🎡 Two Ferris Wheels in Georgia You Can Ride: Mtatsminda in Tbilisi and the Batumi Boulevard
The Mtatsminda wheel stands on a mountain, so the whole city opens up beneath you at once. The Batumi wheel is lower, but it turns right above the sea and the port, and its cabins are open.
Georgia has two Ferris wheels you can actually ride. In Tbilisi it is the wheel in Mtatsminda Park at the top of the mountain, high above the whole city. In Batumi it is the wheel on the boulevard right by the sea, next to the port and the Alphabet Tower. The golden wheel on the facade of Batumi Tower, which appears on every postcard, does not turn and does not carry passengers. Below we compare the two wheels: height, price, cabins, the best time to ride and how to get there.
🎡 Ferris Wheels in Tbilisi and Batumi: Comparison
The two wheels are very different, and the choice depends on what you want to see. The main difference is not the height of the wheel itself but where it stands.
| Tbilisi, Mtatsminda | Batumi, boulevard | |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel height | 65 m | 55 m |
| Location | On the mountain top, about 770 m above sea level | On the waterfront by the port, at sea level |
| Cabins | Closed | Open |
| One revolution | 10–12 minutes | About 10 minutes |
| Ticket | 10 GEL + 2 GEL park card | 15 GEL |
| Getting there | Funicular, taxi or a walk uphill | On foot along the boulevard |
| What you see | Old Town, the Kura, the TV tower, mountains | The sea, the port, the towers of the new boulevard |
| Season | Year-round | Best from May to October |
If you are in Tbilisi, the Mtatsminda wheel is best combined with a walk through the park and the sunset. In Batumi the wheel fits easily into an evening stroll along the boulevard: it stands on the way between the port and the Alphabet Tower.
🏔️ The Ferris Wheel on Mtatsminda in Tbilisi
The wheel stands in the park at the top of Mount Mtatsminda, next to the TV tower. The wheel is 65 metres high, and the park itself sits at roughly 770 metres above sea level. So although the wheel is only 10 metres taller than the one in Batumi, the view is on a completely different scale: the city lies below you in full, from the Old Town and Narikala to the new districts on the hills.
The cabins are closed, and one revolution takes 10–12 minutes. It is the only wheel in Georgia where you can ride comfortably in winter and in the rain. In summer the cabins can get hot, so take water with you during the day.
The wheel is part of the park's amusement zone. For more about the park, its recreation areas and viewpoints, see our article Mtatsminda Park in Tbilisi: the mountain, zones and photos.
🚋 How to get up Mtatsminda
The funicular is the most scenic and fastest way. The lower station is on Daniel Chonkadze Street, not far from Rustaveli Avenue. The ride up takes a few minutes, and in 2026 a ticket costs about 12 GEL one way. For stations and opening times, see our card for the Mtatsminda funicular.
By taxi you can drive right up to the park along the serpentine road. This is handy with children or when the funicular is closed for maintenance.
On foot, a path of about 1.2 km leads down to the city centre. Climbing up it is hard, but walking down after sunset is easy and pleasant.
💳 Ticket and the park card
Entry to Mtatsminda Park is free, and you pay only for the rides. A ticket for the wheel costs 10 GEL, but you cannot pay for it in cash: you need a plastic park card for 2 GEL, which you load with money. The card is sold at the park ticket offices, can be topped up and works for the other rides too. The Tbilisi transport card does not work for rides.
The wheel runs roughly from 11:00 to 21:00, while the park and viewpoints stay open longer.
🌊 The Ferris Wheel on the Boulevard in Batumi
The Batumi wheel stands on the waterfront near the port, next to the "Ali and Nino" statue and the Alphabet Tower. The wheel is 55 metres high, and one revolution takes about 10 minutes. From the top you can see the sea, the port, the lighthouse and the whole line of the new boulevard with its towers.
The cabins here are open, without glazing, with a low metal railing. On a warm evening that is the main advantage: the wind, the smell of the sea and no glass between you and the view. In windy or cold weather riding is less pleasant, and with small children you need to be more careful.
A ticket in 2026 costs 15 GEL per person, up from 10 GEL last season. You pay at the ticket office by the wheel. Children under six usually ride for free, but it is best to check on the spot. The wheel runs from morning until late at night, and the evening queue moves quickly.
