Bakuriani Ski Resort

Located just 2-2.5 hours drive from Tbilisi and Kutaisi, Bakuriani ski resort is a great place for family holiday, improving skiing and snowboarding skills, and experiencing Georgian winter. The settlement Bakuriani is situated at altitude of 1700 meters above sea level among the mountain peaks of Trialeti Range and tall pine trees. The climate here is mild as Bakuriani is in a transition zone between continental and coastal climate. There are not many winds in this area, which is another advantage for those who do not prefer to ski in freezing cold weather.

The infrastructure of the resort has been established in Soviet times ago when Bakuriani used to be a Winter Olympics training base. Since then thousands of people keep coming to Bakuriani to ski, sled, explore the nearby hills and slopes, practice cross-country skiing or just to relax and breath fresh mountainous air. The infrustracture has been renovated turning Bakuriani into one of the most popular Georgia ski resorts.

Also, there numerous mineral springs nearby. Many of those, such as Mitarbi, Likani, and Bakuriani, are easy to find in any shop in Georgia. So, Bakuriani apart from winter activities provides excellent opportunity for health treatment. In a close proximity to the resort, there are also hot springs in Tsikhisjvari village.

If you plan to go to Bakuriani for skiing and snowboarding, schedule your vacation to the period from January to the end of March: at this time the snow cover is good enough for all kinds of winter sports. As for the tracks, there are five currently in operation: Didveli, Kokhta-2, Bakuriani Park, "25" and JoyLand. They offer more than 10 pistes of various difficulty level. Some tracks are suitable for children.

For example, JoyLand is the greatest place for beginners and children. "25", named after an old 25-meter ski trampoline nearby, is not steep and very easy for beginners to practice on. Didveli belongs to the most beautiful tracks in Georgia. It is located on the slopes of Mount Sakvelo from where stunning views on the mountain surroundings are guaranteed. Sakvelo slopes are covered with blue and red pistes, the longest one of which is about 4 kilometers. On the top of the mountain there is a chair lift, from where descents are getting quite exiting: routes marked in red and black.

The resort also has three trampolines: 45, 70 and 90 meters high. Maximum altitude to start skiing from is 2850 meters above sea level. For beginners there are several schools with experienced instructors to show you how to ski or slide on snowboard. It does not matter in Bakuriane how old you are and how old your child is. Gaining these skills here is never too late.

If your family is not that fond of winter sports as you are, take your child to a playground or skating rink in Central Park of Bakuriani, sled or even have a ride in a kind of a carriage. And if you still want to conquer some steep slopes, but alone, let the experienced nannies look after your children: such services are also provided by some hotels in Bakuriani.

The surroundings of Bakuriani are also interesting. You can take a day hike or jeep tour along the Borjomi gorge, visit Borjomi town with a narrow-gauge railway on the retro-train called "Cuckoo", or have a tour to located nearby Akhaltsikhe and feel the spirit of ancient culture in medieval fortress Rabat. Enjoying Georgian cuisine, wine and chacha tasting at the fireplace, reading a book, playing pool or table tennis will be a good way to relax after day on a slope.