Shops, shopping and souvenirs
What to bring home from Georgia, where to buy souvenirs in Tbilisi and Batumi, which markets and malls are worth a visit and what electronics and clothes cost here.
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What gifts should you bring home from Georgia?
The most popular things to bring from Georgia are wine and chacha, churchkhela, spices such as khmeli suneli and utskho suneli, tkemali and adjika sauces, Svan salt, Georgian tea and honey.
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Where can you buy spices in Tbilisi?
Spices in Tbilisi are easy to buy at Dezerter Bazaar, which sells Georgian spices, bay leaves and tkemali sauce, and vendors often invite you to taste before buying.
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What shops, chains and brands are there in Georgia?
Batumi's popular shopping destinations include Batumi Mall, Batumi Plaza, Metro City and Batumi Central, with clothing, cosmetics and jewellery stores and boutiques of Georgian and international designers.
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Is there McDonald's in Georgia, and what fast food is there?
McDonald's operates in Georgia and has an official Georgian website, so check addresses and opening hours with the chain itself.
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Which Georgian souvenirs should you bring home?
Visitors usually bring home churchkhela, spices, dried fruit, wine, kantsi drinking horns, clay tableware, carpets, traditional hats, minankari enamel jewelry and fridge magnets.
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Kote Apkhazi Street in Tbilisi: what is there?
Kote Apkhazi Street in Old Tbilisi runs from Freedom Square to Vakhtang Gorgasali Square (Meidani) and is known for its shops, restaurants and cafes.
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Telavi Food Market: what can you buy there?
At the Telavi food market in Kakheti you can buy qvevri wine, chacha, Georgian cheeses, meat, vegetables, spices, churchkhela and fruit leather.
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Kutaisi Green Bazaar: what can you buy there?
At the Kutaisi Green Bazaar you can buy fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, dried fruit, churchkhela, tklapi and homemade sauces.
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How does the fish market in Batumi work?
At the Batumi seafood market you can buy locally caught fish and seafood and have it cooked at one of the market's restaurants.
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What is Meidan Bazaar in Tbilisi?
Meidan Bazaar in Old Tbilisi is an underground shopping area just beneath Meidani Square, where antiques, traditional Georgian food, locally made art and wine are sold.
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Deserters' Bazaar in Tbilisi: what can you buy there?
At Deserters' Bazaar you can buy vegetables and fruit, nuts, homemade dairy, herbs, churchkhela, dried fruit, tklapi, spices and tkemali.
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Navtlugi Bazaar in Tbilisi: what can you buy there?
Navtlugi Bazaar in eastern Tbilisi sells fresh fruit, vegetables, milk, Georgian cheeses, beef and chicken, as well as herbs, flowers and secondhand goods.
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Can you take churchkhela, spices and cheese from Georgia to the EU?
Cheese in personal luggage from Georgia cannot be brought into the EU, as dairy is allowed only from the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
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What are the main types of Georgian cheese and how do you store them?
Georgia makes around 60 types of cheese, including Imeruli, Sulguni, Narchvi, Tushetian Guda and Dambalkhacho.
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How can a tourist get a VAT refund (Tax Free) on purchases in Georgia?
A foreign tourist can get VAT back on goods from a Tax Free shop if the receipt is over 200 GEL excluding VAT and the goods leave within 3 months.
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What markets are there in Tbilisi: Dezerter, Lilo and others?
The main Tbilisi markets for visitors are the Dezerter Bazaar near the central railway station (4 Sanapiro St.), and the flea market and Painters Market on the Dry Bridge.