Sabaduri Forest
The fairy-tale forest of Tbilisi National Park — a road that turns into a snowy tunnel of trees in winter, one hour from the city.
- Time needed
- 2 h
- From Tbilisi
- 45 km · 1:00
- Road
- Mostly paved
- Car needed
- Crossover / SUV
- Season
- All year
- Entry
- free
Sabaduri is the forest whose winter photos you have probably already seen — snow-laden branches arching over the road from both sides until they close into a white tunnel. The best part is that this fairy tale sits barely an hour's drive from Tbilisi.
The forest belongs to Tbilisi National Park, Georgia's first, established in 1973, and drapes the slopes of the Saguramo Range between roughly 600 and 1,700 m, covering more than 5,000 hectares. Oak, beech and hornbeam change the scenery by season: velvet autumn colours in October, guaranteed snow from January to March.
What you get:
- The famous forest road between Tskhvarichamia and the pass — the most photogenic stretch
- Picnic spots with tables, camping areas and information boards
- Mushroom foragers and copper-red hillsides in autumn
There are few marked hiking trails; the real experience is the drive itself, with frequent stops and slow wandering under the trees. On snowy days Sabaduri is a favourite escape for half of Tbilisi, so the approach road clogs up badly on weekends and public holidays.
Practical advice
The most beautiful day is the first sunny morning after snowfall — which is exactly when everyone else comes, so aim for a weekday. Winter tyres are mandatory in season and the road is ploughed after heavy snow, but take it slowly anyway. Infrastructure is minimal: bring food and water, as there is only one cafe along the whole stretch. Entry is free. Phone signal drops out in places.
How to get there from Tbilisi
Leave Tbilisi through Gldani and follow the Tbilisi–Tianeti road (Sh-30) towards Tsodoreti and Tskhvarichamia; the prettiest forest section starts after the village — about 45 km and one hour in total. The road is mostly asphalt with potholes and short gravel patches, snowy and slippery in winter. In dry weather an economy car copes, but in snow an SUV on winter tyres is clearly the calmer option. Fill up in Gldani — there are no petrol stations in the forest. On the way back you can loop via Saguramo to join the Georgian Military Highway.
Click a marker for details. Coloured lines are ready-made road trips.
Nearby places
Ilia Chavchavadze Saguramo Museum
The estate of Georgia's "Father of the Nation" — an eleven-room house, garden and wine cellar where Ilia Chavchavadze spent his last years.
Zedazeni Monastery
A 6th-century monastery on a wooded ridge above Mtskheta, with the Mtkvari and Aragvi valleys spread out below.
Tianeti
A quiet upland basin ringed by pine and beech forest on the upper Iori, a traditional summer refuge for Tbilisi families.
Bazaleti Lake
A small lake near Dusheti that a single poem by Ilia Chavchavadze turned into one of the best-known names in Georgia.
Best car for this trip
Mostly paved
Guides
- Driving in Georgia: What the Distances Actually Cost You Georgia is a small country with slow roads. Here is what 267 measured drives from Tbilisi say about how long y
Pickup locations
Car Rental in Tbilisi — 24 km (straight line)
Booking and enquiries
The easiest way to reach these places is by car — you pick the route and the stops.