Gudauri Ski Guide (2026/27): Lift Pass, Hotels, Restaurants, Heli-Skiing & Getting There from Tbilisi

The back story

Season: Usually December to mid-April (Georgian National Tourism Administration); 2026/27 dates from MTA · Ski area: 76 km of pistes since 2023/24 (Mountain Trails Agency) · Altitude: Base 1,989 m, top lift 3,276 m (georgia.travel) · Lift company: Mountain Trails Agency (state-owned) · Distances: About 120 km from Tbilisi, 2–2.5 hours by road · Nearest airport: Tbilisi (TBS), about 135 km

The back story

Gudauri: the back story

Gudauri·In depth

How a high plateau on the Georgian Military Road became the Caucasus’s best-known ski resort: the first hotel in the 1980s, the heli-ski years, the new lifts and the gondola over the pass to Kobi.

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Lift passes, ski schools and hire

Lifts to 3,276 m

Gudauri ski area (Mountain Trails Agency)

Gudauri·Ski area·€

Georgia’s largest ski area: 76 km of pistes on the south and north slopes of the Caucasus, run by the state-owned Mountain Trails Agency.

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Sold at the lift ticket offices

Gudauri lift pass

Gudauri·Lift pass·€

Passes are sold at the ticket offices at the lift stations; MTA publishes the 2026/27 tariff before the season opens.

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Over the Cross Pass

Gudauri–Kobi gondola

Gudauri·Gondola·€

A scenic lift ride of about 45 minutes from Gudauri over the pass to Kobi, the gateway to the north side of the range and to Stepantsminda.

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Lessons, freeride and ski touring

WinterGudauri

Gudauri·Ski and snowboard school·€€

A ski and snowboard school with individual and group lessons, freeride and ski-touring guiding and freestyle coaching.

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Booked at reception

Ski instructors at the hotels

Gudauri·Ski school·€€

Many Gudauri hotels have their own instructor teams; at the Marco Polo, adult and children’s instructors are booked through the hotel.

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100 m from the central lift

Carpe Diem ski rental

Gudauri·Ski hire·€

The Hotel Carpe Diem’s own rental shop, with a full range of skiing equipment, 100 metres from the central lift.

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In New Gudauri

KANT rental, New Gudauri

Gudauri·Ski hire·€

Skis, snowboards, clothing and boots for adults and children, in Block 4 and Loft 2 of New Gudauri.

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Where to stay, every budget

Who it suits. On a budget: Self-catering apartments in New Gudauri, buses from Tbilisi’s Didube station and some of Europe’s most affordable lift passes. Mid-range: Hotel Carpe Diem, Quadrum or Hotel Alpina, with breakfast, pools and saunas, a short walk from the lifts. Luxury: Ski-in, ski-out at the Marco Polo, Gudauri Lodge or five-star Gudauri Loft, and a night at Rooms Kazbegi beneath Mount Kazbek.

Gudauri’s first hotel, since 1988 · In depth

Marco Polo Hotel Gudauri

Gudauri·Ski-in, ski-out resort hotel·€€€

Gudauri’s first hotel, since 1988, at 2,003 metres by the first lift: 123 rooms and three chalets, a 16 m indoor pool and a 35°C outdoor pool, saunas and treatments, Soliko, bowling, padel and a kids’ club.

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Next to the first ski slope · In depth

Gudauri Lodge

Gudauri·Ski-in, ski-out hotel·€€€

Modern alpine design at 2,000 metres beside the first slope, with 121 rooms and suites, an open-air hot tub at 38°C, an indoor pool, a spa with dry sauna, a Georgian restaurant and an après-ski bar.

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Ten metres from the piste · In depth

Gudauri Loft

Gudauri·Five-star hotel·€€€

A ski-in, ski-out hotel ten metres from the trail, with a seventh-floor spa of pool with Caucasus views, saunas and jacuzzi, massage, a gym, Georgian and European cooking and ski lockers for guests.

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Facing Mount Kazbek · In depth

Rooms Kazbegi

Gudauri·Design hotel·€€€€

A wood-clad modernist former sanatorium in Stepantsminda, with a long terrace facing Mount Kazbek and Gergeti Trinity Church, a gym, spa and pool, Kazbegi Kitchen and a Lobby Bar of mixologists’ cocktails.

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In Upper Gudauri

Quadrum Hotel

Gudauri·Boutique hotel·€€

A 21-room boutique hotel at about 2,200 metres in Upper Gudauri, a short walk from the Shino lift, with an indoor pool, Finnish sauna and yoga room.

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100 m from the central lift

Hotel Carpe Diem

Gudauri·Mountain hotel·€€

A 61-room hotel at 2,172 metres, 100 metres from the central lift, with breakfast included, a spa with indoor pool, ski rental and a cinema.

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By the Alpina Beggle ski area

Hotel Alpina

Gudauri·Mountain hotel·€€

A four-floor mountain hotel with mountain views from every room, a lounge bar and restaurant, and easy access to the Alpina Beggle ski area.

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Two minutes to the gondola

New Gudauri Rooms

Gudauri·Apartments·€

Self-catering apartments for three to six people in the New Gudauri complex, two minutes from the gondola, with equipped kitchens.

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Restaurants and mountain huts

Georgian and European

Soliko at the Marco Polo

Gudauri·Hotel restaurant·€€€

The Marco Polo’s signature restaurant, serving Georgian and European dishes à la carte for lunch and dinner.

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Qvevri wines

Kazbegi Kitchen at Rooms Kazbegi

Gudauri·Hotel restaurant·€€€

Classic Georgian cooking from local, seasonal produce, with a long list of Georgian wines, including qvevri wines.

