# Batumi to Khulo in Adjara, Georgia: the complete 2026 transport guide

Source: https://glampingtago.ge/blog/batumi-to-khulo · Updated 2026-10-11 · Glamping Tago

## TL;DR

- Marshrutkas leave Batumi's old bus station at 1 Mayakovsky St for Khulo every 30 minutes from 08:00 to 20:00, cost about 10 GEL in cash and take about 2 hours 30 minutes for the 86 km. A subsidised municipal bus also runs twice a day for 6 GEL, not on Sunday, from beside the Boni culture house.
- The 86 km from Batumi to Khulo is asphalt, so any car manages it. Above Khulo it changes: the 8.7 km up to Village Tago needs a 4x4, and so does the Goderdzi pass in winter.
- The Khulo to Tago cable car has not carried a passenger since 2024 and has no reopening date. The 4x4 taxi from the cable car station is 75 GEL per car for up to 4 people, 30 to 35 minutes, at any hour.
- No scheduled bus runs past Khulo to the ski resort in summer. A shared vehicle leaves the Khulo tourist information centre at 11:00 and returns from Goderdzi at 16:00 for 7 GEL, and a local car costs 20 to 30 GEL.
- Khulo to Akhaltsikhe over the Goderdzi pass is 80.6 km, summer only and without a dependable bus. In heavy snow the Roads Department closes the road between km 86 and km 123, and rental contracts exclude the crossing.
- Khulo is the last supermarket, petrol station and cash machine before the pass, and everything above it is paid in cash.

Marshrutkas leave Batumi's old bus station for Khulo every 30 minutes from 08:00 to 20:00, cost about 10 GEL and take about 2 hours 30 minutes for the 86 km of asphalt. Here is every way up the valley in 2026, what each costs, which stretches need a 4x4, and how to carry on to Tago, Goderdzi, Beshumi, Green Lake or Akhaltsikhe.

## How do you get from Batumi to Khulo in 2026?

Take the marshrutka from Batumi's old bus station. It leaves every 30 minutes between 08:00 and 20:00, costs about 10 GEL, and takes about 2 hours 30 minutes for the 86 km up the Adjaristsqali valley. A taxi app car covers the same road in about two hours for up to 175 GEL.

The road to Khulo is asphalt the whole way, so a normal car manages it easily. Everything above Khulo is a different road and a different plan: [Village Tago](/how-to-get-to-glamping-tago) needs a 4x4, the Goderdzi pass closes under snow, the Khulo cable car is out of service, and no scheduled bus runs past Khulo to the ski resort.

| Way up | 2026 price | Time | When it runs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Marshrutka from the old bus station | about 10 GEL | 2h30, up to 3h | Every 30 minutes, 08:00-20:00 |
| Municipal bus from the Boni culture house | 6 GEL | about 2h30 | 07:00 and 18:30, daily except Sunday |
| Taxi app (Bolt, Yandex Go, Maxim) | up to 175 GEL per car | about 2h | Any time |
| Private car booked in advance | 190-251 GEL per car | about 2h | Any time |
| Private 4x4 from Batumi straight to Village Tago | 265 GEL per car, up to 4 people | 2h30 | April to October |
| Your own car | fuel only | 2 to 2h30 | All year, asphalt all the way |
| Bicycle | 70 GEL a day to hire | a full hard day | Late spring to autumn |

Khulo is a townlet at about 910 m with around a thousand residents, the seat of a district of [78 villages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khulo) covering 710 square kilometres of the highest part of Adjara. It is where the valley road stops being a coastal drive and starts being a mountain one, and it is the last place with a supermarket, a petrol station and cash machines.

> **Good to know:** You [pay the driver in cash in lari](https://thegeorgianguide.com/practical-info/marshrutka-guide-georgia/) and there is no advance booking, so bring small notes and be at the van 20 to 30 minutes before it leaves.

## Where do the Khulo minibus and bus leave from in Batumi, and when does the last one run?

The marshrutka leaves the old bus station at 1 Mayakovsky St, a few minutes from the centre of Batumi. Look for the windscreen sign that reads ბათუმი - ხულო, pay the driver about 10 GEL in cash, and expect the van to leave when it fills rather than exactly on the half hour. Khulo residents pay [6 GEL](https://wander-lush.org/upper-adjara-travel-guide/).

The station is basic and honest about it: 2.9 from 93 Google reviews, cash only, old vehicles, and waits of 40 minutes to an hour and a half when a van is slow to fill. The Akhaltsikhe departures go from the same yard around 08:00 to 08:30, and passengers turn up by 07:15 for them. The station answers on [+995 422 27 85 47](https://gobatumi.com/ka/gadaadgileba-regionis-signit) and its ticket window works Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 18:00.

> **Tip:** A backpack rides on your knees or under the seats without a problem. A big suitcase is a different matter on a van that fills to 17 people, so put it in the boot early or take the next one.

> **bus station** (1 Mayakovsky St, Batumi (Adjara))
> Where the Khulo, Danisparauli, Beshumi and Akhaltsikhe minibuses leave. It rates 2.9 from 93 reviews for good reason: cash only, old vans that go when full, and waits of up to an hour and a half.
> Price: about 10 GEL to Khulo · Season: All year · Google 2.9 (93)
> phone +995 422 27 85 47 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJASUI8pOHZ0ARmPRWwRrI4Vw)

Since 11 July 2026 there is a second, cheaper option. A subsidised [municipal bus](https://shenisofeli.ge/11-ivlisidan-khulos-mosakhleobas-akhali-sazogadoebrivi/) runs Batumi to Khulo for 6 GEL in new EURO 5 vehicles, daily except Sunday: 07:00 and 18:30 out of Batumi, 07:30 and 18:30 back from Khulo. Children under 6, students, war veterans and people with group 1 disability travel free. It does not use the bus station at either end. In Batumi it starts beside the [Boni culture house](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJoQ6HQjSJZ0ARoxS6jYbA2Eo), and in Khulo beside the cable car station.

Coming back, marshrutkas are picked up near the Khulo cable car station at 07:30 and 18:30, and you do not book: you stand there and wave. The last van of the day out of Batumi leaves at 20:00, which means an evening flight into Batumi still gets you up the valley the same day if it lands before about 18:30.

Batumi has a second station on Gogol St. Long-distance and international coaches use it, the Khulo vans do not, and arriving there costs you an hour.

> **New Bus Station Batumi** (1 Gogol St, Batumi (Adjara))
> Batumi's other station, used by long-distance and international coaches. The Khulo vans do not leave from here, so do not let a taxi driver drop you at it.
> Season: All year · Google 4.3 (3)
> phone +995 555 21 02 02 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJoT5wR56JZ0ARYnjFhJCvvsM)

> **Watch out:** Do not plan on a marshrutka to Khulo after 20:00 or on the municipal bus on a Sunday. After that the options are a taxi app car or a private transfer, and the road is dark, narrow and unlit for the last 40 km.

## How long does the drive from Batumi to Khulo really take, and what is the road like?

Measured on the road it is 86 km from the old bus station to the centre of Khulo, all of it on the S1 Batumi to Akhaltsikhe road. A car does it in about two hours, a marshrutka in about 2 hours 30 minutes, and up to three hours when roadworks or traffic bite.

The road climbs from sea level to about 900 m along the Adjaristsqali river, through Keda and Shuakhevi, with bends the whole way and villages every few kilometres. It is fully asphalted, with potholes in places rather than gravel. The rebuild of the [Batumi (Angisa) to Akhaltsikhe road](https://commersant.ge/news/society/revaz-sokhadze-da-zurab-pataradze-acharashi-mimdinare-da-dagegmil-sagzao-proeqtebs-gaetsnen-infrastruqturis-saministro) is under way with 8 km of asphalt-concrete already laid, so expect short single-lane sections behind machinery.

The [last kilometres into Khulo](https://madloba.info/en/batumi/avtostantsii-avtobusy-i-avtobusnye-kassy/marshrutka-batumi-khulo/) are under repair, which is where the extra half hour goes on a slow day. The marshrutka stops once, roughly halfway, for food and a toilet. Fill the tank in Batumi, Keda or Khulo: those are the dependable stations, and there is nothing between Khulo and the far side of the Goderdzi pass.

> **Tip:** Sit on the left going up. The river, the arched bridges and the villages are on that side, and so is the light in the morning.

## What does a taxi or a private transfer from Batumi to Khulo cost?

A ride-hailing car is the simplest upgrade: [Bolt](https://bolt.eu/en-ge/), [Yandex Go](https://go.yandex/) and [Maxim](https://taximaxim.com/ge/) show up to about 175 GEL for the car on the roughly two-hour run. Drivers often ask for more than the app shows, because there is no return passenger waiting for them in the mountains.

