Wide open slopes above the treeline, a top station at almost 3,300 metres and a drive from Tbilisi along one of the most dramatic roads in the Caucasus. Gudauri is Georgia’s biggest ski resort, and this is what you need to know before you go.
I skied Gudauri in late January and early February, on a hosted creator trip with Traverse and Georgia Tourism, with ski passes provided by MTA (Mountain Trails Agency). I’m not a total beginner, but I hadn’t skied since Trentino and my “skiing” there was shocking at best, so I asked to tag onto the beginner lessons for a refresher or two. Over four days on the mountain I had brilliant blue skies, a full-on snowstorm and views across the Caucasus that I’m still thinking about. Here’s everything you need to know about skiing in Gudauri: the slopes, the lift passes, lessons and hire, where to stay, après and how to get there.
Gudauri at a glance
- Where: in the Greater Caucasus, about 120km north of Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Road.
- Altitude: the village sits at around 2,200 metres, and the top lift reaches 3,279 metres, for a vertical drop of almost 1,300 metres.
- Lifts: 17, including four gondolas, nine chairlifts and four button lifts, plus moving carpets for beginners.
- Season: the 2026/27 season opens on 20 December 2026. The lifts usually run into April (last season they closed on 19 April).
- Lift hours: 10am to 5pm in winter.
- Best for: intermediates and confident beginners on the groomed runs, and freeriders on the huge open bowls between them.
Why ski in Gudauri?
The first thing that strikes you is the space. Gudauri sits entirely above the treeline, so instead of narrow runs cut through forest you get vast, rolling snowfields with the peaks of the Caucasus all around. On a clear day the light is extraordinary.
It’s also good value. Lift passes, lessons and hire cost a fraction of what you’d pay in the Alps, and it’s an easy add-on to a few days in Tbilisi, one of the best food and wine cities I’ve visited. British Airways flies direct from Heathrow to Tbilisi, which is how I got there, and from Tbilisi it’s a couple of hours’ drive to the slopes.
And it’s the kind of place where the whole day is an experience: the drive up through the mountains, a sunny lunch on a terrace, mulled wine at après as the light fades, and a Georgian feast in the evening.
The slopes: what to expect at every level
Gudauri’s runs spread across broad, open slopes, with long, wide pistes that suit cruising.
- Beginners: there are moving carpets and nursery slopes at the bottom of the resort, but there isn’t a lot in the way of green runs. If you’re a beginner, that makes it hard to get your hand in before you tackle one of the longer slopes, so book a few lessons and take the blues slowly at first.
- Intermediates: this is where Gudauri shines. Long blues and reds run down from the upper lifts, and on a quiet weekday you can have whole runs to yourself.
- Advanced and freeride: the real draw for strong skiers is the off-piste. Open bowls, couloirs under the ridge and the slopes on the Kobi side are all within reach of the lifts, but avalanches happen most seasons, so go with a guide and the right kit.
Top Tip
There are reasonable stretches of the runs that aren’t served by lifts, so if you get into trouble partway down, you have no option but to ski or slide to the bottom. Know where the next lift is before you set off, especially if you’re still finding your feet.
Top Tip
The weather can turn quickly up here. I had brilliant blue skies one day and a full-on snowstorm another. On whiteout days, stick to the marked pistes and the lower runs, where it’s easier to see.
Gudauri lift pass prices 2026/27
Lift passes are loaded onto a Multicard, which costs a 5 GEL deposit and can be topped up for the rest of your trip. You buy them at the ticket offices at the bottom of the lifts. These are the 2026/27 prices for foreign visitors.
- 1 day: 120 GEL
- 2 days: 215 GEL
- 3 days: 305 GEL
- 4 days: 390 GEL
- 5 days: 470 GEL
- 6 days: 545 GEL
- Night skiing: 80 GEL
- Kobi View (two rides on the Kobi cable car, for non-skiers): 90 GEL
- MultiSki 7 days (valid at all four Georgian resorts): 630 GEL
Children under six ski free, and Georgian residents pay less (90 GEL for a day pass).
Tickets
These are the 2026/27 season prices for foreign visitors. A season pass is 1,000 GEL, and a 10-day MultiSki pass is 865 GEL.
