Quick answer: Batumi is Georgia’s Black Sea resort city — palm-lined boulevard, pebble beaches, and a skyline of eccentric modern towers. One heads-up before you plan your photos around it: the quirky Chacha Tower, once a fixture of Miracle Park, was demolished in summer 2024 and is gone for good. The best time to visit is the “velvet season” of late September and October, when the summer crowds and heat have eased but the weather still holds.
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What’s changed: the Chacha Tower is gone
If you’ve seen photos of a tower with a giant clock that once poured chacha (Georgian grape brandy) from a spout, that was the Chacha Tower in Miracle Park — and it was demolished in summer 2024. It’s a small thing, but it’s exactly the kind of detail that gets copy-pasted across “top things to see in Batumi” lists years after it stopped being true. Don’t plan around it.
Attractions and admission prices
| Attraction | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Argo Cable Car | 30 GEL return (10 GEL children) | Operates 11:00-20:30 year-round; views over the whole city and coast |
| Batumi Botanical Garden | Entry fee applies | Extensive hillside trails; electric shuttle available for a fee |
| Batumi Archaeological Museum | 6 GEL | Closed Mondays, open 10:00-18:00 |
| Gonio-Apsaros Fortress | 5 GEL | Roman-era fortress south of the city, near the Turkish border |
| Batumi Sameba Cathedral | Free | Open 10:00-18:00 in summer, earlier close in winter |
Getting there from Tbilisi
The high-speed train is the fastest way to cover the roughly 370km from Tbilisi. A new 8.3km tunnel on this rail line opened in December 2025, shaving around 30 minutes off the journey — worth knowing if you’re comparing against older guides that quote longer travel times. Marshrutkas (shared minivans) run regularly and cost less but take longer and are less comfortable for the distance.
When to go
Peak summer (July-August) brings the heaviest crowds and the most oppressive heat and humidity — this is also when rain and thunderstorms are most frequent along this stretch of coast, so pack for it even in high season. The “velvet season” of late September through October is the better bet for most travelers: fewer people, more comfortable temperatures, and still-warm water. If beaches aren’t your priority, this timing also lines up well with the Kakheti wine harvest further east, if you’re combining the two.
Getting around Batumi
City buses cost 70 tetri (0.70 GEL) per ride. International credit cards are accepted on board but are charged at roughly double the standard fare, so it’s worth picking up a rechargeable local transit card from a supermarket if you’ll be riding more than once or twice.
FAQ
Is the Chacha Tower still there?
No — it was demolished in summer 2024. Skip any itinerary built around it.
When is the best time to visit Batumi?
Late September to October — the “velvet season” — for warm weather without peak-summer crowds and humidity.
How do I get from Tbilisi to Batumi?
The high-speed train is fastest, especially since a new December 2025 rail tunnel cut about 30 minutes off the trip.
Photo: Bogdanov-62, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.