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Snow-covered ridges and peaks of the Greater Caucasus above Gudauri, Georgia, in winter sunshine under a blue sky with a few white clouds
The Greater Caucasus above Gudauri in winter, GeorgiaАндрей Бобровский, CC BY 3.0

Draft itinerary6 days, 5 nights

First snow in the Caucasus: Tbilisi and Gudauri in 6 days

Two nights in the mountains so your children can meet snow at their own pace, with Tbilisi before and after.

Message us on WhatsApp (opens in a new window)Day by day

This itinerary is a draft: dates, hotels and the services listed here are as stated in your written quotation; the language of the commentary is stated on your quotation and confirmed in writing before you pay a deposit.

When it runs
Mid-December to mid-March. The core period is late December to mid-March. Departures between 14 and 26 December (the UAE Ministry of Education’s 2026–2027 school calendar starts the winter break on 14 December 2026) are sold as a see-the-snow trip, with no skiing and no lift ride in the plan, unless the operator has announced an earlier opening by then.
Arrival and departure
Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) in and out
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The Greater Caucasus above Gudauri in winter, GeorgiaАндрей Бобровский, CC BY 3.0

Highlights

  • Two nights in Gudauri, with one whole day kept for snow play and no road journey.
  • A daylight drive up the Georgian Military Road with a stop at Ananuri Fortress above the Zhinvali reservoir.
  • A cable-car ride from Rike Park to the Narikala ridge for a view over old Tbilisi, when the line is running.
  • Time at the Juma Mosque in old Tbilisi, and a list of halal restaurants in Tbilisi that states how each halal claim was checked. Dinners in the mountains need to be arranged in advance and are confirmed before you travel.
  • A lift ride for the view once the operator opens the season, where the operator sells rides to non-skiers (confirmed before you travel).
  • The last night back in Tbilisi, so the mountain road is behind you a day before your flight.

Who it suits

Gulf families whose children have not seen snow, and couples or small groups of friends who want a short winter break with a private vehicle. Gudauri sits at about 2,200 m; if you travel with a toddler, grandparents or anyone with a heart or lung condition, ask for the Bakuriani option at 1,700 m and tell us in advance.

Season notes

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Snow cover and lift operations depend on the weather and on the resort operator, Mountain Trails Agency. When we checked on 6 October 2026 the operator had not yet announced the 2026–27 opening dates. Last season the lifts started on 20 and 22 December at Bakuriani and on 27 December at Gudauri, and ran until 29 March at Bakuriani and 19 April at Gudauri. Until the lifts open we offer snow play around the resort and no skiing; early in the season the snow around the resort can be thin. In winter the itinerary goes only as far as Gudauri; going on to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) depends on whether the Jvari Pass is open that day. If heavy snow holds the road to Gudauri itself, Day 3 explains what we do. In late December the sun sets at about 17:30, so mountain roads are driven in the morning and early afternoon. Ramadan in 2027 is expected from about 8 February to 8 March; if you travel then, tell us and we ask the hotels about iftar and suhoor before you confirm.

Brick domes of the Abanotubani sulphur baths at dusk, with balconied old-town houses and Narikala fortress on the hill behind, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Abanotubani, old TbilisiWowan1978, CC BY-SA 4.0

Day by day

Distances are by road. Driving times are planning figures and change with traffic, weather and stops. For each day we say what we do if a road or a site is closed.

Road distances are estimates read from OpenStreetMap road data with two public route planners on 6 October 2026; no stretch has been driven and timed by our team yet. Where a stop says nothing about booking, none is needed.

A variant of this itinerary is set out further down the page.

  1. Day 1

    By road
    18 km
    In the vehicle
    about half an hour
    Overnight
    Tbilisi

    Arrival in Tbilisi

    Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) → Tbilisi

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    You are met in the arrivals hall of Tbilisi International Airport and driven to your hotel, about half an hour away. Georgia keeps the same time as the UAE and Oman and is one hour ahead of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. The rest of the day is left free so the family can rest after the flight. If you land before the hotel’s check-in time, early check-in depends on the hotel and is quoted separately; with young children we suggest booking the room from the night before. If you land by early afternoon, we suggest a short walk through Rike Park to the Bridge of Peace and an early dinner at a halal restaurant from our Tbilisi list.

    Stops

    • Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)

      Meeting in the arrivals hall and private transfer to your hotel.

      Time there
      as long as arrival formalities take
      Booking
      Send us your flight number; the transfer is timed to it

    • Rike Park and Bridge of Peace

      Optional evening walk by the river if you land early enough.

      Time there
      about 45 minutes

    If a road or a site is closed

    If your flight is delayed, the transfer moves to the new arrival time. If it is cancelled, tell us via WhatsApp and we re-plan the days with you under the terms in your quotation. In rain or cold the evening walk is dropped and dinner is near the hotel.

