The main Georgian resort on the Black Sea gains a second life: skyscrapers are rapidly growing on the embankment, fashionable restaurants open, new areas appear. Batumi turns into a noisy city, where there is a place for both expensive hotels with a casino and a national color: pretty courtyards are adjacent to the luxurious attractions, where the locals dry linen and play backgammon.
How to get
Russia does not have direct air traffic with Georgia. You can fly through Baku or Yerevan, the cost of the flight starts from 30,000 rubles* in one direction. The route through Vladikavkaz will take a little more time, but it will cost cheaper-tickets for the plane can be purchased from 12,000 rubles* back and fifth, then by bus or minibus across the border to Tbilisi. From there to Batumi you can get on a comfortable two -story train in 5.5 hours.
Batumi airport is located 7 km from the center. Railway station (Batumi-Passenger station)-4 km. It is convenient to get to the city by taxi, it is cheap: Yandex.Taxi and local Bolt are operating in the region.
Entrance rules
Russian tourists can visit Georgia only by passport, a visa is not needed. Certificates of vaccination and PCR tests are also not required. You can be in the country for no more than one year.
Where to stop
Batumi has many different options for living – from inexpensive hostels and guest houses to five -star hotels on the first coastline.
If the sea view is not fundamental to you, look for housing in the old city or in the area of Rustaveli Avenue. You can save if you rent apartments in the area of Chavchavadze or Gorgiladze – an embankment 10 minutes walk.
We picked up several hotels with good grades of visitors for every taste and budget:
- Paliashvili in Chakvi (rating 10 out of 10) – a hotel next to a botanical garden, with a beautiful look from the balcony, the cost of placement starts at 3,200 rubles*.
- Hotel Soft (rating 9.6 out of 10) – a cozy hotel in the Gorgiladze area. The cost of placement starts from 3,400 rubles*.
- Komuna Hostel & Hotel (rating 9.6 out of 10) is a hostel with double numbers. The cost of placement starts from 2,300 rubles*.
- Beautiful Horizon First Line (rating 9.4 out of 10) – apartments on the first line with sea views. The cost of placement starts at 4,000 rubles*.
- Boutique Hotel O. Galogre (rating 8.8 out of 10) is a boutique hotel in the old city next to Piazza Square. The cost of placement starts from 6,700 rubles*.
What to do
In Batumi, with its small sizes, you will not have to think what to do. Here you can relax by the sea, wander around the promenade for a long time, try delicious national food in restaurants, consider the bizarre architecture of the houses and travel around the neighborhood. We tell you what to do to feel all the romance of the Black Sea resort mixed with Georgian hospitality.
Take a walk around the old city
The old city in Batumi is a cultural and historical area with restored buildings of the XIX century, narrow bridge, paving stones, fruit and souvenir shops, and, of course, wine shops.
Start a walk with Piazza Square: drink coffee at a table of one of the street cafes, admire the marble mosaic in the center and a tower with music clock. They say that the architect was inspired by the Italian architecture in the development of this place-the resemblance to San Marko Square in Venice is caught.
Then go to Europe Square. Its center has a 130-meter statue of Medea and a dancing fountain, and around-ancient buildings with towers. The most memorable of them is with astronomical hours on the corner, which show not only time, but also the location of the sun and the current phase of the moon.
Ride a scooter in Batumsky Boulevard
The Batuma Boulevard is adjacent to the old city, which separates it from the beach. This is a 7-kilometer pedestrian and bicycle area with a park, sculptures and singing fountains. Local and tourists go here to run and evening promenade, ride along the sea on electric scooters and meet sunsets. You can rent scooters in the Togo GE and Eleven applications (a minute – from 0.3 Lari).
The boulevard in the Park of Miracles with the Ferris Wheel and the Tower of the Alphabet begins. At the top of the latter there is a rotating observation deck, the entrance to it is paid – 10 Lari. Here, by the sea are the moving installation of Ali and Nino and the 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, when erecting the embankment, the shore line was pushed by several hundred meters.
In good weather, on the old part of the boulevard near the club of veterans, you can play tennis (rental of missiles – 10 Lari/hour).
Spend the whole day on the beach
One of the main classes in the summer in Batumi is to soak in the sun and swim in the Black Sea. The beach season here begins at the end of May, the water near the coast warms up by July, and August is considered a “high” season.
There are several municipal beaches within the city, they are pebble and equipped with everything necessary: there are cabins for changing clothes, and you can rent sunbeds and umbrellas for the whole day for 3-5 Lari. Nearby you will find cafes and frozen kiosks, as well as water entertainments: scooters, bananas or paraseyling.
If you want a relaxed rest and beautiful views, you can get out to the pebble suburban beaches of Honio, Kvariati and Sarpi. The sandy shore is in the resort village of Ureki, it is very unusual – covered with black magnetic sand.
Arrange a picnic in the botanical garden
When you want to escape from a busy 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 bamboo groves, palm trees and giant sequoias get along well. There are even tea and citrus plantations.
The garden is divided into 21 zone: you can see plants from Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, North America and Himalayas. In addition, there are panoramic sites with a sea view and their beach at the old railway station, and in specially designated places there are zones for picnics.
It is better to come here for the whole day. The input ticket costs 20 Lary. You can walk around the territory on foot (get ready for numerous upsurges) or ride an electric car (a one -way trip – 10 Lari).
Admire the city from a height
You can see the panorama of Batumi and its environs from the observation deck on Mount Anuria. Tourists rise to it along the Argo cable car in 10 minutes. Closed boines slowly swim over the city, you can have time to examine the residential areas where tourists rarely wander.
The view from the upper station is fascinating: on the one hand, Batumi and the Black Sea, on the other, the hills of Adjara and the snowy mountains. Summer evenings on the observation deck are Georgian musicians.
A ticket for the cable car costs 30 Lari. You can climb the mountain on foot, go about 5 kilometers with a set of heights of 250 meters. Put the route in Google cards or Maps.me.
Take a picture with an airplane flying nearby
At the end of the new boulevard there is an unusual location: immediately behind the beach and the road begins the take-off and landing strip of the Batum airport. The planes here can be seen very close, they fly a few hundred meters above their heads. The most beautiful photos can be taken at sunset. There are usually few flights, check in advance an online note to guess the time.
Get in plenty of khachapuri in Ajar
Batumi is the capital of the region of Adjara. And it is here that the famous Georgian khachapuri in Ajars is worth trying-those very “boats” with an egg and appetizing cheese. According to tourists, the most delicious khachapuri in Ajars can be found in the cafe “Batumi heart”, “Adjarsky house” and “Laguna”. For the average “boat”, pay 10-12 Lari, this portion can be divided into two.
Look at the futuristic McDonald’s
The Batumian McDonald’s building looks atypical for a catering network: it resembles either the Pavilion of the Expo exhibition, or the UFO ship. This two -story building made of glass panels with a panoramic look was invented by the Georgian architect Georgy Khmalaladze. Inside is spacious and light, there was even a place 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, the Turkish quarter was spread out: Georgian speech is almost not heard here and at every step there are ealni with donors and kebabs, national shops and shops with oriental sweets. In the center of the quarter is the mosque of Ort Jama, a symbol of the influence of the Turks on the region.
If such a color in the city is not enough, you can go to the Border village of Kemalpash for one day to one day: look at a typical hinterland and shove to the “Istanbul bazaar”. To the Georgian-Turkish border, simple minibuses go from Batumi, on the way for about half an hour. Russians do not need a visa to visit the country.
*Prices are valid at the time of publication.
