- Tbilisi airport (TBS), officially Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International, has a single terminal ~17 km south-east of Freedom Square, a 25-40 minute drive outside rush hour.
- Bus 337 is the cheapest ride into town: 1 GEL (well under $1) in 2026, paid by contactless card, from about 07:00 to 23:00, and on a detour until the Rustaveli Avenue rebuild ends (deadline: end of November 2026).
- A Bolt to the centre costs roughly 25-40 GEL ($9-15) in 2026, the official airport taxi charges fixed fares of about 40 or 50 GEL by distance, and a pre-booked private transfer runs about $20-35 per car.
- Cash machines, exchange booths and mobile operator counters in the arrivals hall stay open for night flights; the machines beat the booths on rates, and city shops sell cheaper SIM bundles than the airport packs.
- No regular airport train ran in October 2026 and the bus stops overnight, so for a 3 am landing book a driver or use a taxi app.
Tbilisi airport (TBS) lies ~17 km from central Tbilisi, on the city's south-eastern edge, and the trip into town takes 25 to 40 minutes by car or roughly an hour on bus 337. The bus costs 1 GEL and an app taxi roughly 25-40 GEL, while a private transfer, whose driver waits at the barrier with your name, costs a little more but works at any hour. Most visitors to Georgia land here, often in the middle of the night, so the right choice depends mostly on your landing time, your luggage and whether your phone has data yet.
This guide follows the order in which you meet things: passport control and the insurance question, bags and customs, then cash, SIM cards and the ride into Tbilisi. After that come night landings, heading straight from the terminal to Kazbegi, Kakheti or the west, and what to expect on the way home. Prices and timetables were checked in October 2026, while the rebuild of Rustaveli Avenue still had bus 337 on a detour. Still choosing flights? Our separate guide to flights to Tbilisi compares airlines and routes.
Tbilisi airport (TBS) at a glance
Georgia's busiest airport is named after the 12th-century poet Shota Rustaveli, yet almost everyone just says Tbilisi airport or TBS. About 5.4 million passengers used it in 2025, more than Kutaisi and Batumi together. All passenger flights share one terminal, opened in 2007, with the arrivals and departures halls side by side. Most low-cost flights from Europe land at Kutaisi instead, ~245 km west; our Kutaisi airport guide covers that arrival.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official name | Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport |
| Codes | TBS (IATA), UGTB (ICAO) |
| Distance to the centre | ~17 km south-east of Freedom Square, beside the highway to Kakheti |
| Drive to Old Tbilisi | 25-40 min, up to an hour at rush hour |
| Hours | Open 24 hours; many flights land between midnight and dawn |
| Operator | TAV Georgia, on a concession that runs to about 2031 |
Expect building work until 2028. In July 2026 the operator began a roughly $150 million expansion that adds about 19,500 square metres of terminal, brings the number of air bridges up to ten and aims to raise capacity to 10 million passengers a year. Counters may move while it goes on, so keep a few spare minutes when you fly out.
Arriving at Tbilisi airport: passport control, insurance and customs
From the aircraft door to the arrivals hall normally takes 20 to 45 minutes, depending on how many planes landed together. Every foreign visitor goes through the same steps.
- Passport control
Foreign passports have their own queues. The officer scans your passport, takes a photo and stamps you in; there is no landing card. Questions are brief: why you came and where you are staying. - The insurance question
A rule in force since January 2026 says visitors need a medical and accident policy with a limit no lower than 30,000 GEL, valid from the day you land to the day you leave. Airlines usually check before boarding and border officers sometimes ask too. Keep the certificate on your phone: nobody at the airport sells policies. - Baggage and customs
Trolleys are free. Report a missing suitcase at the lost-baggage desk before you leave the hall, then take the green channel, or the red one if you have goods or more than 30,000 GEL in cash to declare. Our entry requirements guide lists the wine, spirits and tobacco limits. - Arrivals hall
Drivers with name boards wait at the barrier. Cash machines, exchange booths, mobile operator counters and an information desk share this hall and keep working while flights arrive.
