Gudauri and the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument
Georgia's main ski resort below the Jvari Pass, with a mosaic-lined monument and an enormous mountain panorama.
- Time needed
- 6 h
- From Tbilisi
- 120 km · 2:10
- Road
- Paved
- Car needed
- Crossover / SUV
- Season
- December–March
- Entry
- სკი-პასი ~80 ₾ დღეში
Gudauri is Georgia's largest and highest ski resort. It spreads between roughly 2,000 and 3,300 metres on the southern slope below the Jvari Pass, with more than 70 kilometres of marked pistes. The season usually runs from December to April, and the snow — dry and light — is among the best in the Caucasus.
The resort is particularly known for off-piste skiing. Heli-skiing and freeride have been established here for years, which is what distinguishes Gudauri from the gentler, more family-oriented Bakuriani. In summer the same slopes carry paragliders and mountain bikers instead.
Six kilometres above the resort, close to the pass, stands the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument: a semicircular concrete terrace built in 1983 and lined inside with a huge colour mosaic showing scenes from the shared history of the two countries. Its political framing has aged badly, but as an object and a viewpoint it is unique — the terrace hangs over a sheer drop into the Devdoraki gorge, and the scale of the panorama is hard to convey in photographs.
Tandem paragliding flights launch from beside the monument, and in summer this is one of the most popular things visitors do in Gudauri.
Gallery
Practical advice
Mountain weather changes several times a day here: sunshine below, cloud above, visibility down to nothing within minutes. Ski passes and rental gear are available at the resort, but queues are long over holidays. At the monument there is minimal shade and almost no railing, so hold on to children near the edge. Bring warm layers even in summer — at 2,400 metres evenings sit around ten degrees. Fuel, ATMs and cafés are in central Gudauri.
How to get there from Tbilisi
Take the Georgian Military Highway (E117): Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Zhinvali, Ananuri, Pasanauri, Gudauri — 120 km and about two hours ten minutes. The road is asphalt the whole way, but above Pasanauri it becomes a long climb of switchbacks shared with heavy freight traffic. In winter this section is avalanche-prone and closes periodically, so check its status before setting out. Winter tyres are mandatory in the cold season and chains are worth carrying; a crossover with decent ground clearance is far more comfortable here than a low sedan. Fill up in Pasanauri.
Click a marker for details. Coloured lines are ready-made road trips.
Nearby places
MountainTruso Valley
A wild valley of mineral springs, travertine terraces and abandoned towers south of Kazbegi.
MonasteryGergeti Trinity Church
A 14th-century church at 2,170 m with Mount Kazbek behind it — the single most recognisable view in Georgia.
WaterfallDariali Gorge and the Gveleti Waterfalls
The narrowest gorge in the Caucasus, right at the border, with two waterfalls and a short, dramatic trail.
Booking and enquiries
This site is informational — there is no online payment. Call or email us to book.