# Meditation retreats in Georgia (the country): what runs in 2026, what it costs, how to host your own

Source: https://glampingtago.ge/blog/meditation-retreat-georgia · Updated 2026-10-11 · Glamping Tago

## TL;DR

- Georgia has no permanent meditation centre. Only a handful of dated retreats run in the whole country at a time, most of them between September and early November, and every one of them rents a venue for its dates.
- The free 10-day Vipassana courses are held at Bakuriani at 1,700 m, 186 km from Tbilisi, and cost a donation: nothing for the teaching, the food or the bed. Instructions are in English and Russian and you apply online.
- Three groups sit for free every week: zazen in Tbilisi on Saturdays and in Batumi on Thursdays, 19:00 to 20:30, and open practice in Tbilisi on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 12:00. No booking, no charge.
- 2026 prices start at nothing. A 10-day Vipassana course costs a donation, a three-night Zen sesshin is 300 GEL, a four-night silent retreat 250 to 260 EUR, a week from a European studio 700 to 1,550 EUR, and a week sold through an international marketplace US$1,569 to US$2,013.
- To host your own, you rent a small property whole. A whole-property buyout at Glamping Tago runs 1,962 GEL a night in April to 4,488 GEL in July and August for 12 to 33 people; Horizons in Kakheti starts at 2,715 GEL a night for six cottages.
- A foreign teacher needs no work permit for one retreat, but the Georgian venue has to register them in the state labour-migration system before it starts. Most nationalities can stay in Georgia for a year without a visa. Book June to September dates 6 to 12 months ahead.

Georgia has no permanent meditation centre. The free 10-day Vipassana courses run at Bakuriani, a Soto Zen sesshin sits on the Adjara coast, three groups sit for free every week in Tbilisi and Batumi, and every other retreat rents a venue for its dates. Here is what runs in 2026, what it costs, which region fits, and how to host your own.

## What meditation retreats actually run in Georgia (the country) in 2026?

Five kinds of retreat run in Georgia: free 10-day Vipassana courses at Bakuriani, a Soto Zen sesshin on the Adjara coast, a small Thai-style silent retreat in the hills, a phone-free week in the Adjara mountains, and a short list of paid international retreats sold through marketplaces and held at spa hotels. The list is short because the market is small, and most of it falls between September and early November.

Nobody in Georgia runs a permanent meditation centre. Every retreat here rents a venue for its dates, which is why the same villages keep coming up and why a group that wants a specific week usually has to organise it rather than book it.

These are the retreats you can still sign up for, from October 2026 to May 2027:

| Retreat | Where | Dates | Language | Cost |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Vipassana 10-day course](https://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/noncenter/ge) | Bakuriani, 1,700 m | 7 to 18 and 20 to 31 October | English, Russian | Donation only |
| [Silent vipassana](https://metta.land/), Metta.Land | Hills, transfer from Batumi or Kutaisi | 16 to 20 October | Russian | 250 to 260 EUR shared costs plus a donation |
| [Digital Detox & Mental Health Week](https://glampingtago.ge/digital-detox), Glamping Tago | Village Tago, Khulo (Adjara) | 26 October to 1 November | English | 600 to 1,190 EUR for 6 nights, everything included |
| [5-day reset](https://bookretreats.com/r/5-day-complete-reset-at-our-luxury-boutique-retreat-in-georgia) at Borjomi Likani | Borjomi, 794 m | 29 April to 3 May 2027 | English | From US$1,901 |
| [7-day women's retreat](https://bookretreats.com/r/7-day-i-am-pause-breathe-meditate-womens-retreat-georgia) | Tsikhisdziri, Adjara coast | Dates agreed with the host | English | From US$1,569 |
| [Weekly zazen](https://zengeorgia.com/) | Tbilisi and Batumi | Every week, all year | Russian | Free |
| [Weekly open practice](https://metta.land/) | Tbilisi, Aghmashenebeli 46 | Wednesdays and Saturdays | Russian | Free |

Two more ran earlier this season and show what to watch for in 2027: the [Zen Georgia sesshin](https://zengeorgia.com/retreat_zazen_en) at Tsikhisdziri on the Adjara coast, 1 to 4 October, 300 GEL for three nights with bed and meals, in Russian and English; and a [yoga and meditation week](https://myyogicadventure.com/embody-your-yoga-yoga-and-meditation-retreat/) at Lakhushdi in Svaneti, 8 to 15 August, 700 to 950 EUR, in English.

The venues that take a whole group are a glamping camp in the Adjara mountains, two Kakheti properties, a wellness resort above Tbilisi, ski hotels out of season and a handful of coastal hotels. Ours is one of them, made for weddings of about 30 guests and [retreats](https://glampingtago.ge/retreats) of up to 30 people, with the whole place belonging to one group and everyone sleeping on site.

> **Glamping Tago** (Village Tago, Khulo municipality (Adjara)) - our venue
> Our own camp, made for weddings of about 30 guests and retreats of up to 30 people, and the first venue on this list: a 138 m2 outdoor platform and a 38 m2 yoga dome, a fully vegetarian kitchen and 33 beds on site, hired as a whole-property buyout. The last stretch of road needs a 4x4 and the camp closes for the winter.
> Capacity: 12 to 33 on site in 12 tents for two and a nine-bed dorm · Season: 1 April to the end of October · Google 4.9 (642)
> Pros: The whole camp is yours, one group at a time; A 138 m2 outdoor platform and a 38 m2 yoga dome; A fully vegetarian kitchen, vegan and gluten-free with notice; Free sauna for staying guests and a fire circle every evening
> Cons: The last stretch of road needs a 4x4; Closed November to March; 33 beds on site; Tents, not hotel rooms
> [website](https://glampingtago.ge/retreats) · [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:** In Georgia a retreat is usually a group booking, not a programme you join alone. The exceptions are the Vipassana courses, the Zen sesshin, the Metta.Land retreat and our own Digital Detox week, which all take individual sign-ups.

## Is there a Vipassana centre in Georgia, and how do the free 10-day courses work?

There is no Vipassana centre in the country, only one non-centre location that rents a site at Bakuriani, and a course there costs nothing. [Vipassana Georgia](https://ge.dhamma.org/) runs on donations: no charge for the teaching, the food or the bed, teachers and assistant teachers take no payment, and the people running the course are unpaid volunteers who have sat a course themselves.

The 2026 season has three 10-day courses at Bakuriani. The first, 24 September to 5 October, is over; 7 to 18 October and 20 to 31 October still take applications. On the [official schedule](https://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/noncenter/ge) new men are open on both and new women are filling up; old women are on a short waiting list for the first course and a long one for the second, and old men the other way round. Instructions are given in English and Russian, with the evening discourses split by language, and each course takes new and old students. New dates go out through the organisation's newsletter and its [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/vipassana.ge/), which sends new students straight to the application form. The office answers on [+995 599 006805](https://ge.dhamma.org/en/contact/).

The day is long. Registration and orientation run from 14:00 to 16:00 on the first day, and the course ends by 07:30 on the morning of the eleventh. The wake-up bell goes at 4:00, you sit for about ten hours, and lights go out at 21:30. [Noble Silence](https://www.dhamma.org/en/about/code) holds from the start of the course until the morning of the last full day: no speaking, no gestures, no written notes. Phones, smartwatches and other devices are handed to the management until the course ends, men and women are completely separated for the whole ten days, and reading and writing are out. There are no washing machines on site, so pack clothes for ten days. Apply online and allow up to two weeks for an answer.

