Batumi airport (BUS) guide: transfers, city buses, Turkish cross-border flights and taxis

Batumi International Airport (BUS) sits about 2 km south of the city centre, right by the Chorokhi river mouth, and the quickest way into town is a 10 to 15 minute taxi or private transfer. If you are flying in on one of the seasonal Turkish Airlines or Pegasus routes that many Turkish travellers use to combine with an onward drive across the nearby Sarpi land border, budget extra time at passport control during peak summer weekends, when queues at both the airport and the border checkpoint lengthen considerably. City bus 10 connects the terminal to central Batumi for a few lari, taxis and Bolt are plentiful outside arrivals, and pre-booked private transfers remain the least stressful option for families, late arrivals or anyone heading onward to Kobuleti or Gonio.

This guide sets out exactly what to expect at the terminal, how Turkish cross-border passengers typically use BUS alongside the Sarpi crossing, the realistic cost and timing of bus 10, taxis and Bolt, and fixed transfer pricing to Batumi, Kobuleti and Gonio. Because flight schedules, border rules and local fares change between seasons, each section tells you where to check the current, official figure before you travel.

The terminal: what to expect on arrival

Batumi International Airport has a single compact terminal building, so international and domestic traffic share the same arrivals hall. There is no metro or dedicated airport train; everyone leaving the terminal uses the forecourt directly outside baggage reclaim, where taxis, private drivers and the bus 10 stop are all within a short walk of each other. Facilities are limited compared with Tbilisi, so do not expect a large retail or lounge offer; confirm current terminal facilities, gates and the live flight board on the airport’s own site before you fly, since the schedule is adjusted seasonally.

• Currency exchange and ATMs are available airside and in the arrivals hall, but rates are usually better in town.
• SIM card kiosks and a small duty-free area operate near departures.
• There is no dedicated taxi rank booth; drivers wait just outside the doors and will approach you, so agree a fare or use an app before getting in.

For the current timetable, check the flight information pages on Batumi Airport’s official site rather than third-party aggregators, as Turkish Airlines and Pegasus adjust frequencies by season.

Turkish cross-border flights and the Sarpi route

Turkish Airlines and Pegasus both operate routes between Turkish cities and Batumi that are popular with Turkish travellers who then continue overland, often because a short flight into BUS followed by a taxi or transfer is quicker than driving the whole way from eastern Black Sea provinces. The Sarpi checkpoint, roughly 20 km south of the airport on the coastal road, is the main land border between Georgia and Turkey in this region and sees heavy traffic in July and August.

Citizens of Turkey benefit from visa-free entry to Georgia for short stays, but requirements can be updated, so always check your specific nationality and purpose of travel on the official Georgia e-Visa portal and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ consular guidance before departure, and carry a passport valid well beyond your planned stay. If your itinerary depends on crossing Sarpi by road rather than flying both ways, check current wait times and any temporary restrictions on the Georgian Road Department’s road and border information pages, and see our own GTour road-status page for a plain-language summary before you set off.

Because seasonal flight frequency between Turkish cities and Batumi changes year to year, and some routes operate only in the warmer months, do not assume a flight exists outside the main season; verify directly with the airline or through the schedule published on the airport’s site.

City bus 10: the cheapest way into Batumi

Bus 10 is the municipal route that runs between the airport and central Batumi, stopping along the seafront boulevard area before terminating near the city centre. It is the cheapest option by a wide margin, paid in Georgian lari in cash or by card depending on the vehicle, with departures timed loosely around flight arrivals rather than a fixed strict schedule outside peak hours. It suits travellers with light luggage and some patience; it is not realistic with large suitcases during a crowded service, and it does not run late at night, so check current timings for your arrival time rather than assuming a late flight will be met by a bus.

For up-to-date route numbers, fares and operating hours, the municipal transport information published via Batumi City Hall is the most reliable source, since routes and ticket systems are reviewed periodically; confirm details on Batumi City Hall’s official site rather than relying on an old route map.

