How to get to Sukhum, transport

Sukhum is located 115 kilometers from the border with the Russian Federation, and it is one of the farthest resort towns in Abkhazia (Sukhum on the map of Abkhazia). Beyond it is only rarely visited by tourists from the Russian Federation City Ochamchira. Despite the fact that this is the capital, and there is even an airport, you can only get to Sukhum by land by bus, train or car. It is best for Russian citizens to get to Sukhum from the Russian Federation through the Psou checkpoint using an internal passport (without using a foreign one). If you enter Abkhazia with a foreign passport, there will be a note about crossing the border of the Russian Federation-Abkhazia, which can bring serious problems when visiting Georgia in the future (see more about this How to get to Abkhazia). If you want to get here officially through Georgia, entry is possible only with a foreign passport after obtaining the appropriate permits.

Below is more information about all the ways to get to Sukhum yourself. Also see the following information:

• How to get to Abkhazia
• Visa and visa regime in Abkhazia
• How to get to Abkhazia by car

Sukhum by plane

The nearest operating passenger airport is in Adler. It operates many flights from the regions of the Russian Federation, including favorable fares are offered with transfers at Moscow airports, but it is better to buy tickets in advance, because in high season (in summer) prices rise.

You can find tickets and select options for flights to Sochi airport using the search form:

ЦЕНА	ПЕРЕСАДКИ	АВИАКОМПАНИЯ	ДАТА ВЫЛЕТА	ДАТА ВОЗВРАЩЕНИЯ
Купить от 22659 ₽	Без пересадок		29.07.2026	05.08.2026
Купить от 13128 ₽	Без пересадок		24.08.2026	17.10.2026
Купить от 11457 ₽	Без пересадок		27.09.2026	27.10.2026
Купить от 12154 ₽	Без пересадок		18.10.2026	26.11.2026
Купить от 10749 ₽	Без пересадок		23.11.2026	27.12.2026
Купить от 10713 ₽	Без пересадок		15.12.2026	26.12.2026

How to get from the airport to Sukhum

The airport is 10 kilometers from the border crossing and 125 kilometers from the city itself (airport on the map). To get here, you need to cross the state border of the Russian Federation-Abkhazia through the PSOU checkpoint. It is easy to do this route yourself on buses or trains with a transfer, or order a non-stop tourist transfer (analogous to a taxi).

• By taxi

  Taxi drivers at the airport are very reluctant to go directly to Sukhum, because for this you have to cross the border and lose a lot of time. Therefore, the prices for a direct trip will be high. It is much cheaper to get by taxi with a transfer at the border, i.e. get first by car from the airport to the Psou checkpoint, cross the state border there yourself, and already on the other side take a taxi directly to Sukhum.

  If your transfer option is not suitable, you can order a tourist transfer service, which in this case will be even cheaper than a taxi. The driver of the ordered car will meet you on arrival with a sign, and you will drive across the border directly to the desired place in the city. You can order a transfer from Kiwitaxi using the search form:

• By bus from the airport

  Much cheaper than a taxi, you can get by bus, but for this again you have to make transfers. First, you need to get from the airport by city bus No. 173 to the Psou checkpoint, cross the border on foot, and then take a minibus to Sukhum. Buses on the Abkhaz side depart from the Station Square (Bus Station). Minibuses to Sukhum run from 7:00 to about 21:00, depart for filling approximately every 20-30 minutes. The fare is 250 rubles, the journey is more than two hours.

  In the city, minibuses stop at the bus station opposite the railway station (Sukhum bus station on the map). This place is almost on the outskirts of the city, and from it to the hotel you will have to get by taxi or public transport. There are minibuses to Gala that pass through the city on the Main Street, and sometimes they can be more convenient if you want to get to your hotel on foot.

• By train from the airport

  Attention! The movement of electric trains along the route is suspended. Check the renewal information in the schedule.

