The Best Airbnbs in Tbilisi: 12 Apartments by Neighborhood

Tbilisi is known for apartments in old balcony houses, and an Airbnb is often the best way to live inside one. Airbnb lists about 13,800 stays in the city, from 1908 buildings in the Old Town to new towers in Vake. Here are the 12 I would book, grouped by neighborhood, plus what each type of apartment costs and what to check before you pay.

How much an Airbnb in Tbilisi costs

Less than you'd expect for the space you get. A plain studio or one-bedroom in a central area sits between 60 and 150 GEL a night, which is the price of a basic hotel room for a whole flat with a kitchen. The jump comes with design and views: a penthouse with a terrace or a loft dressed like a boutique hotel runs three to four times that.

Split between four people, a three-bedroom flat comes out at roughly 80 to 115 GEL each, which is why groups almost always rent an apartment here rather than three hotel rooms. The best-value flats book out first in May, June, September and October.

My pick by trip type

If you only want the short version, this is it. Each apartment below has its own entry further down, with what it's like and who should skip it.

The best Airbnbs in the Old Town and Abanotubani

Old Tbilisi is where most first-timers should sleep. The bath domes, the fortress, the Bridge of Peace and the best of the old lanes are all within 15 minutes on foot, and an apartment here usually means thick walls, high ceilings and a carved balcony. The trade-off is noise on weekend nights and steep, uneven streets.

1. Penthouse with a jacuzzi under Narikala, Abanotubani

Listed as "Penthouse with stunning views", this three-bedroom Abanotubani penthouse is the one I'd book for a group trip with something to celebrate. It has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and a jacuzzi, and the windows face Narikala Fortress on the ridge above. You're in the bath district itself, so a soak at the bathhouses is a short walk downhill and the climb to the fortress takes about 20 minutes.

It suits four to six friends or two couples splitting the bill. Skip it if you're a couple on a budget, because you'd be paying for bedrooms you won't use.

2. Industrial apartment in a 1908 building, Old Town

The "Industrial Apartment in the Old Town" sits in a building from 1908, about 10 minutes' walk from Freedom Square. The 1908 Old Town apartment puts an industrial-style interior inside a building more than a century old, a mix of old and new I like better than either on its own. It has hundreds of reviews behind it, which matters more than photos in an old building.

It suits a first trip, a couple or a solo traveler who wants to walk everywhere. Skip it if you want a lift and a brand-new building; this is old Tbilisi from the front door in.

3. Duplex with Old City views, Old Town

Listed as "Cozy apartment with amazing views in Old City", this is a two-level flat in a balcony house, the kind of building that defines the Old Town, with carved wooden balconies on the outside. The duplex layout gives you a living floor and a sleeping floor, and the views over the Old City are the reason to pick it.

It suits a couple or a small family who want the classic Tbilisi stay rather than a hotel-style flat. Skip it if stairs are hard for you, since a duplex means stairs inside the apartment as well as up to it.

The best Airbnbs in Sololaki and near Rustaveli

Sololaki is the old-money quarter right above the Old Town, a grid of Art Nouveau mansions with cafes and wine bars around Asatiani and Leselidze streets, and it's quieter at night than the lanes below. It's my favorite area for a first Airbnb: every major sight is 10 to 15 minutes on foot and you come home to a calm street.

Rustaveli is the formal side of the center, well connected by metro.

4. 78 m² studio near the Conservatory

"D&N, Apartment near Conservatory, Old Tbilisi" is a studio, but at 78 m² it's bigger than plenty of one-bedrooms. This roomy studio near the Conservatory sleeps two in a king bed, with wifi and TV, a short walk from Rustaveli Avenue. A studio this size gives a couple space to spread out without paying for a second room.

It suits couples on a trip of a week or more, who want room to unpack properly. Skip it if you're traveling as three or more; it's built for two.

5. Eclectic flat renovated in 2023, Sololaki

The "Eclectic apartment in Sololaki" is a Sololaki flat in a historic building, renovated in 2023, with the mixed old and new decor its name promises. A recent renovation is the thing I look for first in Sololaki, because it usually means the wiring and plumbing were done at the same time as the paint.

It suits a first trip where you want quiet nights and the Old Town on foot. Skip it if you want a big view; Sololaki streets are narrow and lined with trees, so most flats look across the street rather than over the city.

6. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, off Rustaveli Avenue

The listing's name says it: "3BR apt + 2 bathrooms, 2 min from Rustaveli ave". This three-bedroom flat near Rustaveli is furnished with antiques and sits 2 minutes from Rustaveli Avenue, the city's main boulevard, with the opera, the theaters and the metro along it. The second bathroom is the part families notice by day two.

It suits a family with kids or three couples who want to be central without the Old Town's weekend noise. Skip it if antiques and small children make you nervous, or if you're only two.

The best Airbnbs near the Dry Bridge and in Chughureti

Across the river from Rustaveli, Chughureti and Marjanishvili are where I'd send anyone watching the budget. It's the city's food and nightlife quarter, apartments cost about 50 to 100 GEL a night, and Aghmashenebeli Avenue is lined with restored 19th-century houses. Marjanishvili metro puts you one stop from the center.