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  2. Day 2

    By road
    10 km
    In the vehicle
    under 1 hour in total, in short city hops (our estimate; it depends on the hotel)
    Overnight
    Tbilisi

    Old Tbilisi: cable car, baths district and Mtatsminda

    Tbilisi: Rike Park → Narikala ridge → Abanotubani and Juma Mosque → Mtatsminda Park

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    The morning starts at Rike Park, where a cable car lifts you over the river to the Narikala ridge for a view across the old town. From the ridge a steep path with steps leads down to Abanotubani, the district of brick-domed sulphur baths; with a toddler or grandparents, or when the steps are icy, you ride the cable car back down and the vehicle takes you round instead. The Juma Mosque stands beside the baths; time for prayer is kept here, and for the Jumu’ah prayer when the day is a Friday. Lunch is at a halal restaurant from our Tbilisi list. In the afternoon a funicular takes you up to Mtatsminda Park, an amusement park above the city, for the children; we confirm before you travel which rides run in winter. A private family room at the sulphur baths can be reserved for the evening at your own expense.

    Stops

    • Rike Park and Bridge of Peace

      Riverside park and glass footbridge; the starting point of the cable car.

      Time there
      about 30 minutes

    • Rike–Narikala cable car

      Short ride over the Mtkvari river up to the Narikala ridge.

      Time there
      about 45 minutes with the viewpoint
      Opening and closures
      Runs from 10:00; winter timetable to 22:00 from 1 November (as announced for 2025). Stops in strong wind. Planned inspections are announced by the city at short notice; one such stop, in February 2022, lasted about three weeks. We check the week before you travel
      Booking
      No booking; tickets are bought on the spot

    • Narikala Fortress viewpoint

      View over the old town from the ridge beside the fortress walls.

      Time there
      about 30 minutes
      Opening and closures
      Restoration of the fortress has been carried out in stages; whether it is finished and which parts are open is confirmed before you travel. The footpath down to Abanotubani is steep, with steps that can be icy in winter

    • Abanotubani sulphur baths district

      Walk among the brick domes of the bathhouses; a private family room can be reserved as an option.

      Time there
      about 30 minutes; a private room adds about 1 hour
      Opening and closures
      Each bathhouse keeps its own hours; confirmed when booking
      Booking
      Private rooms need booking; we reserve on request, at your own expense

    • Juma Mosque (Tbilisi)

      The mosque at the foot of Narikala; time is kept for prayer, and for Jumu’ah on a Friday.

      Time there
      as you need
      Opening and closures
      Prayer times, including the Friday prayer time, and the women’s prayer area are confirmed locally before the day

    • Mtatsminda Park (by funicular)

      Hilltop amusement park reached by funicular, with rides for children and a view over the city.

      Time there
      about 1½ to 2 hours
      Opening and closures
      We have found no official statement of the park’s winter opening hours or of which rides run in winter; confirmed with the park before you travel
      Booking
      No booking; rides are paid on the spot

    If a road or a site is closed

    If the cable car is stopped for wind or for an inspection, we keep the old-town walk at street level and drive to Abanotubani. In rain, snow or hard cold the outdoor parts are shortened and replaced by the Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia (closed on Mondays and public holidays, including 1, 2, 7 and 19 January and 3 and 8 March), a private room at the sulphur baths, or a shopping mall if you wish; none of these is obligatory. If Mtatsminda Park is closed or few rides are running, we propose an indoor children’s play area instead, in a hotel or a shopping mall, which we confirm before you travel.

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  3. Day 3

    By road
    122 km
    In the vehicle
    about 2¾ hours (car estimate 2 h 05 to 2 h 10, plus 30% for tour pace)
    Overnight
    Gudauri

    The Military Road to Gudauri

    Tbilisi → Zhinvali Reservoir → Ananuri → Gudauri

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    You leave Tbilisi after breakfast so that the mountain section of the Georgian Military Road is driven in daylight. On the way you stop at the Zhinvali reservoir viewpoint and at Ananuri Fortress on its shore; the driving time to Gudauri is about 2 hours 45 minutes in all, in two or three stages. After check-in and lunch the afternoon is for the children’s first hour in the snow, close to the hotel and finished before dusk. Gudauri sits at about 2,200 m, so the first evening is kept quiet. Lunch and dinner in Gudauri are arranged in advance with your hotel, and we tell you before you travel what the hotel has confirmed about halal food. One restaurant in Gudauri describes itself as halal; we confirm before you travel whether it is open and taking bookings on your dates.

    Stops

    • Zhinvali Reservoir viewpoint

      Roadside stop for the view over the reservoir.