Money at Tbilisi airport: ATMs and exchange rates
The lari (GEL) is Georgia's only legal tender, so taxis, shops and hotels quote in lari even when they take cards. Cash machines of the big Georgian banks, among them Bank of Georgia (orange) and TBC (light blue), stand in the arrivals hall and work day and night, usually for a fee of a few lari plus whatever your home bank adds.
The exchange booths beside them also open for night flights, but their rates trail those in town, and the national tourism administration itself advises changing money in the city. Central Tbilisi has an exchange office on almost every street; each must post its rates and commission, and a deal of up to 5,000 GEL can be reversed within 30 minutes if you keep the receipt.
You may not need lari at the airport at all: the bus takes contactless cards, Bolt charges the card in the app, and most Tbilisi hotels, restaurants and supermarkets accept cards. Cash matters later, for marshrutkas, village guesthouses and markets.
SIM cards and eSIM at Tbilisi airport
Three mobile networks cover Georgia: Magti, Silknet and Cellfie, which is the old Beeline Georgia renamed in 2023. All three work well in the cities, with 5G in central Tbilisi; Magti is the one locals usually recommend for remote mountain valleys.
Operator counters in the arrivals hall, Magti's among them, are staffed around the clock and need only your passport. They mainly sell tourist packages at roughly 15-30 GEL ($6-11) in 2026 for one to two weeks of data. A normal SIM and data bundle from a city shop usually costs less, so if you land in daylight with Wi-Fi waiting at the hotel, you can hold off.
Each network also sells eSIMs, set up in minutes in its shops. Or buy an international data-only eSIM online before you fly: it works on landing but has no Georgian number. Georgia is outside the EU's roam-like-at-home zone, so check your home tariff. The terminal Wi-Fi is free but slow when several flights arrive at once.
Tbilisi airport to city centre: all the options compared
Guides list five ways into town, but in 2026 only four of them work. The table compares them for a ride to Freedom Square, the stop for Old Tbilisi and Sololaki.
| Option | When it runs | Time to Freedom Square | Approximate cost (2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 337 | About 07:00-23:00 from the airport | 45-60 min, more in traffic | 1 GEL (well under $1) | Daytime arrivals with light bags |
| Bolt or Yandex Go | 24 hours | 25-40 min | Roughly 25-40 GEL ($9-15), more at night or in rain | One to three people with mobile data |
| Official airport taxi | 24 hours | 25-40 min | About 40 GEL ($15) to central districts, 50 GEL ($19) farther out | Travellers without data or an app |
| Private transfer | Any flight | 25-40 min | About $20-35 per car, fixed at booking | Night arrivals, families, heavy luggage, onward trips |
| Airport train | No regular service | - | - | Not an option for now |
The airport does have its own railway station, a short walk from the terminal on the line to Tbilisi Central Station. Passenger trains used it in the past and a restart has been discussed, but we found no regular timetable in October 2026. The metro does not reach the airport either; to use it, ride bus 337 to Avlabari and change there.
Tbilisi airport bus 337: stop, hours, fare and the 2026 detour
Bus 337, numbered 37 until the city renumbered its routes, is the only city bus serving the terminal. It leaves from outside the departures hall, which adjoins arrivals: as you come out, go right along the terminal front until you reach a blue sign and an electronic board listing the next buses. The buses are modern and air-conditioned, with room for a suitcase by the middle doors.
Hours, fare and payment
From the airport the first bus leaves at about 07:00 and the last at about 23:00, every 15 to 20 minutes for most of the day. Towards the airport, buses run from about 06:00 to about 22:45. Some guides still call the 337 a 24-hour line; it no longer is, so it is no help for a 3 am landing.