Booked in advance, a private car is a fixed price: [GoTrip](https://gotrip.ge/transfer/from-batumi-to-khulo) quotes 190 to 251 GEL depending on the vehicle. Our own 4x4 transfer goes past Khulo and all the way to the camp for 265 GEL per car for up to 4 people, and from Khulo alone it is 75 GEL.

If the Goderdzi ski resort rather than Khulo is your destination, the prices jump. The resort's own [transfer service](https://goderdzi.ski/transfer/) charges 350 GEL for a 4x4 carrying up to 3 people and 420 GEL for a 4x4 minivan up to 7, one way, or 650 and 750 GEL for a day trip there and back. [TIEG Travel](https://tieg-travel.ge/en/transfer-from-batumi-to-goderdzi-ski-resort/) asks 140 EUR for a car for 1 to 4 people, 170 EUR for a Mercedes Vito up to 7, 180 EUR for a high-clearance Mitsubishi Delica up to 7 and 340 EUR for a Sprinter for 8 to 17.

## What does the journey cost in 2026?

The cheapest way from the coast to the top of the valley is under 20 GEL per person and the most comfortable is over 300 GEL per car. Almost everything above Khulo is paid in cash.

### 2026 prices

| What | Price | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Marshrutka Batumi to Khulo | about 10 GEL | Every 30 minutes, 08:00-20:00, cash to the driver |
| Municipal bus Batumi to Khulo | 6 GEL | Twice a day, not on Sunday |
| Marshrutka Batumi to Shuakhevi | [4 GEL](https://visitajara.com/public/en/routes/10) | Every hour, 07:50-18:50 |
| Marshrutka Batumi to Danisparauli | [10 GEL](https://gobatumi.com/en/catalog/794-samto-satkhilamuro-kurorti-goderdzi) | 11:15 and 15:10 |
| Marshrutka Beshumi to Batumi | [15 GEL](https://visitajara.com/en/resorts/3) | 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, summer only |
| Shared vehicle Khulo to Goderdzi | [7 GEL](https://georgia4you.ge/skiing-in-georgia/goderdzi-ski-resort/) | 11:00 out, 16:00 back |
| Minibus Khulo to Beshumi | [6 GEL](https://visitajara.com/en/resorts/3) | Every hour 09:00-16:00 in season, about 90 minutes |
| Taxi app Batumi to Khulo | up to 175 GEL per car | Bolt, Yandex Go, Maxim |
| Private car Batumi to Khulo | [190-251 GEL per car](https://gotrip.ge/transfer/from-batumi-to-khulo) | Booked in advance |
| Local car Khulo to Goderdzi | 20-30 GEL per car | Agreed on the spot |
| Transfer company Khulo to Goderdzi | [70-100 GEL per car](https://georgia.travel/skiing-in-goderdzi-resort) | Booked ahead |
| 4x4 taxi Khulo to Village Tago | 75 GEL per car, up to 4 people | 30-35 minutes, any hour |
| Private 4x4 Batumi to Village Tago | 265 GEL per car, up to 4 people | 2h30 |
| Private 4x4 Akhaltsikhe to Village Tago | 360 GEL per car | 4h30, summer only |
| Private 4x4 Kutaisi to Village Tago | 465 GEL per car | 5h30 |
| Private 4x4 Tbilisi to Village Tago | 925 GEL per car | 8h30 |
| Batumi airport bus No 10 into the city | [0.30 GEL](https://batumiairport.com/en-EN/to-from-the-airport/page/bus) | About 20 minutes |
| Train or bus Kutaisi airport to Batumi | 31 GEL by train, 25 GEL by bus | Four a day each |
| Mountain bike hire in Batumi | 70 GEL a day | Support car and guide on request |
| Hire car in Batumi | [from 18 USD a day](https://www.localrent.com/en/georgia/batumi/) | 25 USD for an SUV; 35-40 USD in peak season |
| Goderdzi lift pass | [from 30 GEL a day](https://goderdzi.ski/skipass) | 160 GEL for 7 days at Goderdzi, 210 GEL for the season; 370 GEL for any 7 days on the Multiski pass for four resorts |
| Ski or snowboard hire at Goderdzi | [20-30 GEL a day](https://georgia4you.ge/skiing-in-georgia/goderdzi-ski-resort/) | 50 GEL for a premium set |
| Guesthouse room in Khulo | 100-140 GEL | Two people, cash |
| Guesthouse room in Danisparauli | [40-70 GEL](https://visitajara.com/en/hotels/163) | Cash, dinner and breakfast extra |
| Winter bus Batumi to the Goderdzi resort | [about 25 GEL](https://goderdzi.ski/transfer/) | Around 11:00 in the ski season, timetable not fixed |
| Private 4x4 Batumi to the Goderdzi resort | [350 GEL per car, up to 3](https://goderdzi.ski/transfer/) | 420 GEL for a minivan up to 7 |
| Street parking in Batumi | [1 GEL a day, 10 GEL for 30 days](https://gobatumi.com/ka/gadaadgileba-regionis-signit) | Paid by plate; 50 GEL fine if you skip it |

Two people going up by marshrutka and sharing a 4x4 taxi to Village Tago spend about 95 GEL between them for the whole journey: 10 GEL each for the van and 75 GEL for the car up. The same trip by private 4x4 from the coast is 265 GEL for the car.

## How do you reach Khulo from Batumi airport, Kutaisi airport or Tbilisi?

Every route funnels through Batumi bus station, and the only exception is a private car that drives you the whole way.

**From Batumi airport** the centre of Khulo is 81 km by road. Municipal bus No 10 leaves from in front of the terminal for the city in about 20 minutes for [0.30 GEL](https://batumiairport.com/en-EN/to-from-the-airport/page/bus), and taxis wait outside the doors for the 10 to 15 minute ride into town. A [private car straight to Khulo](https://privatetransfer.ge/en/transfer/batumi-airport-to-khulo) is 91 km and 2 hours 24 minutes on paved mountain road.

> **Alexander Kartveli Batumi International Airport (BUS)** (33 Nikoloz Baratashvili St, Batumi (Adjara))
> The nearest airport, 81 km from Khulo by road. Municipal bus No 10 runs into the city for 0.30 GEL in about 20 minutes and taxis wait outside the terminal; the 3.7 rating is about the terminal, not the route.
> Season: All year · Google 3.7 (3658)
> [website](https://batumiairport.com/) · phone +995 422 23 51 00 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJo1RRrIeFZ0ARteGJCoQW6Mc)

**From Kutaisi airport** it is 131 km to Khulo and the day needs two legs. The train to Batumi railway station takes 2 hours and costs 31 GEL, four times a day. The [Georgian Bus](https://georgianbus.com/en/page/timetable) service takes 2 hours for 25 GEL, also four times a day, and stops at the Batumi cable car. From Kutaisi bus station, marshrutkas run to Batumi every hour from 08:00 to 18:00 for 20 GEL and stop at the bus station the Khulo vans leave from.

> **Kutaisi International Airport (KUT)** (Zeda Bashi, Imereti)
> The low-cost gateway, 131 km from Khulo, rating 4.0 from 5,807 reviews. Trains and Georgian Bus services run down to Batumi in about two hours, and the Khulo vans go from there.
> Season: All year · Google 4 (5796)
> [website](http://www.kutaisi.aero/) · phone +995 431 23 70 00 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJZRq2H1H3XEARGoDeAs3Ro6U)

**From Tbilisi** go to Batumi first. The train from Tbilisi Central takes 6 hours for 35 GEL, four to six times a day; the marshrutka from Didube takes 7 hours for 35 GEL, hourly from 07:00 to 16:00; the bus from Ortachala takes 6 hours 30 minutes for 40 GEL, four times a day. A private 4x4 from Tbilisi straight to Village Tago is 925 GEL per car and 8 hours 30 minutes.

The map's shortcut from Tbilisi, through Akhaltsikhe and over the Goderdzi pass, is [15 to 17 GEL](https://georgia.in-facts.info/cities/ahaltsihe/) as far as Akhaltsikhe by marshrutka and then nothing scheduled. It works in summer with a 4x4 and a driver who knows it. It does not work in a rental car or in winter.

## Do you need a 4x4 to reach Khulo, and which stretches are rough?

Not for Khulo. Yes for what comes after it. The 86 km from Batumi is asphalt, and a city car, a marshrutka or a 15-seat minibus all reach the town centre.

