Where are the sulfur baths in Tbilisi? Which ones are considered the best?

Adviсe

It doesn’t matter which bathhouse you choose, we want to give you some advice and recommendations based not only on our own experience:

1. Be sure to take a room with a hydrogen sulfide pool . The cheapest family rooms come without a pool, but only with a tap from which hot water flows. There is no special meaning in this, because you should steam in a pool with hot water
2. You should not overpay for a room with a steam room, although at first glance it seems that the water temperature in the pool is very low, about 37-38 degrees, believe me, after sitting in such a pool for 10 minutes, you will not want to go to the steam room. And the whole unusual thing about Georgian baths lies precisely in the fact that you are steaming in a pool, and not in a steam room
3. Before going to the baths, we advise you to plunge into the history and interesting facts about this area, because according to legend, this is where the city was born. It is best to take a tour from a local trusted guide, it will be much more interesting and fun:
4. Don't be afraid to go to the bathhouse with your child . We went with our daughter, who was 1 year old. Initially, we didn’t want to spend money on a separate room, we decided to take turns in shared rooms, but without it. Hydrogen sulfide baths are very useful; according to rumors, they are a panacea for all diseases. Justina had a long, persistent cough that could not be treated with anything, so we decided to take a family room to warm her up well and heal her. Looking ahead, I would like to note that after visiting the bathhouse, the cough began to go away, and after 4 days it completely disappeared. And I strongly recommend choosing the bathhouse of King Heraclius, Justina was very hot in the pool, and from here it was not comfortable, but in the bathhouse of King Heraclius there were niches along the perimeter of the pool, in which the depth was about 10 cm, she was there for the whole hour, playing with the water and breathed vapors of hydrogen sulfide water. And no matter what anyone says, the cough went away
5. Advice not based on our experience, unfortunately. When visiting a bathhouse, be sure to do, if not a massage, then a peeling with a special washcloth. The price in all baths is the same, 10 GEL for a massage and 10 for peeling. I believe that the skin becomes amazing, but, unfortunately, in the baths there is no nanny who can look after the child while his parents get a massage

   

6. The baths have all accessories, sheets, towels, washcloths and shampoos, but all for an additional fee. 10 GEL is not extra, so we took everything with us
7. During weekends, rooms may be busy, it is better to book in advance. We went to the bathhouse on Monday afternoon, all the rooms were free
8. Don't be afraid of not being able to get anywhere anymore. Surprisingly, after the bath we were not vegetables, but real lighters. Fatigue was washed away with water, and after visiting the baths we visited several more attractions. Apart from Justina, no one else was drawn to sleep
9. They say that you can sit in a pool with hydrogen sulfide water in 4 sessions of 10 minutes each. More is harmful. Based on this, it makes no sense to take a bath for more than an hour.
10. It is believed that the Gulo bathhouse is the cleanest, since the water in the pools is changed every day. But if you go on Monday, you can safely go to any one, because on the night from Sunday to Monday the water is changed in all baths
11. Be sure to remove silver jewelry, because when it comes into contact with hydrogen sulfide water, it instantly turns black

And now it’s time to start describing the baths, their cost and room options.

Lake Lisi

• Address:
  Beitashvili, Lake Lisi, Vake-Saburtalinsky district

Lake Lisi is the favorite corner of the residents of Tbilisi; it is located northwest of the capital of Georgia and is equipped for beach and active recreation. Here you can rent a boat, play volleyball or tennis. Kebab lovers will love the coastal cafes.

Location of Lake Lisi

The reservoir is located at an altitude of about 600 m, among the rocky steppes near the capital. It reaches 800 m in length and 550 m in width. The depth is small, but quite suitable for boats and small boats. A distinctive feature of the region is low humidity; it can rain only 30 days a year; the rest of the time it is warm and dry. The average winter temperature is around 0 °C, and the summer temperature is +25 °C.

Flora and fauna of Lake Lisi

In all the photos of Lisi Lake you can see the fox grass that gives it its name. The shores and nearby steppes are covered with it, and besides it there is practically nothing of plants. Unlike flora, the fauna of the lake is rich, it contains:

• several types of ducks;
• herons;
• tops;
• marsh harrier;
• hawk;
• hobby;
• spotted eagle;
• trout;
• zander;
• catfish;
• bream;
• other big fish.

Holidays on Lake Lisi

Lisi is a landscaped place for recreation for city residents; there is a comfortable embankment, bicycle paths, a convenient beach and sports grounds for many sports. Fans of water activities can ride a boat or speedboat, try:

• water skiing;
• kite;
• fishing from the shore and from a boat;
• parachute flights behind a boat;
• other water activities.

