Tbilisi to Batumi by car: the road, driving time and stops

The drive from Tbilisi to Batumi takes about 4.5–5 hours without stops and is roughly 360 km long. There are no toll roads in Georgia. Since the end of 2025 the drive has been easier: a new four-lane motorway opened over the Rikoti Pass, the hardest part of the route.

The route

The main road crosses the country from east to west: Tbilisi, Gori, Khashuri, the Rikoti Pass, Zestaponi, the Kutaisi bypass, Samtredia, Kobuleti and Batumi. Your navigation app will choose this route, and it is hard to take a wrong turn.

Most of the way is a multi-lane motorway. Closer to the sea the road goes through villages, with lower speed limits and more traffic.

How long it takes

• Without stops: about 4.5–5 hours.
• With lunch and one or two stops: 6–7 hours.
• In summer, on Friday evenings and on holidays the road to the sea is busy, so allow more time.

You may read that the drive now takes 3–3.5 hours. That is a forecast from the road authorities, not the usual driving time, so don't plan on it.

The new Rikoti Pass motorway

The Rikoti Pass used to be the bottleneck: hairpin bends, trucks and a slow climb. On 30 December 2025 traffic opened on the new road: 52 km of four-lane motorway with 51 tunnels and 97 bridges. According to the ministry, travel time on this section has roughly halved.

Headlights (dipped or main beam) are compulsory in tunnels. There are many tunnels on this section, so it is easier to keep your lights on for the whole drive.

Speed limits and cameras

• 60 km/h in towns and villages.
• 90 km/h outside built-up areas.
• 110 km/h on motorways.

There are many cameras on the road, including average-speed sections. Since June 2026 the fine for driving 15–30 km/h over the limit is 50 GEL. Read more in Traffic rules in Georgia for tourists.

Fuel

Fuel stations are frequent along the road: Wissol, Gulf, SOCAR, Rompetrol, Lukoil. In summer 2026 a litre of petrol cost about 3.5–4.3 GEL depending on the grade and the chain. Prices change, but one full tank is enough to reach Batumi in almost any car.

What to see on the way

If you are not in a hurry, you can turn the drive into a day trip.

• Uplistsikhe. An ancient cave town about 10 km from Gori. A good first stop if you leave in the morning.
• Kutaisi. The road passes close to the city. Visit Gelati Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Bagrati Cathedral.
• Prometheus Cave. Near Kutaisi, easy to combine with Gelati.
• Borjomi. A spa town off the main road. The detour is a long one, so plan it separately or for the way back.

To see all of this without rushing, split the drive into two days with a night in Kutaisi.

Pick up in Tbilisi, return in Batumi

If you drive to the sea one way and fly back, you can return the car in Batumi. We agree on a return in another city when you book.

If you fly straight to Batumi, we will bring the car there: to your address, your hotel or the airport. See car rental in Batumi for details.

Before you set off

• Check that the contract shows the return city.
• In winter, check the weather on the pass. Our cars run on winter tyres in winter.
• Save our support number: we are available 24/7 and help on the road anywhere in Georgia.

Choose a car for the trip in our fleet.