      Time there
      10 to 15 minutes

    • Ananuri Fortress

      Fortress walls and towers above the water; a short walk and photographs.

      Time there
      30 to 40 minutes
      Opening and closures
      No official opening hours are published; confirmed by phone before the day. Steps and uneven ground, icy in winter

    • Gudauri (around the resort)

      Afternoon snow play near the hotel.

      Time there
      about 1½ to 2 hours, ending before dusk
      Opening and closures
      Depends on snow cover and weather on the day
      Booking
      No booking; sledge hire is requested for you and confirmed before you travel

    If a road or a site is closed

    The road from Tbilisi to Gudauri is cleared regularly and, according to Georgia’s national tourism administration, rarely closes; after heavy snow the Roads Department may let vehicles through the last section without stopping, or hold traffic for a time. If that happens we leave later the same day, provided the mountain section can still be driven in daylight; if not, you stay in Tbilisi that night and go up the next morning. If the road is expected to stay closed, the mountain stay moves to Bakuriani, leaving early the next morning; we do not set off for Bakuriani in the afternoon, because its mountain road would then be driven in the dark. Any hotel change this causes is handled under the terms in your quotation. If the ground at Ananuri is icy, the stop is a short one for photographs from the car park.

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  4. Day 4

    By road
    0 km
    In the vehicle
    0 hours in the base plan (optional drive to Stepantsminda, pass permitting: 64 km return, about 1½ hours)
    Overnight
    Gudauri

    A full day in the snow

    Gudauri (no road journey; optional Gudauri → Stepantsminda → Gudauri only when the pass is reported open)

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    There is no road journey today: the morning is for snow around the resort, with snowmen, sledging and photographs, and needs no skiing skills. Once the operator has opened the season, a lift ride up for the view can be added where the operator sells rides to non-skiers, which we confirm before you travel, and a first ski lesson can be booked at your own expense with a ski school that holds the required certificate and liability insurance. On departures before the lifts open, the day is snow play around the resort. A short drive to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) for the view of Mount Kazbek is not part of the winter itinerary. It is offered only when the Roads Department reports the Jvari Pass open with no avalanche warning; you would leave after breakfast and be back in Gudauri by early afternoon. The pass can close at short notice: if it closes while you are across, you stay in Stepantsminda until it reopens, and the terms in your quotation apply. Paragliding and snowmobiles are not part of our itinerary.

    Stops

    • Gudauri snow area (around the resort)

      Snow play and sledging for the family; no skiing skills needed.

      Time there
      2 to 3 hours
      Opening and closures
      Depends on snow cover and weather on the day
      Booking
      Sledge and snow-clothing hire is requested for you; what can be hired, and where, is confirmed before you travel

    • Gudauri lifts (sightseeing ride)

      Lift ride up the mountain for the view. Georgia’s tourism portal says that visitors who do not ski can take the lift up; the lifts go up to 3,276 m. The operator describes the Gudauri–Kobi line as a 45-minute scenic ride.

      Time there
      1 to 2 hours
      Opening and closures
      Runs in the operator’s winter season, daily from 10:00 to 17:00 (2025–26 season: 27 December to 19 April; 2026–27 dates not yet announced). Not running from late September to late December. Stops in strong wind
      Booking
      Whether a single sightseeing ride is sold to non-skiers in winter is confirmed with the operator before you travel. The lift pass is a physical card, bought at the resort or through the operator’s official sales channels; e-tickets and QR codes are not accepted at the gates and passes are not refundable. Under the operator’s 2025–26 rules children under 6 ride free; the rules for the new season have not been announced

    • Beginner ski or snowboard lesson (optional)

      A first lesson, at your own expense, with a ski school that holds the required certificate and liability insurance; we confirm the school before you travel.

      Time there
      1 to 2 hours
      Opening and closures
      Offered once the operator has opened the season; not offered on departures before that
      Booking
      Book ahead in school holidays; lesson and equipment are paid locally. Check that your insurance covers winter sports

    • Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) viewpoint (optional, pass permitting)

      Drive over the Jvari Pass for the view of Mount Kazbek and Gergeti Trinity Church from the town.

      Time there
      about 1 hour there, plus about 45 minutes’ driving each way (32 km)
      Opening and closures
      Offered only when the Roads Department reports the pass open with no avalanche warning. Not offered when the Gudauri–Kobi section of the road (km 93 to 107) is closed; closures for avalanche risk were recorded on 13 January and 10 February 2026. Daylight is short in December and January
      Booking
      Decided on the morning by our operations team with your driver, on the Roads Department’s report; you leave after breakfast and are back in Gudauri by early afternoon. If the pass closes while you are across, you stay in Stepantsminda until it reopens and the terms in your quotation apply. The four-wheel-drive ride up to the church is a local extra and depends on snow

    If a road or a site is closed

    If the lifts are stopped for wind or have not yet opened for the season, the day stays around the resort with snow play and the hotel’s indoor facilities. If the road towards Stepantsminda is closed, as it was on 13 January and 10 February 2026 for avalanche risk, or if an avalanche warning is in force, that drive is not offered. If snow around the resort is thin, which can happen early in the season, our operations team and your driver look for snow that can be reached safely by road or lift that day, and we tell you plainly if there is none.