Three stretches above and around Khulo are a different matter:

- **Khulo to Village Tago, 8.7 km.** A mountain track that drops to the river, crosses an iron bridge and zigzags up to the camp at about 1,200 m, some 300 m above the town. It needs a 4x4, and 20 to 35 minutes.
- **Khulo to the Goderdzi pass, 30.3 km.** New asphalt with short unfinished sections in summer. In winter it wants a full-time four-wheel drive with winter tyres and a set of chains, average speeds fall [to about 25 km/h](https://www.localrent.com/ru/journal/georgia/articles/goderdzi-ski-resort/), and the last 20 to 25 km above Khulo can lie under deep snow.
- **The pass down to Akhaltsikhe.** Paved almost all the way, with a few kilometres near Bodzauri still unfinished, which a normal car handles in dry weather.

Rental cars are the trap. Many vehicles advertised as jeeps in Georgia have no four-wheel drive at all, and [Localrent](https://www.localrent.com/en/journal/georgia/articles/prohibited-routes/), one of the country's biggest rental aggregators, forbids the Akhaltsikhe to Batumi crossing over Goderdzi outright: insurance does not cover it and any damage is yours. It sends renters round through Akhaltsikhe, Borjomi, Kutaisi and Batumi instead. Batumi hire cars start at [18 USD a day](https://www.localrent.com/en/georgia/batumi/) for a Kia Picanto, 20 USD for a standard car, 25 USD for an SUV and 31 USD for a van, with deposits from nothing up to about 100 USD. In July and August the cheapest car on the forecourt is 35 to 40 USD.

There is also a gentler way into the Tago valley for a normal car or a minibus. Turn off the Batumi to Akhaltsikhe road at Zamleti, 4.7 km before Khulo, and follow the [Skhalta valley](/how-to-get-to-glamping-tago): 94 km and about two hours from Batumi to the turn-off, then 15 km and 35 minutes up through Cheri, then 3.6 km through Dzmagula and Samtsukhi. It is longer and easier, and a section of up to 7 km of the [Zamleti to Khikhadziri road](https://gazetiajara.ge/%E1%83%90%E1%83%AD%E1%83%90%E1%83%A0%E1%83%90%E1%83%A8%E1%83%98-%E1%83%9B%E1%83%98%E1%83%9B%E1%83%93%E1%83%98%E1%83%9C%E1%83%90%E1%83%A0%E1%83%94-%E1%83%93%E1%83%90-%E1%83%93%E1%83%90%E1%83%92/) is being rebuilt.

> **Watch out:** Check the contract before you drive a hire car above Khulo, and check whether the "jeep" on the forecourt actually has four-wheel drive. A broken sump on the Tago road or on the pass is not covered by any Georgian rental insurance.

## How do you get from Khulo up to Village Tago, and is the cable car working?

The cable car is not working, and it has not carried a passenger since 2024. The 4x4 taxi from the cable car station is how everyone reaches Tago now: 75 GEL per car for up to 4 people, 30 to 35 minutes, at any hour, on [+995 555 56 24 83](/how-to-get-to-glamping-tago).

The [Khulo to Tago ropeway](https://visitajara.com/en/sights/225) was built in 1985 and ran without a break until 2024. It is a single 1,720 m span with no pylon in the middle and 280 m of height difference, hanging over the Adjaristsqali gorge, and a crossing took 9 to 10 minutes for 5 GEL. It is now [stopped for the third year](https://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/639710/), listed as under repair works. Adjara's 2026 budget holds 200,000 GEL for the pre-project study of a rehabilitation, no tender has been announced and there is no reopening date. Our guide to [Tago, the cable car village](/blog/tago-the-adjaran-cable-car-village) covers what is up there.

> **Khulo-Tago cableway** (Khulo (Adjara))
> The 1985 ropeway from Khulo up to Village Tago: a single 1,720 m span with 280 m of height difference and no pylon in the middle. Out of service since 2024, listed as under repair, with no reopening date. The 4x4 taxi from the station below it is the way up now.
> Season: Out of service · Google 4.6 (85)
> [website](https://visitajara.com/en/sights/225) · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJxwlJBQhPXUARDlTxI-2v1kc)

Here is how the last leg actually works:

1. Tell the camp when you expect to reach Khulo, about 30 minutes ahead, by WhatsApp on +995 555 56 24 83. Taxis also wait at the cable car station without any arrangement.
2. If you drove and your car is not a 4x4, park it anywhere in Khulo centre. The space beside the cable car station and the supermarket is the obvious spot.
3. Take the 4x4 up. Transfers are paid in cash at reception in Tago, not to the driver.
4. Late arrivals are fine. The taxi has no timetable, so an evening marshrutka still works.

Driving yourself, use [Maps.me](https://maps.me/) with [our pin](/how-to-get-to-glamping-tago) and follow the wooden Glamping Tago signs. Google Maps directions to the camp are wrong, and the village of Chao is the classic error: it is 1.6 km west of Tago in a straight line and 13 km and about 20 minutes away by road.

You can also walk it. The way from Khulo up to Tago is 8.2 km on foot, climbing from about 910 m in the town to about 1,200 m at the camp, which is 2 to 3 hours at a steady pace; in Khulo, stairs lead down to the path. Do it with a light bag and send the luggage up in the taxi.

> **Good to know:** The single road is the village's lifeline now that the cable car is down, and it matters locally. A Khulo municipal council member says cars struggle on it and that a jeep is needed, and Tago's school opened the 2026-27 year with no pupils.

## How do you continue from Khulo to Goderdzi, Beshumi and Green Lake without a car?

There is scheduled transport up the valley, but it is thin and seasonal, so build the day around it rather than turning up and hoping.

- **Khulo to Goderdzi.** A shared vehicle leaves the [Khulo tourist information centre](https://gobatumi.com/en/turistuli-sainformacio-centrebi) at 29 M. Abashidze St at 11:00 and comes back from the resort at 16:00, for 7 GEL. The centre itself is open daily 09:00 to 19:00 on +995 577 90 90 15. A local car for the 25.4 km climb costs 20 to 30 GEL agreed on the spot, and [Georgia's tourism board](https://georgia.travel/skiing-in-goderdzi-resort) puts a booked high-clearance vehicle at 70 to 100 GEL.
- **Batumi to Danisparauli.** Vans leave the old bus station at [11:15 and 15:10](https://gobatumi.com/en/catalog/794-samto-satkhilamuro-kurorti-goderdzi) for 10 GEL and come back from the village at 08:30 and 15:30; from Khulo a van runs to Danisparauli daily at 13:00. Danisparauli sits about 20 km east of Khulo at 1,450 m, and the lifts are 5.7 km further up, which local drivers cover.
- **Khulo to Beshumi.** A minibus runs [every hour from 09:00 to 16:00](https://visitajara.com/en/resorts/3) in season for 6 GEL, from Khulo bus station on +995 423 27 00 95. It is 36.4 km by road, climbing to 1,943 m, and Adjara's own route sheet allows 90 minutes.
- **Beshumi to Batumi.** A van runs the 122 km back down to the old Batumi bus station at 09:00, 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00 in the summer season, for 15 GEL.
- **Green Lake.** No bus reaches it. It is 31.3 km from Khulo at 2,067 m, and our [Green Lake guide](/blog/green-lake) covers the day in full.
- **In winter.** A bus ran from the old Batumi bus station to the resort in the 2025/26 season, leaving around 11:00 for about 25 GEL and finishing in front of Hotel Ambassadori. The [timetable is not fixed](https://goderdzi.ski/transfer/) and trips are dropped in snowfall, so ask at the station before you count on it.

> **Khulo Tourist Information Center** (29 M. Abashidze St, Khulo (Adjara))
> Adjara's official centre beside the cable car station: free maps, mountain route information, and the 11:00 shared vehicle up to Goderdzi for 7 GEL. It carries no Google rating, so it is listed for what it does.
> Season: Daily 09:00-19:00
> [website](https://gobatumi.com/en/turistuli-sainformacio-centrebi) · phone +995 577 90 90 15 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJq-nG6tdPXUAR6FRt2vWZuTs)

The resort sits at the [Goderdzi pass at 2,025 m](https://goderdzi.ski/), 112 km from Batumi by road and 2.5 to 3 hours away. Its ski area spans 1,724 to 2,366 m with 642 m of vertical, 8.4 km of runs and three lifts: the Zanka gondola, the Chanchakhi chairlift and a beginner carpet. The lifts turn [10:00 to 16:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 17:00 at weekends](https://visitajara.com/en/resorts/1), an adult day pass is from 30 GEL, and the season runs from late December to the end of March. Average snow depth at the summit is about 230 cm, and a single snowfall can drop a metre.