For lunch, you can go to one of the many beach cafes offering classic Georgian cuisine and light snacks. Many places have a decent local wine list.

Sulfur baths on Lake Lisi in Tbilisi

The bathhouse complex on the shore appeared quite recently, but quickly gained popularity. The building was built in an avant-garde style - a gray facade imitating stone, and a sloping roof that goes down to the ground.

The complex is open daily from 7:00 to 23:00 and offers many wellness treatments based on hydrogen sulfide. There is also the usual massage, scrubbing and wrapping. The sulfur baths look like a swimming pool with many ventilation holes in the roof, which, however, does not help with the persistent smell of rotten eggs that hangs over the water. To enhance the effect, after the pool you can go to the shower, where there is even more concentrated sulfuric water, and the smell is correspondingly stronger. To get the effect of visiting the baths, you should immerse yourself in hot water; the temperature in the springs is always above +40 °C.

After the procedures, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids; for this purpose, the complex has a small bar, from which it is convenient to order drinks in the relaxation room or on the sun terrace.

How to get to Lake Lisi in Tbilisi?

There are several ways to get to your holiday destination from the capital. By car you should drive along the highway, which goes almost to the lake itself. There is a large parking lot for vacationers, but it is worth remembering that on weekends the spaces fill up quickly. Those who did not rent a car can call a taxi; a trip from any area of ​​the capital will cost about $12.

Minibus taxis to the lake run from the train station. They travel frequently, so you don’t have to rely on the schedule, but approach the station at any convenient time. The minibus stop in the opposite direction is located 5 minutes away. walk from the lake. Bus No. 29 takes tourists to the lake from the Technical University metro station; it runs frequently with a relative schedule.

Bath Fantasy

Entrance to the Fantasia Baths

Bathhouse Fantasy is located just above the square where all the other bathhouses are located. Go up Grishashvili Street, or more precisely, to the right in front of Grishashvili House 11. And in the gateway you will see it, a beautiful mosaic on the doors of the bathhouse.

There are no common rooms, only family rooms.

The cheapest family rooms for 20 GEL do not have a pool, no, only showers with hydrogen sulfide water. In my opinion, a very useless waste of money. In this case, it’s definitely worth paying a little extra for at least one hot water pool. In rooms for 35 GEL this is all there is to it; in more expensive rooms there is also a pool with cold water and steam rooms. Don’t be shy, they will be happy to show you the rooms, if, of course, no one is bathing in them at the moment, and you can choose what you like best.

How to visit the sulfur baths

So that you don’t get lost during your first visit, I’ll tell you about the procedure for visiting the bathhouse. If for individual rooms everything is clear (communication takes place with the administrator, all services are also agreed with him, and there are almost no rules), then for common rooms there is its own algorithm. At the entrance to the bathhouse there are ticket offices where you need to purchase a ticket to the sulfur baths in Tbilisi. The ticket price is the same almost everywhere - 2-3 GEL/hour. Here you can also buy bath accessories, including towels, slippers, soap (1-3 GEL for each item).

After going down the stairs, you should find the men's or women's department, behind which there will be a locker room. All clothing and jewelry, especially silver, should be placed in a locked locker. You will also be offered a massage at the entrance (up to 10 GEL; foreigners may be asked for more, but do not fall for such attempts). In the main hall there is a pipe in the center under which you need to wash yourself perfectly, because hydrogen sulfide only affects clean skin. And then you can go to the large pool with hot water. It is important to remember that just warm or even cool water will not bring the desired effect, so you need to come to the baths in the middle of the day. In general, the baths are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Mirzoevskaya bathhouse

Hall in the Mirzoevskaya bath
Mirzoevskaya bathhouse is located next to the Orbeliani bathhouse , at Grishashvili 11. There is no need to go into any gateway, the bathhouse building is located right on the street. I didn’t immediately realize that this was a bathhouse building, there was no sign or identifying marks. There are no family rooms, only public ones, namely 2 men's and one women's.

Cost of visit: 5 GEL

And what’s remarkable is that there is a swimming pool in both the men’s and women’s sections. In bathhouse No. 5 there is no pool with hot hydrogen sulfide water in the women's section.

Sulfur baths on the map of Tbilisi:

General information about sulfur baths

If you come during the season (summer), then coming and immediately getting into the bathhouse can be problematic (especially in the evening); you will have to book in advance. And in the off-season and at unpopular times for locals (in the morning), you can find a free room. If you are not limited in time, then take a walk through all the baths. They will tell you the price and show you the rooms (if available).

