How to get around Tbilisi, Georgia and visit neighboring countries.

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Updated: 18 January, 2025

I will tell you all the transportation options from the airport, through the city of Tbilisi and to visit the rest of Georgia without any setbacks..

Georgia is a country with a good infrastructure when it comes to transportation compared to some of its neighbors.

In this small country in the Caucasus you will find good options to get around Tbilisi, its capital without having to drive, because it has a good range of public transport for all tastes.

Then stop move around Georgia, the options to move between large cities are wide, however to reach towns, remote or mountain areas the options are quite limited.

If you are thinking of visiting Georgia, it may also be a good idea take advantage of visiting neighboring countries.

You will also find a varied offer of tours to reach the most emblematic sites in the country.

In this article I tell you in detail all transportation options, so you can decide on the one that best suits you, everything based on my experience of living in Georgia for 1 year.

How to get from the airport to Tbilisi?

1. Taxi

In the arrivals hall itself, taxi drivers will approach you to offer their service. The price is a fixed rate that you pay in a small office right there and costs 60 lari (21.35 euros) to the entire central Tbilisi area.

This is the alternative that I used when I arrived in Georgia, because it is the most practical and because I was very exhausted.

2. Bolt

Another alternative is order a car through the Bolt app (Uber type, I'll tell you more below) is cheaper than the taxi and more comfortable than the bus, it usually costs about 30 lari (10.67 euros).

Please note that the price depends on several factors and they increase it during peak hours, rainy days, early morning or at night, etc.

If you are going to use this option I recommend the following:

1. Download the app before arriving in Georgia;
2. Once you arrive in Tbilisi, buy a SIM card because at the airport There is free Wifi, but it didn't even work for me to send a WhatsApp;
3. Order your Bolt by selecting cash payment;
4. Withdraw money in the local currency (lari) right there at the airport;
5. Wait for your Bolt to arrive and go outside to find him.

In the arrivals hall you will find just a few steps where to buy the SIM card and an ATM to withdraw money.

If not, you can buy one eSIM card like this with unlimited data from the moment you arrive and a 5% discount with that link.

3.Bus

The bus is the cheapest way to get from Tbilisi airport to the city, although not so comfortable if you go with a large suitcase.

It is bus number 337, which stops on Rustaveli Avenue and then at the Square Station train station and costs 1 lari (0.35 euros).

Your schedule is between the 06:59 and 22:59.

On this bus you can pay in cash, with a card or buy a card for public transport. Below I tell you in detail about the different payment methods.

How to get around Tbilisi?

1. Public transportation

The city of Tbilisi has a good urban transportation system, both metro, bus, minibus, cable car and funicular.

Furthermore, transport has a integrated system, the journey costs 1 lari (0.35 euros), you can get off one and get on another without paying again within an hour and a half.

For payment you can buy a card called Metro Money which costs 2 lari (0.70 euros).

Then you recharge it at the machines in the subway, others in the city or in the subway offices, the latter only accept cash.

If you cannot pay with your international debit or credit card, which I do not recommend because you will be paying fees to your bank and for the conversion of your currency to lari.

Cash payment on buses in Tbilisi cannot be made, only the airport accepts it and if you pay in cash it is not useful to later get on other public transport.

- Meter

The Tbilisi metro has two lines, the main one that passes through all the stops in the center and the Square Station train station.

Then there is a new line that connects Square Station with the Saburtalo area.

The metro runs from 6 a.m. to midnight, is quite frequent and a quick way to get around, although it does not cover the entire city.

– Buses

The city has a extensive bus network that runs frequently and they have an application and website: Tbilisi Transport although I haven't been able to get it to work well for me.

The best alternative is Google Maps, there it tells you the buses that serve you according to your destination, stop, route and time that the next one will pass.

If you buy a Georgian SIM card you will have data on your mobile, so you will have no way of getting lost in the city.

⭐ In this other article you can read more about Tips for Traveling to Georgia, where I talk about SIM cards, withdrawing money, security issues and more.

2. Driving

Driving in Tbilisi is quite an issue, firstly because of the drivers who go fast and are somewhat reckless.

Furthermore, in the center of Tbilisi during rush hours it is normal for the streets to become quite congested.

Personally, I don't recommend driving in the city, I think any of the other options (public transportation or Bolt) are better.

In case you decide to drive, I recommend rent a car in Georgia with this search engine that works only with serious Georgian companies.

It's a good way to get competitive prices, help local businesses without the risk of getting ripped off.

3. Taxi and Uber-type applications

In Georgia Uber doesn't work, but there are two similar applications: Yandex and Bolt, although they are only available in Tbilisi and Batumi.

