Sandanski lies on the main E79 road (and parallel A3 motorway) between Sofia and the Greek border at Kulata — 155 kilometres south of Sofia and 15 kilometres north of the border. By car from Sofia, the journey takes about 2–2.5 hours depending on traffic and which route you take.
By bus, several services a day run from Sofia's Central Bus Station to Sandanski, taking around 2.5–3 hours. The bus station in Sandanski is a short walk from the town centre. There are also buses from Blagoevgrad (40 minutes) and Petrich.
There is no direct train service to Sandanski — the railway through this valley is a branch line that terminates at Kulata and does not serve the town centre. Bus is the standard way to arrive from outside the region.