Nothing in this post is sponsored, and I do not receive any commission or anything from the places I have mentioned.
For the past few years, we have been on ski holidays in Turkey, which we have enjoyed very much, but this year we wanted to try something new!
I don’t personally know anyone who has been on skiing holiday in Georgia, and I can’t remember where the idea came from, but it turned out to be an incredibly good and positive experience from start to finish, so we are very happy that we went.
We spent four days skiing/snowboarding at Georgia’s most famous and largest resort, Gudauri, and one day sightseeing in the capital, Tbilisi.
How to get to Gudauri?
You can fly to Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, from several major airports in Europe. We flew with a stop in Istanbul, which worked well. From the airport, it takes about 2.5-3 hours to drive to Gudauri.
I believe the official price from the airport is between 300-400 GEL, which is approximately 800-1000 DKK. You can also go to their bus station and take a bus for about 10 GEL.
We had not booked a transfer in advance and ended up driving with a guy from the airport who was probably an unofficial taxi driver. Even though I live in Turkey and am used to their driving, I must say that riding with him was quite thrilling. He even stopped on the way for a strong beer to steady himself. However, on the way back, we took a proper taxi, and he drove safely and well.
It is also possible to rent a car from the airport, which I think is a good and affordable option. The roads were fine; just make sure the car has winter tires and possibly snow chains.
How were the conditions, and when is the season for skiing holiday in Georgia?
The best snow season is in February and March. We went in late January and were very pleased. We had four days on the slopes, all with bright sun and blue skies. The first few days, the snow was great, but on the last day, the slope conditions weren’t as good. However, we could see from the forecast that it would snow the day after we left.
The area is large, with several gondolas and chairlifts and a total of 75 km of slopes. We never waited more than five minutes in line at any time, which was fantastic, so we could just zoom up and down all day long.
There was a good selection of blue and red slopes, as well as a few black ones. There is also a park with obstacles, and it is possible to go off-piste/freeride. Georgia is also one of the cheapest places in the world to try heli-skiing.
We really enjoyed it and had many great runs on different slopes. After four days, we were physically tired but not tired of the slopes.
What did ski/lift/equipment rental cost?
Depending on how many days you buy a lift pass for, it only costs about 15-20€ per day, which is a great price. I have my own equipment, but my partner rented a snowboard, boots, and helmet for about 20€ per day. There were only a few rental options near the Shino lift where we stayed. There is a larger selection in New Gudauri.
Where to stay?
If you don’t have a car, I highly recommend staying close to one of the lifts. We stayed at SKIO Hotel, which was a really great experience. SKIO is located near the Shino lift, just a very short walk each morning.
The room was large, warm, and comfortable, with a nice bed and a spacious bathroom. They had a fantastic restaurant where we had breakfast every day and dinner on three out of four evenings. They also served the best wine we have ever tried—so delicious. We had walking access to a chairlift. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and spoke good English. We highly recommend the hotel.
There are no other restaurants nearby, but for us, the selection was good, so it wasn’t a problem.
Alternatively, you can stay near a gondola in New Gudauri. There is much more going on there, with several hotels, more restaurants, more rental places, bars, après-ski options, etc. If you enjoy going out and dining in different places, New Gudauri is a great choice.
Food & Restaurants
As mentioned earlier, we ate most days at our hotel, SKIO, and we highly recommend their restaurant. There are also several restaurants in New Gudauri. We dined at Drunken Cherry, which was really delicious. For lunch, you can eat on the slopes or in New Gudauri, where we often went down for a lunch break before continuing.
Georgia has an amazing selection of delicious local food, especially khinkali, which are dumplings, and khachapuri, which is a type of pizza with egg. We also had delicious bean stew and Mexican-style potatoes.
It’s worth mentioning that we are vegetarians, but I imagine the meat dishes are also tasty for those who enjoy them.
Other Activities
Paragliding has become particularly popular in Gudauri, and it is possible to take a flight over the beautiful landscape. In New Gudauri, there is also an ice rink where you can rent skates.
One evening, we went to a Russian sauna, known as “Banya.” It was an amazing experience that we highly recommend. We were in a sauna filled with steam and essential oils. After the first round, you could take a cold rinse or rub snow on your body outside. In the second round, we were gently beaten/massaged with oak leaves—first on the back, then covered in snow while the sauna door was open for fresh air. The second round was on the front of the body.
Afterward, a cold bucket of water was poured over the head, and then we were wrapped in towels and lay down to relax in silence, almost like meditation. It was a truly wonderful feeling for body and mind, perfect after a long day on the slopes. We highly recommend Tsar Bani, which gave us a fantastic experience. It was just a ten-minute walk from our hotel, SKIO.
One Day in Tbilisi
We ended our trip with a day as tourists in Tbilisi. We were lucky to have a lovely warm day with blue skies, and our experience in the city was a wonderful surprise. We explored the old town, where we saw the “Clock Tower” and other charming buildings and statues. We continued to the sulfur baths, which are hot water springs where you can bathe. Then we took a long walk through the botanical garden, all the way up to the top of the city to see “Mother of Georgia,” where we had a beautiful view over the entire city.
Everyone was super friendly and welcoming, and while there weren’t huge crowds, there also weren’t too many tourists. We had breakfast at a local café and enjoyed delicious pastries and great coffee. We highly recommend a day in Tbilisi.
On the way back from Gudauri to Tbilisi, we stopped to see the beautiful Ananuri Fortress Complex, a stunning castle by the water where we took a short walk.
We absolutely loved Georgia and would love to go again! Are you looking for adventure? Travel with us on a kitesurfing or yoga trip!
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