Borjomi is a spa town in a forested gorge about 160 km west of Tbilisi (2.5–3 hours by road), famous across the former Soviet Union for its salty, naturally fizzy mineral water. Most visitors spend an hour or two: they taste the water at the spring in Central Park, walk up to the open-air sulphur pools or ride the cable car, and drive on to Vardzia or Bakuriani. With a night here you can also hike in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, which covers more than 1% of Georgia.
Central Park and the mineral spring
Borjomi Central Park runs up the narrow valley of the Borjomula stream from the town centre. It was laid out in the mid-19th century, when Borjomi became a resort for the Russian imperial elite. There is a small entrance fee.
Just inside the park, a pavilion houses the Ekaterina spring, where the water comes out warm and you can fill a bottle for free. The water rises from several kilometres underground, pushed up by natural carbon dioxide. Be warned: it tastes strongly of minerals and salt, nothing like still bottled water. Try a mouthful before you fill a litre. Bottling began in the 1890s, and the water is still exported widely.
The sulphur pools
Keep walking up the valley past the park's cafés and fairground rides, and after about 2–2.5 km through the forest you reach the sulphur pools: a few stone-lined open-air pools of warm spring water beside the stream. It is a pleasant, mostly flat walk of 30–40 minutes each way. The pools are popular with local families in summer and at weekends; bring a towel and swimwear. In winter, soaking in warm water with snow around you is a treat, but the path can be icy.
The cable car
A cable car near the park entrance climbs to a plateau above town with a view down the valley. It is a short ride and a good option if you want a view without the walk. Check that it is running on the day of your visit, as it stops for maintenance from time to time.
The Romanov palace at Likani
A few kilometres west of the town centre, in the village of Likani, stands the palace that Grand Duke Nicholas Romanov built at the end of the 19th century. It is often advertised as a sight, but it sits inside a guarded resort compound and is not open to the public. You can see it from outside, and it looks fine from the road and the riverbank, but don't plan your day around going in.
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park
Founded in 1995 as the first national park of independent Georgia, Borjomi-Kharagauli covers more than 1% of the country, mostly spruce, fir and beech forest with alpine meadows higher up. There is no entry fee; you register at the visitor centre in Borjomi, which has trail maps.
- Day walks: several marked trails start near Likani and Atskuri, from a couple of hours in the forest to a full day up to the meadows.
- The Nikoloz Romanov trail: 43 km over about 3 days from Likani to Marelisi, with two shelters on the way, on foot or on horseback.
- Season: the high trails are for May to October; in winter the park rents snowshoes.
Bakuriani, 30 km up the road
Bakuriani is a ski resort about 30 km from Borjomi, on a winding road that climbs to about 1,700 m. It is Georgia's family and beginner resort: the Kokhta area suits first-timers, and Didveli has longer runs. The season usually runs from late December to late March, depending on snow. In summer it is a cool base for walks.
You may read about the Kukushka, the little narrow-gauge train from Borjomi to Bakuriani. It has not run since 2020, and no restart date has been confirmed, so you go up by road.
How long to stay
- A stop of 1–2 hours: the spring, a walk in the park, perhaps the cable car. This is what most day trips to Vardzia include.
- Half a day: add the walk to the sulphur pools and a look at the Likani palace from outside.
- One night or more: a day walk in the national park, or Borjomi as a base for Vardzia and Rabati Castle in Akhaltsikhe.
Borjomi works in every season. Autumn colours in the forest peak around October; summer is busy with Georgian holidaymakers escaping the heat of Tbilisi.
Borjomi and Vardzia together
Borjomi lies on the road from Tbilisi to Akhaltsikhe and the Vardzia cave monastery, so most people combine them. Keep in mind that part of Vardzia has been closed since the rockfall of 27 May 2026; read what is open at Vardzia in 2026 before you go. If you are choosing between rock-cut sites, see Uplistsikhe or Vardzia.
Seeing Borjomi with us
Our Vardzia and Borjomi private day trip stops at Central Park and the spring on the way to Rabati Castle and Vardzia; it is a long day of 13–14 hours. The 2-day Vardzia, Rabati and Borjomi private trip gives you more time in the park and a night near Vardzia. In winter, the Bakuriani family ski break includes a stop in Borjomi on the way up. All our tours are private: your own car and English-speaking driver-guide. See each tour page for the current price, or build your own route with a night in Borjomi. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Georgia National Tourism Administration: Borjomi
- Agency of Protected Areas: Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park
- Wikipedia: Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park
- Eurasia Travel: the Romanov palace at Likani
- Wikipedia: Borjomi–Bakuriani railway
- Backpack Adventures: Kukushka train status
- Friendly.ge: Bakuriani ski resort guide
Last checked: September 2026.
