In early July 2025, I had the pleasure of re-visiting Georgia with my husband. I had visited for the first time in spring ’24 with my young son, and thought it was a fantastic place for women traveling solo or families with little ones (see my article about that trip here). I’ve been wanting to go back to experience the two things I missed out on the first time around: the famous sulfur hot springs baths of Tbilisi and the Kakheti wine region. These are definitely activities that are better enjoyed with adults, so I was happy that I saved them for our special couple’s getaway of the year!

What caught me by surprise was the heat – it was 38-39 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) for the 3 days that we were visiting, and locals told us that it gets even hotter later in the summer. So I definitely wouldn’t recommend visiting in July or August if 40+ degree heat isn’t your thing! Even though it was very sunny with clear blue skies everyday, I definitely prefer the cooler temperatures of Iate April, when I visited the last time around.

The first thing we did when we arrived in Tbilisi was to download the Bolt app to call taxis. It’s a short and cheap taxi ride into town from the airport (around $10). Uber doesn’t work in Georgia so if you’re planning to take the taxi to get around, make sure you download this app. It worked like a charm, and most of the taxis were EVs or hybrid vehicles.

Then we took the ‘Hidden Tbilisi’ tour with Tbilisi Free Walking Tours company to explore the old world charms of the city. I have taken several tours with this company and I highly recommend them. They have free (tip based) walking tours as well as paid ones. I only did the free ones and they were all very enjoyable and informative in learning more about the city. Please be respectful and give tips at the end because I saw a lot of people shamelessly walking away without giving anything to the guide 😦 They accept all currencies and I think paying around $10 per person was adequate for the time spent (around 2 hours). The Old Town is littered with grand 18th to 19th century mansions and if you want to find out more about these buildings, your tour guide will tell you their stories (which are inextricably linked with the history of the country and the city itself). The guide will take you inside the lobbies of some of these buildings, and even though they were crumbling due to the long neglect during the Soviet era, you can still get a glimpse of their former glory days – ornately decorated with exotic oriental motifs and frescos. I love architecture and history and these were right up my alley!

Then we had a dinner reservation at Ethno Tsiskvili, which is a large restaurant on the northern part of town where you can watch traditional Georgian dancing while you dine. It was a very nice looking venue by the river, but I was disappointed by the dance performances and the service. The dances were very short and they sat a large group closer to the stage, so we were really far from the action and we really had to struggle to get the attention of the servers. The food was just ok and the prices were on the high side as well. I’m sure we would have had better food at a cheaper price if we had stayed in the city center.

The restaurant was close to the Chronicle of Georgia monument however, so we headed there after dinner. It’s a really cool looking, massive sculptural project (supposedly created in 1985 but never fully finished) depicting the stories and heros that shaped Georgian history. It was a very romantic place to stroll and take in the evening air! Then we had drinks at the rooftop bar of our hotel, which also had fantastic views of the city.

The next day, we went on a guided day trip to the Kakheti wine region. I booked it on Viator and it was an amazing value at only $35 per person since it included roundtrip transportation, dozens of wine AND brandy tastings at multiple wineries, as well as sightseeing in the medieval cities of Signagi and Bodbe. You would barely get 3 pours at a winery in Napa or Sonoma Valley in California for that price! They have found the oldest archaeological evidence of winemaking in Georgia and the locals are very proud of their 8000 years of winemaking tradition.

After this pleasant and boozy day, we decided to relax in the famous sulfur hot spring baths for the evening. We had made a reservation at the historic Gulo’s Thermal Spa ahead of time. It was very easy to do, simply message the WhatsApp number on their Google Maps page. For only $60 an hour, you can rent a private suite for your group (large enough for up to 4-6 people), which includes the hot pool, cold pool, and a lounge. Towels and scrubs are extra.

Tbilisi was founded by a 5th century Georgian king who accidently discovered these geothermally heated waters during a hunt. In fact, the name “Tbilisi” literally means the “warm place”. For over a millennium, these baths have thrived serving as a sanctuary for weary travelers on the Silk Road. Even literary giants such as Anton Chekhov as well as Alexander Dumas raved about their medicinal value after experiencing it themselves, and now I can personally attest to its health benefits as well. Not only is it vastly relaxing, but after the bath, my skin was baby soft and all my aches and pains were gone! It was absolutely amazing and I think it’s a must-experience while visiting Tbilisi.

And that was our romantic couple’s trip to Tbilisi, Georgia! I would highly recommend this destination for everyone looking for a pleasantly relaxing visit with a loved one – I’ll definitely be back myself for all the delicious food, wine, history, nature and hospitality 🙂