The short answer: choose Gudauri if you are a confident skier who wants altitude, long open runs and freeride, and can live with the odd road closure or windy day. Choose Bakuriani if you are skiing with children or learning, want a village with forests and more to do off the slopes, and prefer a road that rarely closes. Both resorts suit beginners to intermediates, and neither is a big Alpine resort, which is part of their appeal.
At a glance
- Altitude: Gudauri's base is about 2,200 m and its top lift reaches 3,279 m. Bakuriani sits at about 1,700 m, with lifts from about 1,640 m to 2,700 m [1][2][3].
- Pistes: Gudauri markets about 80 km of runs; independent measurements put the pistes at about 35 km. Bakuriani has about 29 km across three separate areas, Didveli, Kokhta and Mitarbi, which are not linked by lift [1][2][4].
- From Tbilisi: Gudauri is about 120 km and 2–2.5 hours; Bakuriani about 180 km and 2.5–3 hours, the last 30 km climbing up from Borjomi [1][3].
- Season (2025/26): Gudauri 27 December to 19 April; Bakuriani 20 December (Kokhta) to 29 March [1][3].
- Lift pass (2025/26, adults): about 70 GEL a day at Gudauri, 55 GEL at Bakuriani. New prices are published in December.
Gudauri: altitude, open slopes and freeride
Gudauri is a purpose-built resort on the Georgian Military Highway, entirely above the tree line, with wide runs and big views of the Caucasus [2]. It has gondolas and chairlifts, and the gentle Pirveli area is the usual place for beginners [1]. Its height gives it the longest season in Georgia and reliable snow into April.
Freeride: Gudauri is known for accessible off-piste terrain next to the marked runs, and heli-skiing is offered [1]. But the off-piste has no avalanche control: it is not patrolled, and there is no avalanche service outside the pistes. Ride it only with a qualified mountain guide and a transceiver, probe and shovel, and make sure your insurance covers off-piste.
Weather: above the trees there is no shelter. In strong wind or poor visibility the upper lifts can stop and flat light makes the runs hard to read, so a Gudauri week usually includes a day or two of limited skiing. The sun at this altitude is strong; bring sunscreen and sunglasses.
The road: Gudauri is on the Tbilisi side of the Jvari Pass (2,379 m), so closures of the pass itself don't cut it off, but the Mleta–Gudauri section below can close for hours in heavy snow or during avalanche warnings. Leave at least 6 hours between leaving Gudauri and your flight. How winter closures work.
Off the slopes: there is less to do: paragliding in calm weather, and Kazbegi on a day when the pass is open.
Bakuriani: forests, families and beginners
Bakuriani is a mountain village in a bowl of pine forest above Borjomi, with a more local feel, and cheaper lift passes and accommodation than Gudauri [2]. The runs are shorter and gentler, there are ski schools and a dedicated area for small children, and Didveli has night skiing on lit slopes, usually until about 21:30 [3]. The trees give some shelter on windy or snowy days.
Off the slopes there is more to do than at Gudauri: sledging, skating, snowshoe walks and the forest itself [2]. Borjomi is 30 minutes down the road, with its mineral-water park and the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park. In 2025/26 children aged 6–12 paid about half the adult lift price and under-6s skied free. Note that the old Kukushka narrow-gauge train from Borjomi has not run since 2020, so you arrive by road.
The trade-offs: lower altitude means a shorter season and softer snow in March, the three areas are a short taxi ride apart, and it is busiest from Christmas to mid-January [3].
Getting there, and combining with sightseeing
The two resorts are in opposite directions from Tbilisi, so few people ski both on one short trip. Gudauri is north on the Military Highway, past Ananuri fortress; on a clear day with the Jvari Pass open, Stepantsminda and Gergeti Trinity Church are within reach beyond it. Bakuriani is west, off the main highway at Khashuri and up the Borjomi gorge, and the drive passes close to Mtskheta and Gori, so Uplistsikhe fits on the way up or back. On both roads, our vehicles carry winter tyres and chains, and snowfall can add time.
Which one for you?
- Families with young children: Bakuriani.
- First-time skiers: either; Bakuriani is gentler and cheaper, Gudauri has more snow late in the season.
- Confident intermediates: Gudauri, for the length and variety of runs.
- Freeriders: Gudauri, with a guide and full avalanche kit.
- Skiing in late March or April: Gudauri.
- Combining skiing with sightseeing: Bakuriani with Borjomi, or Gudauri with Kazbegi if the pass is open.
For everything else Georgia offers in the cold months, read Georgia in winter, and for the spa town below Bakuriani, our Borjomi guide.
Skiing with us
We don't run the ski schools or the lifts; we handle the driving, the hotel and the bookings, so the weather and the road are our problem, not yours. The Gudauri Ski Week, 7 days with private transfers and hotel includes airport transfers, six nights near the lifts with dinners, and an optional Kazbegi day. The Bakuriani Family Ski Break and Borjomi, 4 days stops in Borjomi on the way up and books the ski school for you. If you want only a taste of snow, the Georgia in Winter, 6-day private tour combines Tbilisi, Kakheti and Gudauri. See each tour page for the current price, or build your own trip and we send you a plan and a price. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Friendly.ge, "Gudauri ski resort guide 2025/26": friendly.ge
- Wander-Lush, "Skiing in Georgia: ski resorts compared" (updated July 2026): wander-lush.org
- Friendly.ge, "Bakuriani ski resort guide": friendly.ge
- Skiresort.info, Bakuriani and Gudauri: skiresort.info
- Gudauri.info, ski pass prices winter 2026: gudauri.info
Last checked: September 2026. Season dates and lift prices for 2026/27 are announced in December.
