1. Walk the Old Town Without a Map
The WorldWalk Batumi audio tour covers 29 stops through the Old Town, port, Turkish Quarter and surrounding streets — audio stories, photos and Google Maps links at every stop. Self-guided, at your own pace.
Start the audio tour →Put your phone away — or at least stop following the route — and just walk. The Old Town is small enough that you can't get seriously lost, and large enough that every street looks different.
The best parts are the ones you find by turning into an alley that looks like it goes nowhere: a courtyard with wooden balconies stacked four stories high, a cat asleep on a stone step, laundry strung between windows. These aren't marked on any tourist map because nobody put them there — they're just how people live.
Weather note: the Old Town is good in any weather. Rain actually makes it better — the cobblestones shine, the crowds thin out, and the balconies drip in a way that feels very 19th century.
When: morning or late afternoon. Midday in July is very hot and humid.
If you want the stories behind what you're seeing — why that building looks Ottoman, whose family lived in that courtyard — the WorldWalk audio guide covers 29 stops through the Old Town. worldwalk.app
2. Eat Adjarian Khachapuri Where It Was Invented
This is not the same as the khachapuri you've had elsewhere. The Adjarian version — the boat-shaped bread filled with cheese, topped with a raw egg and a knob of butter that you stir in at the table — was invented here, in this region. Eating it somewhere else is like drinking Champagne in a plastic cup. Technically the same, not really the same.
Order it fresh, eat it immediately, and do not let it go cold. The egg continues cooking in the hot cheese if you leave it, which is not what you want.
Where: any local bakery or restaurant — avoid the tourist-facing places around Europe Square which tend to be overpriced. Ask a local, or walk ten minutes from the centre and find somewhere with handwritten menus.
Weather note: works in any weather. In fact, on a rainy day it's exactly what you want.
3. Take the Cable Car at Sunset
The cable car to Mount Feria runs to 250 metres above sea level, with views over the city, the Black Sea, and on clear days the mountains behind Batumi. The ride itself takes about 10 minutes each way.
The view at midday is fine. The view at sunset — when the light turns the sea gold and the city starts to light up below — is something else entirely.
Practical: open until 22:30 in summer. Go around 7–8pm to catch the light and avoid the worst of the daytime queues. Adult return ticket: 33 GEL.
Weather note: this one requires clear skies. If it's cloudy, postpone — a view of fog is not the point. Check the morning forecast and plan accordingly.
4. Swim at Sarpi, Not Just the City Beach
The central beach is convenient and crowded. Sarpi — 15 km east of Batumi, right on the Turkish border — is where the water is actually clear. The difference is noticeable.
It's a half-day trip: take a taxi or marshrutka, swim, have lunch at one of the small restaurants on the water, come back. The border crossing nearby makes for an unusual backdrop — you can see Türkiye from the beach.
Weather note: obviously requires sunshine. Best on a hot, calm day when the water is flat. Avoid after heavy rain, when the rivers upstream can temporarily affect water clarity.