Bakuriani is a resort village at [1,700 m on the northern slope of the Trialeti range](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakuriani), 186 km and about 2 hours 46 minutes by road from Tbilisi. There is no direct bus from Batumi, so moving from the coast to a course means going through Tbilisi or Khashuri.

> **Watch out:** Bakuriani and Borjomi are two separate trips, not one. Tbilisi to the [Borjomi Likani spa](https://www.borjomilikaniresort.com/) is 162 km and 2 hours 21 minutes; adding Bakuriani on the way makes it 220 km and 3 hours 27 minutes.

Two mix-ups follow this course around. Dhamma Patapa in Jesup and Atlanta Dhamma House are the only Georgia entries in the worldwide [centre directory](https://www.dhamma.org/en/locations/directory), and both are in the US state. The other is the address 30 km outside Tbilisi, which belonged to the [first Georgian course in 2013](https://vipassanaingeorgia.weebly.com/). Every course since is at Bakuriani.

## Where can you sit every week in Tbilisi or Batumi without booking a retreat?

Three groups sit for free every week, and you can walk into all of them. This is the cheapest way to find out whether you want ten silent days before you commit to them.

**Zazen with [Zen Georgia](https://zengeorgia.com/).** Tbilisi sits on Saturdays and Batumi on Thursdays, both 19:00 to 20:30. You gather in the vestibule at 19:00, the position is explained to beginners, then the doors close for two blocks of 25 to 30 minutes. Bring clothes you can sit cross-legged in and a cushion or a folded blanket. The Tbilisi dojo is at 8 Giorgi Mazniashvili Street, Batumi at 61 Bagrationi Street, and Matvey answers on +995 593 278 135 by WhatsApp or Telegram. The sangha was founded by students of Master Sando Kaisen, in the Soto lineage that reaches Europe through Taisen Deshimaru, and the Batumi sittings are led by his disciple and translator, the monk Kosen.

> **Zen Dojo of Infinite Light** (Tbilisi)
> The address of the free Saturday zazen in Tbilisi, listed for the location and the hours rather than as a rated business: the house is still being renovated and practice already runs there.
> Price: Free · Season: All year · Google 5 (1)
> [website](https://zengeorgia.com/) · phone +995 598 72 88 16 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJl2YZJhwNREARdFUVky6sAzk)

**Open practice in Tbilisi, Wednesdays and Saturdays, 12:00 to about 13:45.** Free entry, no booking, in the [Bao Cha](https://baocha.ge/) tea house building at Aghmashenebeli Avenue 46 and Tchorokhi 10. Go in from Tchorokhi Street, up the stairs in the yard: the tea shop itself only opens at 15:00. The group is reached on Telegram at praktika_Georgia and it is run by the same people as the [October silent retreat](https://metta.land/).

> **Bao Cha Tea Store** (Tbilisi)
> The tea house whose building hosts the free Wednesday and Saturday sitting at 12:00. The shop opens at 15:00, so the way in for the sitting is the stairs in the yard off Tchorokhi Street.
> Price: Sitting is free · Season: All year · Google 4.8 (102)
> [website](https://baocha.ge/) · [Instagram @bao_cha_tbilisi](https://instagram.com/bao_cha_tbilisi) · phone +995 591 02 17 83 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJSevgorUNREARFJf4QLjHNYY)

**Free meditation training in Georgian.** The [Sri Chinmoy centre](https://www.self-discovery.ge/events/) in Tbilisi holds a free training every few months: concentration on a candle flame or a flower, breathing exercises counted in slow cycles, and mantra repetition, open to any religion or none. The whole [course is published in Georgian](https://www.self-discovery.ge/meditacia/) as well, so you can start before a place opens.

Six studios end their classes with pranayama and sitting, which is the other way to keep a practice going between retreats.

- **[Tbilisi Yoga Loft](https://tbilisiyoga.com/)**, 14 Shalva Radiani Street in Vake: classes in English, meditation and breathwork, and the studio behind most of the country's English-language retreat weekends. Its [200-hour teacher training](https://tbilisiyoga.com/yogateachertraininggeo) is a three-week hybrid intensive taught in English, capped at nine people, 3,780 GEL or 3,480 GEL early bird including a 480 GEL non-refundable deposit.
- **[Tbilisi Yoga Villa](https://tbilisiyoga.com/)**, 37 Otar Oniashvili Street in Saburtalo: the garden branch of the same studio, and the quieter of the two for a drop-in.
- **[Yoga Cave](https://www.tbilisiyogacave.com/)**, 72 Mikheil Tsinamdzghvrishvili Street: teaching the Yoga in Daily Life system in Georgian, English and Russian. A single class is [25 GEL](https://www.tbilisiyogacave.com/schedule-and-prices) and monthly passes run from 80 GEL for one class a week to 200 GEL for five.
- **[Lumos](https://www.lumos.ge/)**, 71 Sairme Street: a Georgian-language studio with meditation evenings, tai chi, qigong and dance alongside yoga and pilates.
- **[NinYogaStudio](https://www.instagram.com/ninyogastudio/)**, 73a Vasil Barnovi Street: Ashtanga Mysore and vinyasa in one small room, and where visiting Ashtanga groups hold their morning practice.
- **[Mira Space](https://www.instagram.com/miraspace.batumi/)**, 8 Inasaridze Street in Batumi: yoga, meditation and sound healing in Russian and English, open until 22:00 and closed on Sundays.

> **Tbilisi Yoga Loft** (Vake, Tbilisi)
> The main English-language studio in the city for meditation, breathwork and the retreat weekends it runs at Bakuriani and on the coast. Book online; classes are occasionally cancelled by email at short notice.
> Price: 200-hour teacher training 3,480 GEL early bird · Season: All year · Google 4.7 (119)
> [website](https://tbilisiyoga.com/) · [Instagram @tbilisi_yoga_loft](https://instagram.com/tbilisi_yoga_loft) · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ6yblnB4NREARSA4bhAMU0qM)

> **Tbilisi Yoga Villa** (Saburtalo, Tbilisi)
> The garden branch of the same studio and the quieter of the two for a drop-in class before or after a retreat.
> Season: All year · Google 4.8 (151)
> [website](https://tbilisiyoga.com/) · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJDVUpu0xzREAR4YXX9CLdLWU)

> **Yoga Cave** (Tbilisi)
> Teaches the Yoga in Daily Life system in Georgian, English and Russian, and every class ends with pranayama and sitting. It publishes its drop-in and monthly prices, which most Tbilisi studios do not.
> Price: 25 GEL a class · Season: All year · Google 5 (49)
> [website](https://www.tbilisiyogacave.com/) · phone +995 551 22 04 77 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJPSKzOicNREARTQ15MwdCJPM)

> **Lumos Yoga Studio** (Tbilisi)
> A Georgian-language studio with meditation evenings, tai chi, qigong and dance alongside yoga and pilates. Its own retreats are announced on the site rather than sold from a calendar.
> Season: All year · Google 5 (83)
> [website](https://www.lumos.ge/) · phone +995 595 62 00 01 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJrWdtmSdzREARU2x7yJBuo1Q)

> **NinYogaStudio** (Vera, Tbilisi)
> Ashtanga Mysore, vinyasa and prenatal classes in one small calm room, and where visiting Ashtanga groups hold their daily morning practice. Booked through Instagram or by phone.
> Season: All year · Google 5 (61)
> [Instagram @ninyogastudio](https://instagram.com/ninyogastudio) · phone +995 593 30 20 07 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJGX3mlIoNREARnbEkaXtw_EU)

> **Mira Space** (Batumi)
> A small Batumi room for yoga, meditation and sound healing in Russian and English, open until 22:00 and closed on Sundays. Booked through Instagram or by phone.
> Season: All year · Google 5 (74)
> [Instagram @miraspace.batumi](https://instagram.com/miraspace.batumi) · phone +995 595 60 09 79 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJKbq3ZMCFZ0ARM8HMTAWsMKY)

> **YOGASANA** (Batumi)
> The Georgian-language yoga house in Batumi, in morning and evening blocks. It is named here because it is the local option for practice in Georgian, and it is reached only by phone.
> Season: All year · Google 5 (48)
> phone +995 598 52 55 01 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ0x9wQzuHZ0ARsLnVAoLibaY)

> **Tip:** Practice in Georgian is easier to find in Batumi than most visitors expect. YOGASANA at 60 Parnavaz Mepe Street teaches in Georgian in morning and evening blocks, 08:30 to 13:00 and 18:30 to 22:00, and is booked by phone on +995 598 52 55 01.

