Tbilisi Public Transport: How Buses, Metro and Payments Work

A practical guide to Tbilisi metro, buses, municipal minibuses, fares, MetroMoney and the official TTC route planner.

Quick answer: Tbilisi uses one city system for the metro, buses and municipal minibuses.

Fare: 1 GEL for 90 minutes when you use an eligible payment method.

Pay with: MetroMoney or a bank card accepted by the system.

Find your route: use the official Tbilisi Transport Company journey tools.

Photos © GeorgiaTales, 2026.

Just Arrived in Tbilisi?

If you have just landed at Tbilisi Airport, the municipal airport bus is part of the same city transport system. Once you are in Tbilisi, you do not need to learn the whole network.

Open the official TTC route planner, enter where you are and where you want to go, and follow the suggested metro or bus route.

Optional Private Transfer

Prefer to skip public transport after your flight?

If you are arriving with children, several bags or simply want a direct ride into Tbilisi, a pre-booked airport transfer can remove the first transport decision.

Check Transfer Availability

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How to Pay

The standard city fare is 1 GEL for 90 minutes within the metro, bus and municipal minibus network.

For most visitors, the simplest options are MetroMoney or a bank card accepted by the system.

A MetroMoney card costs 2 GEL. You can buy it at metro ticket offices and top it up at metro stations, Bank of Georgia Express machines and supported service points.

Important: do not assume every payment method gives the same 90-minute transfer benefit. Cash and mobile-app payment are treated differently.

How to Use the Metro

Tbilisi has two metro lines. The practical flow is simple:

find the station → check the direction → pay at the gate → ride

Normal operating hours are roughly 06:00–00:00, although they can change on special days.

How to Use City Buses

The most important rule is simple: check the direction, not only the bus number.

The official TTC tools can show nearby stops, route direction, expected arrival time and live bus position. Use the live information instead of relying on an old timetable.

What About Minibuses?

Municipal minibuses are part of Tbilisi’s city network and use the same urban fare system.

Do not confuse them with intercity marshrutkas. A city minibus gets you around Tbilisi; a marshrutka taking you to another Georgian town is a different travel system.

The 90-Minute Rule

With an eligible payment method, your 1 GEL fare covers 90 minutes within the city network.

That can include trips such as metro → bus or bus → bus.

For a simple journey, keep using the same MetroMoney card or the same bank card throughout.

5 Mistakes to Avoid

Checking only the bus number. Always check the direction too.

Confusing a city minibus with an intercity marshrutka. They are different systems.

Assuming every payment method gives the same 90-minute transfer. It does not.

Using an old timetable. Check live arrival information through TTC.

Trying to learn the whole network. Plan the trip you need right now.

Bottom Line

For most visitors, Tbilisi public transport comes down to this:

Open TTC → find your route → check the direction → pay → go.

MetroMoney costs 2 GEL, the standard city fare is 1 GEL for 90 minutes, and you do not need to understand the entire network before you start using it.

Continue with the next practical transport decision.