Updated: April 3, 2024
All transportation alternatives from Kutaisi airport with prices, schedules and lots of practical information.
The city of Kutaisi has historically been very important and became the main city of the Colchis kingdom.
Medea lived in Colchis, who helped Jason get the Golden Fleece in Greek mythology.
Today it is the third most populated city in the country and the only one with an international airport with the arrival of cheap flights (low cost) thanks to the airline Wizz Air.
This airline has direct flights from Barcelona, Madrid and other European cities. I recommend this search engine to find cheap flights to Georgia.
✅ Kutaisi Caves and Canyons Tour – the most spectacular visit 😍
✅ Visit to the Kutaisi Monasteries – with a fabulous history and the best frescoes
✅ Kutaisi Wine Tour, visit to the old town, Bagrati and a wine cellar
How to get from Kutaisi airport to the city center? (and vice versa)
Kutaisi International Airport (KUT), which is called Kopitnari Airport, It is 23 km from the city center, depending on traffic by car it takes about 30 minutes.
These are the options you have to go to the city:
1. Taxi
As in any airport you will find taxis at the exit, but honestly I do not recommend this option because it is usually the most expensive and where tourists are often scammed.
In general, Georgians do not usually try to scam foreigners, but it can happen with taxi drivers.
If you want to try this alternative, the price can vary from about 35 lari (12.13 euros) to 35 euros, it will depend on your negotiating skills.
2. Bolt
Bolt is an Uber-like application to order a car and It works very well, especially in Tbilisi and Batumi.
The application It avoids the language barrier and thus you will know in advance the price you are going to pay without having to negotiate or ask to put the meter on and turn a deaf ear.
The problem is that in Kutaisi Bolt they don't have so many cars and depending on the time you arrive it could be difficult for someone to pick you up.
That is, if you arrive very early or perhaps late at night.
It is also not strange for a Bolt to tell you that it will arrive in, for example, 15 minutes and they extend the time and you wait much longer without knowing if it is going to come.
But you can try it, a Bolt between the airport and the city center costs about 25 lari (8.66 euros).
– Internet at Kutaisi airport
To use Bolt you can buy a Magti SIM card, which has a stand and is the Georgian telephone company with the best coverage.
Or you can use the airport's free WiFi, although in my experience it doesn't work.
If not, the most practical alternative is to buy an eSIM that you configure beforehand and have mobile data from the moment you arrive.
I recomend you It has unlimited data and a 5% discount with that link.
3. Bus (best option)
*** Update 12/20/2023: Georgian bus has canceled all its buses on the route between Kutaisi airport and Kutaisi. Omnibus Express continues to provide the service but on request through the chat on its website at the same price as before. ***
If you want one economical and safe option, don't even think about it, go with the bus.
The buses have their schedules programmed according to the flights, they leave 50 minutes after the arrival of the flights.
Although 50 minutes may seem like a short time, it is more than enough because the airport is very small.
It will give you time to clear immigration and make a quick stop at the bathroom, but don't linger too long either.
There are 2 bus companies at the airport. Georgian Bus and Express Bus (those are the links to their websites).
The first is the most popular among locals, although both have modern and comfortable buses.
The price of the trip is 10 lari (3.46 euros) and the round trip is 18 lari (6.24 euros).
You can buy the ticket right there at the airport where they have a kiosk or on their website.
The final stop in Kutaisi is next to the Colchis fountain, but they can stop at other places in the center if you ask them and it is within the route.
These buses also go to Tbilisi and Batumi, I'll tell you more below.
4. Marshrutka (mini buses)
From Kutaisi airport there is no regular marshrutka service, basically because the road transportation service is carried out mainly by bus companies.
So, if you fly to Kutaisi you might see some marshrutka, but you'll have to ask them their route before you get on. If you go in the direction of Kutaisi, it will cost you 10 lari (3.46 euros) to get to the city.
But if you are in Kutaisi from bus station (location on google maps) you can go by marshrutka to Kutaisi airport.
Just ask any driver, they will tell you who can take you.
