What to buy in Mtskheta, where to shop, typical prices, authenticity advice and which souvenirs are genuinely connected to the destination.
Shopping & souvenirs
What is actually worth buying in Mtskheta
Authentic local products, realistic price expectations, where to look and how to avoid taking home something mass-produced and meaningless.
01
Icons and crosses
Religious items are the most characteristic purchase here, sold both in commercial souvenir shops and in the church and monastery shops themselves. The monastery shops are generally the better option: prices are reasonable, the money supports the community, and staff can tell you what an item actually is.
Typical price
From a few lari for small printed icons to substantially more for painted or metalwork pieces
Where to buy
Church and monastery shops at Svetitskhoveli and Samtavro; souvenir shops in the centre
Authenticity
Hand-painted icons cost considerably more than printed reproductions mounted on board, and the difference is visible at close range. If a seller describes an item as blessed, that is their statement rather than something you can verify, and it is entirely reasonable to ask where and when.
Customs: Ordinary modern religious goods travel without difficulty. Genuinely old icons are a different matter and may be subject to Georgian cultural property export rules; do not buy anything presented as antique without proper documentation.
02
Churchkhela and dried fruit
Sold from stalls throughout the centre. Good, but not local to Mtskheta and priced for visitors. Buy it here for convenience, or at a working market elsewhere in Georgia for roughly half.
Typical price
About 4–10 GEL per string in the visitor centre, as of September 2026
Where to buy
Stalls around the cathedral; local shops for better value
Authenticity
Press it: a good one gives slightly rather than feeling hard. Ask which nut is inside, and avoid stock that has been sitting in direct sun. Our Georgian Sweets, Churchkhela and Dried Fruit Guide covers how to judge and buy it properly.
Customs: Dried goods travel well and are among the easiest Georgian foods to bring home, but check your destination's import rules before buying.
03
Georgian wine
Widely sold, mostly bought in rather than made here. Mtskheta is in Kartli and is not a wine-production town, so a bottle bought in the centre carries a convenience premium over the same wine in a Tbilisi shop.
Typical price
Varies widely by producer and packaging
Where to buy
Souvenir shops in the centre; better selection and prices in Tbilisi
Authenticity
Look for a named producer and region on the label rather than decorative packaging. Clay-effect and horn-shaped vessels are gift items rather than an indicator of quality.
Customs: Glass and liquid, so checked baggage only, and destination duty limits apply. Many countries allow only one litre of spirits, with a more generous wine allowance.
04
Honey
Georgian honey is sold by varietal, with acacia, chestnut and alpine among the types you will be offered, and they taste different enough that the question is worth asking.
Typical price
Varies sharply by varietal
Where to buy
Stalls and shops in the centre; monastery shops sometimes sell their own
Authenticity
Buy from a seller who can name the type and its origin rather than from an unlabelled jar. Crystallisation is natural and is not a fault.
Customs: Honey counts as a product of animal origin in many jurisdictions and is subject to quantity limits, and it is a liquid for cabin-baggage purposes. Check your destination before buying.
05
Cloisonné enamel and metalwork
Georgian cloisonné enamel, known as minankari, appears in jewellery and small icons and is a genuine craft tradition rather than a tourist invention, though quality and price vary enormously between workshop pieces and mass-produced imports.
Typical price
From modest for small pendants to high for artist pieces
Where to buy
Specialist shops in the centre; the wider selection is in Tbilisi
Authenticity
Handmade enamel shows slight irregularity in the cell walls and the colour surface. Perfectly uniform, very cheap pieces are usually printed or machine-made.
Customs: No restrictions of note for ordinary modern craft goods.