Now in its fourth year running, my annual ‘What’s New in Georgia’ brings together some of my favourite new openings, relaunches, and important tourism-related developments in Georgia.
This includes everything from new bars, restaurants and museums you can check out, to new roads and infrastructure projects that are making rural Georgia more accessible.
As with last year, this post also includes 5 trending travel destinations that I think we will be hearing more about in 2025, plus a couple of predictions for both Georgia and the Caucasus. A few of my 2024 predictions were bang-on, while others were probably too early. Let’s see if any of my 2025 ideas pan out!
If you’re a frequent traveller to Georgia, you live here, or you’re planning to visit for the first time in 2025, these are the things you will want to look out for.
Take a trip back through the archives by reading my previous posts:
Also see my personal annual review for 2024.
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What will tourism look like in Georgia in 2025?
Despite the political turmoil and general sense of uncertainty in Georgia right now, I am feeling optimistic about the year ahead. I think there is a lot to be excited about.
As has been the case for the past several years running, 2024 saw an increase in the number of people visiting Georgia. The number of flights into Georgia increased by 25% compared to 2023, and the number of passengers rose by 24%. Will this trend continue into 2025?
This year, four new airlines will start servicing Tbilisi: British Airways and EasyJet are both launching summer flights between Tbilisi and the UK, Edelweiss will fly direct from Zurich to Tbilisi, and Transavia will connect Tbilisi with Amsterdam and Paris. Work on the new Tbilisi airport, set to open in Vaziani in 2028, will commence in earnest, with a significant chunk of Georgia’s 2025 budget set aside for the project.
In spring, WizzAir will resume flights between Kutaisi and Madrid and Hamburg. At the same time Kutaisi Airport is anticipated to see a record number of scheduled flights from the UAE and Kazakhstan.
It’s interesting to see some shifts in the markets that Georgia is targeting. There has already been a huge increase in the number of Chinese tourists (up 83% in 2024 compared with 2023), boosted by the launch of direct flights and the implementation of a reciprocal visa-free scheme last spring.
Interest in Georgia is also growing among visitors from India, Thailand and the Philippines. I see a keen interest in winter travel among these groups, which is a good thing for sustainability. Georgia is typically very seasonal with the bulk of visitors coming in summer (more on the development of winter resorts later). This January I spent a night at one of the biggest hotels in Gori and was surprised to find the breakfast room completely full.
What’s new in Tbilisi?
2024 was a year of reopenings.
One of the most anticipated was the relaunch of the State Silk Museum (pictured below), which had been closed for the past four years for repairs. Shortly after the reopening in October, I was lucky enough to tour the building with Nino Tchatchkhiani, lead architect on the rehabilitation project, as part of the Tbilisi Architecture Biennale. If you haven’t seen the new and improved Silk Museum yet, I highly recommend it.
Also in late 2024, the Art Museum of Georgia reopened in a new gallery space adjacent to its old building off Freedom Square. It might be the most expensive museum in Tbilisi, but the collection of Pirosmani canvases is worth the steep price tag in my opinion. Then in December, the Elene Akhvlediani Memorial Museum in Vera opened its doors again.
The Rustaveli-Mtatsminda Cable Car (pictured below) relaunched in October, giving us a new means of transport up to Mtatsminda Park. It is a better way to travel compared to the funicular in my opinion, and the views are just as scenic as the Rike-Narikala Cable Car. It is quite incredible to see the historic lower station building restored to its former glory. Just a few short years ago, it was virtually in ruin.
Another new cable car will launch in Tbilisi in 2025, connecting Freedom Square with Mount Tabori. Two more cable cars are planned for Vazisubani and Temka districts in the coming years.
This year, visitors can see a reconstructed Queen Darijan’s Palace in Avlabari, and soon a rehabilitated Narikala Fortress. At the time of writing, the castle remains closed. For those interested in Soviet-era architecture, the iconic Nutsubidze Skybridge is also being renovated.
In August, rumours that had been percolating about the Dezerter Bazaar (pictured below) being shut down to make way for a shopping mall came to a head when vendors were given their eviction notice. Although the project is on pause for now and the market is trading as normal, unfortunately I think the end of the Dezerter as we know it is inevitable. Its spirit will live on no matter what, but 2025 is a great time to visit the market while you still can.
The Avlabari Metro Station renovation was finally completed, and in 2025, a set of new metro carriages is set to arrive in Tbilisi to complement a fleet of new buses that were introduced in 2024. I have some great ideas for how to repurpose the old metro wagons, if anyone is interested!
In 2025 there will be a lot of new construction in Tbilisi. There are plans to renovate Rustaveli Avenue (including installing bike lanes and above-ground pedestrian crossings – thank goodness!), and a controversial high-rise near Heroes’ Square might break ground.