Taxis and Bolt

Taxis wait outside the terminal at all hours flights operate, and most drivers will quote a flat fare for the short run into Batumi, Makhinjauri or Kobuleti; always agree the price, or confirm the meter is running, before the car moves. Ride-hailing apps, principally Bolt, operate in Batumi and generally give a fixed, visible fare before you accept the ride, which removes the need to negotiate and is the easiest option for most visitors with a working local SIM or roaming data. Expect short waits for a car at the airport outside the deepest off-season months, and slightly longer waits late at night.

Neither street taxis nor Bolt publish a single official city-wide tariff that we can quote reliably here, since rates fluctuate with demand and season; use the app’s fare estimate at the time of booking, and for street taxis, ask locals or your hotel what a fair fare looks like if in doubt.

Pre-booked private transfers: fixed prices

For travellers who prefer certainty over negotiation, especially with children, heavy luggage, a late arrival, or a connection to Kobuleti, a pre-booked private transfer is met at arrivals with a name board, includes flight tracking and 60 minutes of free waiting, and is priced in writing before you fly. GTour’s standard Batumi airport transfer prices are shown below.

Gonio lies a short distance south of the airport, closer than Kobuleti, so a transfer there is typically similar to or slightly below the Batumi fare; ask for a written quote before booking, since Gonio is not a separately listed fixed route. Full current pricing for all our transfer routes, including Tbilisi, Kutaisi and onward connections, is on our GTour data page, and the Services pages set out exactly what is included.

Transfers to Kobuleti and Gonio

Kobuleti, Georgia’s other main Black Sea beach town, is roughly 25 to 30 minutes north of the airport by car along the coastal highway, and is covered by the fixed transfer price above. Gonio, home to the Gonio-Apsaros fortress and a popular base for travellers heading toward the Sarpi border, sits a similar or shorter distance south; both destinations are realistic as a direct transfer straight from arrivals rather than routing through central Batumi first.

If your trip combines the coast with Adjara‘s mountains, consider building in a full itinerary rather than a single transfer: our Batumi & the Ajara Mountains — 2 Days tour pairs the coastline with the highland villages above Batumi, and travellers continuing into western Georgia often combine a Batumi stay with our Kutaisi & Western Georgia — 3 Days tour or the Martvili & Okatse Canyons + Prometheus Cave day trip from Kutaisi.

Seasonal flights and planning ahead

Batumi’s flight offer, including the Turkish Airlines and Pegasus routes, is notably thinner in winter than in the June to September peak, when additional frequencies and sometimes extra routes are added to meet beach-season demand. Do not book a tight onward connection, whether to Sarpi, Kobuleti, Tbilisi or elsewhere, on the assumption that a flight runs year-round without checking the current timetable. If you are travelling outside peak season and a direct BUS flight is not available, Kutaisi International Airport is a realistic alternative with a longer onward transfer; GTour’s fixed-price transfer from Kutaisi airport to Batumi is listed on our data page for comparison.

For exact, current departure and arrival times on any given date, always check the airline’s own booking system or the live board on the airport’s site rather than a search engine summary, since schedules are revised more than once a year.

Practical summary

• Terminal to city: taxi or Bolt (10 to 15 minutes), bus 10 (cheapest, daytime only, check current timetable), or a pre-booked private transfer (fixed EUR 40, met at arrivals, 60 minutes free waiting).
• Turkish cross-border travellers: confirm your e-visa or visa-free status on the official Georgia e-Visa portal, and check Sarpi border wait times on the Georgian Road Department’s site before planning a tight connection.
• Bus 10 and taxi fares: verify current municipal fares and timetables on Batumi City Hall’s site, and agree or confirm the fare before any street taxi moves.
• Bolt: gives a fixed quote before booking, generally the simplest option for visitors.
• Gonio and Kobuleti: both realistic as a direct transfer from the airport; Kobuleti is a fixed EUR 40 route, Gonio should be quoted directly as it sits just outside the standard list.
• Seasonal flights: check the current timetable on the airport’s official site before booking a tight onward connection, since winter frequencies are reduced.
• Full current transfer, driver and guide pricing: see GTour’s data page and Services pages.

Sources

• Georgian Road Department border and road information
• VisitBatumi – Getting to Batumi (Airport, Border, Transport)
• Georgia.travel – Batumi City Guide
• Agenda.ge – Turkish Airlines Increases Flights to Batumi