Why Gudauri is the Best Place to Spend the Georgia Ski Season
Situated just about 2 hours away from the capital of Georgia, Gudauri ski resort is the best place to spend the Georgia ski season. Gudauri is the closest Georgia ski resort to Tbilisi and is very easy to get to. Gudauri is growing in popularity as a ski destination in Georgia, Europe, and the Middle East. Snow skiing in Georgia is often significantly less expensive than in Western Europe, even with airplane tickets! Gudauri’s affordable prices and stunning mountain landscape make it the perfect place for ski touring in Georgia.
New Gudauri ski resort modern hotel buildings and restaurant huts.
WHERE IS GUDAURI?
Gudauri is approximately 120 km from central Tbilisi. It is to the North of the city toward the border with Russia. Depending on where in Tbilisi you are coming from and the time of day, it should be about a 2-hour drive. It is about a 40-minute drive south of Stepantsminda (Kazbegi), another popular tourist destination in Georgia.
For a totally different experience in Georgia, check out what to do in Batumi!
GUDAURI SKI PRICES
The Gudauri Ski Pass price can be found HERE. In U.S. dollars the price for a day pass is $17.50 for an adult, $8.80 for children under 10. Children under 6 are free to go up the lifts. I expect the prices to rise every year as Gudauri is becoming more and more popular. Souvenir and restaurant prices seem to keep climbing each year, but overall skiing here is much more affordable than skiing in western Europe or the US.
GUDAURI SKI INSTRUCTORS
Ski Instructors can be found at the mountain when you arrive via the Ski School or just by finding one at the base near the gondola. You can also find a list of instructors here.
Ski instruction is affordable and ranges in price. The instructors we used were employed by the Ski School and we paid them $25 per hour. We paid in US dollars, they also accept local currency (GEL).
We started out by putting our kids in 2-hour lessons at a time. We met the instructors at the gondola at 10:00, they took them up, skied, and met us at the bottom at 12 for lunch. Then we would decide whether to send them back at 2:00 for an afternoon lesson.
Paraglider flying over the ski lifts and mountains.
MORE THINGS TO DO IN GUDAURI
If you’re not up for snow skiing in Georgia, or have a little one to look after-there are other things to do in Gudauri! The very adventurous can go on a paragliding flight. You will find several pilots waiting near the gondola ready to take people up.
There are playgrounds at the top of the gondola and the bottom. You could take your little one(s) up on the gondola to check out the view and play at the playground until they tire out. There is also a playground at the bottom of the gondola in New Gudauri.
You can rent sleds from any of the ski shops in New Gudauri as well. Instead of skiing, you can sled! There are some good sledding areas to the right of the gondola and near the New Gudauri Annex building.
Ski Rental shop in Gudauri with sleds out front for renting.
Maybe relaxing is more your style! There are a few spas in the area. You can book a treatment or enjoy some time in the sauna.
If you drive a little bit past Gudauri on the main road toward Stepansminda, you will reach the Soviet-Georgian Friendship monument. It’s a mosaic semi-circle that sits on the edge of a cliff with stunning mountain views.
You can also continue driving North past the monument to Stepansminda and take in the views of Mt. Kazbek (Kazbegi). Gregeti Trinity Church is here and is a famous spot. It’s perched up on a hill near Kazbegi and the views are truly spectacular. If you visit Stepansminda, make a stop at Rooms Hotel to enjoy a meal and the mountain views.
Read about another of our favorite winter destinations here!
New Gudauri hotel complex and ski shops adorned with colorful light strings.
GUDAURI WITH A BABY
If you have a stroller, plan to carry it/bump it up and down some restaurant steps. Some places have ramps, but I found that the ramps are not cleared from the snow which makes them impossible to use.
Some restaurants have baby chairs, some don’t. The only restaurant bathroom I remember having any kind of space to change a baby’s diaper was Platforma. I chose to change my baby in his stroller in the absence of a decent changing area in the bathroom.
Make sure to check with your accommodation host if they can provide a baby crib/cot. Some can and some can’t, so you’ll want to know if you need to bring something for them to sleep in.
I would urge you to buy baby food, formula, and diapers in Tbilisi before you come up to the mountain because the market is limited on selection. There is another larger supermarket at the base, but I’m not sure how well-stocked on baby supplies they are.
Need more tips on flying with a baby?
WHERE TO STAY IN GUDAURI
The best place to stay in Gudauri is in the New Gudauri complex. Gudauri is divided into a few areas. There are hotels scattered throughout the hillside and a few hotels that are “ski-in/ski-out” but I would recommend trying to get a room located in the New Gudauri complex.
New Gudauri refers to the buildings immediately at the base of the gondola. When you stay here it is easy to walk (or ski) to the gondola, restaurants, market, and your room. When you stay elsewhere you either have to worry about driving up and parking each morning, or taking a ski bus. Additionally, even if you are in a ski-in/ski-out hotel, you will have to ride an open chair lift to get up to the gondola to take you further up the mountain. My kids hate the open chair lifts because they are cold. Also for myself, who stays behind with a baby, it’s nice to be right at the base so I can meet my kids for lunch, walk around, and not be stuck at the hotel.