Off the marked runs there is [no avalanche service](https://goderdzi.ski/), and the forest hides gullies and streams. Guides take groups up by snowcat for about 400 GEL an hour for the whole machine, shared by up to 13 people, and skis or a snowboard with boots hire for [20 to 30 GEL a day](https://georgia4you.ge/skiing-in-georgia/goderdzi-ski-resort/), 50 GEL for a premium set, from a shop open 11:00 to 19:00.

> **Goderdzi** (Danisparauli, Khulo municipality (Adjara))
> Georgia's highest-snowfall ski resort, at the Goderdzi pass 112 km from Batumi: 8.4 km of runs between 1,724 and 2,366 m on three lifts. No scheduled bus runs up from Khulo in summer, and there is no avalanche service off the marked runs.
> Price: Lift pass from 30 GEL a day · Season: Lifts late December to the end of March · Google 4.7 (716)
> [website](https://goderdzi.ski/) · phone +995 577 90 90 93 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJO2RbSz9KXUARWpI_hzHP1j8)

> **Green Lake** (Khulo municipality (Adjara))
> 31.3 km east of Khulo at 2,067 m, 4.9 from 251 reviews, and the trip most people ask about once they are up the valley. No bus goes to it, and there is no shop or toilet at the water.
> Season: Reachable by road June to mid-October · Google 4.9 (251)
> [website](https://georgia.travel/green-lake) · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJx1a5ZBM2XUARy8bCHqcSaKw)

> **Tip:** The 11:00 shared vehicle up and the 16:00 back make a clean day out of Khulo with five hours at the resort or the pass. Take food with you: above Khulo the cafes are seasonal, and Green Lake has no shop and no toilet.

## Can you drive from Khulo to Akhaltsikhe over the Goderdzi pass, and is there a bus?

You can drive it in summer in a high-clearance vehicle. It is 80.6 km from Khulo over the pass to Akhaltsikhe, climbing to about 2,025 m on the Arsiani ridge and dropping to about 980 m at the far end. There is no dependable bus over the top.

The crossing is the shortest link between Adjara and Samtskhe-Javakheti and it is being rebuilt: of the 47 km between Khulo and Zarzma, [44 km already carries the new asphalt-concrete surface](https://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/639041/), work continues on the last 3 km with slope stabilisation on the landslide sections, and that last stretch is planned for 2027. When it is finished, Batumi to Akhaltsikhe [drops by about an hour and a half](https://www.newroad.ge/ka/projects/14). The project is 47 km of road and 7 bridges, 42 km of it funded by the Kuwait Fund.

On public transport the honest answer is that the pass is a gap in the network. A through summer marshrutka Batumi to Khulo to Akhaltsikhe costs [18 GEL](https://marshrutka.info/line/5ef32fb8-d6d7-4b16-9bce-3ef62f351b09) for the whole 163 km, runs June to August, and is irregular. From the eastern side, vans run only as far as Adigeni, before the pass, and the rest is a taxi. The scheduled [Akhaltsikhe to Batumi marshrutka](https://orbitrip.ge/guide/akhaltsikhe-to-batumi-transfer-guide) goes the long way round through Khashuri and Kutaisi, about twice a day for around 20 GEL in roughly 5 hours, and the [Akhaltsikhe bus station](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJZypsewzbQkARTDp4P7GNKLo) opens its ticket desk at 06:00.

The two routes between Akhaltsikhe and the coast are worth comparing plainly. Over Goderdzi it is 167 km, seasonal, and slow: Localrent puts the [real driving time at 8 to 9 hours](https://www.localrent.com/en/journal/georgia/articles/prohibited-routes/) against the 5 hours a navigation app promises. Round on paved roads through Borjomi and Kutaisi it is [about 315 km and five hours](https://orbitrip.ge/guide/akhaltsikhe-to-batumi-transfer-guide), open all year, and the only version a rental contract allows. The long way is the faster way.

> **Goderdzis Ugheltekhili** (Arsiani ridge, between Khulo and Adigeni (Adjara))
> The crossing between Adjara and Samtskhe-Javakheti at about 2,025 m, 4.8 from 62 reviews. The Roads Department closes it to every vehicle in heavy snow, so check before you drive it outside high summer.
> Season: Open in summer, closed in heavy snow · Google 4.8 (62)
> [website](https://www.dangerousroads.org/eastern-europe/georgia/6275-goderdzi-pass.html) · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJJ1-QPF5KXUARi1h7dFnt2dk)

Two stops cost you nothing on the crossing. The Goderdzi ski resort adds 1.6 km and 5 minutes as a detour, and [Zarzma monastery](https://georgia.travel/zarzma-monastery) at the Adigeni end sits right beside the road, founded in the 8th to 9th centuries and rebuilt at the start of the 14th. Beshumi and Green Lake are not on this road: Beshumi adds 13.8 km and Green Lake 8.3 km, and both belong to their own day.

> **Zarzma Monastery** (Zarzma, Adigeni municipality (Samtskhe-Javakheti))
> Founded in the 8th to 9th centuries and rebuilt at the start of the 14th, 4.9 from 568 reviews, right beside the rebuilt road at the Adigeni end. Stopping here costs nothing on the Khulo to Akhaltsikhe crossing.
> Price: Free · Season: All year, open around the clock · Google 4.9 (568)
> [website](https://georgia.travel/zarzma-monastery) · phone +995 555 25 54 10 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ2bU3nGgzXUAR2liM0rORUNc)

> **Watch out:** In heavy snow the [Roads Department of Georgia](https://georoad.gov.ge/ka/restriction) closes the Batumi (Angisa) to Akhaltsikhe road to every vehicle between km 86 and km 106, from Paksadzeebi to the Goderdzi resort, and between km 106 and km 123, from the resort to Utkisubani. Closures go up on its restrictions page, and its lines answer around the clock: hotline +995 32 231 30 76, information +995 32 237 05 08.

## When is each road open, month by month?

The Batumi to Khulo road is open all year. Everything above Khulo has a season, and the pass is the part that shuts.

| Month | Batumi to Khulo | Khulo to Village Tago | Goderdzi pass and Beshumi |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January to March | Open, winter driving | 4x4 only, camp closed | Pass closed in heavy snow, 3-4 m of snow, ski season to the end of March |
| April | Open | Open, camp opens 1 April | Pass usually still shut, lifts closed |
| May | Open | Open | Pass opening after the clearing, snow and meltwater on the road |
| June | Open | Open | Open, rhododendrons in flower, Beshumi opens mid-month |
| July | Open | Open | Open, the reliable month |
| August | Open | Open | Open, Shuamtoba festival at the start of the month |
| September | Open | Open | Open, the clearest driving month |
| October | Open | Open, camp closes at the end | Snow possible at any time, Beshumi shut |
| November to December | Open, winter driving | 4x4 only, camp closed | First snow in November, pass closing, lifts from late December |

Upper Adjara's main travel season is early June to mid-October, and snow can cut it short at either end. Khulo itself is mild: [average days](https://www.worldweatheronline.com/khulo-weather-averages/ajaria/ge.aspx) run 23 to 24 C in July and August and 0 to 2 C in January and February, with nights around minus 7 or minus 8 C in midwinter. May is the wettest month at 22 rain days, November the driest at 8, and July to September all sit at 15 or 16. Up at the camp it is colder and windier than the town, so a fleece, a windbreaker and a hat belong in the bag even in August.

Beshumi works only from mid-June to early September. At the ski resort the operator [announces the opening date in December](https://goderdzi.ski/) once there is enough snow, and it has moved more than once: last season the lifts started on 28 December and closed at the end of March. The Roads Department [plans to buy winter equipment](https://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/639041/) so that the Akhaltsikhe side towards Khulo stays open through the winter.

## What is worth stopping for on the way from Batumi to Khulo?

Four stops sit on the road itself rather than up a side valley, so they cost minutes rather than hours.

**Dandalo bridge** is the first. An S-shaped medieval stone arch with a notably thin span, a few metres off the road in Keda municipality, 4.7 from 225 Google reviews, and adding it to the drive costs nothing at all. It is the same kind of bridge as the famous one at Makhuntseti, without the crowds and the stalls.

