Getting around · Tbilisi · Georgia
Getting around Tbilisi
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: George Kvizhinadze from Tbilisi, Georgia, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
Tbilisi's centre is walkable but hilly, and a two-line metro, buses, minibuses, cable cars and a funicular fill the gaps. Ride-hailing apps make taxis easy and inexpensive. No for the city; public transport and ride-hailing cover everything.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Metro
- Airports
- TBS, KUT
- Need a car?
- No
- Travel pass
- Metromoney card
Ways to get around
Metro
Two metro lines cross the city, with stations at Freedom Square, Rustaveli, Avlabari and Marjanishvili. Pay with a Metromoney card or a contactless bank card.
Tap your card on entry; the same card works on buses and the Narikala cable car.
Bus
City buses and yellow minibuses cover most routes, including to the airport and Vake.
Use a mapping app to find routes; signs are mostly in Georgian.
Ride-hailing
Bolt is widely used and inexpensive, with prices shown upfront; drivers rarely speak English, so set the destination in the app.
Use the app rather than hailing street taxis to avoid overcharging.
Walking
The Old Town, Sololaki, Rustaveli Avenue and Rike Park are within walking distance, but expect steep streets and uneven pavements.
Cable car
Cable cars run from Rike Park to Narikala and from the Vake area to Turtle Lake, and a funicular climbs to Mtatsminda Park.
Tickets and passes
Metromoney card
A rechargeable contactless card for the metro, buses and cable cars, sold at metro stations.
From the airport
Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) is about 17 km south-east of the centre. Bus 337 runs to the city centre and railway station, and a taxi or Bolt ride takes about 25–30 minutes. Kutaisi (KUT), about 230 km west, is served by low-cost airlines, with shuttle buses to Tbilisi taking about 4 hours.
Do you need a car?
No for the city; public transport and ride-hailing cover everything. For day trips, use marshrutkas, shared tours or a driver; Georgian driving can be fast and unpredictable.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Mtskheta | About 30 minutes by car or minibus | Marshrutka from Didube station, or taxi |
| Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church | About 3 hours by car | Marshrutka, shared tour or private driver |
| Sighnaghi and Kakheti | About 2 hours by car | Marshrutka, shared tour or private driver |
| David Gareja | About 2 hours by car | Shared tour or private driver |
| Uplistsikhe and Gori | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car | Marshrutka to Gori, then taxi; or tour |
| Borjomi | About 2 hours 30 minutes by car | Marshrutka or car |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Tbilisi?
No for the city; public transport and ride-hailing cover everything. For day trips, use marshrutkas, shared tours or a driver; Georgian driving can be fast and unpredictable.
+How do you get from the airport to Tbilisi?
Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) is about 17 km south-east of the centre. Bus 337 runs to the city centre and railway station, and a taxi or Bolt ride takes about 25–30 minutes. Kutaisi (KUT), about 230 km west, is served by low-cost airlines, with shuttle buses to Tbilisi taking about 4 hours.
+What is the best way to get around Tbilisi?
Metro: Two metro lines cross the city, with stations at Freedom Square, Rustaveli, Avlabari and Marjanishvili. Pay with a Metromoney card or a contactless bank card.