For comparison, other Batumi attractions: a ride on the Argo cable car costs 32.90 GEL in 2026, with a child ticket at 7 GEL. So the wheel remains the cheapest way to see Batumi from above.
🏙️ The Wheel on Batumi Tower: Why You Cannot Ride It
The best-known wheel in Batumi, the golden ring on the facade of the 200-metre Batumi Tower, is in fact not a ride. It was built into the building as an architectural element but never put into operation, and it carries no passengers. Because of this, tourists often search for "the Ferris wheel in the Batumi building" and arrive at a closed facade.
You can look at the tower for free, especially in the evening when the lights come on. Why the wheel appeared there and where to photograph it from, we cover in detail in the article Batumi Tower: the tower with a wheel in its facade. To actually ride, go to the wheel on the boulevard, a 15-minute walk away.
🌇 When to Ride: Sunset, Night and Weather
The best time in both cities is half an hour before sunset. You see the city in daylight, the sunset itself and the first lights. On Mtatsminda the sun sets behind the mountains while Tbilisi gradually lights up below. In Batumi the sun goes straight into the sea, and that is the key shot of the whole trip.
At night the wheels run too. In Tbilisi you can see the lit-up bridges and Narikala from above, and in Batumi the whole boulevard is ablaze with lights.
Weather matters in Tbilisi in summer: in strong heat a haze hangs over the city and the distant mountains are barely visible. Visibility is best in spring, autumn and after rain. In Batumi the main factor is wind: in strong wind the open cabins are uncomfortable, and the wheel may be stopped altogether.
👨👩👧 Ferris Wheel Rides with Children
With children, Mtatsminda is more convenient. The cabins are closed, and the park has many children's rides, cafes and playgrounds, so the wheel easily becomes part of a big family day.
In Batumi, small children ride too, but an open cabin demands attention: keep your child close and do not let them stand up while the wheel is moving. For children who are afraid of heights, start with the Batumi wheel: it is lower and the circle is shorter.
On Mtatsminda, buy the park card straight away at the ticket office by the upper funicular station and load enough on it for the wheel and a couple of other rides. In the evening the queue at the ticket office is sometimes longer than the queue for the wheel itself. In Batumi, come to the wheel before sunset and after your ride walk along the boulevard to the Alphabet Tower and Batumi Tower: the lights come on just at that time.
🔭 Other Viewpoints if the Wheel Is Closed
Both wheels are sometimes closed for maintenance, and in Batumi also because of wind. If the wheel is not running, there are other ways to see the city from above.
In Tbilisi, the viewpoints in Mtatsminda Park are free and stay open longer than the rides. The view is almost the same as from the wheel, just without the rotation.
In Batumi you can ride the Argo cable car up Mount Anuri: the view of the city and the sea opens from a height of 250 metres. Another spot, the Alphabet Tower, is a couple of minutes from the wheel. More places with views are collected in the section on Batumi observation decks.
Have you ridden the wheel on Mtatsminda or in Batumi this autumn? Tell us in the comments how much the ticket cost and whether the wheel was running: we update prices based on your reports.
Last updated: October 2026. Ticket prices were checked against 2026 data.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Ferris Wheels in Georgia
💬 10 GEL per ride. You pay with the park card, which costs 2 GEL and is topped up at the ticket office.
💬 In 2026 it is 15 GEL per person. You buy the ticket at the ticket office by the wheel.
💬 Tbilisi's: 65 metres against 55. It also stands on a mountain, so the view opens from a much greater height.
💬 No. The wheel on the tower's facade is decorative and was never launched. You can ride the wheel on the boulevard by the port.
💬 On the waterfront near the port, next to the "Ali and Nino" statue and the Alphabet Tower.
💬 Yes. The cabins are closed, so the wheel runs all year, although it is sometimes stopped for maintenance.
💬 No, only with the park card. You buy the card for 2 GEL and top it up with cash or a bank card at the ticket office.
💬 10–12 minutes on Mtatsminda and about 10 minutes in Batumi.
💬 Half an hour before sunset: you will see the city by day, the sunset itself and the first lights.
💬 Yes. With small children, Mtatsminda is more convenient, with its closed cabins. In Batumi the cabins are open, so keep your child close.
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