Tbilisi Sulfur Baths
Gamardjoba*!
To be honest, I’ve never liked baths, saunas, or hammams. I don’t enjoy sweating it out, high temperatures, cramped stuffy rooms, or hot dry air. None of that is really my thing.
I know, it sounds super strange: I’ve been to Tbilisi many times, but I never went to a bathhouse. Yes, I only wandered around the Abanotubani area, near those mysterious domes sticking out of the ground. This time, though, curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to go to a bath—more for the interiors than for the actual process.
I spent a long time reading articles, trying to choose which bathhouse to go to, and finally went for my first visit. Unexpectedly, I came out completely thrilled. The atmosphere, the setting, even the process itself—it was all completely different from what I had imagined.
After visiting the first bathhouse, I immediately started planning which one I wanted to visit again before leaving. A week later, I went to a new bath. What can I say… Next time I come to Tbilisi, the first place I’ll head to from the airport won’t be a khinkali place, but straight to a bathhouse—and then another one after that.
Today, I’ll share not only my experience but also a bit about the history of Tbilisi’s bathhouses, the different types, how to pick the right one for your first time, and what’s important to know before you go.
*in Georgian means — Greetings!
History
Long ago, in the mid-5th century, King Vakhtang Gorgasali was hunting in this area when he saw a pheasant fall into a hot spring and get cooked. According to another version, the pheasant’s wounds healed thanks to the healing waters. That’s how the story of the first baths—and the city itself—began.
“Tbilisi” (“archaic: Tphili”), as everyone knows, means “warm.”
Originally, the baths were simply stone tubs carved into the rock. The domes appeared much later, in the 17th century: they were built to retain heat — the bathing halls were underground, light entered through openings in the domes, and steam escaped outside. Over time, the interiors were decorated with mosaics and marble in Persian fashion.
The district where the baths are located, Abanotubani, gets its name from combining two Georgian words: “abano” (“baths”) and “ubani” (“district”). By the end of the 19th century, there were about 60 sulfur baths in Abanotubani. Now there are around 10 left. I won’t turn this into a Wikipedia branch and recount the entire history — those interested in dates and names can read up on their own.
Legends
There are many legends surrounding the baths. The historicity of some is questionable, but, as is often the case, every myth has a grain of truth.
About the Fierce Eunuch
Agha-Muhammad Khan, ruler of Iran, earned the nickname “the Fierce Eunuch” due to a childhood tragedy: at six years old, he was blinded and castrated to eliminate a potential rival. He grew up to be a ruthless and ambitious leader who spared neither enemies nor the city.
According to legend, in 1795, when he captured Tbilisi, Agha – Muhammad Khan tried to restore his “manhood” in the sulfur baths but failed — nothing grew. Enraged, he ordered all the baths destroyed. Sounds like the plot of an “Imperial Bank” commercial (here’s a boomer test).
About Alexander Pushkin
At the entrance wall of the Orbeliani (Painted) Baths, there’s a plaque with a quote from Alexander Pushkin (the greatest Russian writer of the 19th century):
I stayed at an inn, and the next day I went to the famous Tbilisi baths… a hot iron-sulfur spring poured into a deep tub carved into the rock. Never in my life, neither in Russia nor in Turkey, had I seen anything more luxurious than the Tbilisi baths.
Guides will definitely tell you that Alexander Sergeyevich wrote these lines after visiting the Painted Baths. In memory of this event, one of the rooms in the bath is named “Alexander Pushkin.”
But there’s a little catch… Alexander Pushkin was in Tiflis in the summer of 1829, on his way from Arzrum. He did write about the baths—these lines are his—but they were about some of the older sulfur baths in Abanotubani, not the current Orbeliani Baths, which were built later, in the mid-19th century, after Pushkin had already passed away.
About Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas (the greatest French writer of the 19th century) traveled through the Caucasus in 1858 and left enthusiastic descriptions of the Tiflis baths:
Two torturers began to bend my joints. The operation started with the last joint of my finger… These exercises, which were apparently meant to dislocate my limbs, were carried out astonishingly naturally, not only without pain but with a sense of pleasure…
Here, it’s more likely true that Dumas père could have been in the Orbeliani Baths. In his memory, one of the rooms is also named “Alexandre Dumas” (the one I stayed in, photo below).