Ski lessons and equipment hire in Gudauri
There are plenty of ski schools in Gudauri, and the instructors I came across spoke good English. A two-hour private lesson costs around 220 GEL. If you’re rusty like I was, a couple of lessons at the start of the week makes the rest of it far more fun.
Hire shops are clustered around the gondola base in New Gudauri and next to the bigger hotels. Expect to pay around 60 to 120 GEL a day for skis or a snowboard with boots, depending on how new the kit is. I picked up skis, boots and a helmet from a local rental shop on the day I arrived.
Top Tip
Bring your own goggles. Hire shops don’t always include them, and in flat light you’ll want a good lens you know you can see through.
Do
If you’d rather have everything arranged before you land, ski lessons, transfers and activities in Gudauri can be booked in advance.
When to ski in Gudauri
- Late December to January: the season opens and the snow builds. The New Year and Orthodox Christmas (7 January) holidays are busy with Georgian and visiting skiers.
- February: reliably cold with good snow. I skied in late January and early February and had both perfect bluebird days and heavy snowfall.
- March to April: longer, sunnier days and softer spring snow, until the season closes in April.
How to get to Gudauri from Tbilisi
Gudauri is about 120km from Tbilisi, a drive of around two to two and a half hours on the Georgian Military Road, climbing past the Zhinvali reservoir and the Ananuri fortress.
- By private transfer: the easiest option, at around 200 GEL per car from Tbilisi. This is how I travelled, and the views on the way up are worth keeping your eyes open for.
- By marshrutka: shared minibuses leave from Didube bus station for about 15 GEL, taking around two and a half hours, with fewer departures in winter.
- By hire car: you’ll need winter tyres, and carry chains for the mountain road.
Top Tip
The stretch of road beyond Gudauri over the Jvari Pass closes whenever the avalanche risk is high, and in heavy snow the road up can be slow. Check georoad.ge for closures before you travel.
Where to stay in Gudauri
The resort splits into two areas:
- Old Gudauri: lower down, with the original hotels, including some large full-service ones with spas and pools. It’s quieter and good for families.
- New Gudauri: higher up, around the main gondola base, with apartment blocks, most of the hire shops and the liveliest bars.
I stayed at the Hotel Marco Polo in Old Gudauri, a big ski-in, ski-out hotel with a pool, a spa and a bowling alley, which made it an easy base. Read my full Hotel Marco Polo Gudauri review, or have a look at the Hotel Marco Polo or browse hotels in Gudauri.
Après-ski and eating in Gudauri
Gudauri has the liveliest après in Georgia, most of it around New Gudauri.
- Drunk Cherry: the après bar everyone heads to at the end of the day, and where I warmed up with a mulled wine as the light faded.
- Mix Bar: a bar right on the slopes that makes an easy meeting point.
- Black Dog Bar: another favourite in New Gudauri for a drink after skiing.
Over on the far side of the mountain, the Kobi valley has some of the most dramatic views in the resort, and it’s worth riding the cable car over at least once.
Georgian food is half the reason to come. Expect khachapuri (cheese bread), pkhali (vegetable and walnut pâtés), lobio (bean stew) and plenty of Georgian wine.
More things to do in Gudauri
- Ride the Kobi cable car: a series of gondolas links Gudauri with the Kobi valley on the Kazbegi side, and non-skiers can ride it with a Kobi View ticket.
- Night skiing: on Friday and Saturday evenings, the Pirveli slope is floodlit from 8pm to 10pm.
- Paragliding: tandem flights launch from the ridge above the resort when the weather allows. Tandem flights cost from around $180.
- Spa time: most of the bigger hotels have pools, saunas and massages, which is exactly what your legs want after a day on the slopes.
Tips for skiing in Gudauri, Georgia
- Bring lari in cash: the ticket offices take cards, but smaller cafés and hire shops often prefer cash.
- Protect your skin: you’re skiing at high altitude above the treeline, so the sun is strong even when it’s cold. Pack a high-factor sun cream and lip balm.
- Check your insurance: make sure it covers winter sports, and off-piste skiing if you plan to leave the groomed runs.
- Book transfers in advance: especially around the New Year holidays.
- Allow time for the road: build in a buffer for your journey back to Tbilisi if you have a flight to catch.
Read Next
Map
Read next
- Things to do in Tbilisi
- The best places to visit in winter
- Trentino in winter
- The best holiday destinations in February
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