There are several options depending on whether you like to wash in the company of strangers or prefer to be alone. The baths are public, but there are also separate rooms (for couples and groups).

A little about the cost of sulfur baths

Public baths are divided into men's and women's. Local residents, as well as solo travelers, most often choose this option. Firstly, it is inexpensive: 3 lari (83 rubles) per hour. Additional options are paid: towel - 1 lari (28 rubles), soap and soap accessories, too, but no one will kick you out if you bring your own.

Leave your ideas about sanitation at the hotel in advance. The premises may not be very clean, no one rubs the tiles there with bleach, and people come to public baths with different ideas about hygiene.

If you are traveling as a couple or with friends, it is much more convenient (but also much more expensive) to book a private room. It will have a toilet with a shower, a swimming pool with hot sulfuric water, and a small rest room. Such pleasure costs from 30 GEL (830 rubles per hour) and can reach 150-200 GEL per hour (large rooms that even have a steam room with wet steam).

To be honest, I don’t see much point in the steam room. The sulfuric water in the pool is so hot (about 50-55 degrees) that the body steams like in a sauna. But we came across stories from other travelers who complained that the water in the pool was cold, and that sometimes it depends on the time of day.

But I will tell you more about this.

Bathhouse No. 5

Entrance to bathhouse No. 5

One of the most famous bathhouses on the Internet. I don’t know why it is so popular, maybe because it is the very first one that comes into view, because it is closest to the road. This bathhouse has both public sections and private rooms.

The cost of visiting a public room in the men's section is 5 GEL

The cost of visiting a public room in the women's department is 4 GEL

The cost of renting a sheet is 2 GEL

Attention! Bathhouse No. 5 does not have a swimming pool in the public women's section

The cost of renting individual rooms in bathhouse No. 5 per hour.
The cheapest rooms for 25 GEL do not have pools, only showers

Where are the sulfur baths in Tbilisi? Which ones are considered the best?

The sulfur baths are the same attraction for Georgia as the Eiffel Tower is for France (this may sound a little exaggerated, but it is true). Many tourists who visit Tbilisi first of all pay attention to these baths, although the Georgian capital is rich in other attractions. The baths are considered a unique natural phenomenon, but despite this they continue to function and are in demand among both tourists and local residents. The water flowing from the depths of Mount Mtabori has a temperature of 24 to 27 degrees and has healing properties.

The quarter in which the baths are located is called Abanotubani and is located in the oldest part of the city. It was in this place that life in the city began, and thanks to the warm springs the city got its name. The thing is that the word tbili translated from Georgian means warm. These baths are mentioned in many ancient documents and traveler stories. There is evidence that at one time there were about 60 baths in the city. Previously, the baths were open to everyone, and bathing time was not limited (some came in the evening and stayed until the morning). Baths were considered not only a place for bathing, but also a place for various entertainment and dinners. Like many other historical sites, the baths were repeatedly destroyed and then restored. In the form in which they have survived to our times, the baths were built in the 17th century.

In their appearance, the baths most closely resemble Iranian architecture. The bathhouses are located below ground level; a dome is built on top, in the upper part of which there is a glass lantern for natural lighting. The floor is tiled and the walls are made of ordinary bricks. There are also a number of more beautiful and expensive baths, in which the walls are beautifully decorated with marble.

The VIP bath is considered one of the most prestigious and expensive. The cost of an hour in this bathhouse costs about three thousand rubles. Local residents say that from time to time this bathhouse is visited by the Georgian elite. Tourists and ordinary residents of Tbilisi are rare guests in this place (few people are willing to pay such a large sum for visiting the bathhouse).

Next to the VIP bathhouse is Bathhouse No. 5. The prices in this bathhouse are affordable. An hour's stay in the common room will cost about 60 rubles, and the price for more comfortable conditions (luxury class) reaches 1,600 rubles. The cost of staying in the bathhouse does not include the services of a massage therapist, for which you need to pay extra separately (about 200 rubles per session). There is also a swimming pool and a sauna (there is no swimming pool in the women's half of the hall and this is a definite minus).

The oldest of all baths is considered to be Samepe Abano (the more common name is the Royal Bath). Many people visit this bathhouse because it offers the most affordable massage (about 100 rubles). Individual rooms in this bathhouse are expensive, the price is around 2000 rubles.