> **Dandalo Bridge** (Jalabashvilebi, Keda municipality (Adjara))
> The same kind of medieval stone arch as the famous bridge at Makhuntseti, S-shaped in plan and a few metres off the road. Stopping here adds nothing to the drive and there are no crowds.
> Price: Free · Season: All year · Google 4.7 (225)
> [website](https://gobatumi.com/en/news/10-taghovani-khidi,-romelic-acharashi-mogzaurobisas-aucileblad-unda-nakhot) · phone +995 577 22 52 89 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJI-hStMFcXUARB26s7b9chNU)

**Queen Tamar's bridge and Makhuntseti waterfall** are the busiest stop on the road and go together. The 12th century bridge is 19.5 m from pier to pier, 2.5 m wide and 5.6 m above the water, with no central pier. The waterfall is a short walk from the parking area, free, and open all year. Together they add 4 km and about 11 minutes to the drive.

> **Queen Tamar Bridge Makhuntseti** (Zeda Makhuntseti, Keda municipality (Adjara))
> The 12th century arch bridge beside the waterfall turn-off, 19.5 m from pier to pier and 5.6 m above the water, with no central pier. See both on the same stop.
> Price: Free · Season: All year · Google 4.6 (4247)
> [website](https://visitajara.com/en/sights/67) · phone +995 577 22 52 89 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJR_HwZir1Z0ARn2dzvD47oeA)

> **Makhuntseti Waterfall** (Zeda Makhuntseti, Keda municipality (Adjara))
> A 4 km detour off the Batumi to Khulo road, so genuinely on the way, and free at any hour. It is the busiest stop on the route: parking is tight and the stalls expect you to bargain.
> Price: Free · Season: All year · Google 4.6 (11129)
> [website](https://visitajara.com/en/sights/40) · phone +995 577 22 52 89 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJnes6mtSKZ0ARA9LWDm0PrWo)

**The Adjarian Wine House** is 0.3 km off the road at Acharistskali, the only large restaurant on the lower half of the drive. A tasting is 30 GEL a head for three pours of wine or chacha and a bottle in the restaurant is 30 to 40 GEL. It rates 4.1 from over 1,300 reviews, and the complaints are about the kitchen rather than the cellar, so come for the wine and the terrace.

> **Adjarian Wine House** (Acharistskali, Khelvachauri municipality (Adjara))
> The only large restaurant on the lower half of the Batumi to Khulo drive, 0.3 km off the road. A tasting is 30 GEL a head for three pours; the kitchen draws more complaints than the cellar.
> Price: Tasting 30 GEL, bottle 30-40 GEL · Season: All year · Google 4.1 (1306)
> [website](http://awh.ge/) · phone +995 577 21 40 02 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJAbUVmv-MZ0ARV1Rk4rm_BuM)

**Shuakhevi**, halfway up, is where to break the drive. Its [tourist information centre](https://gobatumi.com/en/turistuli-sainformacio-centrebi) at 22 Rustaveli St is open daily 09:00 to 18:30 with free maps and route information for the mountains, and marshrutkas from Batumi come here every hour from 07:50 to 18:50 for 4 GEL.

> **Shuakhevi Tourist Information Center** (22 Rustaveli St, Shuakhevi (Adjara))
> The halfway stop on the drive, with free maps and current information on the mountain routes. Marshrutkas from Batumi reach Shuakhevi every hour for 4 GEL.
> Season: Daily 09:00-18:30 · Google 5 (3)
> [website](https://gobatumi.com/en/turistuli-sainformacio-centrebi) · phone +995 577 90 90 88 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJdbggUYBbXUARRXljRomm-YY)

> **Good to know:** Ajara Glamping at Kokotauri, 2.9 km off the road in Keda municipality, is the one place to sleep on the lower half of the drive that is genuinely on the way. It rates 4.4 from 58 reviews, has two rooms and eight beds at [120 GEL a night](https://visitajara.com/en/hotels/29), and takes bookings by phone on +995 593 15 80 21.

> **Ajara Glamping • აჭარა გლემფინგი** (Kokotauri, Keda municipality (Adjara))
> The one place to sleep on the lower half of the drive that is really on the way, 2.9 km off the road, at 4.4 from 58 reviews. Its Instagram has been quiet since April 2025, so book by phone.
> Price: 120 GEL a night · Capacity: 2 rooms, 8 beds · Season: Summer season · Google 4.4 (58)
> Pros: The one bed on the lower half of the drive that is really on the way; Glamping domes 2.9 km off the road
> Cons: Its Instagram has been quiet since April 2025: book by phone; Rated 4.4 from 58 reviews
> [website](https://visitajara.com/en/hotels/29) · [Instagram @ajaraglamping](https://instagram.com/ajaraglamping) · phone +995 593 15 80 21 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJjzHkjK5dXUAR17B8BnsVdiQ)

## Which trips from Khulo need a day of their own?

The mountains above Khulo look compact on a map and are not. Each of these sits in a side valley or up a track, so give it a day and go back the way you came, and our guide to [mountainous Adjara](/blog/mountainous-adjara) lays out the wider region.

**Skhalta monastery** is 18.7 km back down the valley from Khulo and then up the Skhalta valley, about 25 minutes by car, dropping to 714 m. Routing the Batumi to Khulo drive through it turns 86 km into 115 km, which is why it is not a stop on the way. It holds the only medieval wall painting in Adjara and is the seat of the Skhalta diocese, 4.8 from 168 reviews, open 09:00 to 19:00. A [marked day walk](https://visitajara.com/ru/routes/8) links it with Tago: [4 to 6 hours](/hiking/skhalta-monastery) with 607 m of climbing on the way back, yellow markers all the way.

> **Skhalta Monastery** (Kinchauri, Khulo municipality (Adjara))
> 18.7 km back down the valley from Khulo and then up the Skhalta valley, 4.8 from 168 reviews, holding the only medieval wall painting in Adjara. It is a separate trip, not a stop on the Batumi to Khulo drive.
> Price: Free · Season: Daily 09:00-19:00 · Google 4.8 (168)
> [website](https://www.visitajara.com/en/sights/178) · phone +995 558 15 14 37 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJgfcp8RROXUAR_h-fG4bHlIA)

**Khikhani Fortress** stands at [2,216 m](https://visitajara.com/en/routes/35) in its own valley. The road runs from Khulo through Khikhadziri, the village 41 km out where the driving ends, and from there it is 400 to 420 m of ascent and about three hours on a stony path, now with iron staircases on the steepest sections. It is 4.9 from 158 reviews. The climb is steep enough that Adjara's tourism agency advises against it for anyone with a heart or breathing condition. Our [Khikhani Fortress guide](/blog/khikhani-fortress) has the detail.

> **Khikhani Fortress** (Bako, Khulo municipality (Adjara))
> A 2,216 m ruined fortress in its own valley, reached from Khulo through Khikhadziri and then 400 to 420 m of climbing on a stony path with iron staircases on the steepest sections. A full day of its own, and not one for anyone with a heart or breathing condition.
> Season: Late spring to early autumn · Google 4.9 (158)
> [website](https://visitajara.com/en/sights/111) · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJjcoIDIqzQkARoo9GO1-ISdE)

**Shuamta Big Lake** at 2,152 m is 42 km from Khulo on the S76 and then a rough track, about an hour and a half of driving in a 4x4. The marked [Khikhadziri to Shuamta lakes to Khikhani route](https://visitajara.com/en/routes/35) is 33 km and moderate, and the section from the lake to the fortress crosses the administrative border zone with Turkey, for which permission has to be arranged in advance.

> **Shuamta Big Lake** (Zeda Tkhilvana, Khulo municipality (Adjara))
> 2,152 m, 42 km from Khulo on the S76 and then a rough track, 4.9 from 36 reviews. The onward walk to Khikhani Fortress crosses the border zone with Turkey and needs permission arranged in advance.
> Price: Free · Season: Summer, on a 4x4 track · Google 4.9 (36)
> [website](https://visitajara.com/en/routes/35) · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJf7ol_nq1QkARUyPOp1PoRDE)

**Green Lake and Beshumi** both hang off the pass road east of Khulo, 31.3 km and 36.4 km away, and neither is a stop on the Akhaltsikhe crossing.

**[Eco House Merisi](https://ecohousemerisi.com/)** is a destination rather than a stop: adding it to the Khulo drive costs 23.3 km and 38 minutes, because it sits up the Merisi valley in Keda municipality.

## Where do you stay in Khulo and upper Adjara?

There are a few hundred beds in the whole upper valley, so book July and August ahead. Below, the beds are listed from our own camp above Khulo outwards to the pass.