A bunch of new boutique hotels have recently opened in Tbilisi – the highlights are Artizan and Afisha, both located in Vera. I see a lot of new openings in the lower part of Vera, and I think interest in this area will continue to grow over the coming year as long as those construction works don’t interfere.
Tbilisi has a new 10,000-person music venue in Radio City, a retrofitted radio factory in Gldani District. Adjara Group, the masters of revitalising old spaces, is behind the project. It’s great to see cultural spaces like this popping up in the outer residential areas of Tbilisi. Radio City features a Diner (pictured below) that is open to the public every day, a branch of the D Block coworking space, offices and recreational areas, including paddleball courts.
Another new music venue by Rolling Stone will appear on the rooftop of the Telegraph Hotel when it opens towards the end of the year. I am very interested to see how the Soviet-era post office and telegraph building on Rustaveli Avenue will look. Remember the old Hard Rock Cafe at Wine Factory? This space is poised to reopen as a cheese bar.
New parks and green spaces will be created in Samgori, Gldani and Isani, the latter including a new monument to King Erekle II.
New restaurants, bars & cafes in Tbilisi
Continuing with the theme of reopenings, two of Tbilisi’s most beloved restaurants, the Gabriadze Cafe attached to the marionette theatre in Old Tbilisi and Purpur in Sololaki (below left), relaunched in 2024. Both were pioneers back in the day, so it will be interesting to see how they stack up now that the quantity and quality of restaurants in Tbilisi has increased so dramatically.
One trend that I’m excited about is neglected spaces in Old Tbilisi being put to good use (not necessarily in Adjara Group style, but in a more DIY fashion). Deda Tbilisi (below right) is a perfect example. This outdoor BBQ restaurant opened in 2024 and reminds me of a Budapest ruin bar. Another example is Daraba, a charming Kala cafe that bucks the trend of cookie-cutter specialty coffee shops that has dominated Tbilisi in recent years. Can you think of any other recent examples?
Culinarium Khasheria left its Bazari Orbeliani digs (hopefully the restaurant will reopen at a new location soon), while chef Tekuna Gachechiladze’s latest venture, Apotheka Bar and Lounge (below left), launched in Sololaki. The heritage pharmacy has been so lovingly restored… It’s a magical space.
Vintner Rezi Tsetskhladze opened Ferment Wine Bistro (below right) in Sololaki, while the Breakfast Is team launched a new bar-bistro, Kancellaria. One of my favourite new venues is Zeche, a multi-purpose gastro hub with a flagship restaurant that channels workers’ diner ‘sasadilo’ vibes. I have been waiting a long time for a venue that plays on Tbilisi’s Soviet period a-la Radio Bar in Tirana or Cong Caphe in Hanoi, and Zeche really hits the nail on the head. Another example of this is Satchashnike, which also opened in 2024 inside a refurbished Soviet-era space.
Another trend I see for 2025 is ‘express’ branches of popular restaurants. We already have Tamtaki Express at Zeche, Iasamani Express at Satburi, and Weller Express (an offshoot of the popular Middle Eastern restaurant in Chugureti) is set to open soon. Also from The Communal Company, a handmade pasta restaurant in Mtatsminda called Giorgio (pictured below) opened late last year. Two more venues from this brand will be coming to Chugureti in 2025.
Giorgobistve opened in a sunken courtyard in Vera, serving home-style cuisine and mtsvadi, and Iakobis Ezo opened in lower Vera. The latter pays homage to the Georgian sculptor Iakob Nikoladze and is connected to his house museum.
Warehouse wine shop and bar opened at Stamba, while Shavi took over a space near Marjanishvili Metro Station for its third branch. Two new notable bars opened in Chugureti: Drunken Poets Syndicate and -1 Bar at Unfound Door.
5 trending destinations in Georgia for 2025
Svaneti
Svaneti is already one of the most popular regions in Georgia – but with the road from Ushguli to Kutaisi/Lentekhi sealed at the end of 2024, a new road between Mestia and Ushguli now online, and concrete roads into many of the smaller villages and valleys around the region, I think it is only going to get more popular. We drove a loop through Svaneti last autumn.
Mestia Airport will receive a new terminal building in the coming years – and with it, maybe a more reliable flight schedule. In the meantime, there is now a twice-weekly coach bus service from Tbilisi to Mestia for those who prefer to avoid marshrutka vans. At some point in 2025, the road from Zugdidi is set to close for repairs, so I expect new public transit connections to Ushguli through Kutaisi will appear.