Among the oldest is the Motley Bath (the name Orbelianovskaya Bath is also found). This is one of the most beautiful baths. It has a blue lining on the outside and it is simply impossible not to notice it. A visit to the common room will cost only 65-70 rubles, and a massage about 200. Conveniently, upon entry, each visitor is given a towel, slippers and a washcloth.

When entering the bathhouse, you need to pay an entrance fee, and you can also buy a towel, shampoo, washcloths, and other necessary bath accessories on the spot, but it’s better not to spend money, but to bring everything you need with you. Before going down to the hall, it is best to clarify where the men's hall is and where the women's hall is, so as not to get into an awkward situation. There is a special person in the locker room to whom you need to give your ticket and get the key to the locker from him. It is advisable to remove all jewelry, especially silver, since under the influence of hydrogen sulfide it turns black and oxidizes. After things are put in the locker, the key is given back to the locker room employee.

Before visiting the bathhouse, you need to take a shower and wash your body well with soap, as it is believed that hydrogen sulfide has the best effect on clean skin. There is a persistent and pungent smell of hydrogen sulfide in the hall, but within 15-20 minutes a person gets used to it and in the future it is not felt. It is recommended to stay in a hydrogen sulfide pool for no more than 20 minutes. The normal effect is the desire to sleep. You can also steam in the sauna and drink delicious Georgian tea, which is served on site. The public bath opens at 7 am and is open until 9 pm.

As you can see, the choice of a bathhouse is primarily influenced by the cost of visiting; few people have the desire to pay 2-3 thousand rubles per hour.

Royal Bath

Entrance to the Royal Bath
The Royal Bath is located immediately after Bath No. 5.

Royal Baths, hall No. 1 Royal Baths, hall No. 2 Royal Baths, hall No. 3

Royal Baths, hall No. 4 Royal Baths, hall No. 5

It was once considered the most expensive, but now, in my opinion, the prices are approximately equal. In this bathhouse, as the name implies, the elite of Georgia and its guests washed themselves, but now entry here is open to everyone who has 70 lari.

Hall in the Royal Bath

Bathhouse Gulo

The Gulo bathhouse is considered the cleanest bathhouse; all residents of Tbilisi recommended it, because the water in the pools is changed not once a week, from Sunday to Monday, as in other bathhouses, but twice a day. It is worth noting that you do not need to buy tea here; the cost of a pot of herbal tea is already included in the cost of visiting.

There are several rooms here, prices start from 50 GEL. Everything inside is clean and nice, but we didn't like the pool, which was too small. It's not even a pool, just a bath.

Very small bath in Gulo Baths

Hall in the Gulo Baths

Official website of the Gulo baths: https://thermal.ge/ru/.

And although the online registration function does not yet work on the website, you can make an appointment by phone, this is very important on weekends and in the summer, when the flow of tourists is very large and you have limited time.

Motley or Orbelian bathhouse

A very beautiful bathhouse, both inside and outside. It stands out clearly from the rest of the baths. The bathhouse opened after reconstruction only in 2020. Everything inside is really new, which cannot be said about the other baths. And now, it seems to me, this is the most expensive bathhouse. Although there are also very budget rooms for 50 GEL per hour.

It was this bathhouse that Pushkin loved to visit (but this is not certain), as evidenced by the memorial plaque to the left of the entrance.

Memorial plaque with Pushkin’s words about his impressions of the motley bathhouse

Official website of the baths in which Pushkin and Dumas the Father loved to wash so much: chreli-abano.ge

The site also does not have a recording function, but there is a contact phone number and email address.

Bath of King Heraclius

Bath attendant in the bathhouse of King Heraclius
We chose this particular bathhouse for ourselves, it has the optimal price/quality ratio. There are only two rooms in the bathhouse, for 30 and 50 lari. The room for 50 GEL has a steam room, the cheaper one does not, but both rooms have very large pools with hot hydrogen sulfide water.

Cost of a kettle of tea: 10 GEL

Cost of beer (Paulaner, Krombacher, etc.): 5 GEL

For an additional fee, you can purchase soap and bath accessories; sheets and towels are available for rent.

I can highly recommend this particular bathhouse for visiting, but you shouldn’t take a room with a sauna, you didn’t need it anyway. Spend this money on a massage with a scrub.

How to get to the sulfur baths in Tbilisi

The sulfur baths are located here, right in the center of Tbilisi, close to a huge number of attractions. The baths are located in the gorge, you can walk to the end and look at the waterfall, and along the way buy unusual wine ice cream.

Have you tried wine ice cream?