  From the airport you can take a train or train to Sukhum with a transfer, but the trip will take almost a whole day. First, from the airport you need to get to the railway station Adler on the train "Lastochka" (46 USD), or buses number 105, 105C, 131, 535 (30-60 minutes on the way). There you need to transfer to an electric train or a passing long-distance train. The train costs 250 rubles, 3 hours on the way, departs at 07:38 and 14:10 daily. You can check the schedule on the website Yandex. schedules. Also from the railway station there are regular buses to Abkhazia.

Sukhum by train

In summer, in some seasons, trains from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Belgorod, go to SukhumSamara, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Belorechensk. If there are no trains from your region or they are not running this season, then you can take the train to the railway station of Adler, and there transfer to the train or bus to Sukhum or other resorts. Train schedules and ticket prices can be found at official website of Russian Railways.

Trains arrive at Sukhum railway station on the outskirts of the city (station on the map), from where you will have to get to the hotel by taxi or public transport.

Sukhum by bus

From the regions of Russia in the summer, bus tours to Sukhum are offered. They are sold by carriers or organized by tour operators. Travel by bus is a little cheaper than by train, but in terms of convenience and time is much inferior, so we recommend using this option only as a last resort.

Also from the southern regions of the Russian Federation, from Moscow, and some regions of central Russia, you can get to Sukhum by international bus.

Local city buses run from the cities of Greater Sochi to the border with Abkhazia (PSOU checkpoint) :

• #125 (from the center of Sochi via Khosta, Kudepstu, Adler)
• No. 173 (from Sochi airport, Adler, Kudepsta)
• No. 117, No. 100 (Kudepsta, Adler railway station)
• No. 134 (Khosta, Kudepsta, Adler railway station)

Buses reach the border checkpoint or stop near it, you can get there on foot. After crossing the border on the other side there is a parking lot of local taxis, which can take you to Sukhum. They are poisoned every 20-30 minutes, cost from 100 rubles from 07:00 to 21:00.

In Sukhum, buses arrive at the bus station on the outskirts of the city (Sukhum bus station on the map).

Sukhum by car

You can get to Sukhum by car from the Russian Federation only through the PSOU checkpoint, which is located on the border with the Russian Federation (PSOU checkpoint on the map) in the Krasnodar Territory, Sochi, Adler district, Veseloe settlement. The road to the border runs along the Black Sea coast through the cities of Greater Sochi, and this is the only way here. If you have never been to Sochi, then keep in mind that the section from Dzhubga to the checkpoint is a very difficult mountain winding road. Its length is 200 kilometers, but you can drive it in 5-6 hours with good weather and a free highway. Gasoline on this site is consumed decently. After passing the border at the checkpoint to the city will drive only 120 kilometers on a flat good road.

Learn more about how to get to Abkhazia by car, including how to cross the border, here.

Transport in Sukhum, how to move around the city

Sukhum is a fairly large city by local standards, and it has a public transport system of buses and trolleybuses. There are not a lot of routes, but they can be useful for exploring the sights of the city, or if you are staying in a hotel far from the beach. With all this, if you are in no hurry and love hiking, then during the rest it is quite possible to do without transport at all, everywhere you can get on foot.

You can also travel around Sukhum by taxi, but prices are higher than in Russia: a trip around the city will cost from 100 rubles. It is cheaper to order a taxi by phone than to catch it on the street. You can find the phone numbers of local taxi companies in advance of the trip via the Internet, and already on the spot it will not be difficult to find them through advertising in the city.

As for urban transport, although there are not many routes, they go quite often, especially trolleybuses. Buses and taxis go much worse. The fare in trolleybuses is 5 rubles, in buses – 10, minibuses – 15-20.

There are 3 trolleybus routes in total:

• Route No. 1: "Central Market-New District".
• Route No. 2: "Central Market-Thubun". It takes you to the beaches of Aitar, Sinop, Kyalasur and Thubun.
• Route No. 3: "Central Market-Railway settlement (old settlement)".

You can read about the rest of the route and its passage on the map here - https://wikiroutes.info/sukhumi/catalog

You can also travel around Sukhum and the surrounding area on a rented bicycle. We found bicycle rental in at least two places: on the territory of the Inter-Sukhum hotel on 109 Lakoba Street and on the embankment. Rental costs from 150 rubles an hour.