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  5. Day 5

    By road
    129 km
    In the vehicle
    about 3 to 3¼ hours (car estimate 2 h 19 to 2 h 29, plus 30% for tour pace)
    Overnight
    Tbilisi

    Down to Mtskheta and back to Tbilisi

    Gudauri → comfort stop near Ananuri → Mtskheta → Tbilisi

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    You leave Gudauri by about 09:00 and drive back down the Military Road, about 3 to 3¼ hours of driving in all, with a short comfort stop for the children on the way. The main stop is Mtskheta, the old capital, whose historical monuments are on the UNESCO World Heritage List; you walk the lanes around Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, and going inside is your choice. We have not verified a halal restaurant in Mtskheta, so lunch is a late one back in Tbilisi, at about 14:00, at a restaurant from our list; ask the hotel in Gudauri for snacks for the children before you set off. The afternoon is free for Mtatsminda Park if it was missed on Day 2, or for shopping if you wish; any shopping stop is your choice. The last night is in Tbilisi so that the mountain road is behind you before the flight.

    Stops

    • Comfort stop on the way down (near Ananuri)

      A short break for the children about halfway down; not a second visit to the fortress.

      Time there
      10 to 15 minutes
      Opening and closures
      Which roadside stop has toilets open in winter is confirmed before you travel

    • Mtskheta old town

      Walk through the lanes of the old capital around the cathedral walls.

      Time there
      about 45 minutes

    • Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

      Part of the UNESCO-listed Historical Monuments of Mtskheta; seen from the yard, with the interior as your choice.

      Time there
      20 to 30 minutes
      Opening and closures
      A working church; opening times are not officially published and services can limit visits. Confirmed before the day

    • Tbilisi (late lunch and free afternoon)

      Lunch at a restaurant from our Tbilisi list, then free time: Mtatsminda Park, a shopping mall or rest at the hotel, as you prefer.

      Time there
      about 3 hours
      Opening and closures
      Mtatsminda Park’s winter hours and rides are confirmed before you travel
      Booking
      We book the lunch table on request

    If a road or a site is closed

    If traffic on the mountain section is held in the morning, we leave when it reopens and shorten or drop the Mtskheta stop so that the drive is finished in daylight. If the road stays closed until it is too late to drive it in daylight, you stay in Gudauri that night and the terms in your quotation apply; this is why the last night is planned in Tbilisi, a day before your flight. In rain or snow in Mtskheta the walk is kept short and the time is given to an indoor stop in Tbilisi instead (see Day 2).

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  6. Day 6

    By road
    18 km
    In the vehicle
    about half an hour

    Departure

    Tbilisi → Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)

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    The transfer is timed to your airline’s check-in, and the drive to Tbilisi International Airport takes about half an hour. For a pre-dawn flight the transfer is during the night and a breakfast box is requested from the hotel. For a daytime flight the morning is free until the transfer. If your flight leaves in the evening, we suggest a short visit near the hotel; a late check-out depends on the hotel and is quoted separately.

    Stops

    • Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)

      Private transfer timed to your flight.

      Time there
      as your airline requires
      Booking
      Send us any change to your flight

    If a road or a site is closed

    If your flight is delayed or cancelled, tell us via WhatsApp; we move the transfer and help you arrange an extra night, and the terms in your quotation apply.

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Reference hotels (not yet contracted)

Tbilisi

3 nights

Nights 1 and 2 and night 5 (the same hotel where rooms allow)

Hotels that describe themselves as 5-star on their own websites

  • Swissôtel Tbilisi
  • Pullman Tbilisi Axis Towers

Other reference hotels (no star rating stated by the hotel)

  • Museum Hotel (Orbeliani)
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Reference hotels; no contract is in place yet, and the hotel named in your quotation is the one you stay in. Georgia has no compulsory official star rating, so we group hotels in two ways only: hotels that describe themselves as five-star on their own websites, and other hotels whose websites state no star rating. Tell us what matters to your family, such as connecting rooms, a quiet street or a hotel without a casino or nightclub, and we take it into account when we propose the hotel.