You can get to the sulfur baths by metro:

• from the Freedom Square metro station, walk 1.3 km, but along the most beautiful streets of the old city
• the distance from the Avlabari metro station is less, only 950 meters, but I like this road less, there are more descents and ascents

Sulfur baths: history

The sulfur baths are located in the oldest quarter of the Old City - Abanotubani. Here you can see small domes located just above the ground, in which you can experience the healing effects of sulfur springs. Baths were built here from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

There is a legend that the foundation of the capital of Georgia is connected with the Abanotubani region. In accordance with it, King Vakhtang Gorgasali and his falcon went hunting in these places; he released the bird to catch a pheasant. The falcon caught up with its prey, and they both disappeared. When the king found them, he saw that the caught pheasant had ended up in a hot spring, where it was boiled, and the falcon was sitting nearby and waiting for its owner. By order of the king, a bathhouse was erected in these places, later a quarter was built here, and subsequently an entire city.

There are several bath complexes located here; over the course of their long history they have been destroyed, rebuilt and renamed. The oldest bathhouse is Iraklievskaya, the mention of which dates back to the 16th century.

At the beginning of the 17th century, Bebutovskaya, Kazennaya and Sumbatovskaya were built.

Baths were used not only to cleanse the body, but they also acted as places of entertainment. People came here to relax, socialize, they even held business lunches, meetings and shows. Bath days were divided into women's and men's.

Famous people also visited the sulfur baths. In 1858, Alexandre Dumas visited them and was satisfied with the procedures performed.

Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, who stopped in Tiflis on his way to Arzrum in 1829, also liked the baths.

We recommend reading:

Krasnopresnensky Baths - bath complex in Moscow

In Soviet times, hydropathic clinics were opened in the baths.

History of origin and role in the development of the city

Sulfur baths in Tbilisi are the hallmark of the city. They played (and play) a huge role in the development of the city. To begin with, it was the presence of hydrogen sulfide sources that caused the construction of the city on this site. The city even got its name thanks to them. Tbili, or Tfili, translated means “warm”. And although the official date for the start of construction of the bathhouse in Tbilisi is considered to be the 16th-17th centuries, archaeologists at this site discovered bathhouses dating back to the 1st-2nd centuries.

According to legends, of which there are many, I will tell you everything so that you can choose the most beautiful one for yourself, King Vakhtang arrived here with his team for a wonderful time and hunting. The beginning of all legends is the same, the differences go further. Legend #1:

He arrived here with his falcon. He released a falcon at a flying pheasant, the falcon grabbed the pheasant, both, in a fierce bloody struggle, fell into one of the springs with hot water and were boiled. King Vakhtang was so surprised by these sources that he decided to build a city on this site.

Legend #1 is my least favorite. It’s somehow strange to build a city on the site of the death of a beloved falcon. Legend No. 2:

Almost the same as the first one, but only pheasant was cooked in the springs. Legend No. 3:

The beginning will be the same, King Vakhtang released the falcon to hunt a pheasant, but as a result of the struggle, the falcon slightly injured its paws. And when he flew up to the hot springs and instantly the wounds healed thanks to the healing properties of the hot hydrogen sulfide springs, the king was amazed and decided to build a city here.

I like this legend better. And on the central square there is a monument to that very falcon.

Monument to a falcon sitting on a pheasant, which played a huge role in the founding of the city

Historically, baths performed not only washing and shaving functions; people came here for socializing and having fun. Pushkin loved the Tbilisi baths, they were vividly described by Dumas, and nowadays “Heads and Tails” and Sting could not pass them by.

Operating principle of a sulfur bath

Tbilisi baths are unique. They have nothing in common with a Russian bath - steam rooms and brooms are not provided here.

They don't need:

• prepare firewood;
• drown;
• collect and heat water.

Everything is controlled by nature itself: sources of hot water (temperature 240-420 C) come out of the ground, fill the pools and warm up the room. Hot spring water contains many minerals, most notably sulfur. Therefore, the baths are saturated with a specific smell. But for the sake of health and pleasure, you can endure it.

Verified excursions

In order not to risk taking excursions from the “best guides” of Georgia somewhere on Freedom Square. No, we are not against it, but it will not always be an associate professor of history or at least a person who knows the real facts. You may be dissatisfied for a lot of money.

Therefore, we recommend using the Tripster service, where all guides have ratings and real reviews from people. In addition, you will be able to plan your day in advance and familiarize yourself with the excursion program. It's convenient, reliable and no more expensive than on the street. Payment is made on the website, so no one can deceive you either.

Here is the current selection for Tbilisi: