What to Buy in Tbilisi: Top 10 Souvenirs & Gifts from Georgia

Tbilisi‘s souvenir market has shifted dramatically since 2024. The strip along Shardeni Street and the entrances to Narikala are now packed with mass-produced “Georgian” trinkets made outside the country — the same printed magnets, the same acrylic wine bottle holders, the same factory-stamped “antiques.” Knowing what is genuinely local and where to find it will save you money and get you something worth carrying home. This guide cuts through the noise.

Wine & Chacha — Georgia’s Most Giftable Liquids

Georgian wine is one of the few souvenirs that genuinely cannot be replicated anywhere else. The country’s 8,000-year winemaking tradition produces amber qvevri wines — skin-contact whites with a deep copper colour and a dry, tannic finish unlike anything made in France or Italy. A bottle of Rkatsiteli or Mtsvane from the Kakheti region, fermented in buried clay qvevri, is a conversation piece and a serious drink in one.

For spirits, chacha is Georgia’s grape marc brandy — clear, sharp, and typically around 60% alcohol. A well-aged chacha from a small producer beats any supermarket bottle of grappa for character. Look for sealed, labelled bottles from producers like Teliani Valley, Schuchmann, or smaller craft operations at wine shops rather than street stalls.

If you are flying home, buy wine at dedicated wine shops rather than airport duty-free, where selection is thin and prices are inflated. Georgian Airways and Wizz Air both allow checked baggage with appropriate liquid packaging — bubble wrap sleeves are sold at most wine shops for around 3–5 GEL each.

Churchkhela & Artisanal Food Products

Churchkhela is the one food souvenir that travels well. These candle-shaped strings of walnuts or hazelnuts dipped repeatedly in thickened grape juice (tatara) dry to a firm, slightly chewy exterior. The smell of fresh churchkhela — warm grape must with a hint of cinnamon — hangs over the stalls at Dezerter Bazaar every morning. A good one should be pliable, not brittle, with a grape coating at least 3–4 millimetres thick.

Beyond churchkhela, look for:

• Tklapi — sheets of dried fruit leather made from plum, cornelian cherry, or matsoni (sour yoghurt). Lightweight and flat, it packs easily.
• Svan salt (Svanuri marili) — a blend of salt, dried garlic, fenugreek, marigold, and other Caucasian spices from the Svaneti region. It transforms scrambled eggs at home.
• Churchkhela honey — raw mountain honey from Racha or Tusheti, sold in small jars. Check lids are sealed before buying.
• Ajika paste — the pungent red or green chilli and herb paste from Adjara and Samegrelo. Buy it in sealed glass jars to comply with EU and UK customs rules on food pastes.

Handmade Jewellery & Enamelled Metalwork (Cloisonné)

Georgian cloisonné enamel work — called minankari — is one of the country’s most distinctive craft traditions. Artisans fill tiny compartments of bent metal wire with coloured glass paste, then fire the piece repeatedly until the enamel fuses smooth. The result is jewellery with an almost stained-glass quality: earrings, brooches, and pendants in deep reds, blues, and golds set against black or silver backgrounds.

The best pieces come from individual goldsmiths working in the studios clustered around the Abanotubani sulphur bath district and along Lado Asatiani Street. Prices vary enormously — a pair of minankari earrings from a genuine craftsperson costs 80–250 GEL depending on complexity, while identical-looking mass-produced pieces on Rustaveli Avenue sell for 20 GEL. The difference is immediately visible under daylight: handmade enamel has slight variations in surface texture; factory pieces are perfectly uniform and feel lightweight.

Silver filigree work — twisted wire jewellery without enamel — is a second Georgian craft tradition worth seeking out. Look for the Georgian Cross motif or vine-leaf patterns, which are specific to the region.

Wool Felt Goods & Traditional Textiles

Georgian felt (nabiadi) has been produced in the mountain communities of Svaneti and Tusheti for centuries. Today a small number of artisan workshops in Tbilisi are producing modern felt goods — slippers, bags, hats, and wall hangings — using traditional hand-felting techniques with Caucasian mountain wool. The wool has a lanolin content that makes finished pieces naturally water-resistant and durable.

A pair of felt slippers makes a practical souvenir: warm, compressible, and light to pack. A medium-sized felt bag — roughly 30 x 25 centimetres — costs 60–120 GEL from an artisan and will outlast synthetic alternatives by years.

Woven textiles from the Kakheti region — particularly flat-woven kilim-style rugs (palas) — are sold at Dry Bridge Market on weekends. Smaller pieces like table runners and cushion covers are portable; full rugs require shipping. If you find a full rug you love, most sellers at Dry Bridge can arrange basic shipping documentation.

Georgian Ceramics & Painted Pottery

The pottery tradition in Georgia centres on unglazed terracotta qvevri vessels and their smaller decorated cousins — bowls, pitchers, and cups hand-thrown on wheels in workshops in Tbilisi and in the village of Shrosha near Gori. The clay used in Shrosha pottery has a distinctive reddish-brown colour, and the surface is often burnished to a low sheen rather than glazed.

In Tbilisi, look for painted ceramic plates and cups featuring Georgian botanical motifs — pomegranate, vine leaves, and Bolnisi cross patterns — applied by hand with underglazes before firing. These are sold at the Fabrika complex and at a few independent studios in the Vera neighbourhood. A hand-painted cup costs 25–60 GEL; a full set of six takes serious luggage space but holds up well in padded packing.

Books, Prints & Georgian Script Artwork

The Georgian alphabet — Mkhedruli — is one of only 14 independent alphabets in the world, and its rounded, curling letterforms have become an art object in their own right. Calligraphy prints, letterpress cards, and typographic posters using Georgian script make gifts that are genuinely unique and easy to pack flat.