Gudauri

2 nights

Nights 3 and 4

Other reference hotels (no star rating stated by the hotel)

  • Gudauri Lodge
  • Marco Polo Hotel Gudauri
  • Hotel Carpe Diem
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Reference hotels; no contract is in place yet, and the hotel named in your quotation is the one you stay in. Georgia has no compulsory official star rating, so we group hotels in two ways only: hotels that describe themselves as five-star on their own websites, and other hotels whose websites state no star rating. None of the Gudauri hotels on our list describes itself as five-star on its own website. Tell us what matters to your family, such as family rooms, a quiet floor or a hotel without a casino or nightclub, and we take it into account when we propose the hotel.

Included and not included

What is included

  • A private vehicle with a local driver for your own party: airport transfers and the road journeys in this itinerary, with mountain sections driven in daylight.
  • Five nights’ accommodation with breakfast in the hotel category you choose; the hotels are named in your quotation.
  • A certified local guide on the touring days stated in your quotation; Arabic commentary can be arranged, subject to availability.
  • The Rike–Narikala cable car and the Mtatsminda funicular on Day 2, when they are running.
  • A list of halal restaurants in Tbilisi that states how each halal claim was checked, and table bookings on request. Meals in the mountains are arranged in advance with the hotel and confirmed before you travel; your quotation states whether they are in the price.
  • A check of each traveller’s insurance policy against Georgia’s entry rule before departure.
  • A pre-departure sheet: entry documents, what to pack for snow, medicines and local emergency numbers.
  • An itemised quotation in which every optional extra and any shopping stop is marked as optional.

What is not included

  • International flights.
  • Lunches and dinners, unless your quotation lists them.
  • Health and accident insurance, unless your quotation lists a policy.
  • Lift passes, sledge and snow-clothing hire, ski lessons and equipment.
  • The private room at the sulphur baths and the rides at Mtatsminda Park.
  • The optional drive to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) and the four-wheel-drive ride up to Gergeti Trinity Church, offered only when the pass is reported open.
  • Early check-in and late check-out, which depend on the hotel and are quoted separately.
  • Entrance fees not listed above, tips and personal spending.
  • Paragliding, snowmobiles and other adventure sports, which are not part of this itinerary.
  • Extra nights or changes caused by weather, road closures or flight changes, including a closure of the pass while you are in Stepantsminda; the terms in your quotation apply.

Before you go

Four things to settle before you book flights. Each note gives its sources and the date we checked them.

Entry

Entry to Georgia without a Georgian visa, by type of traveller.
TravellerStay without a visaCondition
Citizens of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and OmanStay without a visaUp to one full yearConditionA valid passport.
Other nationalities holding a valid visa or residence permit of a GCC stateStay without a visa90 days in any 180-day periodConditionThe visa or permit is valid on the day you enter Georgia. Carry it with your passport.
Citizens of the 17 countries listed below who hold a GCC visa or residence permitStay without a visa90 days in any 180-day period, if the condition is metConditionThe visa is a multiple-entry visa, and the visa or residence permit has at least one year of validity left on the day you enter Georgia. Otherwise a Georgian visa is needed before travel.

The 17 countriesAfghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda and Yemen.

The rule in full, with its sourcesHide the details

Citizens of the six GCC states (the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman) enter Georgia without a visa and may stay for up to one full year. Residents of other nationalities who hold a valid visa or residence permit of a GCC state may enter without a Georgian visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, provided that the visa or permit is valid on the day they enter Georgia; please carry it with your passport. There is an exception to check for everyone in your party, household staff included: under an amendment adopted on 17 April 2025, citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda and Yemen may use this exemption only if their GCC visa (which must be a multiple-entry visa) or residence permit has at least one year of validity left on the day they enter Georgia; otherwise they need a Georgian visa obtained before travel. The Embassy of Georgia to the UAE also asks that the visa or permit be valid on the day you leave Georgia and that the passport be valid for at least 90 days. When you book, we ask for each traveller’s nationality and the expiry date of any GCC residence permit, so that this can be checked with you before flights are paid for. Travellers who fit none of these cases should check before booking whether they need a visa, through Georgia’s e-visa portal or the nearest Georgian embassy. Since 1 January 2026 every tourist must also carry health and accident insurance with cover of at least GEL 30,000, in English or Georgian (see Insurance). Visa-free entry does not mean automatic admission: the decision at the border rests with the Georgian Border Police. Checked on 6 October 2026 against the pages of the Consular Department of Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Embassy of Georgia to the UAE, and the statement of Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs of 24 April 2025.

SourcesChecked on 6 October 2026

Read the guideEntering Georgia from the Gulf: what you need at the border

Insurance

On this itineraryIf you plan a ski lesson, sledging or a lift ride, check that your policy covers winter sports.