## What does a meditation retreat in Georgia cost in 2026?

Anything from nothing to US$3,950. The donation-based and community retreats cost nothing or a few hundred euros, a week run by a European studio is 700 to 1,550 EUR, and a week sold through an international marketplace is US$1,500 to US$2,100.

### 2026 prices

These are the per-person prices published for this season, whether the retreat has already run or is still open.

| What | Price per person | What it covers |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly zazen or open practice | Free | 90 minutes, no booking |
| [Vipassana 10-day course](https://ge.dhamma.org/) | Donation | Teaching, food and bed for 10 days |
| [Zen sesshin, Tsikhisdziri](https://zengeorgia.com/retreat_zazen_en) | 300 GEL | 3 nights, bed and all meals, payable in two parts |
| [Silent vipassana, Metta.Land](https://metta.land/) | 250 to 260 EUR plus a donation | 4 nights, venue, food, transfers, firewood and cushions |
| Drop-in class in Tbilisi | [25 GEL](https://www.tbilisiyogacave.com/schedule-and-prices) | One class, before or after a retreat |
| [Digital Detox week, Glamping Tago](https://glampingtago.ge/digital-detox) | 600 to 1,190 EUR, or from 4 nights at 100 EUR a night | 6 nights, three meals a day, yoga, meditation twice a day, talks, sauna and ice baths |
| [Yoga and meditation week, Svaneti](https://myyogicadventure.com/embody-your-yoga-yoga-and-meditation-retreat/) | 700 EUR triple, 800 EUR twin, 950 EUR single | 7 nights half board in a family lodge |
| [Bioli Mental Detox](https://bioli.ge/en/programs/mental-detox) | US$950 | 3 days: doctor, psychologist, one practice, massage, sauna, halotherapy |
| [IFS and yoga week](https://oursummerretreat.wordpress.com/) | 990 EUR twin | 6 days full board in a rented mountain winery house |
| [Russian-language yoga week](https://www.yoga-spb.ru/sobytiya/477) | 111,000 roubles early, 125,000 standard | Twin room, 27 hours of yoga, flights and two meals a day |
| [Caucasus yoga and hiking week](https://www.soulandsunyoga.com/adventure-trip-georgia_en) | 1,450 EUR early, 1,550 EUR standard | 7 nights in a double, run by a German studio |
| [7-day women's retreat, Tsikhisdziri](https://bookretreats.com/r/7-day-i-am-pause-breathe-meditate-womens-retreat-georgia) | US$1,569 twin to US$1,739 suite | 6 nights, airport transfers, 10:00 breakfast and an 18:00 vegetarian dinner |
| [5-day reset, Borjomi](https://bookretreats.com/r/5-day-complete-reset-at-our-luxury-boutique-retreat-in-georgia) | US$1,901 early, US$2,013 list | 4 nights at a five-star spa, airport pick-up, all meals, yoga and qigong |
| [Two-city Ashtanga fortnight](https://mysoreyogaatlanta.com/retreats/) | US$2,650 sharing, US$3,950 private | 13 nights in Tbilisi and on the coast, daily Mysore practice |

Read the inclusions before you compare the numbers. Two meals a day is normal in the Russian-language market, lunch is usually extra, and mats are provided almost everywhere. Prices quoted only in roubles are set for one home market and do not convert into a Georgian bank transfer, so ask for a figure in GEL or EUR before you pay a deposit.

> **Cost:** The cheapest serious silence in the country is free. A 10-day Vipassana course costs a donation, and the three weekly sittings cost nothing at all. Everything above that is paying for a bed, a cook and a transfer.

## Which region fits a retreat: the Adjara mountains, the coast, Svaneti, Kazbegi, Borjomi or Kakheti?

Height and rain decide this. The coast is subtropical and wet in every month, the mountains are cool and dry in late summer, and the eastern valleys are hot until September. Pick the region first and the venue second.

### Mountainous Adjara, from Batumi

Where: the Khulo valley and the villages above it, 1,200 to 1,900 m, reached from Batumi. Drive time from Batumi: 2.5 to 3 hours. Season: April to the end of October. Good for: cool nights in August, no traffic, and a group that wants to switch off without being cut off. Watch out for: the last stretch to most mountain places needs a 4x4, the weather changes fast, and nothing up here is open in winter.

Glamping Tago sits above Village Tago in Khulo municipality at about 1,200 m above sea level, with a 138 m2 outdoor platform and a 38 m2 yoga dome, twelve tents for two and a nine-bed dorm. The regional tourism department puts [summer at about 19 C in the highlands](https://gobatumi.com/public/en/weather-and-seasonality) against 24 C in the lowlands, and calls autumn one of the best seasons here. The camp runs on Starlink at about 300 Mbps, so being out of contact up here is a decision the group makes, not something the mountain does for you.

Every meal is cooked at [Yurtalicious](https://glampingtago.ge/restaurant), our fully vegetarian yurt restaurant: 24 at one long table and up to 32 with extra tables, breakfast buffet 32 GEL and dinner buffet 37 GEL. No meat and no fish come into the kitchen, which is the single question retreat organisers ask us before any other.

Two other Adjara properties take small groups. [Eco House Merisi](https://ecohousemerisi.com/) above Keda has glass bedrooms with panoramic jacuzzis at 803 m and its own restaurant, 53 km and about 1 hour 10 minutes from Batumi; it sits up a side valley, 23 km and 37 minutes off the Batumi to Khulo road, so it is a separate trip rather than a stop on the way. [Chateau Milisi](https://chateaumilisi.ge/), also above Keda, is a four-star hotel with a pool with mountain views, a Finnish sauna and a meeting space, but recent guests report poor breakfasts, a hotel-wide water problem and daytime construction noise across the property.

> **Eco House Merisi Hotel and Restaurant** (Silibauri, Keda (Adjara))
> Glass bedrooms with panoramic jacuzzis at 803 m above Keda, with its own restaurant, for a small group that wants comfort over altitude. It sits up a side valley, 23 km off the Batumi to Khulo road, and the access road is rough.
> Season: All year · Google 4.8 (1531)
> Pros: Glass bedrooms with panoramic jacuzzis at 803 m; Its own restaurant
> Cons: 23 km off the Batumi to Khulo road, up a side valley; A rough access road
> [website](https://ecohousemerisi.com/) · phone +995 557 21 71 77 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJwRAkzM5fXUARj4hAxj5oCak)

> **Chateau Milisi** (Milisi, Keda (Adjara))
> A four-star hotel above Keda with a pool with mountain views, a Finnish sauna and a meeting space. Listed for completeness rather than recommended: recent reviewers report poor breakfasts, a hotel-wide water problem and daytime construction noise.
> Season: All year · Google 4.3 (197)
> Pros: A pool with mountain views and a Finnish sauna; A meeting space
> Cons: Recent reviewers report poor breakfasts and daytime construction noise; A hotel-wide water problem in recent reviews
> [website](https://chateaumilisi.ge/) · phone +995 557 08 08 10 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJkWjoCSX1Z0ARUidgPKjLfIY)

### The Black Sea coast

Where: Tsikhisdziri 20 km and 26 minutes north of Batumi, Kvariati 17 km and 23 minutes south. Season: all year, busiest July and August. Good for: short transfers from Batumi airport, sea swimming, and a retreat that needs guests to fly in and out fast. Watch out for: [rain in every month](https://www.georgia-spirit.com/guides/weather-climate/) and August crowds.