A ride costs 1 GEL (well under $1) in 2026, and the fare covers 90 minutes, so a change to the metro or another bus within that time is free. Tap a contactless bank card or phone on the reader as you board, or a Metromoney card; do not count on paying cash, and note that some travellers report a slightly higher charge on foreign cards. The Bank of Georgia counter in arrivals sells a blue transport card for about 2 GEL that holds passes only (3 GEL a day, 20 GEL a week); the white Metromoney card, which takes ordinary credit, is sold at metro stations.
Where to get off
- Avlabari: change for the metro, or walk to Sameba Cathedral and the left-bank hotels.
- Freedom Square: for Old Tbilisi, Sololaki and the Abanotubani baths, 10 to 15 minutes downhill on foot.
- Station Square: the last stop, at Tbilisi Central Station, for trains to Batumi, Kutaisi Airport and Zugdidi.
The Rustaveli Avenue detour
Rustaveli Avenue, normally on the 337 route, has been under full reconstruction since late July 2026. One stretch reopened to cars in September, and City Hall's deadline for the rest is the end of November 2026. Until then the bus follows a diversion and skips some stops on the avenue, so check the live route in Google Maps or the official Tbilisi Transport app and allow extra time for heavier central traffic.
Tbilisi airport taxi: Bolt, Yandex Go and the official rank
Ride-hailing apps
Bolt is the ride app most people use in Georgia, and Yandex Go also works in Tbilisi. Order once you have your bags, then walk out to the forecourt where app cars, taxis and the bus all pick up. The app shows the fare before you confirm, then the car and its number plate.
In 2026 a ride to Freedom Square or Old Tbilisi usually costs roughly 25-40 GEL ($9-15). It climbs when several big flights land together, in the small hours and in rain. Pay by card in the app or in cash to the driver.
The official airport taxi
Licensed taxis wait at a rank outside arrivals at any hour. In 2026 the official operator, TBS Taxi, charges fixed fares by distance: about 40 GEL ($15) to addresses within ~20 km of the terminal, which covers Old Tbilisi, Sololaki, Avlabari and most of Vera, and about 50 GEL ($19) to Vake, Saburtalo, Didube and other districts farther out. In 2024 travellers reported a previous operator charging 60 and 80 GEL, so confirm the fare before the car moves.
Tbilisi airport transfer: a private driver who meets you
A private airport transfer is the calmest start, and for a night landing it often costs little more than an app ride. The driver follows your flight's progress, stands at the arrivals barrier holding your name, loads the bags and takes you to the door, even in the steep Old Town lanes where finding a guesthouse at 4 am is hard work. The price is fixed per vehicle when you book, so four people pay the same as one.
Across the Tbilisi market, a car from the airport to the centre costs roughly $20-35 in 2026, depending on the vehicle. Our own prices for a sedan, minivan, SUV or minibus are on the transfers page, with child seats free on request.
Driving on to Kazbegi, Kakheti or the west
The terminal sits on the south-eastern edge of the city beside the road to Kakheti, so wine-country trips skip central traffic entirely, and many morning arrivals carry straight on to the mountains or the west. Approximate drive times without stops:
| From TBS to | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Mtskheta | ~40 km | about 45 min |
| Sighnaghi | ~100 km | 1.5-2 h |
| Telavi | ~110 km | 2-2.5 h |
| Gudauri | ~135 km | about 2.5 h |
| Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) | ~170 km | 3-3.5 h |
| Borjomi | ~175 km | about 3 h |
| Kutaisi | ~245 km | about 3.5 h |
| Batumi | ~385 km | 5.5-6 h |
On the longer routes, stops come with the ride: Ananuri fortress on the way north to Kazbegi, or Uplistsikhe heading west. In winter, do not tackle the Jvari Pass right after a night flight; sleep first and drive up in daylight.
Would you rather hand over the whole trip? Our Classic Georgia private tour includes Tbilisi airport transfers in both directions, with a guide in your language from day one, for any date and any group size.