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Since 1 January 2026 every tourist entering Georgia has to hold health and accident insurance: cover of at least GEL 30,000, a policy in English or Georgian, valid for the whole stay including the arrival and departure days, shown on paper or on your phone. A policy issued in Arabic alone does not meet the language rule, so please ask your insurer for an English policy or certificate. Send us a copy before you fly and we check the amount, the dates and the language against the rule. If you would like us to arrange a compliant policy, we add it to your quotation on request.

SourcesChecked on 6 October 2026

Read the guideEntering Georgia from the Gulf: what you need at the border

Flights

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The trip starts and ends at Tbilisi International Airport (TBS). As of 6 October 2026, according to the airport’s own airline list and flight board, direct flights to Tbilisi from the Gulf are operated by flydubai from Dubai, Air Arabia from Sharjah, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi from Abu Dhabi, flynas from Riyadh and Jeddah, Qatar Airways from Doha, and Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways from Kuwait; Gulf Air links Bahrain and Tbilisi on certain days, and some of its flights make a stop on the way. Some of these routes do not run every day, and we have not found a non-stop flight from Muscat. The flight from the UAE takes roughly 3 to 3½ hours; the airline’s booking page gives the exact time. Schedules change with each airline season (the winter season starts on 25 October 2026, and summer 2027 timetables are published later), so please check the route and the days of operation with the airline before you fix your dates. Batumi has had seasonal direct flights from the Gulf in past summers, but the 2027 schedule is not published, so the trip is planned as Tbilisi in and Tbilisi out. International flights are not part of our land quotation; we plan your airport transfers around the flights you book.

SourcesChecked on 6 October 2026

Guide and driver

On this itineraryOn days without the guide, your driver and our operations team look after the day’s arrangements.

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Your driver is a local professional driver and your guide is a certified local guide. Commentary in Arabic can be arranged, subject to the guide’s availability on your dates; we tell you in writing which language is confirmed before you pay a deposit. If an Arabic-speaking guide is not available, the touring days run with an English-speaking local guide. Your quotation states the days on which the guide is with you. If a member of our Dubai team travels with you, that person coordinates the trip and does not act as the guide.

SourcesChecked on 6 October 2026

Halal food and prayer

Tbilisi has a number of restaurants that describe themselves as halal or are listed as halal by an independent guide; in the mountains the choice is very small, so we ask you to let us arrange the mountain meals in advance. We found no official register of halal certification in Georgia. For Tbilisi we give you a restaurant list that states how each halal claim was checked: the restaurant’s own statement or an independent listing; we have not yet visited these restaurants ourselves. In Gudauri one restaurant describes itself as halal, and we confirm before you travel whether it is open and taking bookings on your dates; otherwise dinner is arranged in advance with your hotel, and we tell you what the hotel has confirmed. Georgian cooking uses pork widely, including in some khinkali dumplings, so ask before ordering outside these places. For prayer, the Juma Mosque is in old Tbilisi beside the sulphur baths; we found no mosque in Gudauri or in Bakuriani, so prayers there are in your room. If you wish to pray the Friday prayer at the mosque, tell us and we set the start day so that Friday falls on a Tbilisi day where flights allow.

Mosques and restaurants we have listed, each with the basis for listing it.
PlaceAddressBasis for listing
Juma MosqueMosqueTbilisiAddressBotanical Street, Abanotubani, TbilisiBasis for listingGeorgia’s national tourism portal states that Friday and festival prayers are held here; it does not give the Friday prayer time.Sourcegeorgia.travel (opens in a new window)Checked on 6 October 2026
SpectraRestaurantTbilisiAddress27 Vazha Pshavela, TbilisiBasis for listingAn independent listing (Zabihah) states that all food at the restaurant is certified halal and that no alcohol is allowed. Egyptian, Italian and Middle Eastern food. Not yet visited by us.Sourcezabihah.com (opens in a new window)Checked on 6 October 2026
Food PalaceRestaurantTbilisiAddress51 Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue, TbilisiBasis for listingAn independent listing (Zabihah) reports the management as saying that all meat bought is halal and that no alcohol is served. Indian, Pakistani and Middle Eastern food. Not yet visited by us.Sourcezabihah.com (opens in a new window)Checked on 6 October 2026
Spice Garden (Tbilisi)RestaurantTbilisiAddress123 Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue, TbilisiBasis for listingThe restaurant’s own website describes its food as fully halal; an independent listing (Zabihah) states that the owners have confirmed its halal status and that no alcohol is allowed. Indian, Pakistani, Persian and Middle Eastern food. Not yet visited by us.Sourcezabihah.com (opens in a new window)Checked on 6 October 2026

Where this itinerary does not go

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This itinerary keeps to Tbilisi, Mtskheta and the main road to Gudauri; the Bakuriani option keeps to the main east–west highway and the Borjomi valley road. We do not enter or approach the occupied territories of Georgia, namely Abkhazia (Apkhazeti) and the Tskhinvali region (so-called South Ossetia): our vehicles keep to these main roads, with no stops or detours towards the administrative boundary line, and we do not sell or arrange travel to those territories.

