Wrapping up your trip in the Caucasus and looking for travel routes into Turkey now? Getting from Georgia to Turkey is possible by airplane and by bus. Depending on your preference – saving time, saving money, or a mixture of both – there are four travel routes you can take.
In this article, we will walk you through how to get from Georgia to Turkey by land, by air and both. We will lay out four detailed travel routes that provide either the fastest possible trip, the cheapest possible trip, a mix of both or a real backpacker’s adventures.
Key Takeaways
- Fly directly from Tbilisi, Kutaisi, or Batumi with seven airlines including Pegasus and Turkish Airlines; flights take about 2.5 hours and start around 70 € one-way. Booking in advance saves money.
- Take a 2-hour bus from Batumi to Pazar (about 15 €), then a domestic flight from Rize/Artvin Airport to Istanbul or other Turkish cities for as low as 37 € one-way, totaling roughly 62 €.
- Direct overnight buses from Tbilisi to Istanbul cost about 50 € and take close to 24 hours, offering a budget-friendly, climate-conscious option with multiple daily departures.
- For the cheapest route, take a local bus or mini bus to Sarpi border (under 1 GEL), walk across, then a dolmuş to Hopa for around 50 TL; from Hopa, connect to larger Turkish cities by bus.
Table of Contents
4 Travel Routes for Getting to Turkey from Georgia
Getting for Georgia to Turkey is fairly easy. You can either take a direct flight, hop on an overnight bus or do a mix of both. Your choice depends on what your budget is, how much time you have and what you value most when travelling.
In the following section we will break down the four best travel routes from Georgie to Turkey:
Direct Flights from Georgia to Turkey (The Most Popular Route)
Most travellers heading from Georgia to Turkey choose the flight route thanks to its convenience. There are direct flights departing for Turkey from every international airport in Georgia, including Tbilisi Shota Rustaveli International Airport (TBS), Kutaisi Davit Agmashenebeli International Airport (KUT) and Batumi Alexander Kartveli International Airport (BUS).
Seven airlines operate flights to Turkey, among them Pegasus Airlines, A-Jet and SunExpress with the cheapest flights starting from 70 € for a one-way journey and 140 € for round trip flights. While Turkish Airlines operates this route, too, their nonstop flights are much more expensive. Of course, flight prices vary depending on your exact route and travel time. Booking in advance will save you money for your trip.
The average flight time from Georgia to Turkey is just 2.5 hours, making this transfer not only very convenient, but also the fastest option on this list. Overall, the Turkey flight route is a great option, if you want to head straight to Islanbul, Ankara or the Turkish Riviera without losing any time along the way.
The Most Popular Route at a Glance
- Direct flights from Georgia to Turkey take about 2.5 hours.
- You can travel from Tbilisi International Airport (TBS), Kutaissi International Airport (KUT) and Batumi International Airport (BUS).
- There are 30+ direct flights from Georgie to Turkey per week.
- One-way trips are as cheap as 70 €, round-trips start from 140 €.
- The cheapest flights depart from Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) for Ankara Airport and Antalya Airport.
A note on flying from Georgia to Turkey: Compare flight prices before booking, since departures from nearby airports in Georgia can be much cheaper depending on the season. Book your flight to Turkey on a platform that allows you to compare multiple offers, such as Booking.com or Kiwi.com.
Overland Bus to Pazar & Domestic Flight in Turkey (The Value Pick)
While international flights from Georgia to Turkey are generally quite affordable, they cannot beat the ticket prices of domestic flights in Turkey. This is why it is worth considering taking a bus into Turkey first and hopping on a domestic Turkey flight right after the border. The Turkish airport closest to the Georgia Turkey border is the so-called Rize/Artvin Airport.
Rize/Artvin Airport serving the north-eastern edge of Turkey is neither located in Rize, nor in Artvin, but rather in a town called Pazar, which is just a one-hour drive, or 75 kilometres, away from the Georgian border. From Batumi, you are just a 2-hour bus ride away from Pazar which will cost you around 15 €, if you book with Metro Turizm, for instance. For the last kilometres to the airport, use a dolmuş or a taxi.
From Rize Airport you can catch all sorts of domestic flights departing for destinations like Istanbul, Antalya, Dalaman, Izmir, Trabzon or Ankara. A direct flight from Rize to Istanbul Airport can be as affordable as 37 € for a one-way journey. This combined route comes out to as little as 62 € per person, making it cheaper than a direct flight, but it does demand more time and planning.
The Value Pick at a Glance
- Cross the Georgia Turkey border by bus.
- Catch a flight from Rize/Artvin Airport, located close to Pazar.
- Domestic flights departing from Rize start at just 37 €.
Overnight Bus to from Georgia to Turkey (The Most Straightforward)
More often and often, travellers consciously opt out of flying directly to new destinations, if they can avoid it, treating overland travel as a more climate-friendly and conscious travel option. For the Georgia to Turkey route, you are lucky as there are plenty of admittedly long but direct overnight buses.
If you are planning to head deeper into Turkey, taking an overnight bus is the most straightforward overland option. From Tbilisi, for example, you can several buses per day heading to Istanbul. Some bus companies serving this route are Metro, Infobus, Lüks Muradoglu and Lüks Karadeniz with the cheapest tickets costing around 50 € per seat. Similar connections depart from Kutaissi and Batumi.
