- David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport (KUT) stands beside the village of Kopitnari, ~14 km west of Kutaisi in a straight line and 30 to 40 minutes by road; most budget flights to Georgia land here, many of them at night.
- Into Kutaisi, the airport shuttle costs about 5 GEL ($2) in 2026, takes cards only and runs every two hours around the clock; a Bolt costs about 25-30 GEL ($9-11).
- To Tbilisi, coaches wait for each flight and cost about 25-30 GEL ($9-11); the operator's October 2026 timetable allows 4 hours, nearer 3.5 when the road is quiet. The fast train from the airport's own station takes about 3.5 hours.
- To Batumi the coach needs about 2 hours and the train 1.5 to 2; for Mestia, sleep in Kutaisi and take the 10:00 minibus, or go door to door by private car in 4 to 5 hours.
- A private transfer meets any flight, day or night, at one price per vehicle, and can turn the long drive east or into the mountains into a day of sightseeing.
Kutaisi airport (KUT) is where most low-cost flights to Georgia come down, and leaving it is easier than its modest size suggests. Coaches to Tbilisi and Batumi stand outside arrivals for every flight, a card-only shuttle drives into Kutaisi every two hours, day and night, the airport has its own railway stop 1.8 km away, and Bolt cars serve the terminal at any hour. It lies in the flat farmland of western Imereti, next to the village of Kopitnari.
This guide follows you from the aircraft steps to your bed: passport control, cash and a SIM card, then every way onward with 2026 journey times and approximate fares, including the run straight up to Mestia in Svaneti, what to do when you land at 3 a.m., and how to get back for the flight home. Our flights guide covers airlines and routes, and our Kutaisi travel guide covers the city itself.
Kutaisi airport at a glance
Kutaisi's airfield started life as a military base and reopened to civilian traffic on 27 September 2012 after a full rebuild; a large extension followed in 2021-2022. It is still a one-terminal airport with seven gates and no jet bridges. The state company United Airports of Georgia runs it, and in 2024 it handled about 1.7 million passengers, second only to Tbilisi. Wizz Air flies most routes from this low-cost hub, with a few other budget and charter airlines; our flights guide lists who flies where.
| Kutaisi airport | Key facts |
|---|---|
| Official name | David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport, after King David IV |
| Codes | IATA KUT, ICAO UGKO |
| Location | Kopitnari, ~14 km west of Kutaisi as the crow flies, ~20-25 km by road |
| Kutaisi centre | 30 to 40 minutes by car or shuttle |
| Tbilisi | ~245 km, 3.5 to 4 hours by road |
| Batumi | ~125 km, about 2 hours by road |
| Mestia | ~220 km, 4 to 5 hours by road |
| Railway | Kutaisi Airport station, 1.8 km away, linked by a free shuttle |
| Hours | Open around the clock; a large share of flights land between late evening and dawn |
| Live arrivals | kutaisi.aero |
Arriving at Kutaisi airport, step by step
- Leave the aircraft
Expect stairs, then a short walk or an apron bus to the door; in winter keep a jacket handy for the open apron. - Passport control
Holders of EU, UK or US passports, among many others, get up to a year visa-free. Since 1 January 2026 every visitor must also hold travel health insurance valid in Georgia, and officers may ask for it, so keep the policy on your phone. - Bags and customs
Luggage comes out in a small reclaim hall, and customs is a walk-through for normal holiday baggage. - The arrivals hall
Everything is a few steps apart: cash machines and an exchange counter, mobile operator kiosks, desks of the coach companies Georgian Bus, OmniBus and Metro Georgia, a Georgian Railway desk, a tourist information desk that never closes, a pharmacy and a small Smart supermarket. - Outside the doors
Coaches line up on the forecourt facing the exit, the white city shuttle waits at the kerb and Bolt drivers collect from the road in front. Say no to anyone offering a taxi inside the hall.
Cash, SIM cards and Wi-Fi at Kutaisi airport
You need surprisingly little cash. Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere in Kutaisi, Tbilisi and Batumi, and the city shuttle takes cards only. Keep some lari for marshrutkas, village guesthouses and roadside stalls. The machines just past baggage reclaim give lari, some also dollars or euros, and each bank adds a fee of a few lari per withdrawal. Exchange offices in town pay better than the airport counter.