Yandex is usually a little cheaper than Bolt, although they have a reputation for being less than legal.

That is, many foreigners complain that they try to charge them more than what is stated in the application. The truth is that with the bad reputation they have, I have never dared to use it.

The most popular app is Bolt, it works well, there are many cars and it is cheaper than taxis that sometimes go overboard with their prices.

Bolt has two payment methods: cash or card.

However, paying by card sometimes causes double collection problems and then it is a bit cumbersome to get the refund.

The best is use only cash payment without putting the card number in the application, because it also happens sometimes that you pay in cash and they automatically charge you with the card.

I use it paying in cash and I have never had problems, it works wonderfully. Furthermore, it is a good way to avoid the language barrier.

How to Get Around Georgia?

1. Train

In Georgia you have 2 types of trains that cover different routes.

Some are the old trains from Soviet times, which is a train system a little dated and it is a very slow means of transport and uncomfortable (even in first class) compared to buses.

An example of these trains are those that go from Tbilisi to Yerevan in Armenia.

Then there are modern trains that have nothing to envy of Western European trains. These are fast, comfortable and the price for second gear is usually similar to that of minibuses.

For example, the route that goes from Tbilisi to Batumi these trains do it.

To get train tickets you can go to the train station, buy on their website, where it is a bit difficult to get tickets (Georgian Railway) because they usually do not have availability.

Another alternative to look at schedules, prices and book tickets at this website works very well, which also works for other means of transport, you can use the search engine below:

2. Bus and Marshrutka

Buses are the most used system to move within Georgia, well, actually minibuses.

These minibuses are known as marshrutka which is a word that comes from Russian and means minibus.

Marshrutka are quite the topic of conversation, enough for an entire article, haha.

– Are marshrutka safe?

In short, they can tell you that they drive fast and sometimes somewhat aggressively, to which we must add that some roads are dangerous.

But if you travel to Georgia, a marshrutka It is the best option and sometimes the only one way to get around Tbilisi and Georgia.

Because the excursions are also minibuses with the same driving techniques, although they are a little more cautious because they take scared tourists. 😅

In summary and answering the question, although there are accidents, they are not as frequent as one might imagine and I would say that they are safe. Not all marshrutka drivers drive like crazy.

– Driving or marshrutka?

It also seems to me safer to go in a marshrutka than to drive.

I say this, because the drivers of these minibuses are experts on the roads, with other Georgian drivers and even with the cows and other animals that you may encounter on the road.

🐄 Fun fact: in Georgia the cows wander alone and it is common to find them on the road. Therefore, when obtaining a Georgian driving license, there are many questions related to this topic.

– Where to buy the ticket?

The way to buy tickets is at the station itself or on the mini bus, depending on what the driver tells you.

📢 Important: Note that passengers with tickets have priority Regarding those who don't have it, if the ticket can be bought at the station, buy it. I went from sitting in a marshrutka 20 minutes and at departure time, as there were more people than seats, I had to get off to leave the place for someone with a ticket and wait for the next marshrutka which left 1 hour later.

– Where are the stations?

The Tbilisi's main marshrutka departure station is Didube which has a metro stop nearby.

Although there are also other marshrutka departure points such as Avlabari, from where they leave for Armenia.

In other cities outside of Tbilisi you will have to ask people.

– How to find the mini bus at the station?

The marshrutka They have a sign that says the destination, the most touristy places may be written in English, but it is not the most common.

Most destinations are written in Georgian and Russian.

But if you ask a driver, he will tell you where the marshrutka is that goes to the destination you want.

– Schedules

The departures are in theory when the minibus is full, but they also have a schedule that they usually respect a lot. I recommend you arrive a few minutes before departure time.

To find out the times you will need to ask at the station or local people. Depending on the destination it can be every 30 min, 1 hour or some destinations a few times a day or just 1 time.

🔔 Advice: destinations that have few departures and you need to travel if or if on a certain date, it is better that you go to Didube and buy the ticket the day before, such as if you travel by land to Russia.

Right off the bat the marshrutka system It may seem completely chaotic, meaningless, but they work very well and in my experience they are quite punctual.

During the pandemic there were problems because there were almost no people, but now they work well.

– Motion sickness

If you get sick in transport, I recommend you have something before traveling by marshrutka especially when you go to a mountain area. You'll thank me later.

In Georgia you can buy the medicine in the photo, it is like Biodramina in Spain.

The first time I bought it, it was quite difficult for me to understand what I needed at the pharmacy, even using the translator, now I just show you the photo. 😅

3. Airplane

Although this is only known among locals, in Georgia there is an airline with internal flights between the main cities (Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi) and the mountain areas including Mestia.