Prospero’s Books on Rustaveli Avenue is Tbilisi’s best English-language bookshop and stocks a curated selection of illustrated books on Georgian history, architecture, and food, as well as international titles unavailable elsewhere in the city. A well-produced illustrated book on Georgian wine regions or Caucasian architecture costs 40–90 GEL and makes a serious gift for the right person.

For prints and posters, the small gallery-shops near the Georgian National Museum on Rustaveli carry lithographs and giclée prints by contemporary Georgian artists at prices far below gallery standard in Western Europe.

Natural Skincare & Herbal Remedies

Georgia’s herbal tradition is deep and largely unknown outside the Caucasus. Markets across Tbilisi sell dried herbs, roots, and teas — St John’s Wort, calendula, nettle, and local varieties of mint — sourced directly from mountain regions. Dezerter Bazaar has a full herb section where you can smell everything before buying; the dried fenugreek alone is worth picking up for cooking.

For packaged natural skincare, the domestic brand Tsindali produces beeswax lip balms, rose hip oils, and walnut-oil body creams using Georgian-sourced ingredients. Products are sold in pharmacies and select supermarkets. A full set of four products costs under 80 GEL and fits in a toiletry bag. Rose water from Adjara is also sold in sealed bottles — heavy but fragrant.

Where to Actually Buy These Things in Tbilisi

Location matters more than the item itself. The same churchkhela that costs 8 GEL per string on Shardeni Street costs 3–4 GEL at Dezerter Bazaar two kilometres north. Here is where to go by category:

• Dry Bridge Flea Market (every weekend, 09:00–17:00): Soviet-era objects, vintage jewellery, old books, kilims, and genuine antiques. Prices are negotiable. Take metro Line 1 to Station Square (Stanciya Square) and walk five minutes north across the bridge.
• Dezerter Bazaar (daily, best before noon): Fresh churchkhela, dried herbs, Svan salt, ajika, honey, and tklapi. Chaotic, authentic, inexpensive. Take the metro to Avlabari and walk west.
• Fabrika Complex (Chugureti district): Artisan shops, ceramics, felt goods, and design-led Georgian products. Open daily; individual shops have varying hours. Good concentration of quality without the tourist markup of Old Town.
• Abanotubani studios (Sulphur Bath district): Best minankari and silver jewellery from working goldsmiths. Ask to see work in progress — most smiths are happy to show the process.
• Rustaveli Avenue shops: Prospero’s Books, wine shops, and art print galleries. Higher prices than markets but reliable quality and English-speaking staff.

2026 Budget Reality — What to Expect to Pay

Prices in Tbilisi have risen since 2024 but remain substantially lower than Western Europe. The following ranges reflect 2026 market conditions:

• Budget (under 30 GEL): Churchkhela strings (3–8 GEL each), Svan salt (6–12 GEL per bag), herbal teas (5–15 GEL), small printed Georgian script cards (5–10 GEL), tklapi sheets (4–8 GEL).
• Mid-range (30–150 GEL): A bottle of natural qvevri wine (40–90 GEL), minankari earrings (80–120 GEL), felt slippers (50–80 GEL), hand-painted ceramic mug (25–60 GEL), illustrated book (40–90 GEL), small felt bag (60–120 GEL).
• Comfortable (150 GEL and above): Aged chacha from a named producer (120–200 GEL), complex minankari brooch or pendant (150–300 GEL), kilim textile from Dry Bridge (200–600 GEL depending on size and age), natural skincare gift set (80–150 GEL assembled from individual items).

Currency note: as of 2026, 1 USD ≈ 2.7 GEL and 1 EUR ≈ 2.95 GEL, though exchange rates fluctuate. ATMs in Tbilisi dispense GEL directly; most market vendors and artisan shops prefer cash, though Fabrika shops and wine stores typically accept card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take Georgian wine on the plane home?

Yes, in checked luggage. Most Georgian wine shops sell padded bottle sleeves for 3–5 GEL each. You can take up to two standard 750ml bottles per sleeve. EU customs allow up to 4 litres of still wine per adult traveller. Check your destination country’s import limits before buying multiple bottles.

Is it safe to buy antiques at Dry Bridge Market?

Mostly yes for small decorative objects, vintage jewellery, and Soviet memorabilia. However, Georgia prohibits the export of genuine cultural heritage items — archaeological pieces, pre-19th century icons, and certain antique manuscripts. For anything that looks genuinely old and valuable, ask the seller for documentation or get a written receipt describing the item.

What is the single best souvenir to buy in Tbilisi for someone who has never visited Georgia?

A bottle of amber (skin-contact) qvevri wine from Kakheti. It is made nowhere else on earth, travels well, starts a genuine conversation, and costs 40–90 GEL for an excellent bottle. Pair it with a bag of Svan salt and you have a complete gift under 100 GEL.

Are prices at Dry Bridge Market negotiable?

Yes, politely and reasonably. Opening with a 20–25% lower counteroffer is standard and not offensive. Do not try to halve the price on small items — it wastes everyone’s time and the margins are already thin. For larger textiles or vintage pieces above 200 GEL, more flexible negotiation is expected and welcomed.

Where can I find authentic Georgian souvenirs away from the tourist crowds?

Dezerter Bazaar for food products, Fabrika for craft goods, and the Vera neighbourhood’s independent studios for jewellery and ceramics. All three are used by Tbilisi residents rather than primarily tourists, which keeps quality up and prices lower than Old Town street stalls.

Explore more
Tbilisi Airport to City Center: Your Complete Transport Guide
The Ultimate Guide to Tbilisi Nightlife: Bars, Clubs & Live Music
The Ultimate Tbilisi Shopping Guide: Where to Find Everything You Need

📷 Featured image by Gregory Atkats on Unsplash.