Landing at Tbilisi airport at night
A large share of flights into TBS, including many connections through Istanbul and the Gulf hubs, land between midnight and dawn. Cash machines, exchange booths and operator counters stay open while planes arrive, and app cars and official taxis are there all night. The bus is not, so at 3 am you choose between an app ride, the official taxi and a driver booked in advance.
- Book your room from the night before you land, so you can sleep at once instead of waiting for a 14:00 check-in.
- Send your host the flight number; many Old Tbilisi guesthouses have no night reception and must arrange a key.
- To wait for daylight, use the seating and café in the terminal; the 337 starts again around 07:00.
- For a very late landing or an early flight out, an Ibis hotel is a few minutes' walk from the terminal.
- Leave long mountain drives for the next day, especially from December to March.
Central Tbilisi wakes late, with most cafés and sights opening around 9 or 10 am. A slow morning in the Old Town lanes below Narikala, then an hour in an Abanotubani sulphur bath, is the best cure we know for a night flight.
Flying out of Tbilisi airport: check-in, duty free and lounges
Getting back to the airport
Bus 337 towards the airport stops by Liberty Square metro station on Freedom Square, and Old Town guests can also board on Baratashvili Street; allow an hour or more. Bolt can schedule a car ahead for an early flight, usually for a little more than an instant ride, and a pre-booked transfer collects you at the door at any hour.
How early to arrive
The airport asks for at least two hours before an international departure; in summer, around holidays and during the expansion works, two and a half to three hours is calmer. Check-in usually opens two to three hours before take-off and closes 40 to 60 minutes before, depending on the airline. Bag wrapping landside costs about 30 GEL ($11) per bag in 2026.
After security
Airside there is a big duty-free shop with Georgian wine, chacha and souvenirs, a few cafés and a bar, and a single lounge, the Primeclass Lounge upstairs, listed by Priority Pass and similar programmes. Food choices are thin, so eat properly in town first.
Wine costs less in Tbilisi shops and at wineries than at duty free, but airside bottles can go in your cabin bag; keep them sealed in the shop's bag if you change planes. Bottles bought in town belong in checked luggage, well padded; our entry requirements guide covers home allowances and airline limits for strong chacha.
Tbilisi airport: frequently asked questions
How far is Tbilisi airport (TBS) from the city centre?
It is ~17 km away. By car, Freedom Square or Old Tbilisi is 25 to 40 minutes outside rush hour and up to an hour in heavy traffic; bus 337 takes about 45 to 60 minutes.
What does a Tbilisi airport taxi to the centre cost?
In 2026 a Bolt costs roughly 25-40 GEL ($9-15), more in the small hours. The official airport taxi charges about 40 GEL to central districts and 50 GEL to outer ones, and a pre-booked private transfer is about $20-35 per car.
Does bus 337 run 24 hours?
No. Departures from the terminal stop at about 23:00 and start again at about 07:00. Outside those hours, use an app taxi, the official rank or a booked transfer.
How do I pay for the Tbilisi airport bus?
Tap a contactless bank card, phone or Metromoney card on the reader as you board. The 1 GEL fare (2026) covers 90 minutes, including a change to the metro. Do not rely on cash.
Is there a train from Tbilisi airport to the city?
Not in practice. The airport has a railway station beside the terminal, but we found no regular passenger service in October 2026.
Can I buy a SIM card at Tbilisi airport at night?
Yes. The operator desks in arrivals, Magti's among them, work through the night and ask only for a passport. Their tourist packages cost more than a city-shop SIM, so buy a short one if you need data at once.
Should I exchange money at Tbilisi airport or in the city?
In the city, where rates are better. If you need lari straight away, withdraw a modest sum from a bank ATM in arrivals and decline the machine's currency conversion.
How early should I get to Tbilisi airport for my flight?
At least two hours before an international flight, nearer three in summer or while the 2026-2028 expansion works go on. Bus 337 from Freedom Square can take an hour or more, so leave a generous margin.