Tsikhisdziri is a cliff-top village of hotels, and both the [Zen sesshin](https://zengeorgia.com/retreat_zazen_en) and the [7-day women's retreat](https://bookretreats.com/r/7-day-i-am-pause-breathe-meditate-womens-retreat-georgia) are held there. Above Kvariati, [Calypso](https://www.facebook.com/calypsokvariati/) has hosted hatha, aerial and yin yoga retreats with morning practice 08:00 to 10:00 and evening 17:00 to 18:30; count the 470 steep concrete steps down to the beach, which have no railings, into your plan.

> **Calypso Kvariati Hotel** (Kvariati (Adjara))
> A panoramic hotel above Kvariati, 17 km south of Batumi, that has hosted hatha, aerial and yin yoga retreats with morning and evening practice. Count the 470 steep steps down to the beach into your plan.
> Season: All year · Google 4.6 (161)
> Pros: A panoramic hotel above Kvariati that has hosted yoga retreats; 17 km south of Batumi
> Cons: 470 steep steps down to the beach; A hotel shared with other guests
> [website](https://www.facebook.com/calypsokvariati/) · [Instagram @calypso_yoga](https://instagram.com/calypso_yoga) · phone +995 598 15 40 00 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ_4HeE1OQZ0ARkB7D3cn5ll4)

### Borjomi and Bakuriani

Where: Borjomi at 794 m, Bakuriani at 1,700 m, 186 km from Tbilisi and 147 km from Kutaisi airport. Season: all year, with deep snow from December to March. Good for: pine forest, thermal water, and the only region where a free 10-day course and a five-star spa week sit 60 km apart. Watch out for: August in Borjomi has a [mean daily maximum of 29.5 C](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borjomi), which is hot for a sitting practice.

[Kokhta Bakuriani](https://silkhospitality.com/kokhta-bakuriani/) is the ski hotel to look at out of season, because it rents [event rooms for 50 and for 100 people](https://silkhospitality.com/kokhta-bakuriani/meetings-events/) with projector, screen, flip chart, podium, portable stage and internet at no extra charge; an AV technician, a microphone and printing are charged on top, and enquiries go to reception@kokhta.com. The [Borjomi Likani](https://www.borjomilikaniresort.com/) spa in the Likani park hosts the paid five-day reset; recent guests describe being singled out for a minibar check at checkout, and a room that did not match its photos.

> **Kokhta Bakuriani** (Kokhta Dziri, Bakuriani)
> The ski hotel Georgian studios book out of season for a retreat weekend, with event rooms for up to 100 people and AV included. Rooms have no air conditioning and it is a resort hotel rather than a retreat venue.
> Capacity: Event rooms for up to 100 people · Season: All year · Google 4.4 (687)
> Pros: Event rooms for up to 100 with AV included; Booked by Georgian studios out of season
> Cons: A resort hotel, not a retreat venue; No air conditioning in the rooms
> [website](https://silkhospitality.com/kokhta-bakuriani/) · phone +995 32 290 00 99 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJIVIrnMoXQ0ARL0TPPPNgmok)

> **Hotel Borjomi Likani Health & Spa Centre** (Likani, Borjomi)
> The five-star spa in the Likani park that hosts the only paid meditation week in Borjomi. Named rather than recommended: recent guests describe an uneven checkout and a room that did not match its photos.
> Season: All year · Google 4.4 (2398)
> Pros: A five-star spa in the Likani park; Hosts the only paid meditation week in Borjomi
> Cons: Recent guests describe an uneven checkout; A big resort shared with other guests
> [website](https://www.borjomilikaniresort.com/) · phone +995 32 229 22 92 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJa0FMgDs6Q0ARRRYUqq9KuT0)

### Kakheti

Where: the wine valleys east of Tbilisi, 105 to 158 km out. Season: spring and autumn; [July afternoons reach 30 to 34 C](https://www.georgia-spirit.com/guides/weather-climate/). Good for: the clearest whole-venue pricing in the country and the shortest transfer from Tbilisi airport. Watch out for: summer heat, and no altitude to escape it.

[Horizons](https://gohorizons.ge/retreats) at Bakurtsikhe, 105 km and 1 hour 36 minutes from Tbilisi, hires out six cottages with a yoga terrace, pool and sauna. [Duende](https://duendehotels.com/) at Lagodekhi has five treehouse cottages with fire pits, cold plunge pools and hot tubs on the national park border, and [85 percent of what an activity costs](https://duendehotels.com/experiences/) there goes to the local people who lead it; the fire pit and the hot tub are add-ons, and the coffee is instant. The two sit on one road: taking in Horizons on the Tbilisi to Duende drive adds 2.9 km and 7 minutes. [Lopota](https://lopotaresort.com/) is the lake resort that appears on every Georgian wellness list; its programme is spa and medical treatment, with no meditation teacher.

> **Horizons Bakurtsikhe** (Bakurtsikhe, Kakheti)
> Six cottages with a yoga terrace, pool and sauna, hired whole, and the clearest published venue price in the country. Four cottages is the minimum for exclusive use, so no outside guests walk through a practice.
> Price: From 2,715 GEL a night for six cottages, VAT included · Season: All year · Google 4.9 (118)
> Pros: Six cottages with a yoga terrace, pool and sauna, hired whole; The clearest published venue price in the country
> Cons: Four cottages is the minimum for exclusive use; Six cottages cap the group size
> [website](https://gohorizons.ge/retreats) · [Instagram @gohorizons.ge](https://instagram.com/gohorizons.ge) · phone +995 591 66 55 22 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJLXOoChKJRkARt0-qOlg8MzE)

> **Duende Hotels Lagodekhi** (Khiza, Lagodekhi, Kakheti)
> Five treehouse cottages with fire pits and cold plunge pools on the Lagodekhi park border, with activities led by local people who keep 85 percent of what they cost. Five cottages caps a group below twenty, and the hot tub is charged on top.
> Capacity: Five cottages · Season: All year · Google 4.9 (127)
> Pros: Five treehouse cottages with fire pits and cold plunge pools; Activities led by local people, who keep 85% of what they cost
> Cons: Five cottages cap a group below 20; The hot tub costs extra
> [website](https://duendehotels.com/) · phone +995 555 77 88 38 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJMwv8x-1tRkARgx42zOUz1Hk)

> **Lopota Lake Resort & Spa** (Napareuli, Kakheti)
> The Kakheti lake resort that travel sites file under wellness retreats. Named for comparison only: the programme is spa and medical treatment with no meditation teacher and no practice space.
> Season: All year · Google 4.4 (2743)
> Pros: A lake resort filed under wellness retreats; Spa and medical treatments
> Cons: No meditation teacher and no practice space; A large resort shared with other guests
> [website](https://lopotaresort.com/) · phone +995 32 240 04 00 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJEfkgp0HIRUARiHcbv4vtIPM)

### Kazbegi and Gudauri

Where: Stepantsminda at 1,740 m, 155 km and 2 hours 37 minutes north of Tbilisi up the Georgian Military Highway. Season: June to early October; [September is the steadiest month](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepantsminda) with days at 16.4 C and nights at 3.5 C. Good for: high mountains within three hours of Tbilisi airport. Watch out for: everything arrives on the one road over the Jvari pass, and [Gudauri at 2,200 m holds snow from December through March](https://www.georgia-spirit.com/guides/weather-climate/).

