Batumi Airport to the city

The short answer

• Bus 10 runs from the terminal to the centre in 20 to 30 minutes. The fare is 0.70 to 1 GEL and cash is not accepted.
• A Bolt or Yandex Go taxi to the centre is usually 10 to 15 GEL. The drivers waiting outside ask for more.
• With a transfer, the driver waits in arrivals with a name sign and the price is fixed in advance. It is the easiest choice at night, with children or with a lot of luggage.

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Where the airport is and who flies there

The airport is named after the aircraft designer Alexander Kartveli. It sits on the southern edge of Batumi, next to the highway that runs to Gonio and the Turkish border at Sarpi. The Old Town and the Boulevard are 6 to 9 km away, depending on where exactly you are going.

The airport is open 24 hours. Most flights are seasonal, and there are far more in summer than in winter. Flights from Istanbul, Baku, Minsk and Moscow run all year. In summer they are joined by flights from cities in Russia and Kazakhstan, and from Israel, the Gulf states and the Baltics. Since June 2026 Georgian Airways also flies here from Tbilisi.

In the terminal

The terminal is small and hard to get lost in. Everything you need first is in the arrivals hall.

• ATMs are in the arrivals hall. There are exchange desks too, but the rate is worse than in town, so change only a small amount.
• SIM cards are sold at the mobile operators' desks in arrivals. You can also buy one later in town.
• There are car rental desks, a café and free Wi-Fi.
• There is no left-luggage office at the airport.

Bus 10

The stop is right outside the terminal exit. Bus 10 goes through the centre along the New Boulevard and Rustaveli Street and on to Batumi Central station, where the trains to Tbilisi leave from. It takes 20 to 30 minutes to the centre. Buses 9 and 10a also run from the airport into town, but number 10 is the most useful.

Buses run from about 7:00, every 15 to 30 minutes. In summer the last ones leave the airport close to midnight. In winter the last bus can go as early as 20:00-22:00. If you land in the evening, do not count on the bus.

Cash is not accepted on board. A ride costs 70 tetri with the Batumi Card transport card and about 1 GEL with a foreign bank card or phone.

Taxi by app

Bolt and Yandex Go both work in Batumi, and so does Maxim. A ride from the airport to the centre by app is usually 10 to 15 GEL, and about 15 GEL to Batumi Central station. The drive takes 15 to 20 minutes. In summer there are plenty of cars. At night and out of season there are fewer, so expect to wait longer.

Taxi drivers wait at the arrivals exit. They have no meters and usually start at 30 to 40 GEL. If you go with one, agree on the price before you get in. The app price is a good guide.

Walking to the centre takes over an hour, which is not realistic with luggage.

Transfer with a driver

If you land at night, travel with children or come as a large group, it is simplest to book a transfer in advance. The driver meets you in the arrivals hall with your name on a sign. If the bags are slow to come out, the driver waits up to 60 minutes at no charge. Child seats are free too. The price is fixed and you pay the driver.

For Batumi Airport we quote the price on request. Send a request and we will tell you the price. If you are going to Gonio, Kobuleti or further rather than Batumi, say so in the request. For questions, use the contact page.

South to Gonio, Kvariati and Sarpi

The airport is already on the road south, so the resorts near the Turkish border are closer from here than from the centre. Gonio fortress and the beaches at Kvariati are 10 to 20 minutes away by car. The water there is clearer than in town. What to see at Gonio and what the ticket costs is in our guide to what to see in Batumi.

The Sarpi checkpoint on the Turkish border is about 15 km from the airport, around 20 minutes by car. The border is open around the clock and you can cross on foot. On the other side is the Turkish town of Hopa, about 20 minutes' drive further.

North to Green Cape, Chakvi and Kobuleti

North of Batumi the resorts follow one another along the coast. Green Cape (Mtsvane Kontskhi), with the Botanical Garden, is 9 km north of the centre. Chakvi comes a little further on, and then Kobuleti.

Kobuleti is 35 to 40 km from the airport, 40 to 50 minutes by car without traffic. In summer Batumi gets traffic jams, so leave extra time.

On to Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Mestia

Tbilisi is about 360 km away. On the new highway over the Rikoti Pass the drive takes 4.5 to 5.5 hours without long stops. The train takes about 4 hours from Batumi Central station, which you can reach from the airport by bus 10 or taxi. We compare all the options, including the plane, in our guide to getting from Tbilisi to Batumi. To book a car with a driver to Tbilisi, see the transfer between Tbilisi and Batumi.

Kutaisi is about 150 km away, 2.5 to 3 hours by car. For what to see there, read our guide to Kutaisi and around.

Mestia is about 270 km away via Zugdidi, 5.5 to 6 hours by car. The last part of the road climbs the Enguri valley into the mountains. In summer there are direct minibuses from Batumi to Mestia. They leave early in the morning and take about 6 hours. There is more in our guide to Svaneti, Mestia and Ushguli.