The most normal thing is that it is the minibus that connects Kutaisi with Batumi that can make that stop to take you to the airport.
But You have to ask for it because the marshrutkas do not go to Kutaisi airport unless someone calls for that stop.
Although if you want my opinion, The buses from the previous point are a much better option.
The price is the same, but the bus is more comfortable and they even have more space to put your suitcases.
⭐ You may also be interested in this article about How to go to Kutaisi, get around the city and surroundings, or this other about How to go to Batumi and get around the area.
How to get from Kutaisi airport to other places in Georgia? (and vice versa)
1.Bus
The best alternative to go from the airport to both Tbilisi city and Batumi They are the same bus companies that I mentioned above to go to Kutaisi.
That is, Georgian Bus or Omnibus Express, You can buy the ticket at the company's stand that you choose or on their website.
From Kutaisi Airport The buses leave 50 minutes after the arrival of the flights and from Tbilisi and Batumi they are also coordinated to arrive on time for departures.
– Kutaisi Airport to Tbilisi
The bus to Tbilisi It takes about 4 hours and costs 20 lari one way or 36 lari round trip.
Both bus companies drop you off in the center of Tbilisi.
Georgian Bus has the final stop next to Liberty Square (Libery Square) here.
On the other hand, Omnibus Express has a stop next to the Rustaveli metro, below where the Bicycle monument is. here (Google Maps links).
These stops in the cities are the same to go to the airport.
– Kutaisi Airport to Batumi
Instead, to go to Batumi takes 2 hours and costs 15 lari one way or 27 lari round trip.
The final stop in Batumi of Georgian Bus is next to the Radisson Blu hotel here you can see it on Google map.
Omnibus Express will leave you near the House of Justice, in front of the Danzante fountain here.
📢 Attention: Sometimes there are not enough people traveling between Kutaisi Airport and Batumi, especially in low season. That is why Georgian Bus usually provides minibuses and Omnibus Express removes the service in those months.
2. Train
In Georgia there are different types of trains, the old Soviet ones, which are uncomfortable and slow.
Then there are the modern ones, which are comfortable and fast, very similar to those you would find in Spain or any European city.
The tour from Tbilisi to Batumi and then modern trains do the opposite and They have a stop at Kutaisi airport.
In addition, there are other trains that also stop at Kutaisi airport which are:
- The trains that connect Tbilisi with Poti and Zugdidi are fast trains.
- An old-fashioned train that connects Tbilisi with Ozurgeti.
Then you can take the opportunity to go from Kutaisi airport by train to any of those cities.
Below I leave you the schedules and prices as of today (January 2023).
If you cannot consult the Georgian Railway website They also sell tickets, although it doesn't always work well.
Alternatively you can use this website to see schedules and book tickets train and other transport in Georgia and other countries of the Caucasus.
📢 The only drawback of these trains is that They do not have their schedules coordinated with flights and there are very few trains. In summer they only add 1 more train.
Train stations in Tbilisi and Batumi
The train station in Tbilisi is Square Station and it is well connected to the subway, the name of the stop is the same, Square Station.
Instead, In Batumi the Central train station is 4 km from the center. To get to the city you can take a Bolt that will cost you about 6 lari or bus number 10 which stops in front and costs 30 tetris (0.30 lari).
⭐ In this article you have detailed information about How to get around Tbilisi, Georgia and visit neighboring countries?
