Tbilisi food tour: Old Town, khinkali & natural wines

Eat your way through Tbilisi's Silk Road history, one neighborhood at a time

A 7-hour food tour through Tbilisi's Old Town and surrounding neighborhoods where you taste khachapuri, khinkali, shkmeruli chicken and natural wines while learning how Persian, Ottoman, Russian and Central Asian influences shaped the city's cuisine. The tour includes tea, snacks, lunch and wine tastings with a live English-speaking guide; you walk between stops and sit down for multiple meals along the way.

Step-by-step itinerary

Tbilisi Old Town Culinary Exploration

• Visit underground Azeri tea house
• Sample treats at church-run shop
• Taste wines at unusual wine bar
• Visit oldest church in Tbilisi
• Eat chicken shkmeruli near theater
• Sample khinkali dumplings near Parliament
• Pass by cathedral and taste artisanal cheese

The Experience

The tour starts in Tbilisi's Old Town at an underground Azeri tea house, where you begin with tea and khachapuri—the flatbread that anchors Georgian tables. From there you move to a church-run shop stocked with products from Orthodox monasteries, tasting artisanal treats made using centuries-old methods. The walking continues through backstreets near Freedom Square to a wine bar where small-scale producers pour natural kvevri wines, made in Georgia's ancient clay vessels. Each stop builds on the last, moving you through the layers of the city's food culture rather than checking off a list.

You'll sit down for a full meal of handmade khinkali—the soup dumplings that require a specific eating technique—followed by shkmeruli, a sizzling garlicky chicken dish that's considered essential to any Georgian feast. Between the main courses, you visit a khinkali master near Parliament to watch fresh dumplings being made, and an artisanal cheese shop near another cathedral. The guide connects each dish and ingredient to the Silk Road trade routes, Soviet occupation and Georgia's modern food revival, so the flavors you're tasting become part of the city's actual history rather than just a meal.

The day is built around walking—you move between neighborhoods on foot, with the guide leading you past landmarks like Metekhi Church and the Sulphur Baths area. Seven hours means a steady pace with time to sit and eat properly, not a rushed sampling. All tea, snacks, lunch and wine tastings are included; the guide speaks English throughout.

What’s included

• Tea and khachapuri in the Old Town.
• monastery shop tastings.
• natural kvevri wine tasting.
• handmade khinkali and sizzling shkmeruli chicken as part of a full meal.
• artisanal cheese tasting.
• snacks and coffee or tea throughout.
• a live English-speaking guide for the full 7 hours.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Culinary Backstreets Walks

Is this one for you?The tour moves steadily on foot between neighborhoods over 7 hours, with multiple sit-down meals built in—it suits someone who wants to walk and eat rather than stand and sample, and who has a full morning or afternoon to spend in one city without rushing between stops.

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Top questions

What exactly is khachapuri and where do you taste it on this tour?

Khachapuri is a traditional Georgian flatbread, often filled with cheese or egg, that's central to the cuisine. On this tour you taste it fresh from a traditional clay oven at the very start in the Old Town tea house, then encounter it again at other stops as the guide explains its role across Georgia's regions and history.

How much walking is involved over the 7 hours?

You walk between neighborhoods and stops throughout the day, moving through the Old Town and backstreets near Freedom Square, past landmarks like Metekhi Church. The pace is steady but not strenuous—the itinerary is built around sitting down for meals and tastings, so walking and eating are balanced across the full 7 hours.

Are the wines included in the tour natural kvevri wines?

Yes. The wine tasting near Freedom Square features Georgia's natural kvevri wines—made using the country's ancient clay-vessel winemaking tradition. The guide takes you to a wine bar showcasing small-scale producers, and the tastings are included in the tour price.

What is shkmeruli and when do you eat it?

Shkmeruli is a sizzling garlicky chicken dish considered a centerpiece of the Georgian feast. You sit down for a full serving of it as part of the main meal during the tour, after tasting khinkali and other dishes earlier in the day.

Does the guide explain the history behind the food?

Yes. Throughout the tour, the guide connects each dish, ingredient and stop to Tbilisi's complex history—how Persian, Ottoman, Russian and Central Asian influences shaped the cuisine through the Silk Road, Soviet rule and Georgia's modern revival. The food is presented as part of the city's actual story, not just as items to taste.

What neighborhoods and landmarks do you visit?

The tour moves through Tbilisi's Old Town, backstreets near Freedom Square, and areas around Parliament and Metekhi Church. You visit an underground Azeri tea house, a church-run monastery shop, a wine bar, a khinkali master's kitchen, an artisanal cheese shop, and pass by architectural landmarks including the oldest church in Tbilisi and another cathedral.