What is the best sulphur bath in Tbilisi?
For a first visit, the best sulphur bath in Tbilisi is Gulo’s Thermal Spa, whose private rooms keep the old tiled mosaics and domed roofs and stay open until 3am. For renovated suites with saunas, every price published and online booking, choose Chreli-Abano.
Best for a first visit
Gulo's Thermal Spa8 rooms, open to 3amPriced on requestBook on WhatsAppSee detailsBest for the finest room
Chreli-Abano12 rooms, book onlinefrom about£19a person an hour for two65 GELBookSee details
Abanotubani, Tbilisi Pick 1 of 2First-timers after the old bath house feel
Gulo's Thermal Spa
Priced on request
Private sulphur bath rooms in Abanotubani. Run by Gulo's Thermal Spa.
The old bath house feel: mosaic rooms under brick domes, hot and cold pools, open until 3am.
No published prices: rooms are quoted by WhatsApp, so get the room, hours and price in writing.
- 8 roomsall private, the larger ones with a sauna
- Open to 3amfrom 07:00, every day
- Hot and coldpools, even in the cheapest room
- By WhatsApproom photos and prices sent first
Why it's great, and who should skip it
Why it's great
- Rooms keep the old Abanotubani look, with tiled mosaics and domed roofs, and hot and cold pools even in the cheapest.
- Open 07:00 to 03:00 every day, so a soak fits after a day trip or a late dinner.
- Message first and the bath house sends room photos and prices, so you choose the room before you commit.
Skip it if
- You want to see every price and book online without messaging: Chreli-Abano.
- You want a shared bath for a few lari: see public baths.
In the price
- A private room with hot and cold sulphur pools and a shower, yours for the hours you book
- Slippers
Not in the price
- The kisi scrub, about 20 GEL, paid to the attendant in cash
- Towel hire
Chreli-Abano, Abanotubani, Tbilisi Pick 2 of 2Anyone after the finest rooms in the district
Chreli-Abano
from about£19a person an hour for two, 65 GEL
Private sulphur bath rooms behind the blue-tiled facade. Run by Chreli-Abano.
Every room and its hourly price on its own site, bookable online, behind the blue mosaic facade.
Everything past the room costs extra, from towels to the cash-only scrub, and the hour is kept to the minute.
- 12 roomsfor 1 or 2 up to groups of 12
- Book onlinefrom the next day, or by phone
- 09:00 to 23:00every day
- 80% backif you cancel 1 to 2 working days ahead
Why it's great, and who should skip it
Why it's great
- Eleven private rooms and a Royal Apartment, each with its size, pools and price an hour shown before you book.
- Rooms 1, 2 and 4 add a cold pool and a Finnish sauna for 200 GEL an hour, the price of the plainer rooms 3 and 5.
- The blue-tiled facade is the best-known sight in Abanotubani, and Pushkin and Dumas both bathed here.
Skip it if
- You want the old domed rooms rather than a renovated spa: Gulo's Thermal Spa.
- You want to go after 23:00: Gulo's Thermal Spa stays open until 3am.
In the price
- A private room for the hours you book, from 1 hour in 30-minute steps
- A hot sulphur pool in every room; hot and cold pools and a Finnish sauna in rooms 1, 2, 4 and 11 and the Royal Apartment
- A changing or relaxation room, shower and toilet
Not in the price
- The kisi scrub, about 30 GEL, paid in cash only
- Towels, sheets and slippers, bought on site
- Massage (from 100 GEL) and food from the Istoria restaurant
CancellationOnline bookings: 80% back if you cancel 1 to 2 working days ahead, nothing after that; rooms paid at reception are not refunded
Price checked 29 September 2026.
How much does a sulphur bath cost in Tbilisi?
A private room costs from about £38 (130 GEL) an hour for one or two people at Chreli-Abano, and everyone in the room shares that price, so each person pays less in a bigger group.
Gulo's Thermal Spa
Sent by message, with photos
Price on WhatsApp- Open 07:00 to 03:00
- Hot and cold pools
- Scrub extra, in cash
No published price list; the bath house sends room photos and prices by WhatsApp.
Book on WhatsAppWith Gulo's
Chreli-Abano
about£19a person
about£15a person
about£14a person
about£10a person
about£16a person
65 GEL each
53 GEL each
50 GEL each
33 GEL each
56 GEL each
£38 for 2
£46 for 3
£58 for 4
£58 for 6
£145 for 9
£174 for 12
- 1 hour, then 30-minute steps
- Towels and scrub extra
- 80% back, 1 to 2 work days
The price of the smallest room that fits your group, for one hour; then 30-minute steps.
BookWith Chreli-Abano
Sources and exchange rates
Gulo's Thermal Spa: Gulo's Thermal Spa WhatsApp business account and Instagram, checked 29 September 2026, prices in GEL. Chreli-Abano: chreliabano.ge room list and refund policy, checked 29 September 2026, prices in GEL. Checked 29 September 2026. Pounds at the official rate of the National Bank of Georgia, in force 26 September 2026, published 25 September (3.4543 GEL to the pound); the official rate of the National Bank of Georgia, in force 26 September 2026, published 25 September (2.6080 GEL to the dollar), rounded.
Private room, public bath or spa?
A private room is the right choice for most first visits, a public bath is the cheapest way to try the water, and a spa-style suite adds a sauna and massage for a higher price. At busy times the baths need booking earlier than most hand-picked experiences in Tbilisi, because a private room needs a time slot.
