Georgia has numerous outstanding features, including its diverse landscape and climate. As the number of tourists grew significantly over the last few years, the country’s ski resorts began attracting a lot of attention. Georgia’s ski resorts are located in four different regions across the country.
All resorts differ from each other and have both positive and negative features. We will try to facilitate your decision-making process when it comes to choosing where to ski in Georgia.
Gudauri
Gudauri is located at an altitude of 2200 m above sea level, and is one of the best-known ski resorts in Georgia. Due to its favourable location, it offers good ski trails and outstanding snow quality.
One of the main advantages of this resort is its proximity to Tbilisi. If you have a busy lifestyle and a shortage of free time, then this is definitely the most attractive winter resort for spending a pleasant weekend.
You can find numerous ski trails and cableways in Gudauri, but the steep-sloped resort is primarily designed for professional skiers and lovers of virgin snow. There are currently 14 cableways operating in Gudauri, most of them designed by renowned Austrian firms. The highest cableway is operating at an altitude of 3276 m above sea level.
There are many hotels in Gudauri, though most of them cater for the high-paying category of guests. For example, if you wish to spend a week in Gudauri in late December, hotel prices will start from 800 GEL per person and go up to 2000 GEL or more. If you are looking for a cheaper option, then you can stay at a family-type apartment, with prices starting from around 300 GEL per person per week, and going up to 1000 GEL. The prices largely depend on the location and the number of guests.
There are also numerous restaurants and food outlets located right next to the ski trails in Gudauri. While this creates comfort for the skiers, the number of people staying at the resort increases substantially during high season.
Tetnuldi
If, on the other hand, you are a rookie skier, then the Tetnuldi resort with its numerous easy trails is tailor-made for you. Furthermore, the quality of snow is quite high and the season lasts long. Most importantly, the Tetnuldi ski trail is one of the lengthiest in South Caucasus. There are currently four cableways operating at the resort, with two of them being open-type and the other two being closed-type cableways. New cableways are to be installed at the resort in stages.
Tetnuldi is situated at an altitude between 2260 m and 3160 m above sea level.
Tetnuldi currently has only one hotel, which costs 1200 GEL per person per week in December. However, the resort is close to Mestia, where most tourists prefer to stay, as they have a wider choice of accommodation available to them. Staying at a family-type home in Mestia is substantially cheaper, with prices starting at around 180 GEL per person per week.
Visitors can rent skiing equipment and have access to free parking.
The main disadvantage of Tetnuldi is that you can only reach it in a private or hired car. Nevertheless, if skiing is an important part of winter holidays for you, then Tetnuldi with its sophisticated infrastructure and exceptionally beautiful nature will guarantee you an enjoyable stay.
Hatsvali
Situated close to Tetnuldi is the smaller ski resort of Hatsvali. Its altitude ranges between 1868 m and 2348 m above sea level.
One of Hatsvali’s main attractions is the opportunity to enjoy stunning views of Svaneti. Furthermore, it offers visitors an excellent chance to ski in virgin snow. You can find diverse surfaces here, including forests, natural obstacles and jumps. Hatsvali has 5 ski trails with the total length of 7 km. The trail is designed for all categories of skiers – novices as well as more experienced and professional skiers. There are also facilities for the lovers of extreme sports. You can sometimes enjoy night time skiing, making the holiday more diverse.
Hotel Hatsvali and several food outlets operate at the resort. Staying at the hotel for a week costs 720 GEL per person. Café Zuruldi offers the aforementioned spectacular views of Svaneti. It is also possible to hire skiing equipment at the resort.
Ultimately, if you love quality snow and a lengthy skiing season, Svaneti will offer you a different and highly enjoyable wintertime experience.
Bakuriani-Mitarbi
Bakuriani is situated at an altitude of 1700 m above sea level and stands out from other resorts through its diverse ski trails. This is normally an ideal resort for a family holiday, based on its well-developed infrastructure and a wide range of recreational activities. Therefore, even if you do not ski but enjoy snow, there will be plenty for you to do there. Amusement parks, ice rink, sleighs, snow scooters and horse riding – these are only some of the activities on offer.
The negative aspects of Bakuriani are overcrowding and the low quality of snow. The ski trails (especially Didveli) are always crowded, which can make the skiing experience tiresome, rather than enjoyable.
Bakuriani is relatively cheap and offers visitors both hotels and family-type accommodation close to the trails. Hotel prices range between 500 GEL and 2000 GEL per person per week. The choice is big, allowing you to tailor your accommodation to your budget and preferences.If you decide on a family holiday, then you can already start planning for Bakuriani.
Goderdzi
The ski resort of Goderdzi is situated at an altitude of 2027 m above sea level. Crowds at this resort are smaller, and you can sometimes find yourself all alone on the ski trail. If you do not like crowded places, queues and busy ski trails, then you can find plenty of peace and enjoyment at this resort.
However, the small crowds are partly due to the fact that the infrastructure is still in the process of being developed. The resort has one hotel that can only accommodate up to 35 people, as well as several cottages for up to 70 people in total. The cottages cost approximately 400 GEL per person per week. There are several food outlets and the possibility to hire skiing equipment, though there is not much variety of choice.
The quality of snow is quite high, though if you are looking for challenging trails, you will probably struggle to find them in Goderdzi. On the other hand, you can enjoy medium-difficulty trails, as well as calm and quiet surroundings, making your holiday enjoyable and memorable.
There are currently two small cableways operating at the resort, while the combined length of the ski trails is 8 km. The peak altitude is 2364 m above sea level.
As you can see, the variety of available options means that decions are not easy to make. We are certain that by taking our advice into account, you will have an enjoyable holiday.
Have a nice winter break!
Author: Lizzy Qveladze
