This Batumi city tour shows you the Black Sea capital of Adjara in one relaxed private day: a walk through the lively centre, where 19th-century streets meet a skyline of glass towers, an afternoon among the exotic plants of the Batumi Botanical Garden, and a ride on the Argo Cable Car for the widest view of the city and the sea. It is just your group and your guide, so the route bends around your interests and your energy.
Batumi is very different from Tbilisi: warmer, greener, more playful, and shaped by its long history as a port. It suits couples, families and older travellers alike, and it makes a good first day if you have flown into Batumi or arrived on the coast after time in the mountains. A local guide helps you see past the bright lights to the city's older stories, from the myth of the Golden Fleece to the merchants who built the Old Town.
Highlights of the route
Batumi Center
Central Batumi is a mix of old and very new. Europe Square is watched over by a statue of Medea holding the Golden Fleece, a nod to the ancient kingdom of Colchis, whose coast this once was. Around it, the Old Town's 19th-century buildings date from the years when Batumi grew rich as a port, while the seafront Boulevard runs for kilometres beside the sea, lined with palms, cafés and sculptures. Beyond it rises the skyline that has earned the city the half-joking nickname of "the second Dubai", including the Alphabetic Tower, a monument to the Georgian script. Your guide will help you make sense of it all. If you can, come back in the evening, when the fountains and the lights put on a show.
Batumi Botanical Garden
Founded in 1912 by the botanist Andrey Krasnov, the Batumi Botanical Garden spreads over the slopes of Green Cape, just north of the city, where the hillsides drop straight into the sea. Plants are arranged by region of the world, so in one walk you pass through East Asian bamboo groves, Himalayan and Mediterranean sections, American and Australian trees and much more, with the Black Sea glittering below. Paths wind down towards the coast and back up again, and your guide will choose the route that best suits your group. It is a big, hilly garden, so wear comfortable shoes and carry water in summer.
Argo Cable Car
The Argo Cable Car carries you from the city up to a viewpoint on Anuria Hill, and the ride itself is half the fun: the port, the Boulevard and the skyline gradually shrink below you while the green hills of Adjara rise behind. The name comes from the Argo, the ship that carried Jason and the Argonauts to Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece. At the top there is a viewing platform and a restaurant, so it is a good place for a coffee or an early dinner while the sun sets over the sea. On a clear evening, this is the best panorama Batumi has to offer.
Make it your own
This route is a starting point rather than a fixed programme. If you have more time, add the Ali and Nino statue on the seafront, the Roman-era fortress at Gonio, or the Makhuntseti Waterfall in the hills inland; all three feature on our Gonio and Makhuntseti day trip, and many travellers do both routes on consecutive days. Nature lovers can head into the forests of Mtirala National Park, while food lovers can add a long lunch built around an Adjarian khachapuri or a visit to Batumi's fish market. You will find more ideas among our tours from Batumi.
If you are travelling with young children or older relatives, we can shorten the walking in the Botanical Garden and leave more time for cafés and the Boulevard. Guides speak English, Russian and Georgian. And if Batumi is one stop on a longer journey, a private driver in Georgia can link the coast with Kutaisi, Svaneti or Tbilisi.
Good to know
- Batumi is one of the wettest cities in Georgia. Pack a light rain jacket or umbrella in any season.
- Summers are hot and humid. In July and August we plan the Botanical Garden for the cooler part of the day.
- The Botanical Garden involves a fair amount of walking on slopes, so wear comfortable, supportive shoes.
- Cards are accepted in most places in the centre, but carry some cash in lari for small cafés and market stalls.
Message us on WhatsApp with your dates, group size and where you are staying in Batumi, and we will send you a route and a quote.
