The Destination
Although it was aviation geekery which motivated this trip, I was keen to see more of Tbilisi than just the airport, so I budgeted a few days for sightseeing in advance of BA’s inaugural flight to London. Georgia would be a new country for me, but my second visit to the Caucasus. My time in neighbouring Armenia was almost entirely spent in Yerevan, which I had found fascinating; as this would be a shorter break I decided to again concentrate on the capital, and was interested to see how they would compare.
The Accommodation
Having manoeuvred myself into top-tier VIP status with Radisson Rewards late last year, it made sense to make use of the benefits as much as possible in 2025, and they have two properties in Tbilisi.
The Radisson Blu has a curious history. Constructed in the late 60’s by the Soviet government, the Hotel Iveria was intended to be Georgia’s most luxurious, yet by the early 90s it had become a refugee camp. The residents were evicted in 2004 and it took five years for a near-total rebuild, with the structure stripped back to the steel frame.
By contrast, the Radisson Red is a newer hotel – only opening its doors to guests in 2023 – housed in a much older building, a 1920’s post office facility. Situated to the east of the river, it’s in a less convenient location for sight-seeing than the Iveria, which is just off Rustaveli Avenue. But the Red’s traditional Georgian architecture, from the street façade to the enclosed balconies overlooking an inner courtyard, appealed more than the international style high-rise glass of the Blu.
Thanks to my status I was doubly-upgraded to a superior room with a balcony – one of just four on the front of the building, offering views along Aghmashenebeli Ave to the Holy Trinity Cathedral. The room itself was enormous, with an ultra-high ceiling; everything still seemed brand new, with plenty of stylish touches. The bathroom was one of the nicest I’ve encountered recently, the shower a particular highlight. Yet the asking price (for a standard room) was less than £90 a night – falling to £68 once I stacked the Radisson Rewards discount booster on top of an app-only rate.
Free breakfast is another perk at VIP level, and although the cooked spread was a bit unusual – not sure I’d start my day with peppers or carrots – there were both familiar continental items and a Georgian corner offering local fare. I also resorted to room service for dinner one night, and was presented with a mountain of food for what would have been a very reasonable price, were I not double-charged… That was a side effect of a somewhat chaotic check-out experience, which was the only fault in an otherwise excellent stay.
The Tourist Attractions
I’ve sketched out my route between various landmarks in another post, but the urban fabric of Tbilisi itself was an attraction, one that rewarded exploring on foot. I delighted in how much architectural variety there was, and how it was all mixed together: old and new, soviet and western. Shops and cafes spilled out onto footpaths or nestled in half-hidden courtyards; street art enlivened utility boxes and walls. Being a pedestrian was not without its hazards – crossing most roads required striding confidently into traffic, and stray dogs roamed the city. But I found it easy to navigate and communicate with just English, taxi drivers being the notable exception – although that’s easily handled by booking through Bolt.
That was how I made my way to and from the Chronicles of Georgia – although still in Tbilisi, it’s about a 40 minute drive from the main tourist areas, and didn’t seem easy to reach by public transport. It’s worth the trip, however: a hilltop monument whose vast pillars are decorated with metal plates celebrating Georgian history (with a surprising amount of religious themes considering its Soviet origins). Its location also allows for views of both the Tbilisi Sea (actually an artificial reservoir) and residential districts in the north of the city.
The Meal
For most of my travels food is simply fuel – I think Helsinki was the last place I actively enjoyed the cuisine. But Georgia’s hearty fare – heavy on bread, potato and cheese, making it easy to stick to a vegetarian diet – were well within my comfort zone, and offered at unbelievably low prices.
Traditional dumplings known as Khinkali are a must-try, and I sampled a variety of fillings from different vendors. I also enjoyed a cheese and mushroom filled Chebureki, but my favourite dish was Acharuli Khachapuri, a cheese-filled bread topped off with an egg: so good I had it twice in three days!
The Flights
Connecting through Istanbul to Tbilisi gave me the chance to try Turkish Airlines. I was hoping my debut would be on one of their widebody aircraft, but this flight was operated with an A320, my most flown plane. Still, Turkish offers a lot more in short haul economy than I’m used to from other European carriers. In particular, a hot meal (served with proper cutlery!), was provided to every passenger; and in-flight entertainment was available via streaming to personal devices. Admittedly, all this comes at a price: for the 840 mile / two and a half hour flight I paid £175 one-way, plus another £35 to secure a front row, extra legroom seat.
Although I’m always keen to sample an unfamiliar airline, it was the flight back that I was most excited about. BA inherited the Tbilisi- London route when it acquired BMI in 2012, but phased it out the following year; thus I feel comfortable in describing this first departure of the 2025 summer season as an inaugural.
I arrived at the airport around 5:30am, and despite the early hour wine and snacks had been set out at check-in. Access to the BA counters was via a balloon arch, and they’d been decorated with Georgian and British flags. This turned out to be the extent of celebrations for passengers, though, with nothing special at the departure gate. There was a bit more excitement on the tarmac – during boarding my big camera prompted a thumbs up from the flight deck, and the ground crew took plenty of photos before waving us off.
At 2227 great circle miles, this becomes BA’s longest Heathrow short haul route – and in reality it’s even longer. To avoid Ukrainian airspace we essentially reversed my LHR-IST-TBS legs from earlier in the week, racking up fully 5 and a half hours in the air. That’s a long time to spend on a narrow-body, even in business class: this is Club Europe, not Club World; so offers a bit more legroom than economy and a blocked middle seat, rather than a flatbed suite. Today’s aircraft was an almost brand new A320 Neo (delivered in July 2024), with the latest interior and much larger overhead bins – yet no wifi.
I actually found the time passed quickly. There was certainly no risk of going hungry, with the cooked breakfast (a choice of full English, Arabic Mezze or Shakshuka) supplemented by regular runs of the drinks trolley and snack basket. With 3 seats to myself – until a passenger self-upgraded! – I was able to settle in, finish off my polarsteps log of the trip, and make good progress with a book. Before I knew it, we were approaching London – complete with aerial views of the village I grew up in – and would have landed on time were it not for an ATC hold.
It’s a shame the inaugural once again had little fanfare, but I’m glad to have added another entry to my collection of `firsts and lasts’. I’m not sure I can recommend the outbound BA flight from London – that’s overnight, with a brutal 05:30 arrival time – but the return leg is definitely a viable option.
However you get there, Tbilisi is well worth a visit – and perhaps it’s better to see it sooner rather than later, depending on whether Georgia grows closer to Russia or Europe. I certainly hope to return and explore more of the country – and indeed the rest of the Caucasus, with Azerbaijan also on my list. But if you’re looking for an introduction to the region, a short city break in Tbilisi would be a great way to start.