In short
Ski transfers from Kutaisi International Airport run to Gudauri, about 4 hours 15 minutes away, and to Bakuriani, about 2 hours 45 minutes away, from late December to early April. Gudauri is the higher resort — the village sits at roughly 2,200 m with lifts reaching around 3,270 m — and is reached by the Georgian Military Highway, which closes between Gudauri and Kobi for avalanche control after heavy snow. Bakuriani is lower at 1,700 m, 30 km beyond Borjomi, with two separate ski areas, Didveli and Kokhta-Mitarbi, about 8 km apart. Its access road through Borjomi stays open all winter; the southern approach via Akhalkalaki does not. Winter tyres are required on Georgian mountain roads in the cold months and the police do check. We plan around a three-day frame — arrival transfer, a rest-day excursion, departure transfer — wrapped around a resort stay of any length.
What you'll see
- Gudauri at about 2,200 m, with lifts reaching roughly 3,270 m on the Greater Caucasus ridge
- Bakuriani's two ski areas, Didveli and Kokhta-Mitarbi, about 8 km apart on the Trialeti range
- The Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument of 1983, on the road just above Gudauri
- Ananuri fortress on the Zhinvali reservoir, the natural break on the drive up to Gudauri
- Borjomi central park and its warm mineral spring, 30 km down the hill from Bakuriani
Day by day
Day 1
Airport pickup and the transfer up to the resort
Gudauri is 4 hours 15 minutes from Kutaisi International Airport by the main highway and then the Georgian Military Road, with a break at Ananuri. Bakuriani is 2 hours 45 minutes via Khashuri and Borjomi, then 30 km of climbing. We meet late flights and drive at night when needed, but in snow we drive to the conditions rather than the clock. Ski bags need declaring when you book.
Day 2
A rest day off the slopes
From Gudauri, Stepantsminda is an hour further north and Gergeti Trinity Church at 2,170 m is the obvious half-day, road and track permitting. From Bakuriani, Borjomi is 30 minutes down the hill for the park and the mineral spring, and Rabati Castle at Akhaltsikhe about an hour beyond that. Both work well on a low-visibility day when the lifts are shut anyway.
Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) route →Borjomi route →Rabati Castle (Akhaltsikhe) route →
Day 3
Resort back down to Kutaisi Airport
The return needs more margin than the outbound. From Gudauri, allow five hours rather than four and a quarter for a winter departure, because the descent towards Kvesheti is the section that closes. From Bakuriani, allow three and a half. We work backwards from your check-in time and set a departure that survives one closure, not one that assumes none.
Which resort should you choose from Kutaisi?
Bakuriani if the drive matters, Gudauri if the skiing does. Bakuriani is 2 hours 45 minutes from the airport against Gudauri's 4 hours 15 minutes, and its access road through Borjomi is the reliable one. Gudauri is higher, steeper, has the longer season and the off-piste, but it is reached by a road that genuinely closes. Families and beginners are usually better served at Bakuriani; strong skiers accept the extra ninety minutes each way.
Bakuriani's two ski areas are not connected to one another. Didveli and Kokhta-Mitarbi sit about 8 km apart, and moving between them is a short drive — worth knowing before you book a hotel at the wrong end of town. Gudauri's lifts form a single connected area, which is simpler to ski. Neither resort is large by Alpine standards, and both are quiet outside January and February.
What actually happens when the Georgian Military Highway closes?
The stretch between Gudauri and Kobi is closed by the road authority for avalanche control after heavy snow, usually for a few hours, occasionally for a day or more. It is not a rumour or a driver's excuse; it is a published closure with a barrier across the road. When it happens on an arrival day we hold you at Gudauri or Kvesheti until it lifts. When it happens on a departure day it can lose you a flight, which is why we leave early.
A 23 km replacement road on the Kvesheti–Kobi alignment, including a 9 km tunnel that will be the longest in Georgia, is under construction, with the full project due to complete in 2027 and sections opening progressively before then. Once it is finished the avalanche-prone stretch is bypassed and reliable year-round access becomes realistic. Until then, plan a winter departure from Gudauri with a spare morning, not a spare hour.
Can you ski both Gudauri and Bakuriani in one trip?
Yes, and it takes about five days to be worth doing. The usual shape is Kutaisi Airport to Bakuriani, two ski days, a cross-country transfer of roughly four hours to Gudauri via Khashuri and Mtskheta, two more ski days, then 4 hours 15 minutes back to the airport. That is a lot of driving for a week's skiing, and most people end up happier picking one resort and spending the saved days on snow.
If you do split the week, put Bakuriani first. It gets you skiing on day one after a shorter transfer, and it leaves the Military Highway in the middle of the trip rather than on departure day, where a closure turns into missed flights. Finishing at Bakuriani also makes the final drive three and a half hours instead of five, which is the difference between a relaxed departure and a tense one.
What do we need to know before a winter transfer?
Ski or snowboard bag count and length, boot bags, whether anyone needs a child seat, and your flight number so we can track delays. Long bags change which vehicle we send, and a group that fits comfortably in summer does not always fit with six pairs of skis on board. Roof boxes are not fitted to every car as standard, so this is not a detail to leave until you reach arrivals.
Also tell us exactly where you are staying. Gudauri spreads along a steep hillside above the road and several apartment blocks are reached by side lanes that are not always ploughed; Bakuriani's streets can be sheeted with ice even when the main road is clear. A map pin lets us judge whether the car reaches the door. Winter tyres are fitted on our vehicles as a matter of course, and the police do check.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the transfer from Kutaisi Airport to Gudauri?
About 4 hours 15 minutes in normal conditions, with a break at Ananuri. In winter we allow five hours for a departure transfer, because the Gudauri to Kobi section can close for avalanche control.
Is Bakuriani easier to reach than Gudauri?
Yes. Bakuriani is 2 hours 45 minutes from the airport via Borjomi and that road stays open all winter. Gudauri is 4 hours 15 minutes on a road that closes after heavy snow.
When does the Georgian ski season start?
Bakuriani's Kokhta lifts have opened around 20 December in recent seasons and Gudauri's main cable cars a week or so later. Both usually run into early or mid-April, with the best snow in January and February.
Can you carry skis and snowboards?
Yes, but tell us the number and length of bags when you book. Long bags decide which vehicle we send, and a group that fits in summer will not always fit with a full set of skis.
Want this itinerary adjusted?
Every tour is private and built around your dates — tell us what matters most and we'll re-plan the days around it.
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