Tbilisi is a wonderfully walkable city once you’re in the centre, but sooner or later you’ll need to cross the river, climb a hill without the sweat, or get back to your guesthouse after dinner. The good news is that Tbilisi public transport is cheap, frequent and easy to figure out once you know the basics — a single ride costs around 1₾ (about $0.35), and everything from the metro to city buses runs on the same tap-and-go card.
This guide walks you through everything you’ll actually use: the Metromoney travel card, the two-line metro, city buses and the yellow marshrutka minibuses, the excellent Bolt taxi app, plus the cable car and funicular that carry you up to Tbilisi’s best viewpoints. I’ve included real prices, opening hours and the honest tips I wish someone had told me on day one.
Tbilisi transport at a glance
- Flat fare: ~1₾ (about $0.35) per ride on metro, bus and marshrutka
- Free transfers: unlimited changes within 90 minutes on one fare
- Pay with: a Metromoney card, or just tap a contactless bank card / phone
- Best taxi option: the Bolt app — cheap, metered and no haggling
- Metro hours: roughly 06:00 to midnight, every 2–8 minutes
The Metromoney card: your key to the city
The Metromoney card is a rechargeable green plastic card that works across the metro, city buses and marshrutkas. You tap it on the reader when you board, and a flat fare of 1₾ is deducted. The card itself costs 2₾ (about $0.75) as a one-off, and that fee is non-refundable — but if you’re in Tbilisi for more than a day or two, it pays for itself in convenience.
You can buy a Metromoney card at the ticket window inside any metro station, and top it up either at those windows or at the self-service machines dotted around station entrances (the machines take cash and give change). Load 10–15₾ to start; whatever’s left when you leave, you can spend down to zero.
The single best feature is the free transfer window: once you tap on, you can change between as many buses, metro trains and marshrutkas as you like within 90 minutes and only pay the one fare. So a metro ride followed by a bus to your final stop still costs just 1₾. One card can also cover a group — tap it once per person as you each board.
If you’d rather skip the card entirely, most metro turnstiles and bus readers now accept contactless Visa/Mastercard and phone payments (Apple Pay / Google Pay) at the same 1₾ fare. It’s the simplest option for a short visit, though tapping the same physical card for each transfer is what keeps the free-transfer logic working cleanly.
The Tbilisi metro
Tbilisi’s Soviet-era metro is fast, deep and dependable — often the quickest way to cross the city during rush hour when the roads clog up. There are just two lines: the red Akhmeteli–Varketili line running roughly north to south, and the green Saburtalo line branching off to the west. The two cross at Station Square (Sadguris Moedani), which is also next to the central railway and the main bus hub.
Signage appears in both Georgian and Latin script, and announcements on trains are made in Georgian and English, so non-readers of Cyrillic or Georgian will manage fine. Trains run from around 06:00 until midnight, arriving every 2–3 minutes at peak and up to 8 minutes late at night. Some of the older stations are extraordinarily deep — the escalator down at Rustaveli feels like a small expedition, so allow an extra minute or two.
How to use it
Tap your Metromoney card or contactless card on the turnstile, walk through, and take the escalator down. There are no zones and no exit gates — you only pay on entry. The most useful stops for visitors are Rustaveli (for the avenue, museums and Old Town), Liberty Square (Freedom Square, for Old Town on foot), Avlabari (for the Presidential Palace and Sameba Cathedral) and Station Square for onward buses and marshrutkas.
City buses and the Tbilisi Transport app
Tbilisi’s blue city buses fill in everywhere the metro doesn’t reach, and they’re modern, air-conditioned and cheap. The same 1₾ fare and Metromoney card apply, and you tap on when boarding through any door. Buses run frequently on main routes from early morning until roughly midnight, with a reduced night network on a few key corridors.
The one thing you genuinely need is the official TTC / Tbilisi Transport app (search “Tbilisi Transport” on iOS or Android). It shows live bus locations, route maps and real-time arrival predictions, which turns an intimidating system into a simple one — you just watch your bus approach on the map. Google Maps also has decent public-transport directions for Tbilisi and will tell you which bus number to catch and where to change.
Yellow marshrutka minibuses
Marshrutkas are the yellow shared minibuses that dart along fixed routes, often covering the same streets as buses but stopping more flexibly. Inside the city they also take the Metromoney card at the flat 1₾ fare, tapped on a small reader by the door. They’re quick and useful for shorter hops, but they can be cramped, the route number is displayed only in Georgian numerals on some older vehicles, and you may need to call out or press a button to stop.
For most visitors, city buses plus the app are easier to navigate than marshrutkas within Tbilisi. Where marshrutkas really come into their own is longer intercity journeys — they’re the cheapest way to reach Mtskheta, Kazbegi and Kakheti, departing from hubs like Didube station. For getting around the capital itself, though, you rarely need them.
Bolt: the taxi app you’ll actually use
Bolt is the ride-hailing app of choice in Tbilisi and, honestly, the single most useful thing to install before you arrive. It works exactly like Uber: you set your pickup and destination, see the fixed price up front, and get matched with a nearby driver. Payment can be by card in the app or cash to the driver, and there’s zero haggling because the price is agreed in advance.
