Skiing in Gudauri Georgia

I LOVE skiing and skiing in Gudauri in Georgia has to be one of my new favourite places to ski.

I’e been fortunate to have started skiing when I was younger and then skied on and off once a year until I moved to Grenoble in 2011/2012. There I skied at least one day per weekend over the winter season. I moved to Canada in 2017 where I lived 2 hours from world-famous Whistler, and 30 minutes from local ski hills, got interested in ski-touring and my husband and I moved to Sun Peaks in BC’s interior for a season where I skied 100+ days that year.

It’s fair to say that I’ve done a lot of skiing and I’ve experienced a lot of resorts and conditions.

And the skiing in Gudauri? It was some of the best skiing I’ve ever experienced.

On our first day in Gudauri, we were treated to over 25 cm of fresh fluffy snow. In any of the other resorts I’ve skied at this would result in lines at the chair lifts of 25 minutes (90 minutes if it was Whistler). But at Gudauri? We didn’t wait in a single line.

Add to that that the price of a day’s lift pass is 10th of the price of a Whistler lift ticket at about £20 a day and you’re in for a treat.

If you’re looking to ski somewhere new where you can enjoy empty pistes, beautiful views, great après and plenty of opportunity for ski touring and heli-skiing in Gudauri, then check out this ski resort in Georgia.

Skiing at Gudauri – what to expect

If this is your first time skiing in Georgia, here’s what to expect from Gudauri Resort.

Skiing terrain at Gudauri

The ski terrain at Gudauri is best suited for beginner to intermediate skiers. If you love blue runs then you’ll love Gudauri. The runs are generally quite wide, empty and well-pisted. We didn’t come across any mogul-covered runs.

If you’re a complete beginner, it’s also quite a good place to learn since lessons are cheaper here than they are in The Alps.

There are about 75 km of trails, 10 chairlifts, and 4 gondolas and the highest point at Gudauri is 3279 m. The ski lifts are all well-known ski brands used throughout the Alps and North America too.

There’s plenty to keep most skiers entertained for 3-4 days and if you’re a beginner skier you’ll easily be kept busy for a full week of skiing. There’s no tree skiing here, it’s purely alpine which means you get incredible views the whole time as long as the sun is out.

The only downside to skiing at Gudauri Georgia is that it’s not the easiest to navigate. There’s a lack of signage and it can be hard to tell what grade the run is until you’re already on it. While that was no issue for us, it could be difficult if you’re a beginner rider who wants to stick to greens and then finds yourself on a more challenging blue.

Gudauri free ride and ski touring

However, there is actually plenty to keep experienced and advanced skiers entertained, especially if you get some good fresh snow during your stay.

Gudauri has several freeride areas that are marked out on their trail maps. These areas are great fun to ride off-piste when there’s been some fresh snow. You’re not far from the resort so there’s less chance of getting lost and the areas are supposed to be managed too so it’s a bit safer.

Gudauri has lots of ski touring options (pack your own avalanche rescue gear though as I overhead people saying that the rental shops didn’t have it to rent). This book on Gudauri has loads of information about some of the routes you can take.

However, if this is your first time ski touring I highly recommend you take an avalanche safety course to know more about how to spot avalanche conditions and how to perform rescues. Otherwise, please hire a Gudauri ski guide.

I’d recommend a guide whenever you’re unfamiliar with an area as I did on the Spearhead Traverse.

Heli Ski Gudari

If you want to get to more remote areas around Gudauri, you can also go heli-skiing. There are so many beautiful-looking areas for this around the resort and on a clear day, you’ll get some incredible views. it’s probably one of the cheaper places you’ll find for heli-skiing too.

Gudauri Ski Resort Prices

One of the best things about Gudauri is that it’s so cheap to ski here!

You can get a variety of lift tickets depending on how much you want to ski. You can buy a pass for 1 ride (1 lift), for up to 6 days (or of course a season ticket if you plan on being there a while).

