The main Georgian resort on the Black Sea is gaining a second life: skyscrapers are rapidly growing on the embankment, fashionable restaurants are opening, and new areas are appearing. Batumi is turning into a bustling city, where there is room for both expensive hotels with casinos and national flavor: next to luxurious attractions there are cute courtyards where locals dry clothes and play backgammon.
How to get there
Russia does not have direct flights with Georgia. You can fly through Baku or Yerevan, the cost of the flight starts from 30,000 rubles* one way. The route through Vladikavkaz will take a little longer, but will be cheaper – plane tickets can be purchased from 12,000 rubles* round trip, then by bus or minibus across the border to Tbilisi. From there you can get to Batumi by a comfortable double-decker train in 5.5 hours.
Batumi Airport is located 7 km from the center. Railway station (Batumi-Passenger station) – 4 km. It’s convenient to get to the city by taxi, it’s cheap: Yandex.Taxi and the local Bolt operate in the region.
Entry rules
Russian tourists can visit Georgia only with a foreign passport; a visa is not required. Vaccination certificates and PCR tests are also not required. You can stay in the country for no more than one year.
Where to stay
Batumi has a wide variety of accommodation options – from inexpensive hostels and guest houses to five-star hotels on the first coastline.
If a sea view is not important to you, look for housing in the Old Town or near Rustaveli Avenue. You can save money if you rent an apartment in the Chavchavadze or Gorgiladze area – the embankment is a 10-minute walk away.
We have selected several hotels with good ratings from visitors for every taste and budget:
- Paliashvili in chakvi (rating 10 out of 10) – hotel next to the Botanical Garden, with a beautiful view from the balcony, accommodation costs start from 3,200 rubles*.
- Hotel Soft (rating 9.6 out of 10) is a cozy hotel in the Gorgiladze area. The cost of accommodation starts from 3,400 rubles*.
- Komuna Hostel & Hotel (rating 9.6 out of 10) – a hostel with double rooms. The cost of accommodation starts from 2,300 rubles*.
- Beautiful Horizon First Line (rating 9.4 out of 10) – apartments on the first line with sea views. Accommodation prices start from 4,000 rubles*.
- Boutique Hotel O. Galogre (rating 8.8 out of 10) is a boutique hotel in the Old Town near Piazza. The cost of accommodation starts from 6,700 rubles*.
Things to do
In Batumi, given its small size, you won’t have to think about what to do. Here you can relax by the sea, wander for a long time along the embankment, try delicious national food in restaurants, admire the quaint architecture of houses and drive around the surrounding area. We tell you what you need to do to experience all the romance of the Black Sea resort mixed with Georgian hospitality.
Walk through the Old Town
The Old Town in Batumi is a cultural and historical district with restored 19th-century buildings, narrow pavements, paving stones, fruit and souvenir shops, and, of course, wine shops.
Start your walk from the Piazza: drink coffee at one of the street cafes, admire the marble mosaic in the center and the tower with the musical clock. They say that the architect, when developing this place, was inspired by Italian architecture – there is a resemblance to St. Mark’s Square in Venice.
Then go to Europe Square. In its center there is a 130-meter statue of Medea and a dancing fountain, and around there are ancient buildings with towers. The most memorable of them is with the astronomical clock on the corner, which show not only the time, but also the location of the Sun and the current phase of the Moon.
Ride a scooter along Batumi Boulevard
The Old Town is adjacent to Batumi Boulevard, which separates it from the beach. This is a 7-kilometer pedestrian and cycling area with a park, sculptures and singing fountains. Locals and tourists come here for jogging and evening promenades, ride along the sea on electric scooters and watch sunsets. You can rent scooters in the toGO GE and Eleven applications (minute – from 0.3 GEL).
The boulevard begins in Miracle Park with the Ferris wheel and the Alphabet Tower. At the top of the latter there is a rotating observation deck; entrance to it is paid – 10 GEL. Here, by the sea, there is a moving installation “Ali and Nino” and a stone lighthouse. The latter was built by the Turks in the 19th century, then it stood right by the sea, but a hundred years later, during the construction of the embankment, the coastline was moved back several hundred meters.
