Gudauri Ski Resort
Gudauri is the largest & best ski resort in Georgia. Located near Europe's highest peaks in the Greater Caucasus mountains, Gudauri provides superb skiing on a serious mountain with modern lifts.
Georgian culture and food add to what is already a fascinating ski destination. Whilst accurate information about Gudauri can be surprisingly hard to come by, we will check it all out in February 2022 and sort the truth from the embellishments & lies!
Pros & Cons for Gudauri Ski Resort
Pros
- High elevation ski area in a very snowy part of the Caucasus.
- Modern lift infrastructure.
- Long skiable vertical (over 1,300m+).
- Lifted access to sensational backcountry freeride powder lines.
- Super-cheap ski lift tickets.
- Minimal lift lines.
- Fabulous food & wine (& cheap!).
- Ski-in ski-out accommodation available or low-cost alternatives.
- Culturally, Georgia is an intriguing country to visit – more than just skiing.
Cons
- Only a few days’ worth of interest for anyone stuck on the groomed piste trails.
- Lift opening times may be more of a guide than set in stone - potentially frustrating!
- The off-piste powder is increasingly sought by skiers from Western Europe.
- Like most places in Georgia, not easy to get on public transport (from Kutaisi airport exempted - see below!).
- Most of the modern accommodation is high-priced compared to the Georgian cost of living.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- It is possible to eat & drink far too much here.
- Georgia is a wonderful country with delightful people, but things can & do go wrong. Come here with your eyes wide-open!
- Avalanche danger in the backcountry (or even inbounds) can be high - take care.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
Gudauri has a modern lift system and ridiculously cheap lift passes. Four modern gondolas, & four 6-seater chairs do most of the heavy lifting. A serious lift malfunction in season 2017/18 resulting in injuries to skiers should ensure that the safety of future patrons is paramount to the resort! The skiable vertical in the resort is well over the landmark 1,000m. The general high elevation provides quality snow conditions. The most recently installed gondolas in the upper alpine zone provide unparalleled access to endless freeride powder. With some boot packing & skinning, the terrain is even more vast.
Trail maps of Gudauri were notoriously out of date for a few years, but they seem to have settled on one since the last lot of lift updates. See here for the most recent version of the Gudauri ski trail map.
A great way to explore Gudauri is via one of our hosted tours (see listings at the bottom of the page) or hook up with a local guide once you are there.
[AdListings Filter="Gudauri Guiding"]
Where is Gudauri Georgia?
The Gudauri ski resort is around 120km north of the capital Tbilisi. For the country’s largest ski area, it is surprising difficult for the uninitiated to get too. The closest major international airport is Tbilisi (TBS), 140km or 2½hr drive to the ski resort, with another option at Kutaisi (KUT), further to the west. Use our flight search engine to book flights from major & secondary European airports.
We recommend arranging a private transfer as the best and means of travel from the Tbilisi airport to Gudauri. Your tour operator or hotel will generally assist with such arrangements, otherwise use the reliable & affordable services from the listing below.
[AdListings Filter="Gudauri Transfers"]
Anyone travelling ‘under their own steam’ & on the cheap can still organise a local taxi to make the journey, but make you agree on price before doing so. Public transport options from the airport to Gudauri are near non-existent. A train & buses connect the airport to the Tbilisi city centre from where it is possible to take a minibus (known locally as a marshrutka) to Gudauri. The marshrutka leave from a hectic bus station in Didube, which is near the subway train station of the same name. Signs on the buses tend to be in Georgian, so you will have to ask! Enjoy!
There are direct & regular bus transfers to Gudauri from Kutaisi airport, however the major drawback is less frequent flight arrivals from fewer origins than Tbilisi. For a direct, cheap but comfortable bus from Kutaisi airport to Gudauri search & buy tickets via the Georgian Bus website. Note that its timetabling to Gudauri is not often updated until the last minute! Hard to plan! Pay a little extra for a private transfer direct to your hotel instead.
For more information about getting around the country, see our Travel to Georgia page.
Gudauri Accommodation
Gudauri has no shortage of choice & availability when it comes to accommodation. A recent building boom has seen a host of new boutique hotels & low rise, ski-in apartment complexes added to the ski resort; many of which are available for rent (but do vary greatly in quality!). Further down the hill in the original part of the ski resort, more hotels dot the landscape. Many of these newer hotels do come at a cost, albeit for a lot less than in western Europe. Regardless of where you stay, if you need to organise a safe, cost-effective airport transfer use the listing above.
Of the newer stock, in a prime location near the base of the lifts is the 4-star Marco Polo Gudauri Hotel. Otherwise try the Gudauri Inn, the good value, slopeside & ski-in/ski-out Gudauri Hotel Loft. A little further along the road is the visually intriguing Quadrum Hotel.
Older hotels & apartments plus traditional guesthouses tend to be as cheap as chips (i.e. good value).
Search & book all Gudauri ski accommodation.
Review
The Powderhounds were intending to review Gudauri in 2020, but things change & so did our plans. We are doing a comprehensive journey through Georgia in the coming season - fingers crossed! More information will come after we visit. Stay tuned for our photos & insights.
See how European ski resorts compare on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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