From the Airport to the City: Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi

Georgia has three international airports: Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi. From Tbilisi and Batumi airports a city bus runs to the centre for 1 lari or less, and an app taxi costs 12-40 lari. Kutaisi, served by low-cost airlines, is the trickiest: it is 23 km to Kutaisi itself, and about 230 km and 3-3.5 hours by bus to Tbilisi.

Below, airport by airport: bus, taxi and transfer with prices and travel times, plus what to do in the arrivals hall so you do not overpay in the first hour.

What to Do in the Arrivals Hall

All three airports have ATMs and mobile operator kiosks, and in Tbilisi and Kutaisi they are open around the clock. Buy a SIM card first: without internet you cannot call an app taxi, and airport Wi-Fi often blocks such apps. Tourist packages at the airport cost more than in town, so a minimal one is enough, and you can pick a better plan in the city after comparing mobile internet in Georgia.

Withdraw only a little cash at the airport: buses accept cards only, and app taxis can be paid by card as well. TBC and Bank of Georgia ATMs charge 3-5 lari for a foreign card withdrawal. Airport exchange offices give a rate 5-8% worse than in town, so leave exchanging money in Georgia for the city.

The main rule is simple: do not get into a car with the drivers waiting at the exit. They quote newcomers several times the real price, and this is the most common overpayment in the first week in Georgia.

Tbilisi Airport

Tbilisi International Airport is about 17 km southeast of the centre, a 30-45 minute drive depending on traffic. It is the country's main airport, with scheduled flights from Europe, Turkey, the Middle East and Central Asia.

Bus 337

City bus 337 runs from the terminal to Station Square via Avlabari and Liberty Square. The first departure from the airport is at 7:00 and the last at 23:00, with buses every 15-20 minutes during the day. The ride to the centre takes about an hour.

The fare is 1 lari with a Metromoney card or a Georgian bank card, while a foreign card may be charged up to 1.50 lari. Cash is not accepted on the bus. A Metromoney card for 2 lari is sold at the Bank of Georgia desk in the arrivals hall, and it then pays for all public transport in Tbilisi: metro, buses and cable cars.

From July to November 2026 Rustaveli Avenue is closed to traffic and bus 337 takes a detour, so check your stop with the driver or in the Tbilisi Transport app.

Taxi and Transfer

• Bolt or Yandex Go: 30-40 lari to the centre, around the clock, price shown before ordering
• Official airport taxi: a fixed 40 lari to addresses within 20 km and 50 lari beyond, desk in the arrivals hall
• Pre-booked transfer with a name sign: 50-70 lari, convenient for night arrivals or with children

The train from the airport to the central station is currently not running: service is promised to resume later. Many flights land at night, and almost nothing in the centre opens before 9 am, so if you land at 3-5 am it is easier to book accommodation from that night.

Kutaisi Airport

Kutaisi Airport mostly serves low-cost airlines: Wizz Air, Pegasus, flydubai and others. It is 23 km from central Kutaisi, but most arriving passengers travel on to Tbilisi or Batumi, and it pays to plan for that in advance.

To Kutaisi

• Airport shuttle: 5 lari, around the clock every 2 hours (from the airport at 1:00, 3:00, 5:00 and so on until 23:00), about 40 minutes, card payment only. It runs via Gamsakhurdia Street and Kikvidze Park to the Red Bridge
• Minibus (marshrutka) from the highway by the airport: 2-3 lari, daytime only and cash only
• Bolt: 25-30 lari to the centre, around the clock

To Tbilisi and Batumi

The simplest option is the Georgian Bus coach, whose timetable is tied to flights: it waits for passengers at the terminal exit. Tickets are sold on the operator's website and at a kiosk in the arrivals hall.

The train is the cheapest, but you first have to get from the airport to Rioni station, and there are few trains a day, so with suitcases after a night flight the coach is easier. If your flight is delayed, check with Georgian Bus in advance whether the coach will wait: the timetable is based on scheduled arrival times.

Batumi Airport

Batumi Airport is small and sits almost within the city, right by the Turkish border: 15-20 minutes to the centre by car. In summer many seasonal flights arrive here, far fewer in winter, and those choosing between Tbilisi and Batumi for living should keep this in mind: in winter it is often easier to fly to Batumi via Tbilisi or Kutaisi.

• Bus 10: stop at the terminal, every 10-15 minutes, last departure 21:55, 20-30 minutes to the centre. The fare is 70 tetri with a local card and about 1 lari with a foreign one, cash not accepted
• Bolt: about 12 lari to the Boulevard, 15 lari to the railway station
• Transfer with driver: from 40 lari per car, around the clock

From Batumi people continue by train or bus to Tbilisi, about 4 hours by train or 6-7 hours by bus.

The Trip Back to the Airport

Tbilisi Airport recommends arriving at least 2 hours before an international flight, and in practice 2.5-3 hours is better in high season and on public holidays in Georgia. Check-in for international flights opens 3 hours before departure and closes 60 minutes before, for domestic flights 20 minutes before.

Early flights are the main difficulty: bus 337 starts at 7:00, so for departures before 9-10 am only a taxi in Tbilisi remains. Bolt and Yandex Go run around the clock, but there are fewer cars at night, so order 20-30 minutes before leaving home rather than at the last moment. From central Tbilisi the ride takes about 25 minutes at night and up to 45 in the morning rush.

• Kutaisi: Georgian Bus coaches from Tbilisi run to the flight schedule and arrive at the airport about 3 hours before departure. It is better to buy tickets in advance on the operator's website: seats for early morning flights sell out
• Batumi: the last bus 10 leaves at 21:55, so for late and night flights people take a taxi, 15-20 minutes to the airport

With Luggage and Children

City buses charge nothing extra for luggage, and you can board 337 with a suitcase. But at rush hour the bus is packed, and with two large suitcases and a child it gets cramped, so families with luggage are better off in a taxi. Small marshrutkas have almost no room for a large suitcase, while Georgian Bus coaches have a luggage hold.

With children the key thing is the car seat. Regular taxis and Bolt almost never have child seats, and carrying a child without one is fined in Georgia. Yandex Go has a "Kids" tariff: when ordering you can choose one or two seats for the child's age, and its drivers pass an additional exam. If you use taxis often, a compact folding seat is simpler, as recommended to everyone planning a move to Georgia with children.

Tbilisi Airport has a left-luggage office if you need to leave some bags for a few days. And the metro is best avoided with a stroller and suitcases: the stations are deep, with long escalators and almost no lifts.

In Short

• Tbilisi: bus 337 for 1 ₾ from 7:00 to 23:00, Bolt 30-40 ₾, official taxi 40-50 ₾
• Kutaisi: shuttle 5 ₾ every 2 hours, Georgian Bus to Tbilisi 30 ₾ and 3-3.5 hours, to Batumi 30 ₾ and 2 hours
• Batumi: bus 10 for 70 tetri until 21:55, Bolt about 12 ₾
• Buses take cards only; Metromoney is sold in the Tbilisi arrivals hall
• Buy a SIM card before leaving the airport; taxis only via an app
• For an early flight from Tbilisi before 7:00 only a taxi; arrive 2-3 hours before departure
• Child seats come with the Yandex Go "Kids" tariff; regular taxis do not have them