[Rooms Kazbegi](https://roomshotels.com/kazbegi/) is the usual base, with a spa, sauna and indoor pool. Gudauri sits on the same road, and [Quadrum](https://quadrum-gudauri.com/) there has a dedicated yoga room, an indoor pool and a conference room, though at 4.1 from 366 Google reviews it sits below the bar for a recommendation.

> **Rooms Kazbegi** (Stepantsminda, Kazbegi)
> The usual base for a mountain week at 1,740 m, with a spa and an indoor pool under Kazbek. Ask for a mountain-view room; several recent guests find the rooms dated for the price and the staffing thin.
> Season: All year · Google 4.5 (5529)
> Pros: A spa and an indoor pool under Kazbek; The usual base for a mountain week at 1,740 m
> Cons: Several recent guests find the rooms dated for the price; Thin staffing when the hotel is full
> [website](https://roomshotels.com/kazbegi/) · phone +995 32 271 00 99 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJP2ViFvcMREAR1pj01B_1XTc)

### Svaneti

Where: Lakhushdi near Mestia, 218 km and 5 hours 21 minutes from Kutaisi airport, and a ten-minute drive from Mestia itself. Season: July and August. Good for: the highest mountains in the country and a genuinely remote week. Watch out for: the drive. The organiser of the [Lakhushdi week](https://myyogicadventure.com/embody-your-yoga-yoga-and-meditation-retreat/) offers a Kutaisi transfer of about 4.5 hours, a Zugdidi group transfer of about 2.5 hours after the Tbilisi train, or the single daily 30-minute flight to Mestia. Allow more than the timetable says.

### Near Tbilisi

Where: Kojori 19 km and 33 minutes from the city, where Bioli sits at 1,151 m; Kiketi 30 km and 39 minutes; Lake Bazaleti 51.5 km and about an hour. Season: all year. Good for: a weekend without a long drive, and a first retreat for a group that cannot take a week off. Watch out for: these are half-day trips from each other, not one loop. Bioli and Kiketi are in different valleys, and going via Bioli adds 22 minutes to the Kiketi drive.

[Bioli](https://bioli.ge/en) above Kojori is the one place in Georgia selling a fixed mental-health programme: its [three-day Mental Detox](https://bioli.ge/en/programs/mental-detox) at US$950 covers wellness coaching, a chief doctor consultation, spectrometry and a heart-rate variability test, a psychologist session with art therapy, one practice from qigong, yoga or 5 Rhythms, breathing and forest therapy, massage, infrared sauna and halotherapy. It is a medical wellness resort rather than a silent retreat, and priced accordingly.

> **Bioli Wellness Resort** (Kojori, Tbilisi)
> At 1,151 m half an hour above Tbilisi, and the one place in Georgia selling a fixed mental-health programme with a psychologist, a practice and forest therapy. It is a medical wellness resort rather than a silent retreat.
> Price: Mental Detox, 3 days from US$950 · Season: All year · Google 4.7 (874)
> Pros: A fixed mental-health programme with a psychologist and forest therapy; At 1,151 m, half an hour above Tbilisi
> Cons: A medical wellness resort, not a silent retreat; Sells programmes, not an empty venue
> [website](https://bioli.ge/en) · [Instagram @bioliwellness](https://instagram.com/bioliwellness) · phone +995 32 232 23 22 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ8VInfyELREARbDofGIFib9s)

## When is the season for a retreat in Georgia, month by month?

April to June and September to October are the retreat months, and the two halves of the country swap places in between. Summer works high up and in Svaneti; it is hard work on the coast and in Kakheti. [September is the best all-round month](https://www.georgia-spirit.com/guides/weather-climate/): mild everywhere and dry in the lowlands.

| Month | Coast and Kakheti | Mountains, 1,200 to 1,800 m | What runs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January to March | Mild and wet on the coast, cold inland | Snow; Adjara camps closed, Gudauri at its busiest | City sittings only |
| April | Warm, green, cheap | Adjara venues open, nights near freezing | First group bookings |
| May | Best coast month before the crowds | Snow clearing; high passes still shut | Studio weekends |
| June | Hot and humid | Rhododendrons, most rain and fog up high | Retreat season opens |
| July | 30 to 34 C in Kakheti, crowded coast | Warm days, cold nights, Svaneti at its best | Svaneti and mountain weeks |
| August | Peak season, peak prices | 19 C in the Adjara highlands, clear late in the month | The busiest month for group retreats |
| September | The best month almost everywhere | Clear air, empty roads, warm days | Vipassana courses start, Russian-language weeks |
| October | Autumn colour, cool evenings | Golden weeks, first snow late in the month | Vipassana, the Zen sesshin, silent retreats, phone-free weeks |
| November to December | Grey and wet | Passes closing, mountain camps shut | City sittings only |

> **Watch out:** Weather apps show the nearest town, not a mountain camp. At 1,200 m above sea level above Khulo the days are warm and the nights are cold all season, so a retreat that practises outdoors at 07:00 in August still needs layers. Our tents have wood stoves and heaters and no air conditioning, and the indoor yoga dome is the wet-weather plan for any outdoor session.

## How do you get to a retreat in Georgia from Batumi, Kutaisi or Tbilisi airport?

Fly into Kutaisi if you are counting money and into Tbilisi or Batumi if you are counting hours. [Kutaisi International](https://kutaisi.aero/en) is the only airport in the region with low-cost airline services and no night-flight restrictions, and it is 147 km from Borjomi, 218 km from Mestia and 141 km from our own valley.

| Leg | Time | 2026 price | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Kutaisi airport to Batumi by train | 2 hours | 31 GEL | Four times a day, the scenic option |
| Kutaisi airport to Batumi by bus | 2 hours | 25 GEL | Four times a day, stops at the Batumi cable car |
| Kutaisi bus station to Batumi by marshrutka | 3 hours | 20 GEL | Hourly, 08:00 to 18:00 |
| Tbilisi to Batumi by train | 6 hours | 35 GEL | Four to six times a day from Tbilisi Central |
| Tbilisi to Batumi by marshrutka | 7 hours | 35 GEL | Hourly from Didube, 07:00 to 16:00 |
| Batumi to Khulo by marshrutka | 2h30 | about 10 GEL | Old bus station, every 30 minutes, 08:00 to 20:00 |
| Batumi to Khulo by taxi app | 2 hours | up to 175 GEL | [Bolt](https://bolt.eu/) and the other apps |
| Khulo to Village Tago by 4x4 | 30 to 35 minutes | 75 GEL per car | Up to four people, cash at reception |
| Batumi to Village Tago, private 4x4 | 2h30 | 265 GEL | Up to four people |
| Kutaisi to Village Tago, private 4x4 | 5h30 | 465 GEL | Up to four people |
| Tbilisi to Village Tago, private 4x4 | 8h30 | 925 GEL | Up to four people |
| Akhaltsikhe to Village Tago, private 4x4 | 4h30 | 360 GEL | Over the Goderdzi pass, summer only |
| Khulo to Village Tago by minibus | 30 to 35 minutes | 135 GEL | For a group with luggage |
| Tbilisi to Bakuriani | 2h46 | Marshrutka or private car | 186 km, no direct service from Batumi |
| Batumi to Tsikhisdziri | 26 minutes | Local taxi | 20 km up the S2 coast road |

Batumi to Village Tago is 91.7 km, climbing from sea level to 1,200 m, and the first 85 km to Khulo are asphalt. Allow about 2 hours 30 minutes: the last stretch is a 4x4 mountain road and a normal car will not make it. The [Khulo cable car](https://glampingtago.ge/how-to-get-to-glamping-tago) is closed for repair, so the jeep taxi is the only way up, and airport arrivals for a group are pooled into several waves of 4x4 transfers. Batumi city buses cost [0.70 GEL](https://madloba.info/en/blog/transport-in-georgia/marshrutki-batumi-adzhariya) after the city council's January 2026 decision, and marshrutka 77 to Keda and all the Khulo services leave the old Batumi bus station.

