Update 2019: I have added more information on a new direct bus that runs from Kars to Tbilisi without the need to change buses.
When I was sitting in my hotel room in Kars, mapping my next move, I did some research on what would be the best way to go to Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia, from Kars. The result I got was unsatisfactory. Many blog posts illustrated how hard it was to go from Kars to Tbilisi, and everyone recommended going through the northern border via Batumi instead.
The problem was that I recently came from Trabzon, and I did not want to make my way back there. It did not make sense to go even further up away from Tbilisi and increase the traverse time from 4 to 8 hours instead of going through Kars, which would take 4 hours less. For the sake of adventure, I decided to go through with my plan and figured my way into Georgia from Kars. It was not as hard as what people made it out to be, and here is how I did it.
NOTE: I was there in June 2015 during Ramadan. Since it was during the summer, most of the transportation ran as usual. If you are there during the winter, there would be fewer buses (or even none) going to Tbilisi, so keep that in mind.
- Update 2019: New Direct Bus from Kars to Tbilisi, Georgia!
- 0. Asked Celil for more information
- 1. Get up early and find the bus station
- 2. Spot the "Tiflis, Gurcistan" sign
- 3. Wait and get on the right bus at the right time
- 4. Switch buses in Adrahan
- 5. Crossing the border
- 6. One last bus change
- 7. To Tbilisi!
- Further Reading for Turkey
Update 2019: New Direct Bus from Kars to Tbilisi, Georgia!
Great news! As reported by one of our readers (Thank you, Stewart Webb), there is now a much easier way to travel to Tbilisi, Georgia from Kars. You can now take a direct bus operated by VIP Turizm straight to Tbilisi without having to change buses. This makes it much more convenient for you to get to Georgia from East Turkey.
The bus leaves at 9:00 AM sharp from VIP Turizm office and you will arrive in Tbilisi by 6-7 PM, depending on the traffic. The trip will cost you around 100 TL. You will still have to get off the bus to cross the border, but that is it; no need to change buses anymore.
If you have any inquiry about the bus running in the lower season, I would direct your question to Celil Ersoฤlu or contact the Vip Turizm bus operator directly in Kars.
0. Asked Celil for more information
The further east you go, the less the buses stick to their schedule, so prior to arriving or while you are in Kars, ask someone who knows how the bus works in Kars. This is especially important if you are traveling off-season. I would suggest asking Celil Ersoฤlu (Whatsapp: +905322263966.), the only Ani tour guide in Kars, about the best way to go to Georgia (Gurcistan in Turkish). Everyone knows this guy, so ask your hotel owners and get in touch with him.
1. Get up early and find the bus station
Ask your hotel for the direction of the bus that goes to the Otogar to Georgia and get on the public bus to the international bus station (otogar). Right before you seat yourself, ask the bus driver if he/she would drop you off at the international otogar. I said "Otogar to Gurcistan", and made a driving hand sign. The bus driver got it right away and dropped me off at the right place.
Keep in mind, the international otogar is NOT the same bus station you arrived in (don't go to Kars ลehir Otogarฤฑ). From Hotel Tamel, it only took 5 minutes with the public bus to reach the international bus station.
2. Spot the "Tiflis, Gurcistan" sign
When you arrive at the Otogar, you will be bombarded with bus companies to choose from. Look around and spot the bus companies that have a sign saying "Tiflis, Gurcistan", and go in there to buy the ticket.
3. Wait and get on the right bus at the right time
Stick to the person you bought your ticket with, and he/she will tell you when you have to get on the bus. The bus was scheduled to leave at 10:30 AM for me, but it did not come until 11:15 AM, so don't panic if it is already past the scheduled time. Apparently, it is quite common for the bus to be late.
4. Switch buses in Adrahan (the driver will tell you to)
If the bus said it is going to Tbilisi, it will take you to Tbilisi in one form or another, so don't worry when the driver asks you to switch cars. After around 30 minutes, I had to switch to another bus in Adrahan. Now there were only 2 people left on the bus, which confirms that not many people take this route to Georgia.
5. Crossing the border
The new bus left Adrahan in no time, and we drove past the rolling green hills in Posof before arriving at the border. I had to get off the bus, carry my backpack, and walk through immigration. When I passed through immigration, the bus driver was waiting for me. We put our bags back and the bus carried on to Akhaltsikhe in Georgia.
6. One last bus change
At Akhaltsikhe, the bus driver stopped and dragged us to the minivan that would take us to Tbilisi. I did not have to pay anything at this point since the bus driver from Turkey paid for our ride in Georgian money to the new bus driver. If the new bus driver asks you to pay, tell them that you came from Turkey with the Turkish bus driver (you know... point to the Turkish bus driver) and they will not bother you anymore.
7. To Tbilisi!
In Georgia, they called it the dolmus, the marshrutka, and that was what I was on for the rest of the trip to Tbilisi. It was a small, cramped minivan, and we drove for 3 hours until we eventually arrived at the Tbilisi bus station.
Congratulations, you have arrived in Tbilisi in one piece. The process of traveling to Georgia from Kars was not as difficult as most people made it out to be. Simply follow the instructions provided by the staff of the bus company and you will be in Tbilisi in no time.
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:
Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
Further Reading for Turkey
Turkey is a country that stands in the middle of Europe and Asia. Empires rose and fell on this land, and in order to see Turkey as a whole, you will have to go further than just Istanbul.