When that happens, more people will have an opportunity to visit Lower Svaneti. There are some real gems in this underrated mountainous area. JorJ’Inn in Lentekhi has a few seasons under its belt and is one of the loveliest guesthouses I have stayed at recently. I will be back to explore more of this area in 2025.
Upper Ajara
Similarly, I think improvements to the roads in mountainous Ajara will bring more people to the highlands near Batumi in 2025. This includes the Khulo-Zarzma Road, which is still being worked on. The Khulo-Tago Cable Car remains closed for repairs, but hopefully it will take to the skies once again this year.
Last year, the first annual Hiking Festival launched in this area. There are still plans for a new zipline on Chirukhi Mountain – apparently the longest dual-lane zipline in Europe. Goderdzi ski resort is gaining popularity and I think there is plenty of scope for Ajara to develop its winter tourism offerings.
Bakhmaro
The road to Bakhmaro in the highlands of Guria was asphalted in 2024. We drove it for the first time in summer when we attended the Bakhmaro Horse Cup.
Bakhmaro and Guria more broadly has so much potential – I always talk about Guria as an ‘emerging destination’. Though I am unsure of the current status, there is also a new asphalt road between Khulo and Bakhmaro, which will connect Guria with Upper Ajara (mentioned above). Both these regions are completely underrated and once connected, this could be a new powerhouse of hiking and adventure tourism.
Tsikhisdziri
Ongoing development at both ends of the Black Sea Coast – including the Ambassadori Island in Batumi and the deep-sea port in Anaklia (will either of those actually break ground in 2025?) – is pushing people towards the middle of the coast. Places such as Tsikhisdziri are having a moment as a result.
Shukura (another Adjara Group project) is already very popular, and from what I saw on my last visit, it looks like more of the abandoned villa houses in the bamboo-covered hills of Tsikhisdziri are going to be renovated or repurposed in the future. If you haven’t been yet, this area is absolutely gorgeous.
Nearby, the ‘Tea House’ in Chakvi is being turned into a museum dedicated to Georgia’s tea industry (repair works were underway when I drove past a few months ago). Tsikhisdziri is also close to the Black Sea Arena, which is slated to host a number of big-name performers this year, starting with Guns N’Roses in May.
Khevsureti
Khevsureti was the last major mountain region I had left to visit in Georgia – and it did not disappoint. Not only is it literally located between Tusheti and Kazbegi, it occupies that middle space: it is accessible by a not-too-bad road and with all the services you need, but it is still remote enough to feel a bit adventurous.
Khevsureti has both stunning landscapes and hiking, and cultural heritage and monuments. A lot of work (and investment) has been put into restoring the fortified villages of Shatili and Mutso, and I have to say that they are very well done. As Svaneti becomes more and more popular, I think Khevsureti will emerge as an alternative.
What else is new in Georgia?
2024 brought major developments on the east-west highway connecting Tbilisi with Kutaisi and Batumi. In August 2024, a second Rikoti Tunnel (one of 50 odd new tunnels on the highway) opened, further cutting down travel time. When the highway is complete (the timeline is still autumn 2025) – combined with new bypass roads that have already opened along the Black Sea Coast – travel time from Tbilisi to Batumi will apparently be 3.5 hours.
Some exciting things are coming to Kutaisi this year: A new cultural centre will open on the main square, and a digital exhibition space will launch inside the recently refurbished Golden Marquee. There is finally a solid plan to rehabilitate the Parliament Building, empty since 2012 – this year it will be turned into an innovation and technology hub complete with offices, conference halls and a science museum. I was skeptical until I heard that TUMO is behind the project. The Armenian-based company also renovated the Pyramid in Tirana, Albania.
While a few Kutaisi favourites are no longer trading in 2025 (Black Tomato Kitchen and Hostel among them), the city has a handful of excellent new venues, including restaurants Maisis Ezo and Bzholebi, and the Rotel microhotel (below left). Gala (below right) has a new space overlooking Central Park, which remains boarded up. Up the road at Gelati Monastery, there is still scaffolding up as repair works roll on.
With an unbeatable location overlooking the Rioni River, Portokhlebi opened in 2023 and had its first full season last year, adding bungalow accommodation to its restaurant-bar and pool offerings. Also near Kutaisi, a new PDO has just been established in Obcha, Baghdati Municipality, bringing the number of Protected Designations of Origin in Georgia to 30. I hope this will further bolster tourism in the country’s second-biggest wine region.
In Chiatura, the first of several rehabilitated Soviet-era cable cars relaunched in late 2024. The 1966-built line has new cables and carriages – it’s quite an upgrade from when I first rode it in 2017 (before and after below). I am always thrilled to see relics of the past being restored, and I hope this will bring visitors interested in Soviet-era architecture back to the small town.
