Guide to Visiting the Tbilisi Sulphur Baths
Going for a soak in one of the many baths at Abanotubani of Tbilisi is as much a must-do as savouring the little Kinkalis. Getting around Tbilisi is easy with Yandex/ Bolt, and Abanotubani is only a jump away from the many other attractions and accommodations.
So here’s a post dedicated to my experience bathing in a traditional bathhouse in Georgia. We’ll also prep you through the must-knows, expectations, and budget.
Let’s go!
I visited Tbilisi in Aug 2019. This post may be updated periodically and contains affiliate links that cost nothing to you but support my blog. Cheers!
History of Tbilisi and the Bathhouses
Before hitting the bathhouses, my friend and I went for a free walking tour around Tbilisi to get acquainted with the city. We didn’t do our homework beforehand and got most of the info from our local guide. But since you’re here, this is what we’ve learnt.
Legend has it that the capital of Georgia was founded by Vakhtang I Gorgasali when he was out hunting in the woods. The King had a falcon, and his bird spotted a pheasant. It went in for the kill, but both birds fell into a hot spring during the struggle and died instantaneously. Sounds morbid, but that was how the hot spring was discovered.
The King lost his beloved bird, but the hot waters impressed him so much that he decided to build a city on the spot. Mind you, it can get very cold in this part of the world during winter! I would have my castle on top of the hot springs too.
The name Tbilisi – translated as the warm place in Georgian – stuck and remained ever since then. Hence, you could say the history of sulphur baths is the history of Tbilisi itself.
Amble around old Tbilisi long enough and you would notice monuments featuring the King’s valiant falcon atop the peasant.
The Hot Water
The hot water ranges from 38-40°C, as the natural hot waters are like in other geothermal active regions around the world I’ve visited – and soaked – like Rotorua and some parts of Japan and Taiwan. The stench/ aroma of sulphur hits you before you see the strange domes.
The Strange Domes
What sets the Georgian bathhouses apart from other bathhouses are the unique subterranean domes. In the old neighbourhood of Abanotubani where all the bathhouses congregate, you get to see a cluster of these brick molehills, sometimes with steam escaping from the top.
The molehills may look dull outside, but their interiors are usually pleasantly decorated with beautiful tiles that rise up to the ceiling! Steam escapes from the top, while light and cool air from the outside streams into the hot chamber.
Private or Public?
Most bathhouses now have only private rooms. Only a handful left have public sex-segregated bathing rooms.
Larger private rooms can have more people, so they command a higher price. They’re all charged by the hour. Some rooms have saunas, but all would have at least a private toilet and shower room. There’s also a dry room to store your clothes and towels in each room. Public dry rooms might have lockers.
If you’re looking for a budget option or something ‘more local’, go with the public. It is cheaper, costing about 10 – 15 GEL per hour. The downside, however, is bathing in front of a bunch of strangers.
Private baths cost more, ranging from 70 to 500 GEL, and require booking. These are more suitable for families with young children, or couples since you don’t have to split up.
Massage or Kisi Scrubs
Another level-up experience compared to all the soaks or baths I’ve gone to is the kisi (kisa) exfoliation scrubs. You don’t just soak and bathe yourself. You could choose to have a same-gender Mekise come in and exfoliate your body.
As you check in to the bathhouse, the front desk will ask if you would like a kisi for an additional price (around 10 – 20 GEL). If you’re going all in for the full experience, like me, 15 – 20 mins into your hour-long bath, the Mekise enters the room with a special coarse glove and a bucket.
The kisi experience lasts around 15 mins, with a lot of scrubbing and soaping but leaves you feeling very refreshed at the end, as I’ll discuss again in a later section.
Massages are charged differently but could be booked during check-in too.
Nude or Not?
You would have to go nude for the full-body kisi experience.
Unlike the bathhouses in Japan, where you must go in full nude with only a small bathing towel, bathing in Georgia allows for swimwear.
I think swimwear is not necessary for public baths that locals frequent since everyone is of the same gender unless there’s a possibility of walking into the wrong room! For private baths where there are different genders, wait at least until the kisi experience is done.
Usually, the same-gender Mekise is appointed for the client, so if you do not feel comfortable having an opposite-gender Mekise around, clothe up or hide in the pool.
Reservations
Advanced booking is necessary to save you from unneeded disappointment. We’re here to experience, and everyone probably has ‘soaking in a Georgian bath house’ on their agenda.
But, I have to admit, we did not make a reservation and were very lucky in Aug 2019.
Most bathhouses would require a deposit. Some have a presence on social media and you can book them through Messenger, WhatsApp or emails.
Arrive early for your appointed time, as most bathhouses are busy and might cancel your reservations if you are late.
