If you have seen the usual tourist attractions in Tbilisi and wondering where to go next, you'll probably be looking at this one. As my usual mode of transport, here's my post on how to go to Chronicles of Georgia by public transportation!
What is ‘Chronicles of Georgia’?
Chronicles of Georgia or commonly known as ‘Memorial History of Georgia’ or ‘Memorial’ to locals, is a stone's throw away landmark from Tbilisi. With its gigantic pillars with sculptures, it's a popular side trip among tourists and backpackers.
Why Visit?
- Visiting the landmark is easy to reach either by private car/taxi or by public transportation and not crowded. There's no entrance fee either during our visit back in 2019.
- Interact with the locals! Visiting the landmark (and figuring out the directions) is where we got the chance to interact with the locals without selling us tour packages (like in the city center).
HOW TO GO BY Public Transportation:
Going to Chronicles of Georgia from the City Center:
- We took the metro from Station Square (that’s where our hotel is located) and got off at Ghrmaghele Station. When we exited the station, there’s stairs and a slanted paved walkway and I believe both of them are fine (we took the slanted one).
- Take Bus #60. We saw the bus number while the bus is still waiting for some more passengers but we wanted to confirm it from the locals so I tried to ask. Unfortunately, locals can’t understand what I am saying. I have maps.me and a screenshot of the map where Chronicles of Georgia is located but in English so it is no use. And all of a sudden, a local lady asked, memorial? I immediately said yes because I remembered that locals are referring to this tourist attraction as a memorial place. Luckily, we’re on the right track. Once the pillars came to our vision, the local lady (who boarded the bus as well) pointed out to confirm with us if that is the place we are looking for. And I confirmed it is.
- The bus driver will stop in a small open space (not an official bus stop) near to it and from here, you need to walk up for around 400-600 meters before you reach the first set of steps.
Going back to the city from Chronicles of Georgia:
- Walk further for about 250 meters to your right side (while you are facing the sea and the main road) and you will see a covered bus stop and a monitor for the bus stop (uncovered) on the other side. As per Google Maps, this is the Military School Bus Stop. Wait for Bus #60 on the uncovered one. The monitor (albeit old) is still working and quite accurate with the timings, will show you how long will you need to wait until the Bus arrives.
- Once on the bus, just wait until the last stop which will be in Ghrmaghele Station again. And from here, you can take the metro for your itinerary onward or your hotel location.
It would not hurt to confirm from the locals if you are boarding the right bus. We noticed that in this location, fewer people speak English so it’s better to confirm first that it is the right bus or else it might be more difficult once you’re lost.
Also, remember that when asking, use the word MEMORIAL instead as not many people use Chronicles of Georgia.
Costs
- Metro Fare from any station up to Ghrmaghele Station
- Bus Fare from Ghrmaghele Station to Military School Bus Stop
- Entrance Fee: none so far so visit now before they implement entrance fee lol
To be honest, I completely forgot the exact fare that we paid during our visit. But I am 100% sure that is not much. You only need to think about public transport costs since there is no entrance fee to be paid on the site. There is a small snack stand at the backside of the area so if you want to buy some food and drinks, set aside some costs for that.
Chronicles of Georgia by Public Transportation Experience:
Compared to the public transportation experience in Yanar Dag, our public transportation journey to the Chronicles of Georgia is super short. The bus ride will not take 30-40 minutes of your time.
The frequency of the bus going back to Tbilisi is not as often I expected. I assumed that it is every 30-minutes as we waited for almost 30-minutes after we missed the last bus. While the bus looks somehow old, it is decent anyway and working properly so you don't need to worry.
What to expect at Chronicles of Georgia?
The Memorial Scroll
Apart from the set of steps that will make you work out, the first thing to see is this scroll structure. There's a short English translation on the scroll itself however that's that's about it.
Of course this is not the highlight but more of an appetizer kind of thing. So, after you see (and enjoy) this, climb the next set of stairs.
The Pillars
The set of steps are now longer but don't worry it's not as long as the stairs like in Tian Tan Buddha in Hong Kong (lol). When you reach the top, the 'pillars' will be in front of you with its intricate details sculpted on it.
The Orthodox Church
I did not go inside the church but from the other blogs, it says that this is an Orthodox Church. This is visible from the Pillars and it would not hurt your itinerary should you wish to visit it.
The View
Okay, apart from the Pillars, this is the second thing I enjoyed the most! I mean who doesn't love landscape views? Come on...
This view of Zghvisubani District is taken near the Orthodox church. The view is not the usual touristy thing where everyone poses for Instagram, if you know what I mean. And while I enjoyed every bit of the view, I was awed while lost in my thoughts like 'ah, so this is what outside Tbilisi (and outside Instagram) looks like' kind of thought.
Chronicles of Georgia Overall Experience
While our visit here is very short like our experience in Yanar Dag, we still enjoyed it. We went here on a weekday before noon and I'm glad we did as it is not crowded. We had fun taking pictures inside and outside the Pillars and absorbed the landscape views of the nearby neighborhood.
However, the attraction itself might not be as informative as you would expect especially if you're a history buff. So if you're thirsty for some history-related attraction, I suggest to hire a local guide for some help.
There you go! Chronicles of Georgia by Public Transportation is easy as 1,2,3 so visit this place before it gets too crowded! Let me know if you were able to visit the Chronicles of Georgia too!
If you want to find out our whole Caucasus itinerary, you can read it from this post: Backpacking the Caucasus Region!
One comment on “How to Go to Chronicles of Georgia by Public Transportation”
Wow! Nice photos chelly...loved all of them...its surprising how amazingly you get all the precious time to get into beautiful places like this. Im hoping to join you in your travel adventure next time!