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Gudauri Ski Resort

Kazbegi & Mtskheta · Sports

Getting there
About 120 km (2–2.5 h) north of Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Highway via Ananuri and Pasanauri
Best time
Late December–mid-April
Recommended stay
1–7 days

About Gudauri Ski Resort

Gudauri is Georgia's largest ski resort, on the Georgian Military Highway about 120 km north of Tbilisi, just below the Jvari Pass. The resort village sits at about 2,200 m, and its lifts, including gondolas, run from about 1,990 m to 3,279 m, serving wide open pistes above the tree line and large freeride slopes. The ski season usually runs from late December to mid-April. In summer the same slopes are used for hiking and tandem paragliding, and Gudauri is a common stop on the way to Kazbegi.

Tours Including Gudauri Ski Resort

See all 9 tours

Must-See Attractions

  • Ski area

    About 15 lifts and more than 75 km of groomed pistes, mostly blue and red runs above the tree line, suited to intermediates.

  • Freeride and heli-skiing

    Large off-piste slopes and heli-ski operators; the resort does not control avalanches off-piste.

  • Friendship Monument

    A 1983 mosaic balcony over the Aragvi gorge (the Devil's Valley), about 4 km north of the resort.

  • Tandem paragliding

    Flights from the upper slopes in winter and summer, weather permitting, with the Aragvi valley below.

Nearby

  • Jvari Pass

    The highest point of the Georgian Military Highway (2,379 m), about 10 km north (15 min). Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) and Gergeti Trinity: About 35 km north (40–50 min).

  • Ananuri Fortress

    The 17th-century fortress on the Zhinvali reservoir, about 55 km south (1 h).

Location42.4788° N, 44.4753° EView on map

Good to know

Getting there

About 120 km (2–2.5 h) north of Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Highway via Ananuri and Pasanauri; paved all the way, with winter tyres or chains needed after snowfall.

Best time

Late December–mid-April; June–September

Best time

Snow cover is usually most reliable from January to March for skiing, while June to September is green and snow-free for hiking and paragliding.

Recommended stay

1–7 days

Fees

An adult day lift pass is about 70 GEL (2025/26 price; the new season's price is published in December).

Safety

Pistes are groomed and patrolled, but off-piste slopes are not avalanche-controlled; go off-piste only with avalanche kit and an experienced mountain guide.

Season/Access

After heavy snow the road beyond Gudauri over the Jvari Pass can close, and sometimes the road up from Pasanauri is restricted to cars with chains or winter tyres.

Heads-up

Weather changes fast at 2,000–3,000 m; carry goggles and a warm layer even on sunny days.

History & culture

History

Gudauri was a post station on the Georgian Military Highway in the 19th century. It was developed as a ski resort in the late Soviet period, in the 1980s, and has grown fast since the 2000s with new lifts, a gondola link down to Kobi and many apartment hotels. The Friendship Monument just above the resort was built in 1983 for the 200th anniversary of the Treaty of Georgievsk between Georgia and Russia.

Local Cuisine

Pasanauri, 30 minutes south on the road from Tbilisi, is known across Georgia for its khinkali; resort restaurants also serve khachapuri and mchadi (corn bread) with local cheese.

Accommodation

A wide choice: large resort hotels, ski-in hotels and many apartment hotels in New Gudauri, plus smaller family guesthouses along the highway. Winter holiday weeks (New Year and Orthodox Christmas on 7 January) book up early.