Expectations of a Sulphur Bathhouse
Here’s a brief layout of what to expect from the time you check in to your private room, with a kisi booked in:
- Shown to the private room
- Strip or change into swimwear in the dry room
- Take photos before it gets too steamy. Soak in the hot water for max 10 mins each, and remember to hydrate frequently. Spray yourself with cold water from the cold pool.
- The Mekise would come in 15 – 20 mins later for the Kisi
- Lie on a stone slab nude facing down, the Mekise would scrub you with a coarse exfoliating mitt. You’ll notice a lot of dead skin coming off! My Mekise scrubbed my back and legs.
- The Mekise douses you with hot water to wash away the dead skin.
- Flip and repeat (5) and (6) on the front. She told me the scrubs used some pomegranate juices and pointed at the heap of stained purple dead skin on my stomach.
- Mekise fills a strange pillowcase sack with a soapy mixture and covers you in soap suds
- Ask you to sit on the stone slab and douse you with cold water
- End of Kisi, continue to soak or use the sauna till the end of the hour. Someone may knock on the door to let you know 10 mins before.
- Shower and change
- Move back into the lobby or waiting room and enjoy hot tea
What to Bring To the Sulphur Bath
Yourself.
If you want to save some money, bring a towel and soap. Wear sandals or slippers.
A bottle of water is a must for hot springs to prevent dehydration.
Sulphur may corrode silver, making it duller (silver sulphide is black). Leave your jewellery at home.
The Bathhouses in Tbilisi
There are several bathhouses scattered around Tbilisi, each offering different levels of treatment or interior decorations. As bathhouses are now more of a tourist attraction than a local haunt, the reviews may not be accurate as reviewers get confused amongst the different bathhouses since they are all so close to each other.
As mentioned in my experience section, I was lucky and did not do any bookings. We stumbled into Gulo’s Thermal Spa and had an excellent experience.
Generally, the bathhouses below are what most first-timers would browse through before making a decision.
Gulo’s Thermal Spa
We were lucky and went with this bathhouse during their off-season. You could make reservations through their Facebook Messenger or Whatsapp. Gulo does not have a website.
Prices range from 100 to 250 GEL in 2023. A kisi scrub costs 20 GEL.
Location: Ioseb Grishashvili St, Tbilisi, Georgia
Chreli Abano (Orbeliani Baths)
Chreli Abano is a historic bathhouse with a beautiful Persian exterior. It has a beautiful modern website explaining the rooms and services provided. You can make reservations beforehand on the website.
Prices range from 100 – 600 GEL in 2023. A kisi scrub costs 20 GEL.
Location: 31 Abano St, Tbilisi, Georgia
Bathhouse No. 5
Some say Bathhouse No.5 is the oldest bathhouse around since the 1920s, and is the one to go for the most authentic public bath. Bathhouse No. 5 does not have a website, so there’s nowhere to place a booking beforehand.
Prices range from 70 to 110 GEL for private rooms. Public baths cost 10 GEL for men and 6 GEL for women, but reviews are saying that it is more of a shower than a place to soak for women. Kisi cost 10 GEL.
Location: 4 Mirza Fatali Akhudovi, Tbilisi, Georgia
Bohema Bath
Bohema Bath has only private rooms, but their rooms are priced towards the budget side. They have a website and you may reserve in advance on their Facebook page too. Rooms may not be as modern, but the price is good for budget travellers looking for privacy.
Prices range from 70 – 180 GEL. Kisi cost 10 GEL.
Location: 11 Ioseb Grishashvili St, Tbilisi 0105, Georgia
Queen’s Bath
The Queen’s Bath is your next alternative public bathhouse if you are a solo traveller looking for an authentic local feel with no frills and saving money. Beware: It is truly authentic as the reviews laid out!
Public baths cost 15 GEL. Kisi goes at 10 GEL.
Location: 11 Ioseb Grishashvili St, Tbilisi, Georgia
My Experience with Gulo Thermal Spa
And here’s my 2019 experience – a section for me to ramble.
Checking In
We did not book in advance and were lucky to have just walked into Gulo Thermal Spa and found them free.
A couple of Americans were also at the counter while we were there, and they spent a long time deliberating on their room selection from a photo collage.
Rooms in Gulo range from the basic – a room for 1 – 2 for less than 70 GEL – to the luxe – room with sofas and bigger pools, capable of holding 8 for almost 300 GEL.
We went for a mid-range room with a beautiful interior inlaid with marble, tile murals and brickwork. The couple was still not decided. In the end, they went for the basic room and had to wait in the lobby for the current occupants to be out.
We were ushered into our room through one of the many doors facing the circular lobby. The lady who showed us asked if we wanted scrubs (kisi) or towels. We chose kisi only, having come prepared with towels.