Which Baths to Choose
As I mentioned, there are about 10 functioning baths in Tbilisi, almost all compactly located in the Abanotubani district (Google Maps link) — near the Metekhi Bridge, and one not far from Marjanishvili metro station.
All the baths have private rooms. A few sulfur baths also have common halls, where visiting is cheaper. Since my goal was not just to go to a bath but to appreciate the interiors, I chose two — the Painted (Orbeliani) Baths and Gulo. If it’s your first time going to a Tbilisi sulfur bath, I recommend picking one of these. You can’t go wrong. They’re the perfect choice for a first visit to avoid disappointment.
In Abanotubani, all the domed buildings are various baths. Only one stands out among them — the Painted Bath — it’s impossible to miss. Some people even think it’s a mosque.
Just look at it — what a beauty! And that’s only from the outside!
What You Need to Know Before Visiting
Private rooms are just for you — no strangers. So what you wear to the bath depends on your… ahem… friendly relations. You can go naked, in swim trunks or swimsuits, whatever you prefer. You enter the room, close the door, undress there, take the baths, wash, relax. No one bothers you.
Booking in advance is a must. During high tourist season, the baths are fully booked.
I recommend booking for an hour and a half. One hour — including undressing, resting, and drying off — might not be enough; two hours would be too much.
It’s better not to eat for 2 hours before visiting and to come sober.
Be sure to remove silver jewelry — it will tarnish quickly in the water.
Bring drinking water with you. There’s a Spar nearby where you can buy at least a liter per person. You’ll definitely get thirsty.
Towels and slippers can be rented on-site or brought with you. The baths have hair dryers.
How to Properly Visit a Bath
This isn’t a bath in the way we usually think. People go there primarily for wellness rather than just to wash. It’s something between a hammam and the Budapest thermal baths.
Each private room has two small pools — one hot, one cold — and a shower. It smells of sulfur. You get used to the smell quickly and barely notice it. After all the procedures, your body won’t smell. Some rooms have a sauna, but in my opinion, it’s unnecessary — don’t book those rooms.
First, rinse off in the shower. Then enter the hot pool. The temperature is around 45 degrees Celsius — enter slowly, gradually. Spend no more than 10 minutes in the hot water, then switch to the cold pool for contrast. The water isn’t freezing; three minutes is enough. The feeling is incredible. Then rest. Repeat. In an hour, you can dip in the hot pool three times.
Each bath sells a peeling glove — kisi. I recommend buying a disposable one; it costs 5 – 10 lari. The reusable one is 20 lari — just in name. Both are really for single use. The kisi sold in baths is made on one side from an old granny’s blanket and on the other from coarse fabric.
A peeling (rubbing with the glove) by a bath employee is an extra service. For a first-time visit, I wasn’t ready for that — I’m already clean, showering daily. But if you want, have 20–30 lari in cash ready. About twenty minutes after the session starts, a specially trained person will come and give a ten-minute massage with exfoliation.
Lifehack: rub each other — free!
Painted baths. Common corridor.
Painted baths. Common corridor.
Private room entrance.
Inside private room.
Painted (Orbeliani) Baths
Among all the domes in the bath district, the Painted Bath (in Georgian, Chreli Abano) stands out. It’s the most photographed bath in Tbilisi. The mosaic façade in Persian style, with blue-turquoise patterns and arches, immediately transports you somewhere like Shiraz or Samarkand. A true calling card of Tbilisi.
The contrast is striking: outside—an oriental palace, inside—a classic Tbilisi bath.
Although a bath existed on this site back in the time of the Islamic emirate (8th–12th centuries), the modern building was erected in 1893 based on the old design. So, Pushkin might have been in some bath that possibly stood here before, but definitely not in this one.
It belonged to the noble Orbeliani family, which is where the historical name comes from. In 1984, the façade underwent significant renovation: Uzbek master Ravshan Khalimov and his team of five worked on the mosaic. The materials for the new cladding were brought from Samarkand.
On the website chreli-abano.ge, you can choose a room and book a visit. Prices are up to date. In the online booking form, you need to enter your phone number and the SMS code. The codes arrived for me, but the system treated them as incorrect. In the end, I booked a room by email via the contact page. You need to specify the date, time, and how many hours you want to spend.