Coming by minibus with a whole group, take the [Skhalta valley way](https://glampingtago.ge/how-to-get-to-glamping-tago) instead. You turn off the Batumi to Akhaltsikhe road at Zamleti, 4.7 km before Khulo, then climb through Cheri, Dzmagula and Samtsukhi: 94 km and about 2 hours from Batumi, a little longer than the Khulo road but an easier one that normal cars and minibuses handle.

> **Watch out:** Chao is not Tago. It is a different village, 1.6 km away as the crow flies but 13 km and about 20 minutes by road, and map apps send people there. Use Maps.me, follow the wooden signs, and if you are driving a 4x4 you can park at the camp; if you are not, park anywhere in Khulo centre and take the taxi up. Before any winter or shoulder-season trip over the [Goderdzi pass](https://glampingtago.ge/blog/green-lake), call the road department on +995 32 2 31 30 76.

> **Good to know:** Citizens of the EU states, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Israel, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the other listed countries can stay in Georgia for [one full year without a visa](https://matsne.gov.ge/en/document/view/2867361) under Government Ordinance No 255. Arriving for a retreat is never the reason you need paperwork.

## How do you host your own retreat in Georgia, and what do the venues charge in 2026?

You rent a small property whole, bring your own teacher and let the venue cook. That is how almost every retreat in the country is run, and it is the only way to get the dates, the group and the programme you actually want.

| Venue | Whole venue for your group? | Beds on site | Practice space | Group | Nearest city |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Glamping Tago](#place-glamping-tago) (ours) | Yes, a whole-property buyout | 33 | 138 m2 platform, 38 m2 yoga dome | 12-33 | Batumi |
| Horizons Bakurtsikhe | Yes, from four cottages, published price | 6 cottages | Yoga terrace | A small group | Tbilisi |
| Duende | Ask: 5 cottages | 5 cottages | Treehouses by the Lagodekhi park | Under 20 | Tbilisi |
| Laguna Beach Club | Yes, if you book it whole | Rooms | Conference room | By enquiry | Tbilisi, within an hour |
| Kiketi Farm | Ask | 27 rooms | Greenhouses and a meadow | 30-200 | Tbilisi, 39 min |
| Kokhta Bakuriani | No, a resort hotel | 92 rooms | Event rooms for 100 | Up to 100 | Tbilisi or Kutaisi |

### Glamping Tago, Village Tago (Adjara)

Where: above Village Tago in Khulo municipality at about 1,200 m above sea level. Drive time from Batumi: 2.5 to 3 hours. Capacity: 12 to 33 on site in twelve Lotus Belle tents for two and a nine-bed half-dome dorm. Practice spaces: a 138 m2 outdoor platform under a sailcloth tent and a 38 m2 geodesic yoga dome with a sprung floor, mats, blocks, bolsters, projector, screen, speaker and microphone. Season: 1 April to the end of October. Good for: silence, altitude and a fully vegetarian kitchen. Watch out for: the 4x4 road up, and no massage table and no gong on site.

Whole-property buyout per night, 2026 season: April 1,962 GEL, May 2,520 GEL, June 3,584 GEL, July 4,488 GEL, August 4,488 GEL, September 3,584 GEL, October 2,316 GEL. That covers all twelve tents and the dorm with both practice spaces, the sauna, the campfire and the sound equipment. Exclusive use as an event carries a 2,000 GEL privatisation fee.

Food is 100 GEL per person per day for full board, all vegetarian, or a group menu: Georgian supra 85 GEL a head, Euro-Georgian buffet 125 GEL, a signature five-course menu 215 GEL from 30 guests. Vegan and gluten-free are arranged with notice. A sunrise yoga session with one of our teachers is [included with every stay](https://glampingtago.ge/activities), and the wood-fired sauna is free for staying guests, retreat groups included; add-ons such as a guided forest and herb walk run from 300 GEL a group. Bathrooms are two shared blocks with two showers and two toilets each, towels and bedding are provided, laundry is 15 GEL, and quiet hours start at 23:00.

Groups larger than 33 sleep in [upgraded village guesthouses](https://glampingtago.ge/local-guesthouses) three to ten minutes walk away, where seven families keep 27 rooms and 64 beds at 150 GEL a room a night, plus room for about 60 campers. Own tents and campervans are free for a group that has booked the whole property. The largest group housed this way was over 100 people. Two groups can run at the same time and the team splits the practice spaces between them by slot, so a partial buyout still gets its own hours in the dome and on the platform. European studios book the season the same way: the [Prague Yoga Collective](https://www.pragueyogacollective.com/glamping-georgia-26) came back for a third year in 2026 with two seven-day terms, 23 to 30 August and 9 to 16 September.

### Horizons, Bakurtsikhe (Kakheti)

Where: Bakurtsikhe, 105 km and 1 hour 36 minutes from Tbilisi. Price: [from 2,715 GEL a night](https://gohorizons.ge/retreats) for six cottages, VAT included, with 10 percent off for two nights. Four cottages is the minimum that makes the venue exclusive, so no outside guests walk through your practice. Included: yoga terrace, pool, sauna and breakfast, with vegetarian menus as an add-on. Good for: the clearest published whole-venue price in the country. Watch out for: summer heat in Kakheti, and no altitude to escape it.

### Kokhta Bakuriani

Where: Kokhta Dziri at Bakuriani, 1,700 m. Included: event rooms for 50 and for 100 people with projector, screen, flip chart, podium, portable stage and wired and wireless internet at no extra charge; an AV technician, microphone and printing are charged on top. Enquiries go to reception@kokhta.com. Good for: a weekend retreat out of ski season with a buffet and alpine rooms. Watch out for: it is a ski resort hotel rather than a retreat venue, and nothing about the meeting rooms is built for sitting on the floor.

### Kiketi Farm, near Tbilisi

Where: Kiketi, 29.6 km and 39 minutes from Tbilisi. Spaces: [greenhouses for 30 to 100 and 50 to 150 guests](https://kiketi.farm/events), a meadow for 150 to 200 standing and a waterfall space, plus a spa over the Asureti valley with Nordic walking, pilates and sound healing. Good for: a large one-day programme close to the capital. Watch out for: guests through September 2026 report extensive noisy construction across the property, with heavy machinery and trucks, so ask what is being built before you book a silent day.