The mobile kiosks in arrivals sell SIM cards and data at any hour; Magti is the usual pick for signal in the mountains. Their airport tourist packs are handy but dearer than the same data from a shop in town, so buy a small pack now and top up later. Bring your passport. An eSIM bought before the trip also works, though most come without a Georgian number.
Free Wi-Fi covers the terminal after a short sign-in page. It is fast enough to order a Bolt, but the signal fades at the door, so book the car before you walk out.
Kutaisi airport transport: all the options in one table
The figures are what operators listed or travellers paid in 2026, rounded. Fares shift with the season, so check with the operator before you travel.
| Where to and how | Time | Approximate cost in 2026 | How to book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kutaisi: airport shuttle bus | about 40 min | about 5 GEL ($2) | Tap a Visa or Mastercard on board; no cash |
| Kutaisi: Bolt | 25-35 min | about 25-30 GEL ($9-11) | Bolt app; needs data or the airport Wi-Fi |
| Kutaisi: passing marshrutka | about 40 min | about 2-3 GEL ($1) | Flag one on the main road in daylight; cash |
| Tbilisi: airport coach | about 4 h on the timetable | about 25-30 GEL ($9-11) | Online with your flight number, or at the desk in arrivals |
| Tbilisi: fast train | about 3.5 h | about 33 GEL ($12) in 2nd class | tkt.ge, railway.ge or the railway desk; free shuttle to the station |
| Batumi: airport coach | about 2 h | about 20-30 GEL ($7-11) | Online or at the desk in arrivals |
| Batumi: fast train | 1.5 to 2 h | from about 30 GEL ($11) | tkt.ge or railway.ge; book early in summer |
| Gudauri, winter only | about 6 h | about 60 GEL ($22) | Georgian Bus, roughly mid-December to March |
| Mestia: minibus from Kutaisi | 5 to 6 h from Kutaisi | about 35-40 GEL ($13-15) | Pay the driver; one departure at about 10:00 |
| Anywhere: private transfer | door to door, any hour | one price per vehicle | Book with us ahead; the driver tracks your flight |
Kutaisi airport to Kutaisi city centre
The cheapest ride is the airport's own shuttle, a white city bus introduced in March 2024. It pulls away from the kerb outside arrivals every two hours, on the odd hours from 01:00 to 23:00, and takes about 40 minutes, stopping on Gamsakhurdia Street and at Kikvidze Park before it finishes by the Red Bridge, a short walk from the Green Bazaar and the old centre. You pay about 5 GEL ($2) in 2026 by tapping a bank card; the driver takes no cash.
For two or three people with suitcases, Bolt is the easy answer: about 25-30 GEL ($9-11) to a central hotel, with drivers waiting near the terminal when flights are due. In daylight, minibuses running between Kutaisi and Samtredia, Senaki or Zugdidi also pass on the main road; cross to the far carriageway, wave one down and pay about 2-3 GEL ($1) in cash. That suits a backpack, not four suitcases.
Kutaisi deserves a day or two. Bagrati Cathedral looks down on the Rioni, Gelati Monastery and the cliff church of Motsameta sit on wooded hills just outside town, and the caves at Prometheus and Sataplia and the spa town of Tskaltubo are all within ~25 km. Our Kutaisi travel guide has the full picture.
Kutaisi airport to Tbilisi: coach, train or private car
The airport coach
Three companies drive from the terminal to the capital: Georgian Bus, OmniBus and Metro Georgia. Each departure belongs to a group of incoming flights and leaves once those passengers are through customs, normally within an hour of touchdown; if your plane is late, the coach waits. Suitcases ride in the hold at no charge. A one-way seat costs about 25-30 GEL ($9-11) in 2026, a little less per trip on a return.
How long does it take? Georgian Bus's own timetable for October 2026 gives four hours: the 12:45 departure, for example, is due in at 16:45. Some guides say three. On an empty highway with one rest stop the ride can come close to 3.5 hours, but roadworks on the E60 and the evening crawl into Tbilisi push it past four. Plan on four.