7. Self-contained flat with a lift, Dry Bridge

"Amazing Lounge & Magic Interior in Center" is a self-contained flat by the Dry Bridge, a fully separate unit with a lift and a courtyard. You're a short walk from the Dry Bridge flea market and its stalls of Soviet-era vintage. It has one of the longest review histories of any apartment in the city, which tells you more than any photo.

It suits anyone arriving with heavy bags, older travelers and couples who want privacy. Skip it if you want an Old Town balcony view; this is a central flat, not a postcard.

8. Top-floor flat with two balconies, Chughureti

Listed as "Stunning Views, Style & Central Location", this top-floor Chughureti flat has two balconies, a 65-inch TV, a dishwasher and a washer and dryer. The washer and dryer are the reason I'd pick it for anything over a week. The views from the top floor are across the rooftops of the left bank.

It suits remote workers and long stays, when laundry and a real kitchen beat a hotel. Skip it if you want silence; Chughureti stays lively late, especially on weekends.

9. Vintage Family House, near Fabrika

The "Vintage Family House" sits where three of the old districts meet, close to the Fabrika complex with its courtyard bars, cafes and shops in a former Soviet sewing factory. This vintage family flat near Fabrika is fully furnished, with wifi and cable TV, and guests single out its high ceilings and big windows.

It suits families and small groups who want space and a neighborhood with plenty of cheap places to eat. Skip it if you want to be in the Old Town; from the Fabrika area a Bolt to Freedom Square takes 8 to 10 minutes and costs 5 to 7 GEL.

The best Airbnbs in Avlabari

Avlabari sits on the left bank above Rike Park, across the river from the Old Town. It's cheaper, about 60 to 120 GEL a night, and quieter, and it has the one thing the Old Town can't give you: a view of the Old Town. There are fewer restaurants, but Rike Park and the Bridge of Peace put the Old Town within walking distance, and Avlabari has its own metro station.

10. Victory Apartment by Sameba, Avlabari

"Victory Apartment in the Old City" is a new-build flat by Sameba with panoramic views, right next to Holy Trinity Cathedral, the huge gold-domed cathedral on the hill. Newly built usually means modern plumbing and fewer surprises, and the height gives you the city spread out below.

It suits travelers who want a modern apartment with a view rather than an old house. Skip it if you want cafes on your doorstep; this corner of Avlabari is residential.

11. Avlabari home with a panoramic terrace

The "Avlabari home" is a flat with a terrace over Old Tbilisi, and the terrace is why you book it: you look straight across the river at the Old Town, Narikala and the bath district. Avlabari prices make it one of the cheaper ways to get a view like that.

It suits couples and solo travelers who'll spend evenings outside with a bottle of Georgian wine. Skip it in winter, when the terrace is the part of the flat you won't use.

The best Airbnbs in Vake

Vake is the green, upmarket district west of the center, with Vake Park, Mziuri Park and the boutiques along Chavchavadze Avenue. Apartments run about 120 to 250 GEL a night. It has no metro station, so getting to Rustaveli means a taxi of about 20 minutes and 10 to 12 GEL.

12. Balcony flat by Mziuri Park, Vake

Listed as "Mziuri Park, Cozy Balcony, Netflix, Gym 24/7 Nearby", this balcony flat by Mziuri Park has a private balcony, Netflix, and a 24-hour gym close by. Mziuri Park is on the doorstep for a morning walk or run, and the evenings here are quieter than anywhere in the center.

It suits longer stays, remote workers and families who want parks over nightlife. Skip it on a short first trip; you'd spend too much of it in taxis to the Old Town.

Which area to book an Airbnb in

Tbilisi is compact, and every central area is a walk or one taxi ride from the sights. What changes is the noise, the hills and the price. This is the short version; the full area-by-area guide to where to stay goes street by street.

My rule: Old Town or Sololaki for a trip under five nights, Chughureti or Vera for a week, Vake or Saburtalo for a month.

Airbnb, hotel or guesthouse

An apartment wins on space, a kitchen and price per head. A hotel wins on reception, breakfast and pools. For one person on a short trip, a guesthouse room is usually the better deal, and for two or more staying four nights or longer, I'd take the Airbnb.

If the hotel side appeals, the best hotels in Tbilisi range from design hotels on Kostava Street to cheaper hotels at 120 to 200 GEL around Rustaveli, and the Tbilisi hostels start at 25 GEL for a dorm bed.

What to check before you book

Many of the best Tbilisi apartments are in old buildings, which is the charm and the risk. These are the checks I run on every listing.

• Recent reviews, not the score. Read the last ten. Plumbing and street noise show up there first, especially around Shardeni Street and Abanotubani.
• Air conditioning. Filter for it from June to September. July and August regularly pass 35°C, and old walls hold the heat at night.
• The floor and the lift. Ask before you book, not when you arrive.
• The exact pin on the map. "Old Town" in a listing title can mean anything from Meidan Square to a hilltop street 20 minutes up.
• A workspace and fast wifi, if you'll work from the flat. About 4,150 Tbilisi listings have a dedicated workspace, so filter for it.
• Getting there from the airport. The airport is 18 km out and a taxi to the Old Town or Vera costs 20 to 30 GEL, so before the airport to city center ride, ask the host how the driver finds the door.

Timing matters as much as the listing. The best time to visit Tbilisi is spring and autumn, and those are exactly the months the good flats book out, so reserve 2 to 4 weeks ahead for May, June, September and October.