### Glamping Tago, Village Tago

Where: the hill above Village Tago in Khulo municipality at about 1,200 m, 8.7 km above Khulo. Drive time from Batumi: 2 hours 30 minutes, then 30 to 35 minutes in the 4x4. Capacity: 12 tents for two plus a nine-bed dorm dome, 33 beds. Prices: they move with the date, so see [today's prices](https://glampingtago.ge/book?from=blog_text). Season: 1 April to the end of October. Good for: arriving without a car, because the 4x4 taxi from Khulo is 75 GEL per car and reception sends it at any hour. Watch out for: the last road needs a 4x4, and we close for the winter.

> **Glamping Tago** (Village Tago, Khulo municipality (Adjara)) - our venue
> Our own camp on the hill above Village Tago at about 1,200 m, 8.7 km above Khulo. Reception sends the 4x4 taxi from Khulo at any hour for 75 GEL per car, which is why guests arrive by marshrutka without a car.
> Capacity: 12 tents for two plus a nine-bed dorm, 33 beds · Season: 1 April to the end of October · Google 4.9 (642)
> Pros: Reception sends the 4x4 taxi from Khulo at any hour, 75 GEL a car; You can arrive by marshrutka without a car; Tents with real beds, a sauna free for staying guests and three vegetarian meals a day
> Cons: 8.7 km above Khulo, the last stretch a 4x4 road; Closed November to March; Shared shower blocks, no bathroom in the tents
> [website](https://glampingtago.ge/) · [Instagram @glampinggeorgia_tago](https://instagram.com/glampinggeorgia_tago) · phone +995 555 56 24 83 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJCWibuR1PXUARUTua5xy7clc)

> **Good to know:** Seven families in Village Tago keep [rooms for guests](/local-guesthouses) three to ten minutes' walk from us, 27 rooms for 64 guests plus about 60 camping spots, which is how groups larger than 33 sleep in the village.

### Hotel Khulo Inn, Khulo

Where: 11 M. Abashidze St, on the main road through Khulo. Capacity: 9 rooms, 21 beds. Price from: [140 GEL a night](https://visitajara.com/en/hotels/1028). Season: all year. Good for: a bed in the town itself, five minutes from the marshrutka stop and the shops, with parking, wifi and a conference room, and 4.9 from 53 reviews. Watch out for: it is on the through road, so ask for a room at the back, and it takes cash.

> **Hotel Khulo Inn • სასტუმრო ხულო ინნ** (11 M. Abashidze St, Khulo (Adjara))
> The main hotel in Khulo town, five minutes from the marshrutka stop and the shops, at 4.9 from 52 reviews. It sits on the through road, so ask for a room at the back.
> Price: 140 GEL a night · Capacity: 9 rooms, 21 beds · Season: All year · Google 4.9 (53)
> Pros: Five minutes from the marshrutka stop and the shops; Rated 4.9 on Google
> Cons: On the through road: ask for a room at the back; In town rather than out in nature
> [website](https://visitajara.com/en/hotels/1028) · phone +995 511 20 91 35 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ6yDJWX5PXUARP2OTZgAXPi8)

### Sunrise guesthouse, Khulo

Where: 23 T. Abuseridze St, Khulo. Capacity: 2 rooms, 4 beds. Price from: [100 to 120 GEL a night](https://visitajara.com/en/hotels/96). Season: all year. Good for: the highest rated small guesthouse in town at 4.9 from 87 reviews, with wifi and parking. Watch out for: two rooms only and cash payment, so call before you travel on +995 598 09 50 45.

> **სანრაისი - Sunrise** (Tbel Abuseridze St, Khulo (Adjara))
> The highest rated small guesthouse in Khulo town, at 23 T. Abuseridze St with wifi and parking. Two rooms only and cash payment, so call before you travel.
> Price: 100-120 GEL a night · Capacity: 2 rooms, 4 beds · Season: All year · Google 4.9 (87)
> Pros: The highest-rated small guesthouse in Khulo town; Wifi and parking
> Cons: Two rooms only; Cash only: call before you travel
> [website](https://visitajara.com/en/hotels/96) · phone +995 598 09 50 45 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJTzYXPmVPXUAR_2c0Tw6sVjU)

### Hotel Posta, Khulo

Where: 7 Tbel Abuseridze St, Khulo. Season: all year. Good for: 5.0 from 23 reviews, free parking, and a kitchen that serves Georgian food to people who are not staying. Watch out for: a small place with a small dining room, so ring ahead for dinner on +995 598 09 95 50.

> **HOTEL POSTA KHULO სასტუმრო ფოსტა (ხულო)** (7 Tbel Abuseridze St, Khulo (Adjara))
> 5.0 from 23 reviews, with free parking and a dining room that serves Georgian food to people who are not staying. Ring ahead for dinner, because the kitchen cooks to order.
> Season: All year · Google 5 (23)
> Pros: Rated 5.0, with free parking; A dining room open to people who are not staying
> Cons: Only 23 Google reviews; Ring ahead for dinner: the kitchen cooks to order
> [website](https://hotel-posta-khulo.ajara-hotels.com/) · phone +995 598 09 95 50 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJbQ7X1TRPXUAROpsfha6vkMM)

### Guest House Luka, Danisparauli

Where: Danisparauli village at 1,450 m, about 20 km east of Khulo and 5.7 km below the Goderdzi lifts. Capacity: 4 rooms, 16 beds. Price from: [40 to 70 GEL a night](https://visitajara.com/en/hotels/163), cash. Season: summer. Good for: the cheapest bed near the lifts, dinner and breakfast with the family, and hosts used to cyclists and late arrivals. Watch out for: four rooms in a working family house, 4.9 from 22 reviews, so book by phone on +995 577 15 01 93.

> **Guest House Luka** (Danisparauli, Khulo municipality (Adjara))
> The cheapest bed near the Goderdzi lifts, 5.7 km below them in Danisparauli at 1,450 m. Four rooms in a working family house, cash only, so book by phone.
> Price: 40-70 GEL a night · Capacity: 4 rooms, 16 beds · Season: Summer season · Google 4.9 (22)
> Pros: The cheapest bed near the Goderdzi lifts; A working family house at 1,450 m
> Cons: Four rooms, cash only; Book by phone
> [website](https://visitajara.com/en/hotels/163) · phone +995 577 15 01 93 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJyZ0vMjhJXUAR_slkEWDbvUs)

### Hotel Ambassadori Goderdzi

Where: at the resort beside the lifts, at the Goderdzi pass. Drive time from Batumi: 2.5 to 3 hours in summer, up to 4 in winter. Season: all year. Good for: the one full-service hotel at the pass, 4.7 from 336 reviews, with the ski lift at the door, a spa, ski hire with edge sharpening, and [snowcat transfers](https://georgia4you.ge/skiing-in-georgia/goderdzi-ski-resort/) from Utkusubani when the snow is too deep for cars. Watch out for: the outdoor jacuzzi and the children's playground are where the complaints land, and it is the dearest bed at the pass.

> **Hotel Ambassadori Goderdzi** (Goderdzi resort, Khulo municipality (Adjara))
> The one full-service hotel at the pass, with the lift at the door, a spa and ski hire.
> Season: All year · Google 4.7 (336)
> Pros: The one full-service hotel at the pass; The lift at the door, a spa and ski hire
> Cons: A large resort hotel shared with other guests; Up at the pass, far from Khulo town
> [website](https://ambassadori.com/goderdzi) · phone +995 32 243 94 94 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJJaCuNtJLXUARSF8jz4snQGc)

### Goderdzi Twins Hotel

Where: at the resort, on the pass road towards Beshumi. Season: all year, summer as well as the ski months. Good for: the smaller, quieter alternative at the top, 4.9 from 69 reviews, with consistent praise for the rooms and the check-in. Watch out for: book it on [twinshotel.ge](https://twinshotel.ge/) or on +995 568 99 00 00, and ask for the rate when you do.

> **Goderdzi Twins Hotel** (Goderdzi resort, Khulo municipality (Adjara))
> The smaller, quieter four-star alternative at the pass, on the road towards Beshumi. Open in summer as well as the ski months; book on its own site or by phone and ask for the rate.
> Season: All year · Google 4.9 (69)
> Pros: The smaller, quieter four-star at the pass; Open in summer as well as the ski months
> Cons: Book on its own site or by phone and ask for the rate; Only 69 Google reviews
> [website](https://twinshotel.ge/) · phone +995 568 99 00 00 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJB8SK025LXUARK5nrQX-bhLM)

### Beshumi

Where: the summer cottage resort at 1,850 to 2,000 m on the eastern side of the Arsiani range, 36.4 km from Khulo and 122 km from Batumi. Season: mid-June to early September. Good for: the cheapest nights near the pass, the hourly 6 GEL minibus from Khulo, and the Shuamtoba folk festival with its horse races on the first weekends of August. Watch out for: the wooden cabins stand close together with no sound insulation, the access road is rough, and the resort empties in September.