Georgian Bus finishes at Station Square, beside the central railway station and its metro stop. The other two companies use other stops, such as the Ortachala or Didube bus stations, so read your ticket. The metro shuts at midnight, so a coach arriving at 4 or 5 a.m. leaves you with a Bolt ride to bed.
The train
The fast double-decker Stadler trains between Batumi and Tbilisi call at Kutaisi Airport station, and a free shuttle bus runs there from the terminal in step with the trains. Tbilisi is about 3.5 hours away, with a 2nd-class seat at about 33 GEL ($12) in 2026; slower trains from Zugdidi, Poti and Ozurgeti stop there too. Only a handful run each day, which suits a midday landing far better than a 2 a.m. one. Book ahead for summer weekends.
By car, with stops
By private car the drive takes 3.5 to 4 hours, and the transfer can become a day out: Gelati as a short detour at the start, warm nazuki sweet bread from the bakeries at Surami, the rock-cut town of Uplistsikhe ~10 km off the motorway near Gori, and Mtskheta's cathedral just before the capital. Our Kutaisi Airport to Tbilisi route page lists each stop with kilometres and vehicle prices.
If Tbilisi is only the start, our East to West tour crosses the whole country in six days, from Tbilisi and the Kakheti vineyards to Kutaisi's monasteries, Martvili Canyon and the sea at Batumi. As a private tour it runs whenever you like, for any number of travellers, and if you fly into Kutaisi we can plan it to begin there.
Kutaisi airport to Batumi
The coast is the easiest onward trip: ~125 km of mostly level road through Samtredia and down the shore past Kobuleti, about 2 hours by car. Georgian Bus and Metro Georgia send coaches to Batumi after the arrivals; the Georgian Bus timetable allows 2 hours, and a seat costs about 20-30 GEL ($7-11) in 2026. The fast train from Kutaisi Airport station takes 1.5 to 2 hours from about 30 GEL ($11), but with a few departures a day it needs a well-timed landing; in July and August buy seats a week or two ahead.
No marshrutka starts at the terminal. Minibuses leave Kutaisi itself for Batumi about every hour for about 15 GEL ($6), which helps only if you are already in town. With a private car you can add Petra Fortress or a swim at Kobuleti; for the city, see our Batumi travel guide.
Kutaisi airport to Mestia and Svaneti
Mestia lies ~220 km from the airport, by way of Samtredia, Senaki and Zugdidi and then up the Enguri gorge past the great dam: 4 to 5 hours of driving, longer in snow. No public bus runs from the terminal straight to Svaneti, so most independent travellers sleep in Kutaisi and leave in the morning.
- Direct minibus from Kutaisi
One a day leaves Kutaisi at about 10:00 from Chavchavadze Avenue, according to the official city timetable updated in August 2026: about 35-40 GEL ($13-15) and 5 to 6 hours. It comes back from Mestia at about 08:00. - Change in Zugdidi
Minibuses go from Kutaisi to Zugdidi about every 30 minutes for about 10 GEL ($4), and vans continue to Mestia a few times a day, mostly in the morning. - Shared van in summer
From about May to October a few companies sell seats in shared minibuses to Mestia, some with a morning pick-up at the airport. - Small-plane flight
A light aircraft flies Kutaisi to Mestia about once a week, on Wednesdays in recent timetables, when the weather allows. Seats are few; keep a road plan in reserve. - Private car
The fastest door-to-door option and the only one that meets a night flight, with room for a detour to Martvili Canyon or a stop at the Enguri Dam.
Kutaisi is the nearest airport for a trek in Svaneti. Our eight-day Svaneti Trek walks from Mestia to Ushguli with a guide in your language; the tour page lists what is included.
Night arrivals and where to sleep near Kutaisi airport
A big share of the Kutaisi timetable lands between late evening and dawn, and the airport is set up for it: the terminal stays open, the coach desks and mobile kiosks work 24 hours, the shuttle keeps its two-hour rhythm through the night, and Bolt runs at any hour, with fewer cars in the small hours.