The Bathing Room
The room was made up of two sections. The first part was the dry room with a big leather couch and a mirror. A place to change and relax just before you step into the wet room. Both rooms were separated by a foggy glass door.
Opening the door led to a huge wave of humid sulphur-smelling air. The room was great except for some red and white plastic pipes sticking out like sore thumbs at the side of a wall.
After a quick rinse in our swimwear, we climbed into the larger of the two baths, the centrepiece in the wet room.
It can get very hot from soaking after some time, and we alternated between the hot pool and spraying icy cold water on ourselves from the smaller pool.
Kisi Scrubs
After some time, we noticed someone had entered our dry room. A woman carrying a plastic pail and a strange fabric case came in. She motioned one of us to lie tummy down on one of the stone slabs while she rinsed the pail containing her gear.
With a rough mitten, the woman scrubbed my buddy from foot to head. Then, she dunked a pail of water scooped from the hot pool over her and asked her to face belly up. The scrubbing and dunking repeated itself on the other side.
Next, she took the fabric case from the soapy pail, shook it and twisted it so it was inflated. She then pressed this case over my buddy, and in the process, produced lots of soapy suds.
After a thorough soap down, the woman dunked a few more buckets of hot water. By then, my buddy had transitioned from a reclined state to a seated position. The woman dunked the last bucketful of cold water over her head and that concluded the performance.
The same was repeated to me. We had a few more rounds of soaking and visiting the sauna until our skin was wrinkled and we were satisfied.
End of The Soak
By the time we showered and changed, an hour had gone by.
We went back into the lobby and had a complimentary cup of tea. The woman who had scrubbed us was absent. Probably busy with other clients.
The woman who first ushered us in was doing accounting. She smiled and asked about our experience. Another stranger was folding linens while watching TV. After finishing the tea, we paid in cash and left feeling refreshed and recharged.
Not bad considering it was one of the first things we did after a red-eye flight. We paid 140 GEL in total – 100 GEL for an hour in the mid-range room and 20 GEL each for Kisi.
Accommodations in Tbilisi
Taking a nice relaxing soak is just one part of a perfect holiday in Tbilisi. Thinking of where to stay while in Tbilisi? Here are some options to consider.
Budget Backpacker. Hostels are the best places to stay and meet new folks! Check out Tbil Home Hostel or At Funicular Hostel. Reviews for both hostels are excellent and within walking distance of the Old Town. If I were to visit Tbilisi as a solo female backpacker again, I might go with the Pushkin 10 Hostel, for their bright and airy female dorm rooms.
Mid-range. Old Town Mtatsminda is a beautiful family-owned 3-star hotel within walking distance from the main tourist attractions. Elsewhere, there is a 4-star Mit Hotel with a clean, comfortable and modern stay. Looking for something fancy? Spend an artsy night at the funky Artists Residence. Indeed, this property used to be an artists’ studio. It still organises art classes. Rooms are richly decorated by Georgian designers.
Luxury. Conveniently situated in the heart of Tbilisi, IOTA Hotel has beautiful decor with plenty of green plants and warm colours. Glarros OldTown Hotel is another contender with modern design and an excellent location. The rooms of The Biltmore Hotel are as luxurious as you can get. This 5-star hotel has a 360 panoramic view of Tbilisi, and all that is expected of a premium stay.
Ending
Soaking in the bathhouses of Georgia is an experience you must not miss if you are in Tbilisi. All it takes is an hour, and prices aren’t that steep.
For me, this is a great memory to relish from time to time when I soak in hot springs or other bathhouses around the world like in Japan (in an onsen in Hokkaido facing Lake Toya), Taiwan (mud springs) and New Zealand (several in Rotorua).
Post Tbilisi, we went to Svaneti for a multi-day hike from Mestia to Ushguli – I’ve written a comprehensive guide here with photos! It was a wonderful 4 days off the grid in the wilderness, and the hike wasn’t terribly difficult. We also visited Azerbaijan and the landlocked exclave Nakhchivan!
Key Takeaways for a Great Tbilisi Sulphur Bath
- Book in advance. Or play with Lady Luck. We were lucky.
- Arrive early if you’ve made reservations. Buffer around 10 mins to settle payment, rent towels and get hydration.
- Bring your swimwear. If you do not want to go nude.
- Set a timer for the hour. There were no clocks and we used the alarm on our phone.
- Leave the front door open for the Mekise. If you have ordered a kisi.
- Bring your own towels, soap and slippers. If you want to save money.
- Have hydration ready with you. Soaking can dehydrate you.
- Bring cameras. Take photos before you bathe in the private rooms. It can get steamy thereafter. Photo taking is a nono in public baths.
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