> **ბეშუმი** (Zeda Tkhilvana, Khulo municipality (Adjara))
> The summer cottage resort at 1,850 to 2,000 m, 36.4 km from Khulo and reachable by a 6 GEL minibus, 4.8 from 916 reviews. The wooden cabins stand close together with no sound insulation and the access road is rough.
> Season: Mid-June to early September · Google 4.8 (916)
> Pros: Reachable by a 6 GEL minibus; Summer cottages at 1,850 to 2,000 m
> Cons: The cabins stand close together with no sound insulation; The access road is rough
> [website](https://visitajara.com/en/resorts/3) · phone +995 558 66 94 57 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJj1ZaiMhKXUARcgtUYUDkXkk)

### Eco House Merisi, Keda

Where: Silibauri in the Merisi valley, 50 km from Batumi and a 23 km detour off the Khulo road. Season: all year. Good for: the strongest hotel in the lower valley at 4.9 from over 1,500 reviews, glass cottages and a restaurant with a halal menu, and a first night on the way up if you leave Batumi late. Watch out for: there is no shop or grocery near the hotel, so bring what you need, and the restaurant draws more mixed reviews than the cottages.

> **Eco House Merisi Hotel and Restaurant** (Silibauri, Merisi valley, Keda municipality (Adjara))
> The strongest hotel in the lower valley, but 23.3 km and 38 minutes off the Khulo road up the Merisi valley, so it is a destination rather than a stop. No shop nearby, and the restaurant is rated below the cottages.
> Season: All year · Google 4.9 (1553)
> Pros: The strongest hotel in the lower valley, 4.9 from 1,549 reviews; Glass cottages in the Merisi valley
> Cons: 23.3 km and 38 minutes off the Khulo road; No shop nearby, and the restaurant rates below the cottages
> [website](https://ecohousemerisi.com/) · [Instagram @eco_house_merisi](https://instagram.com/eco_house_merisi) · phone +995 557 21 71 77 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJwRAkzM5fXUARj4hAxj5oCak)

## Where do you eat in Khulo and up the valley?

Food on this road is village food: khinkali, trout, khachapuri, and whatever the garden has. Cafes above Khulo are seasonal, so eat in the town or carry a picnic.

### Cafe Levon's, Khulo

The family cafe on the main street in Khulo, 4.8 from 76 Google reviews, open 10:00 to midnight every day. Four people eat for 32 to 60 GEL including home wine. There is no sign visible from the road, so ask for it by name.

> **Cafe Levon's** (Khulo (Adjara))
> The family cafe on the main street in Khulo, open 10:00 to midnight every day and the best value meal in town. There is no sign visible from the road, so ask for it by name.
> Price: 32-60 GEL for four people · Season: All year · Google 4.8 (76)
> [website](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJS5WDHFlPXUARAbmX9y_rNdY) · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJS5WDHFlPXUARAbmX9y_rNdY)

### Yurtalicious, the restaurant at Glamping Tago

Our own yurt restaurant above Khulo, fully vegetarian, 24 at the long table and up to 32 with extra tables, open every day in season. The [breakfast buffet](/restaurant) runs 09:00 to 11:00 at 32 GEL, lunch is a la carte from 13:00 to 16:00, and the dinner buffet is 19:00 to 21:00 at 37 GEL. Day visitors can book a table or a packed lunch to take up the valley.

> **Yurtalicious - Restaurant** (Village Tago, Khulo municipality (Adjara))
> Our vegetarian yurt restaurant in Tago, the first place to eat once you are up in the village. Day visitors should book a table or a packed lunch ahead, because the buffets are cooked to the house count.
> Capacity: 24 at the long table, up to 32 · Season: 1 April to the end of October · Google 5 (67)
> [website](https://glampingtago.ge/restaurant/) · phone +995 595 30 07 35 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJpRbSTqBPXUARns9RdMEoDMU)

Hotel Posta's dining room is the other place in town that feeds people who are not sleeping there, and the [Adjarian Wine House](http://awh.ge/) on the Keda stretch is the only large restaurant on the lower half of the drive.

## What should you sort out in Batumi or Khulo before the mountain road?

Khulo is the last town with everything. Above it, cash, fuel and a pharmacy are all an hour away or more.

- **Cash.** Village guesthouses, marshrutka drivers, the 4x4 taxis and the stalls at the top of the pass all take lari in cash, and Khulo Inn, Sunrise and Guest House Luka are all listed as cash only. [Bank of Georgia](https://bankofgeorgia.ge/) has cash machines at 16 M. Abashidze St and on Agmashenebeli St in Khulo.
- **Food.** The [Spar Partner](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJRetIogNPXUARDMm3L6bUXig) beside the cable car station is the last proper supermarket before the pass, and Khulo has a bazaar.
- **Fuel.** Fill up in Batumi, Keda or Khulo. The [Wissol](https://wissol.ge/) station just outside Khulo is the last dependable one before the pass.
- **Medicine.** The [Aversi](https://www.aversi.ge/) pharmacy in Khulo is the last one on the way up.
- **Offline maps.** Signal drops out on long stretches above Khulo and at Green Lake, whichever network you use. Download the area before you leave the coast, and use [Maps.me](https://maps.me/) rather than Google Maps for anything above the town.
- **Rain.** Rain turns the unfinished stretches on the pass greasy, with sharp gravel under the mud, and hiking above Khulo stops being fun. May is the wettest month of the year in the valley. If the forecast is bad, do the road in daylight and keep the mountain day for the next one.
- **Parking in Batumi.** Street parking is paid by registration plate, from 1 GEL a day and 10 GEL for 30 days, and not paying costs a 50 GEL fine. If you are leaving the car for a week in the mountains, buy the month.
- **Gear.** [Take and Hike](https://takeandhike.com/) at 27 Tbel-Abuseridze St in Batumi rents hiking and ski equipment and runs guided walks into upper Adjara, at 4.9 from 230 reviews. [Veloman Extreme Georgia](https://www.adjarapeak.ge/rent/sportsRental/) on Gen. A. Abashidze St rents mountain bikes and gear by the day and takes a passport instead of a deposit, and [Active Georgia](https://m.facebook.com/activegeorgia/) rents mountain bikes at 70 GEL a day on +995 555 96 93 96 for the ride up to Khulo.

> **Bank of Georgia ATM** (16 M. Abashidze St, Khulo (Adjara))
> The cash machine on the main street in Khulo, and the last one before the pass. Everything above Khulo is a cash economy, so draw what you need here.
> Season: Around the clock · Google 5 (2)
> [website](https://bankofgeorgia.ge/) · phone +995 32 244 44 44 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ_YPZ3sxPXUARTrXIpIu1SV8)

> **Wissol Petrol Station** (Zemo Vashlovani, Khulo (Adjara))
> The filling station just outside Khulo, and the last dependable fuel before the Goderdzi pass. There is nothing between here and the far side of the crossing.
> Season: All year · Google 5 (1)
> [website](https://wissol.ge/) · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJfUfoNABPXUARCcFrrfmMs34)

> **Aversi Khulo** (Khulo (Adjara))
> The chain pharmacy in Khulo and the last one on the way up. Listed as practical information: it carries no Google rating.
> Season: All year
> [website](https://www.aversi.ge/ka/apothecas/362/) · phone +995 32 290 08 00 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJATfHyUVPXUARGS0uwBgLRhU)

> **Take and Hike | Outdoor, Sport, Ski equipment, Hiking tours | T&H** (27 Tbel-Abuseridze St, Batumi (Adjara))
> The Batumi outdoor shop that rents hiking and winter gear and runs guided walks into upper Adjara, 4.9 from 230 reviews. The place to fix a missing layer before you go up.
> Season: All year · Google 4.9 (230)
> [website](https://takeandhike.com/) · [Instagram @take_and_hike](https://instagram.com/take_and_hike) · phone +995 551 51 64 04 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJL1Aqc2WFZ0ARshr7NYrzR9s)

> **Veloman Extreme Georgia** (19 Gen. A. Abashidze St, Batumi (Adjara))
> Rents mountain bikes and outdoor gear by the half day or day at 4.8 from 214 reviews, and takes a passport instead of a cash deposit. The Batumi to Khulo ride is a long climb, so take gears you trust.
> Season: Daily 11:00-20:00 · Google 4.8 (214)
> [website](https://www.adjarapeak.ge/rent/sportsRental/) · phone +995 571 20 85 55 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJN4NkNBGGZ0ARBQGf-HcHg2U)

**What to book, in what order.**

1. Pick the window. June to mid-October for anything above Khulo; December to March if the point is the snow.
2. Book the bed before the transport. The upper valley has a few hundred beds and July and August fill.
3. Decide about the last leg. If your car is a city car or a rental with the pass excluded, book a 4x4 from Khulo instead of driving it.
4. Check the pass the day before on the [Roads Department](https://georoad.gov.ge/ka/restriction) restrictions page, or by phone on +995 32 231 30 76, and ask the Khulo tourist information centre on +995 577 90 90 15 about the last few kilometres.
5. Pack for the altitude, not the beach: a fleece, a windbreaker, a hat and shoes you can walk a muddy track in.
6. Draw cash and buy food in Khulo, and fill the tank there.
7. Message ahead about the 4x4 taxi roughly half an hour before you reach Khulo.