> **Kiketi Farm** (Kiketi, near Tbilisi)
> Greenhouses and a meadow for 30 to 200 guests with a spa over the Asureti valley, 39 minutes from Tbilisi. Named rather than recommended: guests through September 2026 report extensive noisy construction across the property.
> Capacity: 30 to 200 guests depending on the space · Season: All year · Google 4.5 (726)
> Pros: Greenhouses and a meadow for 30 to 200 guests; A spa over the Asureti valley, 39 minutes from Tbilisi
> Cons: Guests through September 2026 report extensive noisy construction; Ask for the construction schedule in writing
> [website](https://kiketi.farm/) · phone +995 32 211 10 03 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJIcv9YogLREARdxCOqk23DTE)

### Laguna Beach Club, Lake Bazaleti

Where: Lake Bazaleti, 51.5 km and about an hour from Tbilisi. Price: an [all-inclusive package](https://www.laguna-bazaleti.com/en/trainings/) at 140 GEL per person with a double or triple room and three meals a day, 160 GEL with pool and sauna, and a 55 m2 conference room at 700 GEL. It takes groups from eight people and names yoga retreats among the events it hosts. Good for: the cheapest full-board venue near Tbilisi for a training-style retreat. Watch out for: it is a lakeside club built for conferences, so book the whole thing if you want quiet.

> **Laguna Beach Club** (Lake Bazaleti)
> The cheapest full-board venue within an hour of Tbilisi, built for trainings: rooms, three meals a day and a conference room. It is a lakeside club, so book it whole if the group needs quiet.
> Price: 140 GEL per person all inclusive, 160 GEL with pool and sauna · Season: All year · Google 4.3 (260)
> Pros: The cheapest full board within an hour of Tbilisi; Rooms, three meals and a conference room
> Cons: A lakeside club: book it whole if the group needs quiet; 4.3, exactly on our bar
> [website](https://www.laguna-bazaleti.com/) · phone +995 555 86 66 55 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJbyATVLj1REARJ_K28a0ZsYE)

### Duende, Lagodekhi

Where: the Lagodekhi national park border, 157 km and 2 hours 25 minutes from Tbilisi. Capacity: five treehouse cottages, which caps a group below twenty. Included: river swimming, cold plunge pools and activities led by local people. Good for: a small, high-end group. Watch out for: the fire pit and the hot tub are charged on top and the coffee is instant.

### What to book, in what order

1. Pick the region and the month first, from the season table above. June to September dates at a small venue go 6 to 12 months ahead.
2. Hold the dates. With us a 30 percent non-refundable prepayment of the total confirms a booking, and dates hold one week without payment.
3. Book the venue before the teacher's flights, not after. There are a handful of whole-property venues in the country and they take one group at a time.
4. Have the venue register a foreign teacher in the state labour-migration system before the retreat starts, as below.
5. Send the programme 30 days ahead so the kitchen and the practice spaces can be built around it.
6. Fix the headcount in writing at 14 days and the room or tent list at 7 days. Before that, tents come off the bill freely over 60 days out, up to two from 60 to 30 days and one more from 30 to 14 days.
7. Sort transfers last, once you know arrival times, and pool airport arrivals into waves rather than booking one car per guest.

> **Good to know:** The organiser eats free for the whole stay with us, and the standard agent commission is 10 percent. Payment is GEL by bank transfer or a 24-hour payment link, with invoices in GEL or EUR. Russian Visa, Mastercard and Mir cards do not work in Georgia, so Russian-speaking organisers pay by [KoronaPay](https://koronapay.com/), in cash, or by transfer to a Georgian account.

### Does a foreign teacher need a work permit?

No permit, but somebody has to register them. Georgia's [2026 labour migration reform](https://relocation.ge/en/right-to-work-georgia/) now requires a right to work for most paid activity here, and exempts short-term professional activity: a defined, temporary engagement of no more than four months in a calendar year, carried out inside a lawful stay, which the year of visa-free entry covers. Leading one retreat fits that definition in the [Law on Labour Migration](https://matsne.gov.ge/en/document/view/2806732), so there is no work or residence permit to apply for.

The exemption is not automatic. Before the retreat begins, the Georgian venue or organiser has to register the teacher in the state's electronic labour-migration system and submit their details, role and dates. Registration is free. If it is missing, or the agency has not confirmed it, the week does not count as short-term professional activity and both the teacher and the venue can be held liable. A teacher who runs retreats here season after season, or takes on regular local classes, needs the full right to work from the State Employment Promotion Agency instead, and usually a registered Georgian company.

### Running a day of silence

Agree four things with the venue before you arrive, because they are what every silent group we host asks about. When the silence starts, to the hour, on arrival day. Whether staff may still speak to guests to explain where things are, or hand over notes instead. How other guests are kept out of the practice space, which with a whole-property buyout is simply nobody else being on site. And what the floor kit is: with us, mats, blocks and bolsters are in the dome, and groups sitting on the ground for two-hour blocks bring or ask for extra cushions and blankets.

If you want a practice led by someone local, [Sangeeta Space](https://sangeetaspace.com/) in Batumi builds gong ceremonies and meditation concerts around a venue, and [Zen Travel](https://zentravel.ge/meditation-retreats.php) in Tbilisi assembles yoga and meditation programmes in Svaneti, Kazbegi and other regions to order.

> **Sangeeta Space** (Batumi)
> A Batumi vendor an organiser can hire: gong ceremonies, meditation concerts and anti-stress sessions built around the venue. Listed as a supplier rather than recommended as a place to practise, because 14 Google reviews is too few to judge.
> Season: All year · Google 5 (14)
> [website](https://sangeetaspace.com/) · phone +995 591 09 39 79 · [map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJj_fcCnuHZ0ARnMfDAyuHyao)

## What do people get wrong about meditation retreats in Georgia?

- **Two Georgias.** [georgiameditation.org](https://georgiameditation.org/insight-vipassana-meditation-groups.html) publishes Vipassana, Zen and Tibetan group listings under the heading Georgia and every group on it is in Atlanta. The [Kadampa centre](https://www.meditationingeorgia.org/) named for Georgia is in Atlanta too, and so are both Vipassana centres the [worldwide directory](https://www.dhamma.org/en/locations/directory) holds under the name.
- **Booking Gomarduli.** The old retreat centre in the Adjara hills is [permanently closed](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ8yknWcFFXUARdrOWFUpZMHI) on both of its Google entries, Gomarduli Dao Space and Gomarduli Zen Garden. The [Gomarduli Inn](https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJsfBp_PBFXUARqXmU6yrqOj8) at the same resort is open, but it is a small hotel, not a retreat centre. The closed centre is still the first Adjara retreat centre most AI answers name.
- **Trusting a marketplace on Georgia.** [BookRetreats](https://bookretreats.com/s/meditation-retreats/georgia) fills its Georgia pages with retreats in Armenia, Turkey, Cyprus and Switzerland, and only two of the retreats it sells for Georgia are physically in the country: the Borjomi reset and the Tsikhisdziri women's week.
- **Expecting a monastery to run a retreat.** Georgian monasteries are working Orthodox communities. Some take pilgrims [overnight by arrangement](https://sunnygeorgia.travel/blog/en/most-beautiful-monasteries-in-georgia), but none of them runs a silent retreat with a teacher and a programme.
- **Reading a spa hotel as a retreat.** Tskaltubo, [Sairme](https://ensanahotels.com/en/hotels/sairme-south), Lopota and Rooms Kazbegi appear on every [Georgian wellness list](https://georgia.to/en/caucasus-mountain-wellness-sanctuaries/). They sell thermal water, healing mud and massage, with no teacher, no silence and no programme.
- **Assuming a waitlist is an opening.** [Baghi](https://www.baghi-resort.com/) in the Adjara highlands takes waitlist sign-ups only, with no bookable dates.
- **Treating a mountain stay as a retreat.** A tent with a view is a holiday. A retreat needs a practice space nobody walks through, a kitchen that serves at your hours, and a group that has agreed to the same rules.
- **Planning side valleys as stops on the way.** In Adjara and around Tbilisi the second venue is almost always in a different valley. Eco House Merisi adds 37 minutes to the Khulo drive, Chateau Milisi 26 minutes, and Bioli 22 minutes to the Kiketi drive. Each is a separate trip.
- **Leaving the phone question open.** Only the Vipassana courses take your devices off you: they are handed to the management for the whole course. The Metta.Land retreat and our Digital Detox week switch the group off at the opening circle, ours into a locked box. Everywhere else, switching off is your own decision and nobody will make it for you.