Fares are wonderfully low. A short hop across the centre runs around 4–6₾ (roughly $1.50–2), a longer cross-city trip 8–12₾ (about $3–4.50), and the ride from the airport into the centre typically comes in at 20–30₾ (around $7–11) depending on traffic and time of day. Cars arrive within a few minutes almost anywhere central, and there’s a fair bit of English happening through the app even when the driver speaks little.
Yandex Go is a common alternative that works the same way, so it’s worth having both installed as a backup when demand spikes and prices surge. Either way, using an app means you never have to negotiate, and you get a GPS-tracked route and a receipt.
The cable car and funicular
Two of Tbilisi’s most scenic rides are technically transport but feel more like attractions — and importantly, neither uses your standard Metromoney card. The Rike–Narikala cable car glides from Rike Park across the river up to Narikala Fortress and the Kartlis Deda (Mother of Georgia) statue, with knockout views over the Old Town’s rooftops. It costs 2.5₾ (about $0.90) each way and needs a separate cable-car card, bought and topped up at the lower station.
The funicular railway climbs from the city up to Mtatsminda Park, the amusement park and viewpoint on the hill above town. It runs on its own dedicated card too, sold at the funicular’s base station, and delivers arguably the best panorama in Tbilisi at sunset. Both are worth doing at least once — as much for the ride as the destination.
Walking around Tbilisi
For all the transport options, the centre of Tbilisi is best explored on foot. The Old Town, Freedom Square, Rustaveli Avenue and the Abanotubani bathhouse district are all comfortably walkable and packed together, so you’ll cover a lot of ground without ever touching a bus. Distances between the main sights are often shorter than they look on a map.
Two honest caveats: it’s hilly, and the pavements can be rough. Cobbled Old Town lanes, sudden staircases and uneven kerbs are all part of the charm but hard on tired feet, so pack proper shoes. When the climb up to Narikala or Mtatsminda looks daunting, that’s exactly what the cable car and funicular are for.
Accessibility notes
Tbilisi is improving but remains a challenging city for travellers with reduced mobility. The metro relies on long, steep escalators and many stations lack lifts, so it isn’t reliably step-free. Newer city buses are low-floor and much more accessible than the older marshrutkas, which are not suitable for wheelchairs. Old Town’s cobbles, stairs and steep gradients are the biggest obstacle of all.
For most step-free journeys, a Bolt taxi is the practical answer — it’s affordable, door to door, and you can message the driver about your needs. If accessibility is a priority for your trip, plan on relying on taxis for the bulk of your getting around.
Sample costs
- Metromoney card (one-off): 2₾ (~$0.75)
- Single metro / bus / marshrutka ride: 1₾ (~$0.35), free transfers for 90 min
- Short Bolt taxi across the centre: 4–6₾ (~$1.50–2)
- Bolt from the airport to the centre: ~20–30₾ (~$7–11)
- Cable car (Rike–Narikala), each way: 2.5₾ (~$0.90)
- A whole day of bus + metro hopping: often under 5₾ (~$1.85)
Practical tips
- Avoid unmetered street taxis. Cars idling outside stations and tourist spots will quote inflated flat fares. Use Bolt instead — it’s cheaper and there’s nothing to negotiate.
- Dodge the rush. Roads snarl up around 08:00–10:00 and 17:00–19:00; the metro sails past all of it, so save taxis for off-peak hours.
- Download apps on Wi-Fi before you go out: Bolt, Tbilisi Transport (TTC) and Google Maps offline. A local SIM makes live navigation far smoother.
- Keep small change: handy for topping up Metromoney at machines and for cash taxi fares.
- Carry the card, not just a bank card, if you want reliable free transfers across buses and metro on one fare.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Metromoney card or can I just tap my bank card?
Both work. Contactless Visa/Mastercard and phone payments are accepted at the same 1₾ fare on the metro and buses, which is ideal for a short visit. But a physical Metromoney card is best if you want the 90-minute free-transfer feature to work smoothly across multiple rides, or if you’re paying for a group with one card.
Is Bolt safe and reliable in Tbilisi?
Yes. Bolt is the dominant ride-hailing app in Tbilisi, cars arrive within minutes almost anywhere central, and the fixed up-front price removes any risk of being overcharged. Rides are GPS-tracked and you can pay by card or cash. Yandex Go is a solid backup app to have installed for busy periods.
What are the Tbilisi metro’s opening hours?
The metro runs from roughly 06:00 until midnight, with trains every 2–3 minutes during peak times and up to around 8 minutes late in the evening. There are only two lines, which meet at Station Square, and signage is in both Georgian and Latin script.
Can I use my Metromoney card on the cable car and funicular?
No. The Rike–Narikala cable car and the Mtatsminda funicular each require their own separate card, bought and topped up at their respective base stations. The standard Metromoney card only covers the metro, city buses and marshrutkas.
With a Metromoney card in your pocket and Bolt on your phone, you’re set to explore every corner of the city cheaply and stress-free. For more on arriving and settling in, see our guides to getting from Tbilisi airport to the city centre and choosing the best SIM card in Georgia. Then use your new-found transport skills to tackle the best things to do in Tbilisi, or browse more travel tips to plan the rest of your trip.
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