The accommodation details can be unclear when you book via booking.com. It may seem as if you are booking a hotel, but most of the properties at New Gudauri are privately owned condo-hotel rooms. Sometimes there is no front desk person to check you in, and each of them has different policies.
Make sure you have contacted your specific owner prior to your arrival so you know exactly what building your room is in, where to meet them to get the key, and if you need to bring cash for a deposit.
You will find better prices if you are willing to stay further away from the gondola and New Gudauri. If you have older kids, this is more manageable. With young kids or first-time skiers, I would stay at New Gudauri. If you see a room labeled as “New Gudauri Annex” it is in a building very close to the gondola, it's just up the hill slightly from the main lodging area. Still a good location and has a pool in the building.
I loved booking an apartment-style room and having a separate sleeping space and hang-out space so we could put the kids to bed and stay up chatting with friends. Having a washing machine, a small kitchen, and access to the ski depot (lockers to put all your ski gear in) are other nice amenities to look for.
Drunk Cherry restaurant outdoor patio seating at sunset.
WHERE TO EAT IN GUDAURI
I have to start by saying, Gudauri has left us with some mixed feelings in terms of restaurants. Since the area is still developing and being built up, it feels like many places are still working out the kinks. There are some restaurants we have tried that have a really cool interior and a lot of potential, but the service was very inconsistent.
The restaurants that have been the best/most consistent with service are Gamarjoba (amazing Shmekruli), Platforma, Restaurant Glintwine, and Restaurant Vartsla.
There is also GUD market, a small supermarket where you can buy a lot of the basics and things for easy meals if you want to cook in your room. If you plan to cook much of your own food, I would advise you to purchase your groceries in Tbilisi before coming to the mountain as the selection is lower and the prices are higher at Gudauri
New Gudauri hotel complex and Gamarjoba restaurant.
HOW TO GET TO TO GUDAURI
Driving in Georgia can be a bit chaotic. You will have to decide if you feel comfortable renting a car and self-driving or if hiring a driver is a better option for you. The roads between Tbilisi and Gudauri are mostly in good conditions, much of the time the drive is on a 2-lane road with just one lane in each direction.
Some of the things to watch out for when driving are: people not observing lane lines, merging without signals, and a lot of high speed passing on the 2-lane sections. Driving at night on these roads is not advisable. The roads are not well lit, there can be livestock and/or dogs, and people will continue to pass at night. We would strongly urge you to do your driving during the daylight hours.
Food huts and souvenir huts with red outdoor umbrellas at snow-covered Gudauri.
PARKING IN GUDAURI
Parking in Gudauri can be scarce. Parking near the gondola and New Gudauri is extremely limited. There are some new garages being constructed (in various states of completion) but the parking situation, on the whole, is a little bit of a mess. If you do not arrive to New Gudauri prior to 10:00 A.M. it will be a challenge to find a parking space. People will start to leave the area around 5:00 P.M. when the lifts close, so that is another good time to try to find parking.
New Gudauri hotel and restaurant complex.
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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE VISITING GUDAURI
As I stated before, New Gudauri is still under construction, being built up, and is working out the kinks. There is a lot of potential here but in my opinion, it is not quite up to top-notch ski resort standards.
Bathrooms are not everywhere. If you want an actual toilet you will need to go into one of the restaurants at New Gudauri or in your hotel room. Once you go up the gondola, the only bathrooms are more like outhouses, and just a hole in the ground. Toilet paper is also scarce up there. If your children (or you) are averse to this type of bathroom make sure they go at the bottom BEFORE they go up the lifts!
The walking areas between parking, restaurants, shops, and markets are not well cleared from snow. You will be walking over a lot of snow and ice. It is very slippery and easy to fall. If you plan to walk around a lot, bring Yak Tracks. They helped so much when I wore them.
Expect inconveniences. One time I was there and one of the buildings had no water, meaning no working bathrooms. Another time we were there, several buildings lost power for several hours. The restaurants in those buildings couldn’t cook.
SNOW GEAR FOR KIDS
When visiting the mountains with kids, it’s important to have a few key items to keep them warm, dry, and comfortable. Make sure everyone has a set of base layers, wool socks, snow pants, snow coat, snow boots, gloves, and goggles.
To wrap up, Georgia is a great destination for skiers and winter sports lovers. Gudauri’s location close to Tbilisi makes it the ideal spot for the Georgia ski season. While it is developing more each year, just keep your expectations realistic. There may be some slight inconveniences in comparison to more established European ski resorts, but for the price and the gorgeous scenery-it is certainly worth it!
Have you skied in Georgia? Tell me about it in the comments!
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Make sure to always check your destination’s current COVID restrictions. COVID rules are changing constantly and it’s important to check the latest regulations.