A private room, booked by the hour
The right choice for a first visit, for couples and for families. You soak, scrub and rest at your own pace, and everyone in the room shares its price.
- Both picks rent private rooms only
- Children are welcome in a private room
A shared bath, split into men's and women's sides
Public baths cost 10 to 30 GEL a person an hour on the official tourism site's figures. You share the hot pools with other bathers, usually nude, and the ritual is the same: a long soak, then a scrub if you ask.
- Neither of our picks has a public bath
- Photographs are not allowed in the public baths
A larger suite with a sauna and a massage
At Chreli-Abano, rooms 1, 2 and 4 add a cold pool and a Finnish sauna for 200 GEL an hour, room 11 does the same for up to 9 at 500 GEL, and the Royal Apartment adds a Turkish sauna and a massage room for up to 12 at 600 GEL.
- Gulo's larger rooms also have a sauna; ask for one when you message
Six things to ask before you book a room
- How many people does the room take, and does it have a cold pool or a sauna?
- What is the price an hour, and what is the shortest booking?
- What do the scrub and a massage cost, and are they paid in cash?
- Are towels and slippers included, or extra?
- What time do you close?
- Until when can you cancel, and how much comes back?
What to expect: the scrub, the water and what to bring
Expect a soak in naturally hot, sulphur-rich water, then a scrub, and a massage if you book one. The water rises from hot springs beneath the city and carries the smell of sulphur.
- 38 to 40°Cthe hot pools; soak in spells of four or five minutes, with a cold dip or shower between
- Kisi scrubten to fifteen minutes with a coarse mitt, paid to the attendant in cashGulo's Thermal Spa: about 20 GELChreli-Abano: about 30 GEL
- Towels extraat both; bring swimwear, a light towel and a bottle of waterGulo's Thermal Spa: towel hireChreli-Abano: towels, slippers
- Open lateevenings are the busiest time, so book those aheadGulo's Thermal Spa: until 03:00Chreli-Abano: until 23:00
An evening soak is a good way to end a day out of Tbilisi. Check the time your trip gets back, then book the room for after it.
What is a kisi scrub?
A kisi scrub, or kisa, is a vigorous scrub with a coarse mitt, given by a bath attendant after your soak. It usually costs 10 to 20 GEL on the official tourism site’s figures, more at the grander bath houses, and it is paid on top of the room, in cash. Ask for it when you book or when you arrive.
Are sulphur baths good for you?
Yes, for relaxing, but its health claims are tradition rather than medical advice. Sulphur water is believed to help skin conditions, ease joint pain and improve circulation. The heat is what to be careful with. Chreli-Abano does not recommend its baths to anyone with blood pressure problems or a heart condition, or to pregnant women. NHS content published by GP practices says there is little research on hot tubs and steam rooms in pregnancy, and that pregnant women may choose to avoid them because of the risk of overheating, dehydration and fainting. Ask your doctor before you go if you are pregnant or have a condition that heat affects.
How to book a sulphur bath in Tbilisi
You book a private room for a start time and a number of hours, online at Chreli-Abano from the next day or by WhatsApp at Gulo’s Thermal Spa, which replies with room photos and prices. Say how many people are coming, because the room you need depends on the size of your group, and ask for a kisi scrub or a massage at the same time.
Do you need to book ahead?
Yes, at busy times. Georgia’s official tourism site says walking in is usually possible in the shoulder and low seasons, but advises booking ahead at peak times, because most bath houses have only a few rooms and even a few guests can fill them. It names summer and early autumn as the busiest seasons and evenings as the busiest time of day, and says weekdays and daytime visits are quieter.
Abanotubani, the bath district
Abanotubani is Tbilisi’s old bath district, beside the Mtkvari river at the foot of Narikala fortress, and both picks are there, a short walk from Sololaki, Rike Park and the old town. Its name means “bath district”, and a food tour in Tbilisi through the old town pairs easily with a room booked for afterwards.
Why is Tbilisi built around its baths?
Tbilisi is built around its baths because, legend says, the city began at a hot spring here, when King Vakhtang Gorgasali’s falcon fell into it and the king chose to build a city around the warm water. The name Tbilisi comes from the Georgian word for warm. By the end of the 13th century, 65 baths were recorded in the city; fewer than a dozen still operate, most of them under the brick domes that rise out of the ground in Abanotubani and let the heat escape.
Sulphur bath questions
How long should you stay in a sulphur bath?
An hour is the usual booking, and it is enough for a soak, a scrub and a second soak. Take the heat in short spells and drink water, because long soaks in hot water raise your body temperature.
Do you need a swimsuit?
No, not in a private room, because the room is yours and swimwear is your choice. Sulphur water can stain some fabrics, dark colours especially, so bring an old swimsuit if you wear one, and a bag to carry it home wet. Public baths are split into men’s and women’s sides, and bathers there usually go nude.
Can children go to the sulphur baths?
Yes, children can go in a private room booked for your family. Keep their soaks short, because the hot pools run at 38 to 40°C, and say when you book that children are coming.
Which is right, sulphur or sulfur?
Both are correct. Sulphur is the British spelling and sulfur the American one; Georgia’s official tourism site uses sulfur, and so do some of the bath houses in their names.
How we picked
We compared the bath houses of Abanotubani on what a visitor gets for the money, from the rooms and the price an hour to what costs extra and how you book. We read each bath house’s own pages and its independent reviews, and checked every price and booking rule on 25 and 29 September 2026.