Practical notes

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  • Time: Georgia is on GMT+4, the same as the UAE and Oman.
  • Money: the currency is the Georgian lari (GEL). Carry some cash for small purchases in the mountains.
  • Altitude: Tbilisi airport is at 495 m, Bakuriani at 1,700 m and Gudauri at about 2,200 m; the lifts at Gudauri reach 3,276 m. Tell us in advance about any heart or lung condition.
  • Daylight: in late December the sun rises at about 08:30 and sets at about 17:30; by mid-February sunset is at about 18:30. Mountain roads are driven in daylight.
  • Children: tell us each child’s age when you ask for a quotation, so that we can request child seats from the vehicle supplier; your quotation states what has been confirmed.
  • Clothing: bring warm layers, waterproof gloves, hats and boots for every member of the family; we tell you before you travel what can be hired at the resort.
  • Medicines: carry the prescription in English, and no more than you need for the stay.
  • Emergencies: dial 112 anywhere in Georgia, free of charge, for ambulance, police, fire and rescue.

Price

Quoted by the number of travellers, your dates and the hotel category. Send us these three and we reply with an itemised quotation.

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Another way to run this itinerary

Bakuriani in place of Gudauri, for toddlers and grandparents

Replaces Days 3, 4, 5 of the main itinerary

Who it suits
Families travelling with a toddler, with grandparents, or with anyone who prefers a lower altitude.
Why
Bakuriani sits at 1,700 m against about 2,200 m at Gudauri, and Georgia’s tourism portal describes it as a resort for three generations. Last season its lifts opened about a week before Gudauri’s (20 and 22 December against 27 December) and closed earlier (29 March against 19 April). The drive is longer, about 3¾ hours each way from Tbilisi: the main east–west highway, then the valley road to Borjomi and a 30 km mountain road up. Because daylight is short in December and January, this option leaves Tbilisi before 09:00, and the first snow play may be on the following morning. We have not been able to verify a halal restaurant or a mosque in Bakuriani or Borjomi, so lunches and dinners there need to be arranged in advance and are confirmed before you travel.
Road distance, whole trip, with this version
424 km
Longest day on the road
Days 3 and 5: 189 km and about 3¾ hours each

  1. Day 3

    By road
    189 km
    In the vehicle
    about 3¾ hours (car estimate 2 h 49 to 2 h 55 via Borjomi, plus 30% for tour pace)
    Overnight
    Bakuriani

    Tbilisi to Bakuriani by way of Borjomi

    Tbilisi → Borjomi → Bakuriani

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    You leave Tbilisi before 09:00 and follow the main highway west, then turn up the valley to the spa town of Borjomi for lunch and a half-hour walk in its central park. Lunch there needs to be arranged in advance, and we confirm before you travel what the kitchen has confirmed about halal food. The last 30 km climb a mountain road to Bakuriani at 1,700 m; the driving is about 3¾ hours in all, in two stages, and is finished in daylight, with arrival between about 14:00 and 14:30. After check-in the children have their first hour in the snow near the hotel if daylight allows (in late December the sun sets at about 17:30); otherwise the first snow play is the next morning. Dinner is at the hotel, arranged in advance.

    Stops

    • Borjomi: lunch and a short walk in the Central Park

      Lunch in the spa town, then a walk of about 30 minutes in its park, as the break in the drive.

      Time there
      about 1½ hours: lunch and a 30-minute walk
      Opening and closures
      The park’s opening hours and winter arrangements are not verified; confirmed before the day. We have not verified a halal restaurant in Borjomi
      Booking
      Lunch needs to be arranged in advance; we confirm before you travel where it is and what the kitchen has confirmed about halal food

    • Bakuriani (around the resort)

      Snow play near the hotel if daylight allows; otherwise the first snow play is the next morning.

      Time there
      up to about 1½ hours, ending before dusk
      Opening and closures
      Depends on snow cover, weather and daylight on the day
      Booking
      No booking; sledge hire is requested for you and confirmed before you travel

    If a road or a site is closed

    If snow slows or holds the mountain road above Borjomi, we wait in Borjomi and go up when it is clear, in daylight; if it cannot be driven in daylight, you stay in Borjomi that night under the terms in your quotation. In rain or hard cold the park walk is dropped.

