Sairme Resort
A mineral water resort in a wooded gorge near Baghdati, at around 950 metres.
- Time needed
- 4 h
- From Tbilisi
- 255 km · 4:00
- Road
- Paved
- Car needed
- Economy class
- Season
- May–October
- Entry
- free (წყარო)
Sairme lies in Baghdati municipality, in a narrow, densely wooded gorge at roughly 950 metres above sea level. It took shape as a resort in the Soviet period and was comprehensively rebuilt during the 2010s; today it has modern hotels, treatment buildings and a tidy promenade.
The reason people come is the mineral springs. Their composition and mineralisation differ from one another, and each has traditionally been used for different conditions — digestion, kidneys, metabolism. The water is drawn directly in the drinking pavilions and tasting it costs nothing.
Beyond the drinking cure:
- forest walking trails along the gorge, from short loops to half-day routes
- spa and bath treatments at the hotels
- short drives towards Baghdati and Vani for a change of scene
Sairme stays cool even in summer. The gorge is tight, the forest dense, and daytime temperatures run several degrees below Kutaisi, which is exactly why Georgians use it to escape August heat. This is not a one-hour stop: either give it half a day or stay the night. Arriving, drinking a glass of water and driving away misses the point of the place entirely.
Practical advice
If you want an actual treatment course, check with a hotel in advance — procedures are booked and charged separately, while simply tasting the water at the pavilions is free. Bring an empty bottle. Evenings in the gorge are chilly and a jacket is useful even in summer. Walking shoes matter for the trails. Cafes and shops are on the resort itself, but ATMs are in Baghdati and Kutaisi, so draw cash before you arrive.
How to get there from Tbilisi
From Tbilisi take the E60 towards Kutaisi, then turn south for Baghdati and continue about twenty kilometres up the gorge — roughly 255 km and four hours in total. The road is paved the whole way and has been resurfaced in recent years, but it is narrow and winding, and in winter the gorge collects ice and snow. An economy car is sufficient; a crossover is more comfortable in the cold months. Fill up in Kutaisi or Baghdati before the climb.
Click a marker for details. Coloured lines are ready-made road trips.
Nearby places
MuseumAbastumani Astrophysical Observatory
The first mountain observatory in the region, on Mount Kanobili above the old lung-cure resort of Abastumani.
Spa resortBakhmaro
A mountain resort of wooden chalets at 1,950 m where sea and alpine air meet — open only in summer.
FortressRabati Castle (Akhaltsikhe)
A restored fortress-town in the heart of Akhaltsikhe where a mosque, a church and a synagogue share one courtyard.