Halal food and prayer in Georgia

Georgia has become one of the favourite destinations for families from the Gulf and Jordan, and it is easy to see why: short flights, green mountains, cool summers and prices that still feel fair. Food and prayer are the two practical questions we get every week.

Halal restaurants

Tbilisi has a good choice of halal restaurants, including Turkish, Arabic, Azerbaijani and Georgian places that serve halal meat. Batumi has plenty too, especially near the centre and the boulevard. Outside the cities the choice is smaller, so on mountain days we plan the lunch stop in advance, or bring you to a place that serves fish and vegetarian Georgian dishes.

Georgian food is friendly to your table even when meat is not certified: khachapuri (cheese bread), lobio (bean stew), badrijani (aubergine with walnuts), mushrooms from the clay oven, grilled trout, fresh bread and salads.

Mosques

Tbilisi's Jumah Mosque sits in the Old Town next to the sulfur baths and is known as a place where Sunni and Shia pray side by side. Batumi has the Orta Jame mosque near the old town. In smaller towns we stop wherever is suitable and give you time.

Alcohol

Wine is a big part of Georgian culture, and every tasting on our trips is optional. Say the word and we plan the day without it; nobody will be uncomfortable about it.

Travelling with children

• Ask us for child seats when you book, and tell us the ages.
• Mountain days are long. With small children, Borjomi, Bakuriani and Mtskheta are gentler than Kazbegi.
• Restaurants welcome children late into the evening, and most have space to run around.

Your driver speaks Arabic

This is the part that changes the trip. Our drivers speak Arabic and English, so ordering food, asking about ingredients, finding a pharmacy or explaining where you want to stop is never a problem.

Tell us what you need

Send us your dates and any requirements, halal food, prayer times, child seats, and we will build the day around them.

Photo credits: Tbilisi-Jumah-Moschee-06-2019-gje — Gerd Eichmann (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under their free licenses.