## What do people get wrong on the way to Khulo?

- **Riding the cable car.** It has been out of service since 2024 and there is no reopening date. Guides that send you up it are out of date.
- **The old 5 GEL fare.** [Adjara's own pages](https://gobatumi.com/en/content/25) still print 5 to 7 GEL for the Batumi to Khulo van. The fare collected on board is about 10 GEL, and only the subsidised municipal bus is cheaper at 6 GEL.
- **Trusting Google Maps for the last kilometres.** It routes to Chao, a different village 13 km away by road. Use [Maps.me](https://maps.me/) and the wooden signs.
- **Trusting the word jeep.** Plenty of rental jeeps in Georgia are front-wheel drive, and plenty of contracts exclude the Goderdzi crossing entirely.
- **Taking the pass as a shortcut from Tbilisi.** Over Goderdzi it is 167 km of mountain road with no scheduled transport, and 8 to 9 hours in practice. Round through Borjomi and Kutaisi it is about 315 km of asphalt and five hours, and rental companies allow only the second one.
- **Planning Beshumi or Green Lake as a stop on the crossing.** Beshumi is 13.8 km of detour and Green Lake 8.3 km, both off the pass road, and both need their own day.
- **Arriving in Khulo at 21:00 with no plan.** The last marshrutka leaves Batumi at 20:00 and the last bus at 18:30. The 4x4 taxi up to Tago runs at any hour, but somebody has to know you are coming.
- **Treating this as a Tbilisi day trip.** Khulo is 86 km from Batumi and a long way from everywhere else. The coast is the base.

## Glamping Tago at the top of the Khulo road

We are on the hill above Village Tago in Khulo municipality at about 1,200 m, 8.7 km past Khulo on the road nobody manages in a city car. That last stretch is the reason we run the arrival ourselves instead of leaving you to it.

Come up by marshrutka from Batumi for about 10 GEL, message us about half an hour before you reach Khulo, and the 4x4 taxi meets you at the cable car station: 75 GEL per car for up to 4 people, 30 to 35 minutes, at any hour of the evening. Driving a normal car, park it anywhere in Khulo centre and do the same. Transfers are paid in cash at reception in Tago, not to the driver.

You sleep in a Lotus Belle tent or the nine-bed dorm dome and eat at [Yurtalicious](/restaurant), our vegetarian yurt restaurant. From here Green Lake, the Goderdzi pass and Beshumi are half-day jeep trips rather than twelve-hour days out of Batumi. Nights are cold even in August, so bring layers.

- **Where:** Village Tago, Khulo municipality, mountainous Adjara, about 1,200 m
- **From Batumi:** 86 km and 2h30 to Khulo, then 30 to 35 minutes by 4x4
- **Beds on site:** 12 tents for two plus a nine-bed dorm, 33 beds
- **Transfers:** 4x4 taxi from Khulo 75 GEL per car for up to 4; Batumi to Tago 265 GEL
- **Arrival:** Any hour, if you message about 30 minutes before Khulo
- **Parking:** Leave a non-4x4 car in Khulo centre, beside the cable car station
- **Season:** 1 April to the end of October
- **Food:** Yurtalicious, vegetarian: breakfast buffet 32 GEL, dinner buffet 37 GEL

## FAQ

**How do I get from Batumi to Khulo?**

Take the marshrutka from Batumi's old bus station at 1 Mayakovsky St. It leaves every 30 minutes from 08:00 to 20:00, costs about 10 GEL in cash and takes about 2 hours 30 minutes for the 86 km. A subsidised municipal bus also runs twice a day for 6 GEL from beside the Boni culture house, and a taxi app car does the trip in about two hours for up to 175 GEL.

**Is there a direct bus from Batumi to Khulo, and what does it cost in 2026?**

Yes. Besides the marshrutkas, a municipal bus has run Batumi to Khulo since 11 July 2026 for 6 GEL, daily except Sunday, leaving Batumi at 07:00 and 18:30 and Khulo at 07:30 and 18:30. Children under 6, students, war veterans and people with group 1 disability travel free. Adjara's older pages carry a 5 to 7 GEL fare for the marshrutka; the fare collected on board is about 10 GEL.

**How long is the drive from Batumi to Khulo, and do I need a 4x4?**

It is 86 km on the S1 Batumi to Akhaltsikhe road, about two hours by car and 2 hours 30 minutes by marshrutka. The whole way is asphalt, so a city car is fine as far as Khulo. A 4x4 is needed for the 8.7 km up to Village Tago, and for the Goderdzi pass in winter.

**Is the Khulo cable car to Tago working in 2026?**

No. The 1985 ropeway has not carried a passenger since 2024 and is listed as under repair works. Adjara's 2026 budget holds 200,000 GEL for the pre-project study of a rehabilitation, no tender has been announced and there is no reopening date. The 4x4 taxi from the cable car station replaces it at 75 GEL per car for up to 4 people, 30 to 35 minutes, at any hour.

**How do I get from Khulo to Goderdzi, Beshumi and Green Lake?**

A shared vehicle leaves the Khulo tourist information centre at 11:00 for the Goderdzi resort and comes back at 16:00, for 7 GEL. A minibus runs Khulo to Beshumi for 6 GEL every hour from 09:00 to 16:00 in season. No bus reaches Green Lake: it is 31.3 km from Khulo and needs a car or a jeep tour. In the ski season a bus has run from Batumi's old bus station to the resort itself around 11:00 for about 25 GEL, but the timetable is not fixed.

**Can you drive from Batumi to Akhaltsikhe over the Goderdzi pass, and when is it open?**

You can in summer, in a high-clearance vehicle. It is 167 km from Batumi and 80.6 km from Khulo, over a pass at about 2,025 m. In heavy snow the Roads Department closes the road between km 86 and km 123, from Paksadzeebi to Utkisubani, to every vehicle. The paved alternative through Borjomi and Kutaisi is about 315 km and five hours, and open all year.

**Can I take a rental car on the Goderdzi pass?**

Most Georgian rental contracts forbid it. Localrent, one of the country's biggest aggregators, bans the Akhaltsikhe to Batumi crossing outright, because its insurance does not cover those sections and any damage is the renter's liability. Check whether the vehicle really has four-wheel drive too: many cars sold as jeeps in Georgia do not.

**Can you get from Batumi to Beshumi by minibus?**

Yes, in the summer season, for 15 GEL from the old Batumi bus station on 1 Mayakovsky St. Coming back, the van leaves Beshumi at 09:00, 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00. From Khulo the minibus is 6 GEL and runs every hour from 09:00 to 16:00, from Khulo bus station on +995 423 27 00 95. Beshumi itself works only from mid-June to early September.

**Can I walk from Khulo up to Village Tago?**

Yes. It is 8.2 km by the road, climbing from about 910 m in Khulo to about 1,200 m at the camp, which is 2 to 3 hours at a steady pace, and in Khulo stairs lead down to the path. Send your luggage up in the 4x4 taxi and walk with a light bag.

**What should I pack for the road to Khulo, and what if it rains?**

Bring a fleece, a windbreaker and a hat: Khulo sits at about 910 m and Village Tago at about 1,200 m, where nights are cold and windy even in August. Rain makes the unfinished stretches on the pass greasy with sharp gravel underneath, and May is the wettest month of the year with 22 rain days. Pack cash in small lari notes, download an offline map, and if the forecast is bad, drive the valley in daylight and keep the mountain day for later.

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Source: https://glampingtago.ge/blog/batumi-to-khulo
Glamping Tago, Village Tago, Khulo, Adjara (Georgia) · hello@glampingtago.ge · WhatsApp +995 555 56 24 83