Great day tour from Tbilisi! A unique glimpse back in time with some great Soviet architecture.

What an extraordinary window into the mid 20th century, and a (then) futuristic industrial- residential complex that must confirmed in many Soviet citizens the inevitable victory of socialism was just around the corner. The extraordinary 3 dimensional public transport system, linking disconnected suburbs with mine sites, industrial plants, mine sites and the civic centre, in a setting of near-total dilapidation - yet somehow still clinging to some kind of “normal” life, has weirdly science-fictional feeling to it. Standing on one of the ruined hilltop “suburbs”, where even now a few shattered Soviet era flats are still occupied, one can see see the remaining operational cable cars, industrial and public transport, Criss crossing the valley and imagine how advanced the whole setup must have looked back in the early 1950s.
I approached the cable car ride with some trepidation, but it all worked fine. I would not have missed this for anything. Added extras included a very worthwhile visit to what would have been the cultural centre for the city, a performing arts theatre in a rather sophisticated style that linked bauhaus with art moderne. Although it is also worn down to the bone, the theatre continues to host intermittent musical & theatrical performances.
Bookends to the tour, the remarkable cave monastery and the Katskhi pillar, round out a very full, and fulfilling day.
All this is hosted by lively, whip-smart and very knowledgeable Maria, whose energy and passion for Georgia, and perhaps especially this aspect of its past, present and future, make this unusual tour one out of the box.
Don’t miss it,

A day trip to Armenie ? I was not sure - Georgie is such a great country and so much to discover and one day in Armenia what will I learn and see anyway ? .... How wrong was I and how happy am I that I booked this tour ! Together with my partner we did the tour with Maria and her too funny driver (she is the best driver of Georgie and don´t worry she is also a nurse ...) and we did not stop talking the whole day - so many stories, questions, discussions, ideas and especially the most beautiful legends she can tell you. Do not even think about it - just book the tour and you really get an idea of Armenie - see the most beautiful monasteries - get an idea of USSR footprint in the country and will meet so many great people. For sure you end the day with the biggest smile !

Really great walking tour. Levan was a very knowledgable and helpful guide and we learnt so much about Georgia and its history and culture. Much better than a guide book!
Highly recommended!

Our tour of Old Tbilisi was a fabulous experience under the great guidance of Maria. She has a very calm and relaxed demeanour and she speaks fondly of the old city's history in a very informative and non-boring way. We chuckled at the fact that although we are not history lovers, she made the conversational "history lesson" extremely pleasant and interesting.

The way Maria operates, communicates with her customers, shows and tells the stories about Tbilisi is a sounding A++ in our book.

We sincerely thank you Maria for a truly relaxing, wonderful and spectacular tour of a tiny part of Georgia.

We will surely ask you again to show and tell us about other parts of the country in the near future.

Our guide was exceptionally good and very informative. Her knowledge was encyclopaedic and was delivered enthusiastically and with humour.
A great tour

We read several reviews and all mentioned a sensational tour guide - Maria.

So, after flying into Tbilisi on Saturday afternoon, a nice stroll through Tbilisi on Sunday was considered a great way to get a better understanding of the city, defined landmarks and soak up the incredible history and culture of Georgia.
The booking and attention to detail is professional (multiple emails, personal text message from Maria) before you arrive, provides a nice degree of comfort about your booking.
The tour itself is absolutely first class, Maria loves Tbilisi and is incredibly knowledgeable of its history.
You feel as if a good friend is showing you around...Maria is a huge asset to the company and a fabulous individual.
Simply - this tour is the first tour you MUST complete before looking further afield for other tours outside Tbilisi.