The best sulphur baths in Tbilisi: rooms, prices and booking

What is the best sulphur bath in Tbilisi?

Chreli-Abano is the best sulphur bath in Tbilisi for most first visits, because every room, pool and price is published before you book and the room can be paid by card, from about $50 (130 GEL) an hour for two. Royal Bath is the one to book for an old domed room with arches, or for a group of up to eight.

Best for a first visit
Chreli-Abano12 rooms, cardabout$25a person for two in one room, one hour, room only65 GEL Book See details
Best for an old domed room
Royal Bath5 rooms, cashabout$29a person for two in one room, one hour, room only75 GEL Book See details

Today

Chreli-Abano

Open: 09:00 to 23:00, every day
Where: Abano Street 2, Abanotubani, Tbilisi
Call: +995 32 293 00 93

Online booking opens from the next day.

Royal Bath

Open: 08:00 to 23:00, every day
Where: Ioseb Grishashvili Street, Abanotubani, Tbilisi
Call: +995 32 219 67 00, or WhatsApp +995 555 502200

Georgia's tourism administration says walking in is usually possible in the shoulder and low seasons and advises booking ahead at peak times.

Chreli-Abano, Abanotubani, Tbilisi
Pick 1 of 2First visits, couples and families
Chreli-Abano
about$25a person for two in one room, one hour, room only, 65 GELAll in for two, one hour, a scrub each: about $73 (190 GEL), scrub paid in cash.
Book with Chreli-Abano
Private sulphur bath rooms behind the blue mosaic facade. Run by Chreli-Abano.
Every room, pool and price published before you book, and the room paid by card.
Towels, slippers and the cash-only scrub cost extra, and the hour is timed strictly.
- 12 roomsfor 1 or 2 up to groups of 12
- Cardfor the room; cash for the scrub
- 09:00 to 23:00every day
- 80% backfor online bookings, 1 to 2 working days out
Why it's great, and who should skip it
Why it's great
- Twelve private rooms, each listed with its pools, sauna and price an hour, so you know what you get before you pay.
- Rooms 1, 2 and 4 add a cold pool and a sauna for about $77 (200 GEL), the price of rooms 3 and 5 with a hot pool only.
- Book online from the next day and pay the room by card; only the scrub needs cash.
Skip it if
- You want an old domed room with arches rather than a renovated one, so book Royal Bath.
- You are seven or eight, because Royal Bath's largest room costs about $111 (290 GEL), against about $192 (500 GEL) here.
In the price
- A private room for the time you book, from 1 hour, then in 30-minute steps
- A hot sulphur pool in every room, with a shower and toilet
- Hot and cold pools and a Finnish sauna in rooms 1, 2 and 4, room 11 and the Royal Apartment
Not in the price
- The kisa scrub, about $12 (30 GEL), in cash only
- Towels, sheets and slippers, bought at the desk
- Massage, from about $38 (100 GEL)
CancellationOnline bookings get 80% back if you cancel 1 to 2 working days ahead and nothing after that, and rooms paid at the desk are not refunded
Price checked 5 October 2026.
The bath domes, Abanotubani, Tbilisi
Pick 2 of 2Old-style rooms, and groups up to eight
Royal Bath
about$29a person for two in one room, one hour, room only, 75 GELAll in for two, one hour, a scrub each: about $69 (180 GEL), with your own towels.
Book with Royal Bath
Private sulphur bath rooms under the old brick domes. Run by Royal Bath.
Rooms under the old brick domes, every room and extra priced online, and the scrub at about $6 (15 GEL).
Bring cash even with a booking; some rooms are worn and no refund terms are published.
- 5 roomsfor up to 4, 6 or 8 people
- Cashat the desk, even with a booking
- 08:00 to 23:00every day
- Book onlineon its own site, or by phone or WhatsApp
Why it's great, and who should skip it
Why it's great
- Room 3 is the one to book, with soaring arches, hot and cold pools and a sauna for up to six, at about $88 (230 GEL) an hour.
- Room 2 takes eight, with hot and cold pools and a sauna, for about $111 (290 GEL), or about $14 each when it is full.
- Add the scrub (about $6 (15 GEL)) and towels (about $0.77 (2 GEL)) on the booking form, so you see the whole bill before you arrive.
Skip it if
- You need to pay by card, because Chreli-Abano takes cards for the room.
- You want newer rooms and published refund terms, so book Chreli-Abano.
In the price
- A private room with a hot sulphur pool for the hours you book, priced by the room, not by the number of guests
- Hot and cold pools in rooms 1, 2 and 3, and a sauna in rooms 2 and 3
Not in the price
- The kisa scrub, about $6 (15 GEL), and a foam massage, about $6 (15 GEL)
- Towel, sheet and soap at about $0.77 (2 GEL) each, disposable slippers at about $1.15 (3 GEL)
Price checked 5 October 2026.