The Chiatura mines (and the Zestafoni Ferroalloy Plant) are currently closed for an unprecedented period of six months (at least). Chiatura and Zestafoni need tourism now more than ever. Anyone interested in Soviet-era architecture should also try to visit two recently restored Houses of Culture in Shroma (Guria) and Marani (Samegrelo).
Nearby in Lechkhumi, a new walking track to the Sairme Pillars (pictured below) has been constructed. This is a welcome addition to the growing number of accessible hiking trails in the region, helped also by sealed roads to Khvamli Mountain and Lailashi.
In Kakheti, a score of exciting new hotel openings – including Bodbe Hotel, HORIZONS Bakurtsikhe (below left), Samzeo Kvareli, Ambassadori Academy and Qvevrebi – are helping to open up previously unexplored corners of the Wine Region.
Gurjaani has some incredible new street art murals that are worth travelling for (below right). The new airport in Telavi will start accepting domestic flights as early as May. Add to that a renovated Gombori Pass and the new Sagarejo Bypass – part of a bigger road project that promises to halve travel time to Sighnaghi – and there will no doubt be more farm-to-table restaurants and boutique weekenders opening up in the Alazani Valley and around Udabno in 2025.
In 2024, the longest tunnel in Georgia was cut between Kvesheti and Kobi. Nine kilometres long, it is scheduled to come online this year, along with a new road between Stepantsminda and Gveleti. By next winter, road closures and long queues of trucks waiting on the Military Highway to cross the border should (finally) be a thing of the past.
Work started to repair the road into Juta (Sno) Valley last year, and I hope that by the time hiking season rolls around in June, it will be safe to travel all the way into the village again.
Winter sports season kicked off in December with new runs in both Gudauri (below left) and Bakuriani (below right). The more I investigate skiing in Georgia – and the more time I spend on the ski fields myself (we just returned from Bakuriani) – the more I recognise Georgia’s potential as a winter sports destination. I recently spoke to Euro News about this very topic.
Regionally, Georgia will begin construction on new roads to improve connections with its neighbours to the south and southwest in 2025. Improvements will be made to the Rustavi-Red Bridge Road (linking Georgia and Azerbaijan) and to the Algeti-Sadakhlo Road (linking Georgia and Armenia), while a new section of road between Batumi and Sarpi (Turkiye) will also be created.
The strategic development of the ‘Middle Corridor’ has many (potentially) positive implications for tourism. Most notably, there is the Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki-Kars Railway (AKA the BTAK). Freight services relaunched on the line in spring 2024, which I hope is a signal that passenger services might finally start up this year. (That’s despite Azerbaijan’s reluctance to open its land border to inbound tourists.)
While it would be very nice to be able to travel from Tbilisi to Istanbul by train via Kars, the new high-speed rail between Samsun and Sarpi in Turkiye might just open first. This would make is possible to get to Istanbul via Batumi and Turkiye’s Black Sea Coast.
2025: The end of the Georgian marshrutka!?
While I firmly believe that trains are the future and would LOVE to see more investment in Georgia’s railway network (starting with the Kukusha Train, please), Georgia is still a road transport country. This shake-up has the potential to change the way everyone travels in Georgia…
On June 1, 2025, new legislation will come into place outlawing intercity marshrutka vans.
More precisely, only M3 category vehicles will be permitted to carry passengers on journeys of 150 kilometres or more.
With this new law, there are also plans to standardise Georgia’s bus stations and transport timetables. This will be preceded by a range of new rules for bus drivers that come into effect in March, including revised permit requirements.
Last year, I predicted that big changes were coming to Georgia because of its EU Candidacy status, which was made official in November 2023. Even though that has been tabled for now, this move to regulate marshrutka vans might be an example of the kinds of changes we can expect more of.
Implementing this will be a huge job, and there are already loopholes aplenty being discussed. Will you miss the humble marshrutka, or will you be glad to see them go? I am not exactly a fan – I think there are much better ways to move around Georgia these days. But they are still an integral means of local transport, and in my eyes, a part of the culture.
If we do see the last long-distance marshrutka van drive off into the distance in 2025, it will be the end of an era. I already have my twilight cruise planned for May – just in case!
Is there something I have missed? What are you excited about for 2025? If you have any other updates or news from Georgia to share with others, please leave me a comment below!
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Hi Emily, thanks for this useful information. I read with alarm the end of the marshrutki for distances greater than 150km. As it turns out, in late June we are exiting Sheki via Lagodekhi and had planned to catch a marshrutka to Tbilisi. Do you know what our options will be now? According to Google Maps, the distance between the two is 155km.
Far too soon to say… The legislation might be pushed back, the AZ border might reopen – anything could happen. Best to check again closer to the date.