Trains from Kutaisi Airport to Tbilisi
| Train type | Exit | Arrival | Price |
| Fast | 8:56 | 12:44 | from 14 lari (4.85 euros) |
| Fast | 10:00 | 13:14 | from 33 lari (11.43 euros) |
| Slow | 12:24 | 17:44 | 9 lari (3.12 euros) |
| Fast | 19:05 | 22:20 | from 33 lari |
| Fast | 19:23 | 23:16 | from 14 lari |
| Fast | 20:10 | 23:25 | from 33 lari |
Trains from Tbilisi to Kutaisi Airport
| Train type | Exit | Arrival | Price |
| Fast | 8:00 | 11:25 | from 33 lari (11.43 euros) |
| Fast | 8:25 | 12:17 | from 14 lari (4.85 euros) |
| Slow | 8:50 | 14:19 | 9 lari (3.12 euros) |
| Fast | 10:25 | 13:50 | from 33 lari |
| Fast | 17:05 | 20:30 | from 33 lari |
| Fast | 17:30 | 21:16 | from 14 lari |
Trains from Kutaisi Airport to Batumi
| Train type | Exit | Arrival | Price |
| Fast | 11:27 | 13:12 | from 31 lari (10.74 euros) |
| Fast | 13:52 | 15:38 | from 31 lari |
| Fast | 20:32 | 22:17 | from 31 lari |
Trains from Batumi to Kutaisi Airport
| Train type | Exit | Arrival | Price |
| Fast | 8:10 | 9:58 | from 31 lari (10.74 euros) |
| Fast | 17:15 | 19:03 | from 31 lari |
| Fast | 18:20 | 20:08 | from 31 lari |
Is there train from Kutaisi airport to Kutaisi?
Well no, These trains do not stop in the city of Kutaisi.
Although they stop at another place that is not far from Kutaisi, it is not the best alternative to go to Kutaisi because it would leave you 10 km from Kutaisi.
3. Transfer
Another very practical alternative is to go with a transfer like this from the link who will be waiting for you at the airport and will take you to your destination.
You can choose different cities like Tbilisi, Batumi throughout the year and then in high season they also have other smaller cities like Borjomi, Mestia, etc.
The cars are comfortable, clean and the price is per car not per passenger, It will pay off very well if you travel with more people or join other travelers.
🔝 If you want to know the best of the Caucasus without worrying about anything, book this All-inclusive trip to Georgia and Armenia, which costs less than 150 euros a day.
Final Thoughts
These are all the alternatives to get from Kutaisi airport to the city and other areas of Georgia.
You can continue reading more of my articles about this fascinating country in this Georgia Travel Guide travel on your own, they are organized there.
In case I have left any topic untouched, leave me a comment below, I will help you in any way I can and if you found the article useful, share it with other travelers. Have a good trip! 💓
More about Georgia and the Caucasus
- What to do in Kutaisi: a complete guide
- What to bring to Georgia?
- Georgia Road Trip (country): 10 and 14-Day Itinerary
- What to do in Batumi: 13 best plans
- What to do in Tbilisi: 24 must-visit places.
Hello, I’m Andrea, the creator and writer of Viajeros Activos (Active Travelers). I’m a nomad, so I consider myself a full-time traveler. I’m passionate about good food and always looking for new adventures.
Hello friends, I would like to know if there is a cheap way to travel between Kutaisi directly to Gori? Are there buses or mini vans that make this journey? I plan to do it on Monday, October 30 at the end of the afternoon.
I think from Kutaisi I railway station there is no afternoon train to Gori.
Hello Adonai
From Kutaisi the best way to go to Gori is by train.
There is only one train at 12:25, I leave you the link where buy the ticket.
Likewise, you will have to wait a few days to be able to buy it, because they are not yet available for the date you want, they are usually available 2 or 3 weeks before.
The other alternative is that you go with the marshrutka, but it is not direct to Gori, but rather it leaves you on the road and from there you would have to go by taxi. It is the one that runs between Kutaisi and Tbilisi.
Although, keep in mind that it can be a bit difficult to get a taxi on the road.
In case you haven't read it, I leave you the link to the guide to Gori and Uplistsikhe, with everything to see and a very good place to eat.
Have a good trip!
Hello!
Could it be that there are no longer buses between Kutaisi and Kutaisi airport? The option does not appear on their websites. Where can I find out? Thank you very much for the blog
Hello Maria
I just checked that Georgian bus has canceled all their buses between Kutaisi airport and Kutaisi.
I have also consulted Omnibus Express and they tell me that now they work on request and it still costs the same 10 laris, you can do it through their chat.
This airport is much better connected to Tbilisi, basically because that is the city that most people visit, a shame, but I am not surprised that the buses have canceled that route.
If not, the other public transport alternative is the marshrutkas.
Enjoy the trip!