While some websites claim that this overnight bus takes around 15 hours, the real travel time is much closer to a full day. Along the 1,600+ kilometres of roads and highways, there will be plenty of stops for you to go to the toilet and stock up on snacks and drinks. If you are trying to get to a far-away place in Turkey overland, taking an overnight bus is your best and cheapest option.
The Most Straightforward Route at a Glance
- Direct overnight buses from Georgia to Turkey can take up to 24 hours.
- Overnight buses cost around 50 € per seat.
- There are plenty of stops along the way, for snacks and bathrooms.
Mini Bus from Batumi to Hopa (The Cheapest Route)
If you are not pressed for time, you can get from Georgia to Turkey in smaller steps. To do so, head to the Batumi Bus Station first and hop on line CT0101 of Citybus Georgia. This bus takes you directly to Sarpi, the most common border crossing between Georgia and Turkey. Alternatively, you can also take a mini bus to Sarpi, which starts at this minibus station, costing you less than 1 GEL.
At Sarpi, walk to the border crossing by foot, exit Georgia and enter Turkey. On a busy day, the Georgia Turkey border crossing should take you around 1 to 2 hours. Once you have arrived on the Turkish side, walk along the side of the street until you see a number of white mini buses. These mini buses, also called dolmuş, will take you to the next town Hopa for around 50 TL. The ride takes around 20 minutes.
In Hopa, there is a bus station that puts you within reach of all the bigger cities in the regions such as Rize, Artvin and Kars as well as Ankara and Istanbul. From the dolmuş drop-off, you need to walk about 20 minutes to reach Hopa Bus Station. There, you can pick your route, book your connecting ticket directly at the service point and have a cup of tea, while you wait.
The Cheapest Route at a Glance
- Take a public bus from Batumi to Sarpi (less than 1 GEL).
- Cross the Georgia Turkey border by foot.
- Take a dolmuş from Sarp to Hopa (around 50 TL).
Where Do We Go from Here? Overland Travel Routes for Turkey
If you are travelling Turkey overland, we urge you not to skip ahead to more popular destinations such as Ankara and Istanbul. Instead, take some time to travel along one of these overland routes for Turkey:
- The Black Sea Route: The most straightforward overland route from the Georgia-Turkey border crossing is the Black Sea route, leading you through cities like Rize, Trabzon and Samsun along green fields, mountains and tea plantations, before you finally arrive in Istanbul.
- The Cappadocian Route: A Turkey trip is hardly complete without a visit to Cappadocia. Luckily for you, Cappadocia is essentially located in the dead-centre of Turkey, making it easily accessible from all sides of the country. If you plan to go there, check out this 2-day itinerary for Cappadocia.
- The Dogu Express: Perhaps the most scenic Turkey travel routes, the Dogu Express takes you all the way from Kars in the far east to Ankara in the center of the country, taking up to 2 days. Along the way, there are plenty of opportunities to stop such as Sivas, Kayseri and Kirikkale.
Considering a trip on the Dogu Express? We took Turkey’s most scenic sleeper train in 2023 and documented our whole experience. This is what you need to know about the Dogu Express.
The Bottom Line
Getting from Georgia to Turkey is fairly easy. After all, the neighbouring countries have airlines flying between several of their cities on a daily basis. If you are travelling without flying, looking to save money, or simply curious about what lays between Tbilisi and Istanbul, travelling overland is your way to go.
With this article, you have all the information you need to make your trip from Georgia to Turkey as cost-effective, affordable and adventurous as you like. Now, make the most of it and enjoy your next adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Georgia and Turkey close?
Georgia and Turkey are neighbouring countries. Georgia borders Turkey in its southwest, along the Black Sea coast. While the two countries border each other, major cities of the two are generally far apart. Their capital cities, Tbilisi and Istanbul, are more than 1,500 kilometres apart.
Can you cross from Georgia to Turkey?
Yes, you can cross from Georgia to Turkey via the Sarpi border crossing on the Black Sea coast. To cross from Georgia to Turkey, take a bus from Batumi to Sarpi, cross the border by foot, and take a bus from Sarp to Hopa to continue your trip.
How far is the country Georgia from Turkey?
Georgia shares a land border with Turkey. In its south, it has a land border of more than 250 kilometres with the Turkish Republic. On this land border, there are three active border crossings, the Sarpi border crossing being the most straightforward of the three.
How long is a flight from Turkey to Georgia?
Direct flights from Georgia to Turkey take around 2 to 3 hours, depending on your departure and arrival airports. Assuming, you take a flight from Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) to Istanbul Airport (SAW), which are 1,304 kilometres (or 813 miles) as the crow flies, your flight should pretty much take 2.5 hours.
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We are Nancy & Elias.
Over four years of backpacking and digital nomading made us fall in love with the Middle East. We have lived on the Red Sea coast in Egypt, lived in a Bedouin Camp in Jordan and travelled 6+ Middle Eastern countries overland.
As we continue to travel, we share our battle-tested travels advice on this blog, from travel reports and transfer guides to accommodation recs and saving hacks.
