Tbilisi Travel Guide
Ezo Cafe
Funicular
Driving around Tbilisi you've probably spotted an odd looking train rail carved into one of the high hills that surround Tbilisi, that's the Funicular tram, a place you should definitely visit if you want one of the best views, good eats, and even a bit of excitement. If that makes little sense, let me explain: Funicular is a tram built during the Soviet union whose station at the top also has restaurants and a café. In addition, the Funicular tram is a method of going up the Mtatsminda amusement park, which is the closest thing to Disneyland you'll find in Tbilisi. It's a good place to check out because while on the high hill (about 700 ft according to the internet) you can get a great view of Tbilisi as a whole and there's a little bit of everything.
Now, there are two main ways to get up to Mtatsminda/Funicular. You can drive up to it, but make sure to specify if you're going up to Mtatsminda or Funicular because the entrances are on two different sides, or you can take the tram. The tram is the more touristy way to get up there, but you'll most likely be surrounded by tourists or Georgians guiding their tourists so there's no shame in taking it because quite honestly everyone's a tourist and Georgians love tourists. Even though the tram was originally built during the Soviet Union, don't worry, because it has been renovated and even has sponsorship by a Georgian cell service Magti (which is why you see that all over the windows). To ride it's pretty cheap, you buy the park card for 2 lari and you can use the card and just
add credit to it for other trips and Mtatsminda rides. There is lots of room and seating, however, for the best views, the very front is the best, which also means you'll have to sprint to get a good seat before the front fills up.
While you're riding the tram, it stops in the middle of the hill where there's a little platform so that you can get the best pics possible. You can then continue riding up and when you get the top you will be at the station where you have your choice of restaurants (I personally really love the desert cafe).
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When you're at the top of the tram you can also walk out
of the station straight into Mtatsminda. Mtatsminda is a
big park with two entrances. One of the entrances you can
only drive up to, and contains more of the crazy amusement
park rides, but the entrance through the funicular is the
more family friendly portion of the park. Even if you don't
plan on riding anything, it's still a good place to walk
around and get some views of Tbilisi. This side of the park
is also the closest way to get the Ferris wheel, which is a
cute way to get even more angles and elevation for some
Tbilisi pics. Pretty much to sum up as a whole, the park is
a great way to have fun and get ariel views of Tbilisi. Also,
if you were wondering what that weird looking knockoff light
up Eiffel tower type structure was on the mountain while you were going around Tbilisi, it's a broadcasting antenna and while you're at the park you can get a close-up view of it. All in all, definitely check out Funicular/Mtatsminda at their website, and if you end up entering through the drive up entrance, don't be alarmed if you see a weird sleeping character:
