in pieces.

   They are over a hundred years old. Children walked down them to school every day, women to the market, craftsmen to work. The worn stones are the trace of thousands of feet.

   Task: Find the most crooked step Stamp: The steps 5 min at the stop
10. 10

    2:07 · Finale

    Gudiashvili Square

    The tenth stamp and the title of Young Pathfinder of Tbilisi.

    The square is named after Lado Gudiashvili: in Paris he was friends with Picasso and Chagall, but he came home and painted this city all his life. Here the guide sets the last stamp, honours the captains separately and hands out gifts.

    Task: A group photo, everyone holding their open book Stamp: The artist's brush 8 min at the stop 3 min walk

What the child takes home

Peace of mind for parents

A balcony over a drop, old staircases, hot sulphur water. All of this is built into the plan in advance, not decided on the spot.

• The group is counted after every stop and every staircase — through the captains.
• At risky points the rules are explained before the group gets there.
• Water, a first-aid kit, headscarves for the church and spare pencils are always with the guide.
• A rest halfway up the long climb: anyone tired walks next to the guide.
• Rain or heat — there is a ready backup version of the route.
• Parents walk alongside and don't need to step in — that is part of the plan too.

Who it's for

One price for the whole family: parents, grandparents and children together, up to eight people. For children aged 7 to 13, including mixed-age groups: the younger ones are pathfinders, the older ones lead teams as captains. Parents walk alongside. The route goes down to the river and climbs back up to Betlemi, with stairs on the way; we rest halfway up the long climb.

Questions

Other family quests

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Updated: August 2026