Kutaisi itself, 30 to 40 minutes away, is the best place to sleep. Book the room from the night before your arrival date, so it is yours when you walk in at 3 a.m., and warn the host, as many family guesthouses have no night reception. A few small guesthouses stand on the main road around Kopitnari if you want the shortest ride, and the spa town of Tskaltubo, ~20 km away, is another choice. Bound for Tbilisi anyway? A night coach waits for your flight and reaches the capital around dawn; Tbilisi's metro opens at 06:00.
Flying out of Kutaisi: getting to the airport and check-in
The airport coaches run the other way too, from Tbilisi and Batumi, on timetables built around departing flights: you choose your flight when you book and the coach aims to reach the terminal a few hours before take-off. Georgian Bus leaves Tbilisi from Station Square; allow four hours. By train, get off at Kutaisi Airport station and ride the free shuttle, with a good margin in case the train runs late. From Kutaisi, take the shuttle from the Red Bridge, or schedule a Bolt in advance for an early start.
Budget airlines here usually send every passenger to the desk for a paper boarding pass, even after online check-in, and there are no self-service machines. Desks typically open about two hours before departure and queues build when several flights leave together, so arrive 2 to 2.5 hours ahead; still check in online to avoid a desk fee. Airside you find a duty-free shop, wine and souvenir stands and a couple of cafes; landside, a roof terrace above the check-in hall looks over the runway.
Private transfers and tours from Kutaisi airport
We meet flights at Kutaisi airport day and night. Your driver waits in arrivals with a name sign, tracks a late flight and takes you to Kutaisi, Tbilisi, Batumi, Mestia, Borjomi or anywhere in Georgia for one price per vehicle, from a sedan for three to a minibus for a big group. On long runs we plan the stops with you, so the drive becomes a day of sightseeing. Vehicles and prices are on our airport transfers page.
Many guests land at Kutaisi and start a private tour the same day. Our Racha and Imereti tour begins and ends in Kutaisi, with Chiatura's cable cars, the Katskhi Pillar, Okatse Canyon and the wine villages of Racha, on dates you choose and for groups of every size.
Kutaisi airport FAQ
How far is Kutaisi airport from Kutaisi city?
It is ~14 km west of the city in a straight line and ~20-25 km by road, so 30 to 40 minutes. The shuttle costs about 5 GEL and a Bolt about 25-30 GEL in 2026.
What is the best way from Kutaisi airport to Tbilisi?
By airport coach (Georgian Bus, OmniBus or Metro Georgia), which waits for each flight; by fast train from Kutaisi Airport station, reached on a free shuttle; or by private transfer. The coach is the simplest, at about 25-30 GEL in 2026.
How long does the Kutaisi airport bus to Tbilisi take?
Plan on four hours, as in the Georgian Bus timetable for October 2026. With light traffic it can take about 3.5 hours, and longer in Tbilisi's evening rush.
Is there a train from Kutaisi airport?
Yes. Kutaisi Airport station, on the Tbilisi to Batumi line, lies 1.8 km away, and a free bus links it to the terminal. Fast trains reach Tbilisi in about 3.5 hours and Batumi in 1.5 to 2, but only a few run each day.
What is the quickest way from Kutaisi airport to Batumi?
The airport coach takes about 2 hours for about 20-30 GEL in 2026, the fast train 1.5 to 2 hours, and a car about 2 hours for the ~125 km.
Can you go from Kutaisi airport straight to Mestia?
Not by public bus. Spend the night in Kutaisi and catch the daily 10:00 minibus (5 to 6 hours, about 35-40 GEL in 2026), change in Zugdidi, or book a private transfer of 4 to 5 hours, the only option that meets a night flight.
Is Kutaisi airport open 24 hours?
Yes. Flights land and leave through the night, the terminal stays open, and the coach desks, mobile kiosks and tourist information desk never close.
Does Bolt work at Kutaisi airport?
Yes, at any hour, using mobile data or the free terminal Wi-Fi. A ride to central Kutaisi costs about 25-30 GEL in 2026. Use the app, not drivers who approach you in the hall.
