How to get to Kislovodsk on your own: a complete guide for tourists

How to get to Kislovodsk: overall scheme

Kislovodsk is located 1560 kilometers from Moscow, 217 kilometers from the regional capital Stavropol, and 55 kilometers from the transport hub of Mineralnye Vody (Kislovodsk on the regional map). You can get here by plane via Mineralnye Vody Airport, by train directly to Kislovodsk or to the Mineralnye Vody train station, as well as by bus from Moscow, cities in southern Russia, and even from abroad. If you travel through Mineralnye Vody by plane or train, from there it's easy to get to the resort by taxi, suburban buses, or electric train. Here are brief instructions:

• By plane to Mineralnye Vody Airport and from there by taxi from 1000 rubles or by suburban buses with a transfer in the center of Mineralnye Vody.
• By train to Kislovodsk train station, and from the station to the hotel on foot or by taxi from 80 rubles.
• By train to the train stations in Mineralnye Vody, Pyatigorsk, or Yessentuki, and then transfer to an electric train or suburban buses to Kislovodsk.
• By electric train or suburban buses from the neighboring resorts of Pyatigorsk, Yessentuki, and Zheleznovodsk.
• Buy a ready-made tour from Russian cities, including a flight and transfer to the hotel.

Here's an infographic with a diagram of how and by what means to get to Kislovodsk, and then we'll tell you in detail about all the methods and city transport:

Ready-made tours to Kislovodsk

Both in summer and winter, package tours to the CMS resorts, including Kislovodsk, are offered by Russian tour operators. Moreover, ready-made tours with flights and transfers to the hotel are often even cheaper than organizing and booking everything yourself. However, truly profitable options from reliable tour operators are snapped up instantly, so it's best to search for tours from different tour operators at once and buy the one you like online. It's most convenient to search on tour meta-search engines, for example, on these trusted sites:

• ✈ Tours to Kislovodsk on Travelata.ru (🎁 promo codes for discounts here)
• ✈ Tours to Kislovodsk on Level.Travel
• ✈ Tours to Kislovodsk on Onlinetours.ru
• ✈ Tours to Kislovodsk on Sletat.ru

By plane via Mineralnye Vody Airport

Kislovodsk does not have its own airport, and the nearest one is in Mineralnye Vody, about an hour's drive away. The airports in Nalchik and Stavropol are also relatively close, but flights there are more expensive and less frequent, and getting from them to the resort is too far. So if you need to get to the resort by plane, we advise you to look for flights only to Mineralnye Vody, and read below or the full instructions here about how to get from the airport to your vacation spot upon arrival.

Flights to MRV Airport: schedules and prices

Mineralnye Vody Airport (code MRV) is the closest to Kislovodsk. Flights from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, and other cities arrive here daily. Below is an online schedule of arrivals and departures, as well as a convenient flight search form with the most current prices.

Mineralnye Vody International Airport (IATA code: MRV, airport website – http://mvairport.ru/, new name – Lermontov Airport) is the largest in the region. It serves flights from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg, Sochi, and other major cities of the Russian Federation. There are international flights from Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Eilat, Dubai, Yerevan, Baku, Thessaloniki (most are suspended). Direct flights from the regions operate mainly in the high season (summer), but you can always get there cheaply with a connection in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, or Krasnodar. Here is the online schedule of Mineralnye Vody Airport:

Search for flights to Mineralnye Vody Airport, including connecting flights, using the flight search form from the Aviasales flight search engine:

ЦЕНА	ПЕРЕСАДКИ	АВИАКОМПАНИЯ	ДАТА ВЫЛЕТА	ДАТА ВОЗВРАЩЕНИЯ
Купить от 18313 ₽	Без пересадок		28.07.2026	02.09.2026
Купить от 14934 ₽	Без пересадок		25.08.2026	03.09.2026
Купить от 14367 ₽	Без пересадок		24.09.2026	03.10.2026
Купить от 13008 ₽	Без пересадок		15.10.2026	28.10.2026
Купить от 10417 ₽	Без пересадок		25.11.2026	03.12.2026
Купить от 9717 ₽	Без пересадок		07.12.2026	21.12.2026

How to get from Mineralnye Vody Airport to Kislovodsk

Mineralnye Vody Airport is located 50 kilometers from Kislovodsk (Mineralnye Vody Airport on the map). You can get to the resort by taxi, electric train, or bus — choose the option that suits you.

