Tbilisi Airport to the City Center: Bus 337, Bolt & Taxis (Night Arrivals Included)

We check guests in off the airport run every single day, so this is the guide we wish every arriving traveller had read. Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) is about 17 km southeast of the center; depending on traffic, the ride in takes 25–40 minutes. Last updated July 2026 — if a guest tells us something has changed, we update this page.

Option 1: Bus 337 (the Cheap One)

Bus 337 runs between the airport and the city center and is by far the cheapest way in — the fare is a few tetri over one lari, and you can pay on board by tapping a contactless bank card, so you do not need local currency or a transit card first. Find the stop directly outside the arrivals exit. One honest warning: sources disagree about whether 337 truly runs around the clock, and in the small hours departures are sparse at best. If you land between roughly midnight and 6am, do not build your plan around the bus.

Option 2: Bolt (What We Recommend at Night)

Bolt is Georgia's ride-hailing app of choice and works exactly like Uber. Order from arrivals after connecting to the airport WiFi or your new SIM; a ride to the center typically costs a small fraction of what the airport taxi desk will quote, even with night pricing. Drivers wait in a designated pickup area a short walk from the doors. This is what we tell all our guests to do for night arrivals — it is predictable, cashless, and you have the driver's plate number in the app.

The Taxi-Desk Trap

The classic Tbilisi arrival mistake: walking up to the men calling "taxi, taxi" in the arrivals hall and agreeing to a price that is three to five times the Bolt fare. They are not dangerous, just expensive. If you must take a street taxi, agree the total price firmly before getting in — but really, just use Bolt.

Buying a SIM Card in Arrivals

The mobile operator counters in the arrivals hall (Magti, Silknet and Cellfie) are open around the clock and tourist packages with generous data cost very little. Magti has the best coverage countrywide, which matters if you are planning mountain trips like Kazbegi. Buying at the airport costs marginally more than a city shop but saves you the errand — we think it is worth it.

Getting to Avlabari and the Sameba Cathedral Area

If you are staying with us at Elia Boutique Hostel, tell your Bolt driver "Avlabari" or drop our address in the app — from the airport you do not cross the river, so it is one of the quicker and cheaper parts of the center to reach. There is also an airport train to Station Square a couple of times a day, but the schedule rarely matches flights; treat it as a curiosity, not a plan.

Arriving late and worried about check-in? Message us on WhatsApp with your flight number and we will be ready for you — and if you would like us to arrange a private transfer, just ask when you book.