Gudauri, GeorgiaYour Complete Ski + Travel Guide

Gudauri is Georgia's premier alpine destination, and one of the few purpose-built ski resorts in the Caucasus. The lowest lift base sits at 1,989 meters above sea level, and the highest lift tops out at 3,270 meters, giving you more than 1,200 m of vertical. The entire resort sits above the tree line, so you ski wide-open bowls and groomed pitches with views across the Greater Caucasus in every direction.

The lift system has 19 lifts in total: 4 gondolas (8-person cabins on the Goodaura, Firni, Kobi, and Truso lines), 9 chairlifts (7 six-seat and 2 three-seat chairs, with five of the six-seaters fitted with weather bubbles), and a mix of surface lifts including 2 magic carpets and 4 J-bars. The four gondolas run in a single line, carrying you up, over, and down the whole resort: Goodaura climbs from New Gudauri to the top of the front side, Firni continues higher to Kobi Pass, the Kobi gondola drops onto the back side to serve the Kobi runs, and Truso runs all the way down to the road at Kobi Village. The chairs serve the wide mid-mountain bowls, and the beginner zone lifts at the base are where first-timers start.

The groomed trail network covers over 80 km, ranging from gentle green runs to long blue cruisers, red pitches with real steepness, and a handful of black runs on the Sadzele area. Snow cannons run along the Gudauri 1 run all the way down to the Pirveli run for when nature needs a hand. Beyond the pistes, the off-piste terrain on Mt. Chirdili, Mt. Kudebi, Mt. Sadzele, and Mt. Bidara is the reason many advanced skiers keep coming back.

South-facing slopes mean Gudauri gets more sun than many Alpine resorts at the same altitude. That brings great visibility on blue-sky days and a spring-snow quality in March that skiers love. It also means sunscreen is genuinely useful from February onwards. The flip side: flat-light days in storms need a guide or a careful eye on the map.

Gudauri has character in a way polished Alpine resorts often do not. Signage is patchy, and the layout takes a day or two to read. Because there are no trees, the runs are wide open and they cross over each other, which can be disorienting at first. You can start at the top-left of the mountain and find yourself at the bottom-right without quite knowing how you got there. The main gondola and the Soliko chairlift literally cross each other midway up. It is quirky and characterful and part of what makes it feel like a real adventure rather than a package holiday. Our advice: take the trail map seriously on your first couple of days, and enjoy the process of figuring the mountain out. By day three, it clicks.

The season runs from roughly December 20 to April 15, give or take a few days either side. The snow builds steadily through December, the best conditions sit in the window from mid-January to early March, and the upper mountain stays skiable through April as things warm up. Every month has something to offer.

The single biggest lever you have is choosing a weekday over a weekend. Calmer slopes, more space to work on your turns, and shorter lift queues. It makes a real difference, especially if you are learning.

The great-snow quiet windows

Lively weeks to book early for

Three periods bring the biggest crowds and the most energy on the mountain. If this is when you want to come, book accommodation and lessons well ahead. All three are genuinely fun times to be there.

Exact dates shift a little year to year, so check the current season calendar before you lock in your trip.

Once you're in the resort, getting around is easy. During the day, confident intermediate skiers and snowboarders can navigate between the different areas using the lift network. The gondola connections are fast and link New Gudauri, the Kudebi area, and the Kobi side efficiently.

For beginners, or after the lifts close, taxis within the resort typically cost about 35 GEL per ride. Confirm the price with the driver before you get in, or ask your hotel to arrange it. There are no set meters. Most New Gudauri apartments are within walking distance of at least one lift base, so you often won't need transport at all.

Lift passes are sold at ticket windows at the bottom of every major lift. You can buy a day pass, or multi-day blocks for 3, 5, or 7 days. Multi-day passes require everyone in the group to be physically present for their photo to be taken, so plan accordingly on your first morning.

A day pass currently runs from about 70 GEL (roughly 26 USD), plus a small refundable card deposit. Prices shift season to season, so check the official rate at mta.ski before your trip, and buy online through tkt.ge. Multi-day passes save a meaningful percentage, so if you're staying for a week it's worth doing the maths.

Want to see the runs before you arrive? Browse the full Gudauri piste map, or check live lift and snow status on the day.

Lift tickets are not included in any ski school lesson price. You buy your pass separately and bring it with you to the lesson meeting point.

Rental shops are spread throughout the resort. You can rent skis, snowboards, boots, poles, helmets, goggles, jackets, and pants. One thing to note: gloves run out quickly in rental shops, so bring your own if you have them.

There's a wide range of rental shops across the resort with a big variety of gear, so it pays to shop around. The spots we list here are the ones we send clients to. If you're unsure about your boot fit before a lesson, ask your instructor to check it at the start of the session.