How much does a sulphur bath cost in Tbilisi?

A sulphur bath in Tbilisi costs about $50 (130 GEL) an hour for a private room for two at Chreli-Abano and about $58 (150 GEL) at Royal Bath. Both charge by the room, not by the guest, so each person pays less in a bigger group.

Narikala fortress and the old town of Tbilisi at dusk — What one person pays for one hour in the cheapest room that fits your group, room only, on each bath house's own price list, checked 5 October 2026. Both charge by the room, not by the guest.

The room is only part of the bill. Two people who each have a kisi scrub, the coarse-mitt scrub that follows the soak, pay this for one hour.

For two, one hour	Chreli-Abano, room 6, 8 or 9	Royal Bath, room 5
The room	About $50 (130 GEL)	About $58 (150 GEL)
Two kisi scrubs	About $23 (60 GEL), in cash	About $12 (30 GEL)
Towels, sheets and slippers	Bought at the desk, or bring your own	About $5 (14 GEL) for the set on the booking form, or bring your own
All in	About $73 (190 GEL), with your own towels	About $69 (180 GEL) with your own towels, about $75 (194 GEL) with the set

Chreli-Abano charges about $12 (30 GEL) for a scrub, so bring about $12 (30 GEL) in cash for each scrub.

Private room or public bath?

A private room is the better first visit for almost everyone, because you soak at your own pace behind a locked door and wear what you like. A public hall costs far less but is split by sex, and most bathers there go nude. Like other hand-picked experiences in Tbilisi, a private room is booked for a set time, and at busy times it needs booking ahead because most bath houses have only a few rooms.

Six things to settle before you go in

The room number, its pools and sauna, and the price for the hour
When your time starts, because the hour usually runs from the booking time
The scrub price, paid in cash to the attendant
Whether towels, sheets and slippers are in the price
How you pay, by card or in cash only
What you get back if you cancel

What happens in a sulphur bath?

An hour in a sulphur bath runs in short soaks in the hot pool, a scrub about halfway through, a second round of soaks and a knock on the door about 10 minutes before the end.

Arrive early15 minutes before your slot, to pay and buy towels, because the hour runs from the booking time
Soak in spellsfour or five minutes in the hot pool, kept near 40°C, then a cold dip or a cold shower
The scrubabout halfway through, 10 to 15 minutes with a coarse mitt, paid in cash to the attendantChreli-Abano: about $12 (30 GEL)Royal Bath: about $6 (15 GEL)
The knockstaff knock or ring about 10 minutes before the end, so rinse and dress then, as the hour is timed strictly

An evening soak is a good way to end a day out of Tbilisi. Both picks stay open until 23:00, so book the room for an hour after your trip gets back. In December the sun sets in Tbilisi at about 5:30 pm.

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 first soaks. It lasts 10 to 15 minutes and costs about $6 (15 GEL) at Royal Bath and about $12 (30 GEL) at Chreli-Abano, paid on top of the room. Book it with the room, and keep the cash ready for the attendant.

Do you need a swimsuit?

No, not in a private room, because the door locks from inside and swimwear is your choice. Sulphur water can stain some fabrics, dark colours especially, so wear an old swimsuit if you bring one, and pack a bag for it wet. Bathers in the public halls usually go nude.

What should you bring?