In good weather, you can play tennis on the old part of the boulevard near the Veterans Club (racket rental – 10 GEL/hour).
Spend the whole day at the beach
One of the main summer activities in Batumi is to soak up the sun and swim in the Black Sea. The beach season here begins at the end of May, the water off the coast warms up by July, and August is considered the “high” season.
There are several municipal beaches within the city; they are pebbly and equipped with everything you need: there are changing cabins, and you can rent sun loungers and umbrellas for the whole day for 3–5 GEL. Nearby you will find cafes and ice cream stands, as well as water activities: scooters, banana boats or parasailing.
If you want a relaxing holiday and beautiful views, you can go to the pebble suburban beaches of Gonio, Kvariati and Sarpi. There is a sandy beach in the resort village of Ureki, it is very unusual – covered with black magnetic sand.
Have a picnic in the Botanical Garden
When you want to escape from lively Batumi, go to the Botanical Garden. This is a huge park near the city, where, thanks to the subtropical climate, blue eucalyptus and Japanese sakura, 125-year-old magnolias and a bamboo grove, palm trees and giant sequoias coexist perfectly. There are even tea and citrus plantations.
The garden is divided into 21 zones: you can see plants from Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, North America and the Himalayas. In addition, there are panoramic areas overlooking the sea and its own beach near the old railway station, and picnic areas are located in specially designated areas.
It’s better to come here for the whole day. The entrance ticket costs 20 GEL. You can walk around the territory on foot (be prepared for numerous climbs) or take a ride in an electric car (one way trip – 10 GEL).
Admire the city from above
You can see the panorama of Batumi and its surroundings from the observation deck on Mount Anuria. Tourists climb it by Argo cable car in 10 minutes. Closed cabins slowly float over the city, you can see from above residential areas where tourists rarely wander.
The view from the top station is mesmerizing: on one side there is Batumi and the Black Sea, on the other there are the hills of Adjara and snow-capped mountains. On summer evenings, Georgian musicians perform on the observation deck.
A ticket for the cable car costs 30 GEL. You can also climb the mountain on foot, walking for about 5 kilometers with a height gain of 250 meters. Get directions in Google maps or Maps.me.
Take a photo with an airplane flying nearby
At the end of the New Boulevard there is an unusual location: right behind the beach and the road the runway of the Batumi airport begins. Airplanes can be seen very close here; they fly several hundred meters overhead. The most beautiful photos can be taken at sunset. There are usually few flights, check the online board in advance to find out the time.
Eat your fill of Adjarian-style khachapuri
Batumi is the capital of the Adjara region. And it is here that you should try the famous Georgian Adjarian-style khachapuri – those same “boats” with egg and deliciously stretchy cheese. According to tourists, the most delicious Adjarian-style khachapuri can be found in the “Heart of Batumi”, “Adjarian House” and “Laguna” cafes. For an average “boat” you will pay 10–12 GEL, this portion can be divided between two.
Take a look at the futuristic McDonald’s
The Batumi McDonald’s building looks atypical for a catering chain: it resembles either an Expo pavilion or a UFO ship. This two-story building made of glass panels with panoramic views was designed by Georgian architect Georgiy Khmaladze. The inside is spacious and bright, there was even room for a garden with living plants.
Find a piece of Turkey
Behind the port in the old part of Batumi there is Kutaisi Street. On both sides of it lies the Turkish quarter: Georgian speech is almost inaudible here and at every step there are food stalls with doners and kebabs, national shops and shops with oriental sweets. In the center of the quarter is the Orta Jame Mosque, a symbol of the influence of the Turks on the region.
If such color within the city is not enough, you can go to Turkey itself for one day to the border village of Kemalpasa: look at the typical outback and do some shopping at the “Istanbul Bazaar”. There are simple minibuses from Batumi to the Georgian-Turkish border, the journey takes about half an hour. Russians do not need a visa to visit the country.
*Prices valid at time of publication.
