All About Georgian Ski Resorts
Georgian ski resorts are located in four different regions, these are Bakuriani, Gudauri, Goderzi, and Mestia- Tetnuldi and Hatsvali. We will give you some details about each of them so that you can choose which one to visit, while there’s still time.
Bakuriani
Bakuriani is a famous mountain resort, where you can enjoy winter sports. In addition, tourists visit the resort in other seasons due to its healing properties and mountainous nature.
Bakuriani is located 180 km from Tbilisi, about 2 hours drive. You can get to the winter resort by train as well as by municipal transport. In winter, Bakuriani road is sometimes covered with snow, so you will need appropriate tires for your car. The road from Borjomi is 30 km. You will see a beautiful sight while traveling by the so-called "Kukushka" train. The best periods for skiing are January and February.
Ski slopes of Bakuriani are: Kokhta-Gora, Tatra, Didveli, 25s, Mitarbi.
Apart from skiing in Bakuriani, you can do other kinds of entertainment:
- Visit the Highland Botanical Garden, which has the best collection of alpine flora in Europe.
- Fly paragliding over forests and hillsides.
- Take a snowmobile ride on the hills of Bakuriani.
- Land on the mountain with a topogan.
- Enjoy ice skating in the resort's central park.
Visit Jobs Resort with pre-hired equipment as local skis are often not in perfect condition.
Gudauri
Gudauri is a ski resort. Due to its location, it is often visited from the capital for a day trip.
The resort is located about two hours drive from Tbilisi, 120 km. You can get to Gudauri by car, taxi, numerous available tours or by micro bus, which pass through Didube parking lot every day.
There are a total of 20 ski slopes in Gudauri, the total length of which is 57 km. Here anyone can ski as the trails are of all four complexities. There are 11 ski lifts on the main ski slopes.
Some of the activities in Gudauri are:
- Best place for Freeride
- Fly paragliding
- Taking a snowmobile ride
Note that in heavy snow, traffic is restricted on the road, only vehicles with anti-skid chains are allowed. Also, Do not forget the sunscreen, because the radiation here is quite high. Try to visit the resort on weekdays to avoid crowds, both on the ski slopes and in restaurants and cafes.
Mestia
There are two ski trails in Mestia - Hatsvali and Tetnuldi.Tetnuldi ski track is the longest in the Transcaucasia (9.5 km). The resort is located near the town of Mestia, but you will need your own car or rent to get to the resort. The season here is quite long and the quality of the snow is also quite high.
The trails are convenient for both beginners and professionals.
Green - BEGINNER-slope 15%
Blue - INTERMEDIATE- slope 25%
Red-ADVANCED- slope 40%
Black EXPERT- above 40%
Hatsvali ski resort is located 8 km from Mestia. It offers a beautiful view of the region. You can get to the ski slope by ropeway from Mestia.
One of the important factors is the high quality of the snow and the length of the season. There are a total of 5 ski slopes on Hatsvali, and their length is 7 kilometers in total.
There are two ski lifts for beginners: slalom and beagle. Through them it is possible to ski on short tracks for beginners. Intermediate and professional skiers can enjoy the ski lift. As for the extremes, they can test their strength in the dense forest.
Night lights are also installed on the hill and night skiing is often held.
Goderdzi
Goderdzi is located in Mountainous Adjara. You can get to the resort by your own off-road car or taxi. Often the short road from Tbilisi through Akhaltsikhe is closed. In this case you will have to arrive in Batumi and travel from there, which is about three hours.
Why Goderdzi? - There are so few vacationers that maybe the ski slope will only belong to you.
In addition, due to its proximity to the sea, the rainfall here is quite abundant and the snowy season lasts a long time. The snow is fluffy and of high quality.
The total length of the ski slopes is 8 kilometers. The resort currently has two small ropes, as well as a 6-seater bubble rope and an 8-seater gondola rope.