🚌 By taxi or transfer

• 💵 Cost: from 1500 rub (by Yandex Go meter)
• ⏲ Travel time: 40–60 minutes
• 🕑 Operating hours: 24/7

A taxi ride via app (Yandex Go, Uber) from the airport to Kislovodsk costs from 1500 rubles. An official taxi at the airport counter will cost from 2000 rubles, from «gypsy cabs» in the parking lot — even more, but you can haggle with them.

A more comfortable option is to book a personal transfer. The driver will meet you with a sign at the exit and take you directly to the hotel. Calculate the cost and book your trip using the form below, or compare prices on these trusted services:

• 🚌 Tourist taxi-transfer to Kislovodsk on Kiwitaxi
• 🚌 Tourist taxi-transfer to Kislovodsk on Intui.travel

By electric train (via Mineralnye Vody train station)

• 💵 Cost: from 385 rub (50 rub minibus + 335 rub electric train)
• ⏲ Travel time: 1 hour 50 minutes – 2 hours 10 minutes
• 🕑 Electric train operating hours: from 04:50 to 20:50 (every 30–60 minutes)
• 🚌 Minibus #11: from 06:00 to 19:30 (every 20–30 minutes)

First, from the airport to Mineralnye Vody train station, you need to take minibus #11 (stop in front of the arrivals terminal). It runs from 6 am to 7:30 pm every 20–30 minutes, fare — 50 rubles, travel time — 20–25 minutes. The minibus takes you directly to the station.

At the station, transfer to an electric train to Kislovodsk. A ticket costs from 335 rubles, travel time — about an hour and a half. Electric trains arrive at the train station in the center of Kislovodsk, from where you can walk to most hotels or take a taxi from 80 rubles. Current electric train schedule — here and below on this page.

By bus (direct routes or with a transfer)

• 💵 Cost: from 180 to 300 rub (bus ticket)
• ⏲ Travel time: 1 hour 15 minutes – 1 hour 30 minutes
• 📅 Operating hours: departures from the airport — 7 times a day, from the bus station — 9 times a day

Buses don't run every hour, and their schedules change, so this option is worth considering if a taxi is expensive and the electric trains don't fit your schedule.

• Option 1 (direct, convenient): Direct buses to Kislovodsk depart from the airport (stop at the arrivals terminal). Check the schedule and availability of departures for your date on the carrier's official website: https://kmvavto.ru/schedule/min-vody-airport/. Buses run approximately 7 times a day. It's better to buy tickets in advance.
• Option 2 (with a transfer): Take bus #11 to Mineralnye Vody bus station (stop «Rynok Ruslan», 20–25 minutes from the airport, 50 USD), then transfer to an intercity bus to Kislovodsk. There are more departures — about 9 per day, schedule here: https://kmvavto.ru/schedule/mineral-water/. Keep in mind that some departures from the bus station are the same buses that stop at the airport, while most are passing through from other regions.

Where to buy a bus ticket in advance (recommended):

• 🚌 Bus tickets on Tutu.ru
• 🚌 Bus tickets on Unitiki.com

Car rental at the airport

• 💵 Rental cost: from 2500 rub/day
• ⏲ Travel time to Kislovodsk: 40–60 minutes
• 🕑 Rental operating hours: 24/7 (desks in the terminal)

If you plan to actively travel around the Caucasian Mineral Waters or the neighboring mountains (Arkhyz, Dombay, Elbrus), it's convenient to rent a car right at the airport. Rental services operate in the terminal. You can book a car in advance through these aggregators:

Keep in mind: in the tourist center of Kislovodsk, there are many signs prohibiting stopping and parking, and tow trucks are active. For long-term parking, it's better to choose a hotel with free on-site parking.

By train to Kislovodsk or Mineralnye Vody

Trains directly to Kislovodsk

The train station in Kislovodsk is located in the city center, very close to the tourist district (train station on the map). From there, you can walk to many hotels or take a taxi from 80 rubles.

Trains to Kislovodsk depart from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, Neryungri, Tynda, Adler, Orsk, Novokuznetsk, Kirov, Yekaterinburg, Kursk, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don. They also pass through other regions and cities of the Russian Federation, and even through Kazakhstan, so you can get there from many places. The schedule of trains to Kislovodsk and ticket booking are available on the website Tutu.ru and on the official website of Russian Railways.

Trains to Mineralnye Vody – then by electric train or taxi

If you can't find a direct train to Kislovodsk from your city, buy tickets to Mineralnye Vody. From there, from the Mineralnye Vody train station to Kislovodsk, you can get by taxi (from 1500 rubles by meter) or by electric train. Electric trains depart on schedule from 04:50 to 20:50, cost from 335 rubles, travel time an hour and a half. Schedule – here.