A 1-day pass for 2023/2024 costs about US$26.50, and if you plan to ski for 4 days you’re looking at just under $100. Honestly, those prices are INSANE when you consider that a 1-day pass at Whistler and other Vail resorts will cost you more than USD$200 a day.

Gudauri Ski Rental

Most hotels in the older part of Gudauri have a ski rental shop attached to them. You’ll also find plenty of other places to rent as you wander around either part of the village.

A basic ski set (poles, boots, skis, helmet), will cost around 50 GEL per day.

Gudauri skiing map

Below is the Gudauri ski terrain map. Also, note that there are a few runs not on this map which I highly recommend checking out.

From Kobi Pass, you can ski down to the gondola on the other side. There are several cafes over here and some incredible views of Kazbegi Mountain, the highest in Georgia at 5,054 m!

This run is a fairly easy blue run. It’s wide so most beginners who have been getting to grips with the runs on the other areas of the mountain will be able to manage this.

Also note that the Sadzele lift hasn’t been open for several years which closes off this part of the mountain unless you’re a ski tourer.

Food and après ski at the ski resort Gudauri

Gudauri has tonnes of places to eat and après ski both on and off the mountain.

You’ll find bars, restaurants and cafes all over the mountain. We loved Vitamin Cafe for lunch and then Vitamin K which is the highest cafe in Georgia and has great views from the top.

You’ll find all sorts on the menu including plenty of Georgian food (kinkahli, soups, khachapuri) and pizzas.

Pretty much everywhere will serve mulled wine and beers too and several bars and restaurants are pumping out the music all day long so you can get dancing in your ski boots.

How to get to Gudauri?

Most people will be coming to Gudauri from either Tbilisi or Kutaisi as that’s where the major airports in Georgia are.

If you’re going straight to Gudauri as soon as you arrive in Georgia, I recommend booking a driver through GoTrip.ge. You can read reviews and check to see if they have enough space for skis (I recommend booking a minivan for this). We used this service a couple of times during our trip to Georgia and were extremely happy with the service.

You can also rent a car if you’re comfortable driving in mountainous terrain. Do make sure that you’re prepared to deal with more aggressive drivers and always keep your eyes on the road. We found some of the drivers liked to overtake on blind bends towards oncoming traffic. If you’re a nervous driver do yourself a favour and book a transfer instead.

Where is Gudauri ski resort in Georgia?

Gudauri ski resort is in northern Georgia about 2 hours away from Tbilisi. It’s pretty easy to get to since it’s not that far away and you can easily find drivers who will take you there.

The mountains are part of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and the resort itself sits at about 2,200 m.

I recommend booking a driver through GoTrip.ge. This is a great resource for transfers throughout Georgia and you can read reviews on the driver to make sure you get one that others have said is safer.

Trust me, some of these mountain roads are a bit scary and you’ll want to have a driver that’s been kind of vetted!

Where to stay in Gudauri

Gudauri is split into New Gudauri and (Old) Gudauri. Both have plenty of accommodation options right on the slopes where you can ski into and out of your hotel or apartment.

We ended up staying in the older part of Gudauri at The Loft Hotel. Some of our group stayed in the Marco Polo Hotel and others in The Lodge which was right next door to The Loft. All three hotels are right on the piste and it’s easy to get to and from here while you’re skiing. This means you can come back to your room easily at any point in the day too.

The Loft had a great view from the swimming pool as well as both an indoor and outdoor hot tub. The Lodge is considered to be the fanciest but the Marco Polo also looked great too with a grand lobby, and nice bright rooms, is the closest of the three to the lift and has a games area with a bowling alley. I’d opt for Marco Polo if I were to go back!

Summing up Gudauri Skiing – Who’s it best for?

I’d recommend Guduari to intermediate skiers who are looking for something different. Skiing at Gudauri has a very different vibe to skiing in the Alps. The main benefit is that there are no lift lines and it’s super cheap; especially when compared to most resorts in North America.

You’ll also get to experience more of a cultural difference when skiing in Gudauri. There are different foods and a new language you’re likely not familiar with too!