Bring cash for the scrub, a bottle of water and a small towel of your own, because towels and slippers cost extra at both picks. Leave silver jewellery behind, because sulphur water tarnishes it.

How to book a sulphur bath in Tbilisi

You book a private room for a start time and a number of hours, online on each bath house’s own site or by phone, and you add the scrub when you book. Say how many people are coming, because the room you get depends on the size of your group.

	Chreli-Abano	Royal Bath
Book	Online from the next day, by phone on +995 32 293 00 93, or at the desk	Online order form, by phone on +995 32 219 67 00, or WhatsApp on +995 555 502200
Pay	Card for the room, cash for the scrub	Cash, as it has turned down cards even for booked rooms
Cancel	80% back if you cancel an online booking 1 to 2 working days ahead	No published terms, so ask when you book
Open	09:00 to 23:00, every day	08:00 to 23:00, every day

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. Summer and early autumn are the busiest seasons and evenings the busiest time of day, and weekdays and daytime visits are quieter.

What if Chreli-Abano is full?

King Erekle’s Bath, its sister house at the same address on Abano Street, books the same way, online or on the same phone line, with the same refund terms. Its rooms cost more, from about $77 (200 GEL) an hour with a hot pool, and its largest room takes seven with hot and cold pools and a sauna for about $154 (400 GEL).

Are sulphur baths safe, and good for you?

Yes, for most people who keep each soak short. Harvard Health says hot baths seem to be safe even for people with stable heart disease, and the Cleveland Clinic says most experts put the safe time in hot water at no more than five to 10 minutes. The water is believed to help the skin and ease stiff joints, and the bath houses repeat that belief, but treat it as tradition rather than medical advice.

Who	What to do
Pregnant	Skip the hot pools. Both picks advise against them in pregnancy, and NHS guidance says to avoid hot tubs as hot as 40°C because of the risk of overheating, dehydration and fainting.
A heart condition or high blood pressure	Ask your doctor before you go. Both picks advise against the baths, and Harvard Health says people with unstable chest pain or poorly controlled high blood pressure should avoid hot baths.
Older, or prone to low blood pressure	Keep the soaks short and stand up slowly. Harvard Health says hot water lowers blood pressure, and people in their 70s and older whose blood pressure is on the low side should be extra careful.
Everyone	Four or five minutes in the hot pool at a time, water between soaks, and out at the first sign of dizziness.

Abanotubani, the bath district

Abanotubani, “bath district”, is Tbilisi’s old bath quarter below Narikala fortress, and both picks are there. Book a room for after a food tour in Tbilisi through the old town.

65 bathsrecorded in the city by the end of the 13th century
Under a dozenstill open in Abanotubani, most under brick domes that rise out of the ground
45 to 50°Cthe spring water as it reaches the bath houses; the hot pools are kept near 38 to 40°C

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, and fewer than a dozen still operate in Abanotubani, most of them under the brick domes that rise out of the ground.

How hot is the water?

The spring water reaches the bath houses at 45 to 50°C, according to a 2015 study of Tbilisi’s thermal waters, and the hot pools are usually kept near 38 to 40°C. Some rooms run hotter, so test the water before you get in.

Sulphur bath questions

How long should you stay in a sulphur bath?

An hour is the usual booking, and it is enough for two rounds of soaks and a scrub. Leave the last 10 minutes to rinse and dress, because the hour is timed strictly.

Can couples bathe together?

Yes, in a private room, which is yours for the hour whoever you share it with. The public halls are split into men’s and women’s sides.

Can children go to the sulphur baths?

Children under 5 should skip the hot pool, because the US CDC says children that young should not use hot tubs. Chreli-Abano counts children in the room’s guest limit, so include them when you book.

Which is right, sulphur or sulfur?

Both are correct, and Georgia’s official tourism site and both picks write sulfur.

How we picked

We read the room lists, prices and terms the Abanotubani bath houses publish on their own sites, then what guests reported in their recent reviews, looking for the complaints that repeat. The deciding test was whether what you are told before you arrive is what you pay at the desk, with the room you booked, for the full hour. Prices and terms were checked on 5 October 2026.

The best sulphur baths in Tbilisi