At the start the group splits into two teams, the Falcons and the Pheasants. Why those names, the children only find out at Metekhi, from the legend of how Tbilisi was founded. From there each team has its own tasks and points; the youngest get a lighter role as pathfinder captains, and the adults have a line of their own: Armenian Tbilisi, merchants, caravanserais and Sayat-Nova. The finale is at the Gabriadze theatre, with the score count and awards.
What your child will do
- Walks thirteen stops of the old town with their team
- Learns why the teams are called Falcons and Pheasants — from the legend of the founding of Tbilisi
- Tests the legend by hand at the hot spring
- Gets an award at the finale by the Gabriadze theatre
Two ages in one group — and neither is bored
ages 7–9
Pathfinder captains
A lighter role at every stop: counting, searching, games on the move.
ages 10–13
Team captains
Team tasks, logic riddles and photo spots.
The adults get a line of their own: Armenian Tbilisi, merchants and caravanserais, Sayat-Nova. Especially rewarding if someone in the family grew up in this city.
The route
Sachino
Queen Darejan's balcony
Almost the whole route is visible from here.
A round balcony over the drop — all that remains of the palace King Erekle II built for the queen. This is where we split into teams.
Task: The Lookout game: count the domes and towers and remember the number until the finaleChekhov Street
The darbazi house
A roof without a single nail.
An old Tbilisi house with a stepped wooden dome. Three words everyone will remember: dedabodzi, gvirgvini, erdo.
Task: Explain to your team how the roof stays upMetekhi Street
Approaching Metekhi
A transition point: we switch attention before the main viewpoint.
Task: The Lookout's Steps game: guess in advance how many steps it is to the churchMetekhi
The viewpoint and the founding legend
This is where the team names are revealed.
A church on a cliff, the equestrian statue of Vakhtang Gorgasali, and below them the Mtkvari and the baths. The legend of the falcon, the pheasant and the hot spring.
Task: Find on the statue what the king's helmet looks likeMetekhi bridge
The relief of Abo of Tbilisi
The story of a perfume maker who became the patron saint of Tbilisi.
Task: The Three Scents gameAbanotubani
The sulphur baths and the museum courtyard
We test the legend by hand.
The bath quarter with its brick domes. The city really does stand on hot water.
Task: Carefully hold a palm near the warm water at the spring — is the legend telling the truth?Meidan
Surb Gevorg and Meidan square
The high point of the grown-ups' line.
The Armenian cathedral founded by the merchant Umek, its frescoes and Sayat-Nova's grave. Meidan is the old bazaar where every language of the city was spoken.
Betlemi
The climb to the Betlemi churches
Two churches below Narikala, one of the most beautiful spots on the route. On the way, the story of Sayat-Nova.
Task: A golden-hour photoPetkhain
Down the Petkhain stairs
The old staircase to Asatiani Street.
Task: Countdown: halfway down, guess how many steps are leftAkhospireli Street
The house with the carved balcony
A Tbilisi courtyard and a wooden aivani balcony.
Task: Pattern detective: find a repeating pattern and count the repeatsKarvasla
The caravanserai, now the Tbilisi History Museum
A hotel for merchants and camels — and the story of the city's Armenian merchants.
Task: Point to where the merchants slept and where the camels stoodSioni
Sioni Cathedral
For centuries the city's main cathedral. It keeps Saint Nino's cross of vine.
Task: Find what makes Saint Nino's cross different from the othersShavteli Street
Anchiskhati
The oldest surviving church in Tbilisi, sixth century, on a quiet old street.
Task: Time machine: how many times does your age fit into 1,500 years?Finale
Rezo Gabriadze's marionette theatre
Score count and awards.
The quest results, awards like Door of the Day and Best Shot, and back to the number from the first stop.
Included
- A guide for the whole group and the whole route
- Team tasks and score keeping
- Awards at the finale
Not included
- Entry tickets, where they are charged
- Transfer to the starting point
- Food and drinks
Who it's for
Families with children of different ages and adults: everyone has a role. The route is long, with a climb to Betlemi and descents on stairs; if the group falls behind, the guide shortens the transition points.
Questions
What if my child has been here before?
That's a plus: they are invited to tell the story first and become the expert for everyone else.
What if we fall behind schedule?
The transition points get shorter, while the legend at Metekhi and the finale stay whole.
Want this walk?
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are. We answer within a day — and we will say so if a different walk suits you better.
Led by our own team, not a certified-guide marketplace — that is GuideConnect, opening later.
Other family quests
A quest walk for children through the old town. Ten stops, ten legends, ten stamps — and a book the child takes home.
The Mystery of the Warm CityA detective walk through old Tbilisi: clues, counting on the move and the big mystery — why the city was named “warm”.
Old Tbilisi as a video gameFifteen locations, experience points, secret finds and a timed boss: the angel on the Gabriadze tower comes out at exactly seven in the evening.
The Tbilisi Guardians' Guild: dragons, cats and old stonesAn adventure for boys and girls raised on anime and fantasy: a guild, cat counters, a dragon on a column and the clock striking on the tower at exactly noon.
Keepers of the Old Town: a secret missionThirteen points, code names, cat and balcony counters — and the title of Keeper of the Old Town at the finale.
Old Tbilisi for the littlest explorersA family walk for children from five: touch, smell, count, find — and meet a familiar face, Saint Abo, again and again.
Updated: August 2026