The airline is called VanillaSky, you can only reserve on their website at that link and you must take into account:

• Depending on the season and area, tickets run out soon because it is a 15-seat mini plane, therefore, you must book quickly.
• They do not allow any type of changes once you have purchased the ticket.
• The flight from Tbilisi is from the airfield in Natakhtari, you have to make a transfer from the center, that is, they do not have departures from the Tbilisi international airport.
• The maximum weight of suitcases is 15 kg.

This is one Pretty good alternative to save time, although more expensive than buses.

For example, a flight from Tbilisi (Natakhtari) to Batumi costs 40 euros and only takes 1 hour instead of 5.

If you go to the mountains, you save much more time and the price difference is not so great.

4. Driving in Georgia

As I mentioned above, Georgian drivers drive aggressively and fast.

So, I only recommend driving if you have a lot of experience behind the wheel.

On the other hand, driving will allow you to visit a lot of places where there is no public transportation and will give you flexibility.

If you go to rent a car in Georgia I can recommend this search engine that works with serious Georgian companies.

By renting a car with them you benefit from getting competitive prices without fear of being scammed and at the same time you help local businesses.

⭐ Check out this article for further insights on How to rent and drive a car in Georgia and neighboring countries.

5. Private taxi

Another way to get around is by hiring a private taxi, something especially useful if you want to make a 1-day visit. It takes you to your destination and you can include other stops.

It is a convenient way to visit and It can be a good price if you travel in a group or you join other travelers.

6. Excursions

Many tourist sites are not well connected with public transportation and the cheapest way is to go with an excursion like these from link with departures from Tbilisi and the most popular ones have a guide in Spanish.

The excursions also usually include more stops than if you go with a private taxi, which will always charge you more the more stops you include.

How to get from Georgia to Armenia and Azerbaijan by land?

1. Armenia

You can go to Armenia by train from Tbilisi, departures are from Square Station and prices start at 20 euros.

However, you have a better alternative... Surely you have already guessed it, yessss, the famous marshrutkas.

Why do I say it is the best option? Because the train takes almost 11 hours and the minibus is about 5:30 hours.

The minibus costs 50 laris (17.32 euros) and leaves from the marshrutkas station next to the Avlabari metro.

⭐ In this other article you can read in details about How to Get from Tbilisi to Yerevan: Fast, Cheap, and Comfortable, with details of the round trip, immigration, prices and alternatives.

2. Azerbaijan

The land borders between Georgia and Azerbaijan are closed at least until October 1, 2024. After that, we'll have to wait and see what the Azerbaijani authorities decide.

Azerbaijan put this measure in place during the pandemic and have been extending it every few months, supposedly due to COVID.

Right now, the only way you can visit Azerbaijan from Georgia is by plane. There are flights from Tbilisi to Baku.

🔝 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.

Can you cross the land borders with Türkiye, Russia and Azerbaijan?

1. Türkiye

Yes, the border with Türkiye near Batumi, Sarpi is open and you can cross there.

Although unlike the trip to Armenia you will need to take a transport to the border and then another to continue through Turkey.

The distance between Batumi and the border is less than 20 km, you can do it by bus or taxi. Then in Türkiye you continue by bus.

Another alternative is to cross by driving, but you will not be able to cross by driving a car with a Georgian license plate if you do not have Georgian residency (Turkish laws).

2. Russia

Yes, you can also cross the land border with Russia with minibuses, but be careful, keep the following in mind:

• You cannot cross the border with Russia on foot;
• most countries require a visa to enter Russia;
• under no circumstances can you cross into Russian-occupied territories;
• There is nowhere to exchange money on either side, you will have to buy Russian rubles beforehand;
• Russia is expected to soon close its land borders with Georgia due to war issues, so do your research before venturing out.

3. Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan's land border is closed at least until January 1, 2024, then we will have to see what the Azeri authorities decide.

This is a measure they took during the pandemic and they have not reopened it.

So if you want to go to Azerbiajan, you will need to go by plane with flights from Tbilisi to Baku.

Final Thoughts

These are all the ways to get around Tbilisi, Georgia and visit other Caucasus countries from 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.

If I have left any topic untouched, do not hesitate to leave me a comment below, I will help you in any way I can and if you found it useful, share it with other travelers. Have a good trip! 🥰

More about Georgia and the Caucasus

• What to do in Tbilisi: 24 must-visit places.
• What to bring to Georgia?
• Visit to Tskaltubo: Soviet Baths and Sanatoriums
• What to see in Mtskheta: 8 most interesting places
• 9 Best Tours from Kutaisi