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Georgian, reimagined

Restaurant at Gudauri Lodge

Gudauri·Hotel restaurant·€€

Traditional Georgian cooking with a modern touch, from regional classics to signature plates, in a relaxed mountain setting.

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On the piste

Restaurant at Gudauri Loft

Gudauri·Hotel restaurant·€€

A restaurant and bar combining Georgian and European dishes, ten metres from the trail.

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Panoramic terrace

Restaurant at Quadrum

Gudauri·Hotel restaurant·€€

Georgian and European cooking from fresh, locally sourced ingredients, with a panoramic terrace in Upper Gudauri.

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Noon to midnight

Restaurant at Hotel Alpina

Gudauri·Hotel restaurant·€€

A ground-floor restaurant and lounge bar serving Georgian and European dishes from 12 noon to midnight.

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In New Gudauri

Grizzly gastrobar

Gudauri·Gastrobar·€€

A gastrobar in Loft 1 at New Gudauri, with European and Asian dishes: breakfasts, burgers, pizza and sushi, 9am–11pm in season.

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Après-ski and bars

Après at the first lift

Chimney Bar and Lounge Bar at the Marco Polo

Gudauri·Hotel bars·€€

Two bars at Gudauri’s historic hotel by the first lift, with bowling, billiards and padel in the same building.

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Terrace facing Kazbek

Lobby Bar and Lounge at Rooms Kazbegi

Gudauri·Hotel bar·€€€

A candlelit lobby bar with wildflowers and a terrace facing Mount Kazbek and Gergeti Church, and a cosy lounge bar.

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38°C at 2,000 m

Hot tub at Gudauri Lodge

Gudauri·Open-air hot tub·€€

Gudauri Lodge’s signature: an open-air hot tub heated to 38°C, with panoramic mountain views at the end of the ski day.

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Upper Gudauri

Lobby bar at Quadrum

Gudauri·Hotel bar·€€

Quadrum’s lobby bar serves drinks through the day, with a panoramic terrace in Upper Gudauri.

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Until midnight

Lounge bar at Hotel Alpina

Gudauri·Hotel bar·€€

A ground-floor lounge bar open from noon to midnight.

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Shops

Inside the hotel

Winter sports shop at the Marco Polo

Gudauri·Ski shop·€€

A winter sports shop and ski rental inside the Marco Polo, by the first lift.

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On the main road

SMART supermarket

Gudauri·Supermarket·€

Gudauri’s central supermarket, on the main road through the resort, for self-catering stays.

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Gear for children and adults

KANT shop, New Gudauri

Gudauri·Ski shop·€€

Skis, snowboards, clothing and boots for children and adults in Block 4 and Loft 2 of New Gudauri.

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By the central lift

Carpe Diem ski shop

Gudauri·Ski shop·€€

The Carpe Diem’s ski rental shop, 100 metres from the central lift.

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Below Gergeti

A day in Stepantsminda

Gudauri·Town·€

The mountain town below Mount Kazbek, reached over the pass by gondola to Kobi, then by road, for its cafés and the road up to Gergeti Trinity Church.

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Spas and wellness

Indoor and outdoor pools

Marco Polo Spa & Wellness Center

Gudauri·Hotel spa·€€€

Saunas, a steam room and indoor and outdoor pools at Gudauri’s historic hotel.

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Mountain-view pool

Gudauri Loft Spa

Gudauri·Hotel spa·€€

A pool with mountain views, massages and a sauna, with a 30% daytime spa offer listed on the hotel’s site.

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11am–10pm daily

Carpe Diem Spa

Gudauri·Hotel spa·€€

An indoor pool, relaxation area, sauna, solarium and massage room, open 11am–10pm every day and included for hotel guests.

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Pool with mountain views

Quadrum pool and sauna

Gudauri·Hotel spa·€€

A heated indoor pool with mountain views, a Finnish sauna and a yoga room in Upper Gudauri.

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Block 2, New Gudauri

New Gudauri spa centre

Gudauri·Spa·€€

A pool, jacuzzi, saunas and massages in Block 2 of the New Gudauri complex.

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Getting there

About 2–2.5 hours from Tbilisi

Getting to Gudauri

Gudauri·By road·€

About 120 km from Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Road, two to two and a half hours by car, transfer or minibus; there is no railway.

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About 135 km from Gudauri

Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)

Gudauri·Airport·€

Georgia’s main international airport, 17 km south-east of Tbilisi and about 135 km from Gudauri.

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Low-cost hub

Kutaisi International Airport (KUT)

Gudauri·Airport·€

Georgia’s low-cost hub in the west of the country, with direct flights from many European cities.

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From Didube or Ortachala

Bus from Tbilisi

Gudauri·Bus·€

Buses and minibuses leave Tbilisi’s Didube and Ortachala bus stations for Gudauri.

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Checked October 2026

Entry to Georgia

Gudauri·Entry rules·€

Citizens of the EU, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and many other countries may enter Georgia without a visa and stay for a full year.

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Property: the neighbourhoods

Around the first lift

Gudauri by the first lift

Gudauri·Neighbourhood

The original resort around the Marco Polo and the first ski lift, with the historic hotels, the supermarket and the pharmacy.

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Apartment blocks by the gondola

New Gudauri

Gudauri·Neighbourhood

The resort complex of apartment blocks and lofts that opened in 2015, two minutes from the gondola, with its own spa, restaurants and rental shops.

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Near the Shino lift

Upper Gudauri

Gudauri·Neighbourhood

The higher part of the resort, at about 2,200 metres, with boutique hotels a short walk from the Shino lift.

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Beneath Mount Kazbek

Stepantsminda

Gudauri·Neighbourhood

The mountain town across the pass, 32 km from Gudauri and linked by the Kobi gondola, beneath Mount Kazbek and Gergeti Trinity Church.

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