Tbilisi to Batumi by car

01The fast route from Tbilisi to Batumi (E60)

The main road runs west via Mtskheta, Gori, Khashuri and the Rikoti pass, past Kutaisi and Samtredia to the coast at Kobuleti and on to Batumi. The new 52 km Rikoti highway, with 51 tunnels and 97 bridges, opened fully at the end of 2025 and removed the slowest mountain section of the old road.

02Stops between Tbilisi and Batumi

• Gori and Uplistsikhe (about 1 hour from Tbilisi): the Stalin museum and a rock-cut town from the first millennium BC.
• Surami: roadside stalls selling nazuki, a sweet spiced bread baked in clay ovens.
• Kutaisi (about 3 hours from Tbilisi): Bagrati cathedral, Gelati monastery and a good lunch break. Kutaisi to Batumi is about 150 km, 2.5 hours.
• Kobuleti and the coast road: first swim before Batumi.

03The scenic alternative: Goderdzi pass

From Borjomi or Akhaltsikhe you can cross the Adjara mountains over the Goderdzi pass (about 2,025 m) and descend through Khulo and the Adjara valleys to Batumi. It is spectacular but slow: part of the road between Zarzma and Khulo is unpaved and rough.

• Only from about June to October; in the rest of the year snow closes or blocks it.
• Choose a 4x4 and tell us before you book, so we give you a car that is right for this road.
• Allow a full day from Borjomi, with stops at Adigeni, Goderdzi and the arched stone bridges near Batumi.

04Driving and parking your car in Batumi

Batumi's centre is compact and busy in summer evenings; street parking is paid in season and most hotels have their own parking. Outside the centre parking is easy. From Batumi, Gonio fortress, Sarpi beach, the Botanical Garden and Machakhela national park are all under an hour away. The Turkish border at Sarpi is closed to our rental cars.