Georgia in winter by car is our second high season, and a different one: the airports are full of ski bags, the mountain roads are white from December to March, and the lowlands around Tbilisi and Kakheti stay mild enough for a sunny lunch outdoors. A car is the only practical way to combine the two. It is also how most of our winter customers reach Gudauri from Tbilisi Airport without a transfer or a marshrutka. This guide to Georgia in winter by car covers the four ski areas, the pass rules that catch visitors out, and the cars we hand over when there is snow in the forecast.
Gudauri: the main resort, 2 hours from Tbilisi Airport
Georgia's biggest ski resort sits at 2,200 m on the Georgian Military Highway, 135 km from the airport and 120 km from the city centre. The road is paved and cleared daily, and the first 90 minutes to Pasanauri are an ordinary valley drive. The climb from there to the resort is where winter starts: hairpins, avalanche galleries and, above the resort, the Jvari pass to Kazbegi. In normal snow the drive is two hours. After a storm the road can close for a few hours. The police post below Gudauri then sometimes allows only 4x4s or cars with chains through. Season: December to April, with the best snow in January and February. Hotels in Gudauri have car parks, and parking at the lifts is free. Details and the car for it on the Gudauri and Kazbegi rental page; the Kazbegi guide covers the road beyond the pass.
Bakuriani: the family resort, 2.5 hours from Tbilisi
Lower (1,700 m), gentler and the resort Georgian families choose, Bakuriani is 30 km above Borjomi. The paved road up is easier than the Gudauri climb and almost never closes. From Tbilisi it is 190 km and two and a half hours via Khashuri and Borjomi. The Didveli and Kokhta lifts, sledging slopes and a town with cafés make it the right choice with children. A front-wheel-drive car with winter tyres gets there on most days; an SUV makes the last stretch and the hotel car park easy. The Borjomi, Bakuriani and Vardzia post has the route and the Borjomi stop.
Goderdzi: deep snow above Batumi
The newest resort, at 2,000 m on the Goderdzi pass between Adjara and Samtskhe, gets the heaviest snowfall in the country. In winter it is reached from the Batumi side only. The road runs 100 km up the Adjaristsqali valley through Khulo: paved, slow and spectacular, about three hours. The last kilometres are regularly snowed in, and chains or a proper 4x4 are the norm. The Borjomi side of the pass is closed from autumn to late spring.
Hatsvali and Tetnuldi: Svaneti in winter
Mestia has two small resorts, Hatsvali just above the town and Tetnuldi half an hour away, with long empty pistes under the Caucasus wall. Getting there is the adventure: 230 km from Kutaisi via Zugdidi and the Enguri gorge. The road is paved, but expect ice in the shaded sections and occasional closures after heavy snow. Ushguli is unreachable by car in winter. This is a 4x4 trip for confident drivers, best started from a Kutaisi Airport pickup, with a night in Zugdidi if the flight lands late. The Svaneti post explains the road in every season.
Winter driving times from Tbilisi Airport
| Resort | Altitude | From Tbilisi Airport | Road | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gudauri | 2,200 m | 135 km, 2 h (longer after snow) | Paved, pass rules apply | 4x4 or SUV with winter tyres |
| Bakuriani | 1,700 m | 190 km, 2 h 30 | Paved, rarely closed | SUV preferred, sedan on dry days |
| Goderdzi (from Batumi) | 2,000 m | 100 km from Batumi, 3 h | Paved, chains at the top | 4x4 |
| Hatsvali and Tetnuldi (Mestia) | 1,900 to 3,000 m | 230 km from Kutaisi, 5 h | Paved, ice in the gorge | 4x4, experienced drivers |
Georgia in winter by car: the lowlands
Tbilisi in January is usually between 0 and 10 degrees, with sun more often than snow. The city is at its best: the sulphur baths, the wine bars, the museums without queues. Kakheti is quiet and brown and the cellars are open. The drive over the Gombori pass can be icy early in the morning, so leave after 10. Batumi is mild and wet, Kutaisi is mild and grey, and the caves at Prometheus are 14 degrees as always. A classic week of Georgia in winter by car is three days of skiing in Gudauri and three days of Tbilisi and Kakheti, all from one car; our Tbilisi by car and Kakheti posts work in any month.
Rules and habits for snow
- Check the pass before you leave. The road police publish closures; we check for you the night before and in the morning. Message us on WhatsApp and we tell you what the Gudauri section is doing.
- Chains. When the police require chains, no chains means no pass, whatever car you drive. Ask us about them at booking.
- Daylight. Leave the city by 9 and the resort by 3; the Gudauri road in the dark with fresh snow is not a holiday.
- Fuel. Fill up in Tbilisi or at Pasanauri; there is a station in Gudauri but not always open late.
- Parking. Face downhill, lift the wipers, and do not park under a roof edge that sheds snow.
- Speed. The usual limits still apply and cameras still work; see the travellers handbook.
Which car to rent for winter
For Georgia in winter by car, Gudauri and Bakuriani above all, the Subaru Forester is our first recommendation: permanent all-wheel drive, clearance for the car parks, a modest fuel bill. The Renault Duster is the budget version of the same idea, and the RAV4 and Outlander sit between them. For Goderdzi, Mestia or a storm forecast, step up to the Mitsubishi Pajero, the Land Cruiser Prado or the Land Cruiser 200. Families with skis take the seven-seat Highlander; groups the Vito. The whole list is on the 4x4 and SUV page, and the which car for which trip guide compares them for every season. A ski week usually becomes a long-term rental at the same daily rate.
Planning Georgia in winter by car with a twist? Gudauri first and Kakheti after, or Goderdzi from Batumi with the car dropped in Tbilisi, are both easy to arrange. Message us on WhatsApp (+995 591 89 60 60) and we will plan a custom route with you: the right car for the roads, pickup and drop-off in different cities, and honest advice on driving times.
Pickup at Tbilisi Airport runs around the clock, including the 4 a.m. ski-charter arrivals; the airport handover fee of $30 per end and the $20 service fee are shown separately from the daily rate, as on the prices page. Add your flight number so we track a snow delay, and tell us the resort so the car is ready for it.