Inside the room. Shower and sauna area.
Shower.
Pool with hot and cold water.
Pool and massage bench.
Massage bench.
Private toilet.
I booked a visit for 20:00. You need to arrive ten minutes before the start. At the reception, I paid 200 lari (65 €) for an hour, also took a towel for 3 lari, and the disposable slippers were included as a gift. Everything except the peeling can be paid by card.
I had the “Alexandre Dumas” room with a sauna, which I never used. The room is excellent. It’s designed for 1–6 people. Small rooms (for 1–2 people) cost 120–130 lari.
Inside, there are several spaces: a lounge, a changing room, and a toilet. Then a shower, opposite it a sauna, and further on a large hot pool and a small cold one. There’s also a lounge chair opposite the pools for those who need to be rubbed with the kisi glove. Despite the tiles, it’s not slippery — the bath is cleaned well.
There are no shampoos or shower gels—if you want, bring your own. But I’ll repeat — after rinsing in the shower, your body won’t smell. Don’t waste time drying your hair in the room; you can do it afterward, once you’re dressed, in the common area — the corridor. Everyone does it there.
Ten minutes before the end, someone knocked on the door to remind me the time was up. One hour is barely enough — you barely manage to pull on your shorts before someone knocks more insistently.
I know the photo quality isn’t great 🙁 sorry, there’s steam everywhere.
The lounge area in the room. It’s clean, no stains. I sat there wet for a while, then decided to take a photo.
Gulo’s Thermal Spa
Gulo is the shortened, affectionate form of the female name Guliko.
Gulo’s Bath is part of the old bath complex in Abanotubani. Built back in the 19th century, it originally didn’t have a “personal” name. Over the years, it was called “Bakhmaro” and “the Garrison” (because soldiers bathed here). After privatization, the bath was given the unremarkable name “Sulfur Bath.”
But in Tbilisi, people decide everything. And here there’s a beautiful story. For decades, the legendary bath attendant Gulo worked here. Tbilisi locals didn’t say “let’s go to the Garrison,” they said “let’s go to Gulo.”
In the summer, when Gulo went on vacation, regulars would even say: “We’ll wait—when she comes back, we’ll go bathe.”
The name stuck so firmly that it became official. That’s how a faceless sulfur bath got its human face.
By the way, Sting once bathed here. And some SMM guy from a (well-known in certain circles) football club.
Gulo’s Bath (Google Maps link) is slightly cheaper than the Painted Bath. There are only a few rooms, and they all differ greatly. They say it’s the cleanest bath in Tbilisi. In the others, the water is changed once a week, from Sunday to Monday, but in Gulo it’s changed daily. No—did you think it’s after every client? Don’t worry—the hot sulfur water kills all unwanted microbes.
After reading reviews, I wanted to book the room with the “Pheasants” or the room with “Venus.” They’re called that because of the mosaic panels on the walls.
You need to book via WhatsApp +995557989392. You can also check current prices and opening hours there. They respond quickly. This time I already booked a room for an hour and a half, and also took two towels, two gloves, tea, and jam. Total 250 lari (80 €). I didn’t take the disposable “hotel” slippers—they get wet immediately. In Gulo rooms, there are free rubber slippers. Shower gel is also provided for free.
Instead of the “Pheasants,” I got another one, room 5. Honestly, it seemed to me that it doesn’t matter which room you book—they give you the nearest available one. A lottery. But! I highly recommend this room if you have a choice. Two-level lounge area, and most importantly—the amazing pool section. Six people can easily fit.
I don’t even have the vocabulary to describe the emotions here. Complete silence. Hot water. Soft lighting. Vaulted brickwork. Dome above the pool. No ostentatious luxury, yet it’s so unusual that within five minutes you completely lose track of time and space. What year is it? Where am I? Just sitting in the hot bath, looking up at the vaults—it’s an incredible, almost unreal bliss.
Hot pool.
Cold pool.
After the session, it’s nice to step outside, take some tea with jam, and just sit. There’s no rush. You need to give yourself time to return to reality.
In short… Go to a bath! Definitely.