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  2. Day 4

    By road
    0 km
    In the vehicle
    0 hours
    Overnight
    Bakuriani

    A full day in the snow at Bakuriani

    Bakuriani (no road journey)

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    There is no road journey today: the morning is for snow play around the resort, with no skiing skills needed. Once the operator has opened the season, a lift ride at Didveli or Kokhta for the view can be added where the operator sells rides to non-skiers, which we confirm before you travel, and a first ski lesson can be booked at your own expense with a ski school that holds the required certificate and liability insurance. Georgia’s tourism portal also lists an ice-skating rink in the resort; we confirm its hours before the day. On departures before the lifts open, the day is snow play around the resort.

    Stops

    • Bakuriani snow area (around the resort)

      Snow play and sledging for the family; no skiing skills needed.

      Time there
      2 to 3 hours
      Opening and closures
      Depends on snow cover and weather on the day
      Booking
      Sledge and snow-clothing hire is requested for you; what can be hired, and where, is confirmed before you travel

    • Didveli or Kokhta lifts (sightseeing ride)

      Lift ride up the mountain for the view.

      Time there
      about 1 hour
      Opening and closures
      Runs in the operator’s winter season, daily from 10:00 to 17:00 (2025–26 season: Kokhta from 20 December, Didveli from 22 December, both to 29 March; 2026–27 dates not yet announced). Stops in strong wind
      Booking
      Whether a single sightseeing ride is sold to non-skiers in winter is confirmed with the operator before you travel. The lift pass is a physical card, bought at the resort or through the operator’s official sales channels; e-tickets and QR codes are not accepted at the gates and passes are not refundable. Under the operator’s 2025–26 rules children under 6 ride free; the rules for the new season have not been announced

    • Bakuriani ice-skating rink (optional)

      Georgia’s tourism portal lists an ice-skating rink among the resort’s facilities.

      Time there
      about 1 hour
      Opening and closures
      Location and hours are not verified; confirmed before the day
      Booking
      Paid on the spot

    • Beginner ski lesson (optional)

      A first lesson, at your own expense, with a ski school that holds the required certificate and liability insurance; we confirm the school before you travel.

      Time there
      1 to 2 hours
      Opening and closures
      Offered once the operator has opened the season; not offered on departures before that
      Booking
      Book ahead in school holidays; lesson and equipment are paid locally. Check that your insurance covers winter sports

    If a road or a site is closed

    If the lifts are stopped for wind or have not yet opened, the day stays around the resort. Some hotels have indoor play areas for children; we confirm this when the hotel is chosen.

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  3. Day 5

    By road
    189 km
    In the vehicle
    about 3¾ hours (car estimate 2 h 49 to 2 h 55 via Borjomi, plus 30% for tour pace)
    Overnight
    Tbilisi

    Back to Tbilisi

    Bakuriani → Borjomi → Tbilisi

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    After breakfast you drive down to Borjomi and back along the main highway to Tbilisi, about 3¾ hours of driving with a rest stop. Leaving by about 09:00, you reach Tbilisi in the early afternoon for a late lunch at a restaurant from our list, with free time afterwards for Mtatsminda Park, or for shopping if you wish. Ask the hotel for snacks for the children before you set off. The Mtskheta stop of the main itinerary is not part of this option; it can be added as a detour, which makes the day about 204 km and 4¼ to 4½ hours of driving.

    Stops

    • Rest stop on the highway

      A break of about half an hour on the way.

      Time there
      about 30 minutes

    • Tbilisi (late lunch and free afternoon)

      Lunch at a restaurant from our Tbilisi list, then free time: Mtatsminda Park, a shopping mall or rest at the hotel, as you prefer.

      Time there
      about 2 to 3 hours
      Opening and closures
      Mtatsminda Park’s winter hours and rides are confirmed before you travel
      Booking
      We book the lunch table on request

    If a road or a site is closed

    If snow holds the mountain road in the morning, we leave when it is clear; the afternoon in Tbilisi becomes shorter. If the road stays closed until it is too late to drive it in daylight, you stay in Bakuriani that night and the terms in your quotation apply.

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Reference hotels (not yet contracted)

Bakuriani

2 nights

Nights 3 and 4 (Tbilisi hotels as in the main itinerary)

Hotels that describe themselves as 5-star on their own websites

  • Kokhta Bakuriani Hotel
  • Crystal Hotel & Spa
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Reference hotels; no contract is in place yet, and the hotel named in your quotation is the one you stay in. Georgia has no compulsory official star rating, so we group hotels in two ways only: hotels that describe themselves as five-star on their own websites, and other hotels whose websites state no star rating. For Bakuriani we have not yet verified hotels for the second group; they will be added once verified.

Halal food and prayer

We have not verified a halal restaurant or a mosque in Bakuriani or Borjomi. Halal lunches and dinners need to be arranged in advance with the hotel or restaurant and are confirmed before departure; prayers are in your room.

Guides for this trip

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