## Glamping Tago for a meditation retreat

We are Jonas and Lisa, a Belgian couple who fell in love with Georgia and opened Glamping Tago in 2021. We are on the hill above Village Tago in Khulo municipality, mountainous Adjara, at about 1,200 m above sea level, 2.5 to 3 hours from Batumi. Glamping Tago is made for weddings of about 30 guests and retreats of up to 30 people. We have hosted retreats here since 2021, and for your dates the whole property is yours and everyone sleeps on site: nobody else walks past a practice, and the silence you agree on is the only rule on site.

You practise on a 138 m2 outdoor platform under a sailcloth tent or in the 38 m2 geodesic yoga dome, which has a sprung floor, mats, blocks, bolsters, a projector, a screen and a microphone, and which is also the wet-weather plan for anything outdoors. The kitchen at [Yurtalicious](/restaurant) is fully vegetarian, full board is 100 GEL per person per day, and vegan and gluten-free menus are built around the group. Sunrise yoga with one of our teachers is included with every stay.

If you would rather join something than organise it, our [Digital Detox & Mental Health Week](/digital-detox) runs 26 October to 1 November 2026 with phones handed in at the start.

The practical limits are worth knowing before you plan: the last stretch of road needs a 4x4, the camp is open 1 April to the end of October, there is no massage table and no gong, and mountain nights are cold even in August.

- **Guests:** 12 to 33, all sleeping on site
- **Beds on site:** 12 Lotus Belle tents for two plus a nine-bed dorm dome
- **Practice spaces:** 138 m2 outdoor platform and a 38 m2 yoga dome with mats, blocks and bolsters
- **Whole-property buyout:** 1,962 GEL a night in April to 4,488 GEL in July and August, 2026 season
- **Food:** Fully vegetarian, full board 100 GEL per person per day
- **Season:** 1 April to the end of October
- **Getting here:** 2.5 to 3 hours from Batumi: 85 km of asphalt to Khulo, then 30 to 35 minutes by 4x4 at 75 GEL a car, or 265 GEL straight from Batumi
- **Internet:** Starlink across the camp, about 300 Mbps

## FAQ

**Is there a Vipassana centre in Georgia (the country)?**

No. The worldwide directory lists no centre in Georgia, only one non-centre location that rents a site at Bakuriani for its courses. Three 10-day courses run there in the 2026 season, two of them still ahead (7 to 18 and 20 to 31 October), and they cost a donation, with no charge for the teaching, the food or the bed. The centres that come up under the name Georgia, Dhamma Patapa in Jesup and Atlanta Dhamma House, are in the US state.

**How much does a meditation retreat in Georgia cost in 2026?**

Anything from nothing to US$3,950. The weekly sittings in Tbilisi and Batumi are free and a 10-day Vipassana course costs a donation. A three-night Zen sesshin is 300 GEL with bed and meals, a four-night silent retreat is 250 to 260 EUR of shared costs plus a donation, a week run by a European studio is 700 to 1,550 EUR, and a week sold through an international marketplace is US$1,569 to US$2,013.

**Where can I do a silent retreat in Georgia?**

Three options run silence properly. The 10-day Vipassana courses at Bakuriani hold Noble Silence from the start of the course to the morning of the last full day, and phones are handed to the management for the whole ten days. The Metta.Land retreat in the hills takes ten people for four nights of attentive silence, switching off from the networks at the opening circle, on 16 to 20 October 2026 for 250 to 260 EUR of shared costs. The Zen sesshin at Tsikhisdziri, held 1 to 4 October in 2026, sets gadgets aside and avoids idle talk for four days at 300 GEL.

**Can I meditate in Georgia for free?**

Yes, every week. Zazen runs in Tbilisi on Saturdays and in Batumi on Thursdays from 19:00 to 20:30, two blocks of 25 to 30 minutes with no booking and no charge. Open practice runs in Tbilisi on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 12:00 in the Bao Cha tea house building at Aghmashenebeli 46, entered from Tchorokhi Street. The Sri Chinmoy centre teaches a free meditation training in Georgian every few months.

**When is the best time of year for a retreat in Georgia?**

April to June and September to October. The coast and Kakheti are hot and crowded in July and August, while the mountains are at their best from late July to early October: the Adjara highlands sit at about 19 C in summer and September is the steadiest month higher up. Mountain camps open on 1 April and close at the end of October, and the high passes shut around mid-October.

**Where can I rent a venue in Georgia to host my own retreat for 20 to 30 people?**

Glamping Tago in mountainous Adjara takes 12 to 33 people as a whole-property buyout, 1,962 GEL a night in April to 4,488 GEL in July and August, with two practice spaces and a vegetarian kitchen. Horizons at Bakurtsikhe in Kakheti hires six cottages from 2,715 GEL a night with a yoga terrace, pool and sauna. Kokhta Bakuriani has event rooms for up to 100 out of ski season, and Laguna Beach Club at Lake Bazaleti runs full board from 140 GEL per person.

**Is there a phone-free or digital detox retreat near Batumi?**

Yes. The Digital Detox & Mental Health Week at Glamping Tago runs 26 October to 1 November 2026, six nights at about 1,200 m above sea level in the Adjara mountains, 2.5 to 3 hours from Batumi, with phones handed in at the start, meditation twice a day, daily talks and group sessions, sauna and ice baths. There are 33 places at 600 to 1,190 EUR per person, everything included.

**Do Georgian monasteries run silent retreats?**

No. Georgian monasteries are working Orthodox communities, and none of them runs a silent retreat with a teacher, a programme and a price. Some take pilgrims overnight by arrangement rather than as tourist lodging, and the packaged version of that route is a pilgrimage tour rather than a retreat.

**How do I get from the airport to a retreat in the Adjara mountains?**

Fly into Kutaisi for low-cost flights or Batumi for the shortest transfer. From Batumi a marshrutka leaves the old bus station for Khulo every 30 minutes from 08:00 to 20:00, takes about 2h30 and costs around 10 GEL, then the 4x4 taxi up to Village Tago is 75 GEL per car. A private 4x4 straight from Batumi is 265 GEL and 2h30, from Kutaisi 465 GEL and 5h30, from Tbilisi 925 GEL and 8h30. A whole group arriving by minibus takes the easier Skhalta valley road instead, 94 km and about two hours from Batumi.

**What should I bring to a mountain retreat in Georgia?**

Warm layers and rain gear, whatever the month. At 1,200 m above sea level the days are warm and the nights are cold all season, and weather apps show the nearest town rather than the camp. Bring your own zafu or a folded blanket if you sit on the floor for long blocks, shoes you can walk a mountain path in, and a torch. For a 10-day Vipassana course, pack clothes for the full ten days: there are no washing machines, and no books, notebooks or devices are allowed.

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