Here is a selection of articles and travel guides that you might need to further plan your trip to Turkey:
- First time visiting Turkey? Here are the 15 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Turkey.
- Looking for a complete itinerary and travel guide for Turkey? Check out our One Month Itinerary for Turkey.
- Istanbul is the crown jewel historical city of Turkey and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are a lot of things to do, and you are going to need a complete travel guide to see them all. Here are the 11 Best Things to Do in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Have a transit flight between IST and SAW airports in Istanbul? Here is a complete guide on How To Get From Sabiha Gokcen To Istanbul Airport And Vice Versa.
- A lot of Roman influence can be seen throughout Turkey. One of the best places to see this is at the Ephesus ruins in Selcuk. Here are the 8 Best Things to Do in Selcuk and Ephesus.
- Pamukkale is home to the ancient travertines of Pamukkale, and it is a place you should definitely visit in Turkey. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to Pamukkale, Turkey.
- The southwestern coast of Turkey boasts some of the most stunning beaches, cliffs, and hiking trails in the country, and one of the best places you shouldn't miss is the Butterfly Valley. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to the Butterfly Valley, Turkey.
- Looking for a nice, quiet place by the beach to relax and do yoga for a few days in Turkey? There is no better place to be than Kabak. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to Kabak, Turkey.
- You can't deny it, Cappadocia is one hell of a stunning place to travel to, and there are a ton of things you can do there. From riding a hot air balloon to hiking, here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Cappadocia, Turkey.
- Mt. Nemrut and its massive stone statues of gods are one of the most unique places I have ever seen, but it is not the easiest place to visit. To save you the trouble, here is A Complete Travel Guide to Mt. Nemrut and all the information you need to make the journey as I did.
- If you are planning to travel to East Turkey, Van is one of the cities you must stop by. Known for its awesome breakfast and its location by the largest lake of Turkey, here is A Complete Travel Guide to Van, Turkey.
- Visiting Sumela Monastery is one of the highlights of traveling to Eastern Turkey, but due to its remote location, getting there can be tricky. Here is How to Travel to Sumela Monastery, Turkey, which provides all the information you need to make the trip happen.
- Ani, the ancient Armenian City in Kars, is the highlight of Eastern Turkey, but it can be quite tricky to visit unless you know how to do it properly. Here is How to Travel to Ani, Turkey and all the information you need to make the trip happen.
- Not convinced by my words? Maybe these photos of Turkey will help! 45 Photos that will inspire you to travel to Turkey.
- Tbilisi is one of the most vibrant and creative capital cities in the Caucasus and has attracted tourists for centuries. It is a must-visit when you are in the area. Check out my 15 Incredible Things to Do in Tbilisi.
- For all articles about Turkey, visit the Turkey Travel Guide page.
- Or, if you want to read more about the Caucasus, visit the Caucasus Travel Guide page.
- Looking for more travel guides for the Middle East? You can find more on my Middle East Travel Guide page.
- For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.
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39 Comments
Hey there, how long does it all take? You got any night bus from Kars or from Batumi, to get Tbilisi?
Thanks a lot!
Hey there, how long does it all take? You got any night bus from Kars or from Batumi, to get Tbilisi?
Thanks a lot!
I just went from Kars to Tbilisi by bus a few days ago and ended up finding a way that seemed even more straightforward than you describe here in your post.
In the city center of Kars there's a bus company called 'vip turizm' who sold me a direct ticket from Kars to Tbilisi for ~100 TL- Celil Ersoฤlu put me in contact with them (thanks for the tip-off!). The bus left at 9am from directly outside that shop (which was basically across the road from my hotel) and went all the way to Tbilisi without any changes - although we did have to get off the bus for border control, but we got back onto the same bus. It took nearly the whole day though all up - we arrived in Tbilisi at around 6:45pm. There was some bad traffic at one point so this may have delayed us a bit.
Hope this helps someone else who comes across this page looking for the same info I was - and thanks to Pete for posting the original in the first place!
Thanks Stewart. I was trying to find a way to get to Tbilisi from Kars. I'll give them a try it in mid Oct when i get to that Area.
Hey Stewart,
That's awesome to know and thank you for reporting in with the update. That will be very useful to those who are looking to do the same. I'm glad they have a faster route now and looks like Celil is still doing great there. :)
Thanks again for the report back. I'll update the post accordingly.
Hey Ian,
I wish you the best of luck on your trip! Georgia and Kars are simply awesome. :) Please do let us know how it goes and whether the direct bus still runs in October.
Any information about this would be welcome: I presume it is more or less the same to get from Tbilisi to Kars by bus? Travel by night or by day? We'll be travelling in mid September.
Hi, just a heads up on the VIP Turizm buses (i'm just leaving Kars to go to Tbilisi now) - i was told they only have the bus to Tbilisi Saturday and Tuesday and probably one other day, so it's not a daily bus! We were given another option by Celil to travel on sunday, so as you advised I would get in touch with him if you want to travel on the other days. He'll sort you out.
Hey Richard, from reports I've heard, it's very similar doing the opposite side. I would recommend doing during the day so it is less confusing as you are aware of where you are and it gives you some flexibilities in case you miss a connection (very unlikely but it is always good to prepare for such incident).
Thank you for the latest report, Jan! I'll update the post accordingly. It could also be a matter of season so I'll mention that you traveled in September just in case. Correct me if Celil tell you that is not seasonality and I'll fix it accordingly. Safe journey! :)