Tbilisi public transport: tickets, passes and apps

For a normal visit of two to five days, the simplest answer is to pay as you go. Tbilisi's metro, buses and most city minibuses run on a flat fare of about GEL 1 a ride (2026 estimate). You tap a contactless bank card or phone wallet at the gate or on the bus, and you tap again when you leave the metro. No paper ticket, no queue.

A stored-value Metromoney card makes sense in two cases: you want to pay in cash, or you are travelling as a group and would rather carry one card than hand your bank card around. Buy it at a metro station, load GEL 5–20, and tap once per person per ride. Cards are being phased out in favour of bank cards, so do not load more than you will use (check).

A day pass is not the standard product in Tbilisi. If you plan four or more rides in a day, you still spend only about GEL 4–6, which is less than most day passes in European cities. Ask at the station if a tourist pass has appeared, but do not build your plan around one (check).

Skip the ticket question entirely for late nights and airport runs: Bolt or Yandex Go across the centre is GEL 5–20 (2026 estimate), and the app price is fixed before you get in.

Fares are flat inside the city, so the table below is about how you pay rather than how far you go. Metro, city buses and the airport bus all sit in the same band; suburban marshrutkas and intercity buses are separate and paid to the driver.

Prices are 2026 estimates. Keep small notes and coins: drivers and some kiosks still prefer cash, even where the gate takes a card.

Contactless bank card is the default for visitors. Hold the card or phone flat on the reader, wait for the green light, and walk through. On the metro you tap again at the exit gate; on buses a single tap is enough. Visa and Mastercard work; if your card is declined, the reader is usually the problem, not your bank.

Metromoney is the local stored-value card. Buy it at a metro station counter, add value, and tap it the same way. It is useful for cash users and for families, and it also works on some suburban routes. Because the system is moving toward bank cards, treat any balance as money to spend during your stay (check).

Apps do the rest. Bolt and Yandex Go cover the city and the airport, with the fare shown before you accept. For schedules, the metro runs roughly 06:00–24:00 (check), and buses thin out after about 23:00. Citymapper-style coverage is patchy in Tbilisi; Google Maps plus the operator's own information at the station is more reliable.

There is effectively one city zone. Metro, city buses and the airport bus all charge the same flat fare, so you do not need to think about zones inside Tbilisi. The two metro lines cross at Station Square and Liberty Square, which covers most visitor routes: old town, Rustaveli, the station and the Didube bus hub.

Outside the core, fares change. Suburban marshrutkas and intercity minibuses charge by route and you pay the driver, usually GEL 1–3 inside the suburbs and GEL 10–40 for longer legs such as Kazbegi or Sighnaghi (2026 estimate, check). Those are not covered by the city tap system.

If your trip is mostly day trips, a rental car or a private driver may beat public transport on time, even if it costs more. See car rental in Tbilisi for the trade-off.

Tbilisi International (TBS) is about 20 km from the old town, roughly 30–55 minutes by car depending on traffic. Three options cover almost everyone.

Bus 37 runs between the airport and the city centre for about GEL 1 (2026 estimate), with stops near the main rail station and Liberty Square. It is cheap and frequent in the day, slower with luggage at peak times, and the reader takes a bank card or Metromoney.

The airport train links the terminal to Tbilisi central station in about 20–25 minutes for a low fare (check the timetable, as services are infrequent and not aligned with every flight). From the central station, metro or a short taxi ride finishes the trip.

Bolt or Yandex Go is the easy choice with bags: GEL 20–40 to the centre (2026 estimate). Ignore drivers who approach you inside the terminal with a quoted price; open the app instead. If you land late, book a hotel near the airport rather than gambling on the last bus.

Tap out on the metro. The exit gate is not just a door; skipping it can leave your card flagged for the next ride.

Rush hour is roughly 08:00–10:00 and 17:00–19:00. The metro is crowded but frequent; buses are slower in traffic.

Keep your card separate from your phone if both are contactless, or the reader may take the wrong one.

Metro stations are also useful landmarks: Station Square for trains and Didube for marshrutkas to Kazbegi and the north.

If you are staying several days and using the metro a lot, a Metromoney card with a small balance is the least fuss for cash users; otherwise your bank card is enough.

For a full day of sightseeing on foot and by metro, see one day in Tbilisi and weekend in Tbilisi for route ideas.