By electric train (including «Lastochka»)

You can get to Kislovodsk from other resorts in Stavropol Krai, from Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don by electric trains. This is also a great option for traveling between neighboring resorts of the Caucasian Mineral Waters: Pyatigorsk, Mineralnye Vody, Yessentuki. Electric trains depart from Mineralnye Vody from 04:50 to 20:50 on schedule every 30-60 minutes, travel time an hour and a half, cost from 335 rubles. Schedule of electric trains at Kislovodsk station:

Starting in the fall of 2019, in addition to regular electric trains, high-speed «Lastochka» trains also run between Mineralnye Vody and Kislovodsk several times a day, making a stop in Pyatigorsk. Travel time on the Lastochka is almost twice as fast – only 55 minutes compared to an hour and a half on a regular electric train.

By intercity bus

The bus is the most budget-friendly, but also the most inconvenient way to get to Kislovodsk. The bus station is located on the outskirts of the city (4 Promyshlennaya Street, view on the map). From there to the tourist center is 6 km. You'll have to get there by taxi (from 200 USD) or city minibuses #12, 14, 19 (35 USD).

Buses from Moscow and major cities

From Moscow buses depart from «Novoyasenevskaya» and «Yuzhnye Vorota» bus stations. Travel time is about 20 hours, tickets cost from 2500 to 4000 rubles. From St. Petersburg — about 30 hours, from 4000 rubles. From Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, Astrakhan — from 1500 to 2000 rubles.

👉 Where to buy a ticket: Tutu.ru, Unitiki.com, Yandex.Travel.

Buses from neighboring regions (Arkhyz, Dombay)

Bus is the only public transport from Kislovodsk to the mountain resorts:

• Arkhyz — 3 hours travel time, from 500 rubles.
• Dombay — 4–5 hours (often with a transfer in Cherkessk), from 700 rubles.
• Elbrus region — rare departures, better to check locally or take a taxi.

👉 Tickets for local routes are usually sold only at the bus station ticket offices; online booking is not available.

🔁 Once again – where to buy an intercity bus ticket online: Tutu.ru, Unitiki.com, Yandex.Travel.

By car: roads, distances, parking

The road to Kislovodsk via Mineralnye Vody is decent, following the E50. From Moscow and St. Petersburg, the fastest route here is via the toll M4 highway, but you can also take the E119 and R22, stopping along the way in Volgograd and Elista.

Distance to Kislovodsk from major Russian cities in kilometers:

• Moscow – 1600;
• St. Petersburg – 2330;
• Krasnodar – 450;
• Nizhny Novgorod – 1620;
• Kazan – 1680;
• Samara – 1430;
• Volgograd – 650.

Recently, many signs prohibiting parking and even stopping have been installed in the tourist center of Kislovodsk (the area of the Kolonnada, Mira Avenue, Pervomaisky Proezd, and other main streets), and tow trucks are active. You can park for a short time only at paid parking lots for 50 rubles/hour, but there are very few of them.

For long-term or overnight parking, most hotels, guest houses, and private apartments offer free on-site parking, but not all. You can check this information in the description on any hotel search and booking system. If the accommodation does not provide parking, you can park along the roads in the alleys. We could not find any paid overnight parking lots in the tourist center of Kislovodsk.

How to get from neighboring CMS resorts

Kislovodsk is well connected to other cities in the Caucasian Mineral Waters — Pyatigorsk, Yessentuki, Zheleznovodsk, and Mineralnye Vody. You can get there by electric trains or suburban buses. Electric trains arrive at the train station in the center of Kislovodsk, while buses arrive at the bus station on the outskirts (4 Promyshlennaya Street), which is less convenient.

From Pyatigorsk, Yessentuki, Zheleznovodsk, Mineralnye Vody

🚇 Electric trains

The most convenient and reliable way is electric trains. They run regularly, arriving in the center of Kislovodsk, from where you can walk to your hotel or take a taxi (from 80 USD).

Current electric train schedules can be viewed on Tutu.ru.

🚌 Suburban buses

These buses depart from/arrive at a stop near the Kislovodsk train station, i.e., essentially from the tourist center, which is convenient. Tickets are paid on the bus; no advance sales.

💡 Tip: For trips between CMS resorts, it's better to choose the electric train — it takes you directly to the center. Take buses only if the electric trains aren't running at the right time.