Winter Retreat in Georgia (the Country) 2026-27: Goderdzi, Bakuriani and What Works in the Cold Months

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Published 4 November 2026·17 min read·Prices and facts checked: November 2026

You can run a retreat in Georgia in winter, but in heated hotels that stay open: Goderdzi in Adjara, Bakuriani and Borjomi, Gudauri, the spa towns and Kakheti. Glamping Tago closes November to March; in the Adjara mountains, April-May and September-October work best.

Yes, but in a heated hotel, not in a tent. From late December to March a winter retreat in Georgia (the country) works in the places that stay open and keep their roads cleared: Goderdzi in the Adjara mountains, Bakuriani and Borjomi, Gudauri and Kazbegi, the spa towns of Imereti and the lake resorts of Kakheti.

Glamping Tago, our own venue in mountainous Adjara, is closed from November to March. The camp sits at 1,200 m above Village Tago, where snow lies on the ground most days from December to March, so we open again on 1 April. That is also the honest answer to the question we hear every January: in the Adjara mountains, a retreat in tents and domes is a spring and autumn thing.

Ready-made winter retreats are rare: the dated ones for 2026-27 are a handful of small December retreats, listed further down. Most winter groups in Georgia are organisers who build their own programme around a ski hotel, and this guide is written for them.

Three things decide it: is the venue open in your month, can your group have the place or at least its own room, and how long is the drive from the airport in snow. Glamping Tago is the first row as the April-May and September-October option.

Adjara is the region most winter lists leave out, and it is the easiest one to reach from Batumi airport. In winter the mountain side means one place: the Goderdzi ski resort, about 112 km from the airport through Khulo. The coast below is mild and wet instead: January days in Batumi reach about 11 C, and it rains on about 15 days of the month, so pack a rain jacket as well as ski clothes.

Glamping Tago (our venue), Adjara: open April to October only

We are on a ridge above Village Tago in Khulo municipality, 91 km from Batumi. A retreat here is a whole-camp buyout for one group of 12 to 33 people: 12 Lotus Belle tents and a 9-bed dome dorm, a 38 m2 indoor yoga dome, a 138 m2 covered platform, a free evening sauna and Yurtalicious, the vegetarian yurt restaurant on site. More than 75 retreat groups have stayed with us since 2021.

In winter the camp is under snow, so a January group cannot stay with us. Glamping Tago is the answer for the shoulder months, and the rest of this section is for groups who want the Adjara mountains in real winter.

Goderdzi ski resort: what a group needs to know

Goderdzi is a small resort on the Arsiani range: 7.2 km of pistes from 1,724 to 2,366 m, served by the Zanka gondola, the Chanchakhi chairlift and a beginner carpet. The Georgian National Tourism Administration gives an average snow depth of 3-4 m in winter and up to 6-7 m in a heavy one.

The 2026/27 season is planned to open on 20 December 2026, as Ambassadori announced, always snow permitting: in 2025 the same plan slipped to 27 December. The lifts run 10:00 to 16:00 on weekdays and to 17:00 at weekends, and the upper chairlift stops in strong wind or fog while the gondola usually keeps running. A day pass cost 30 GEL in 2025/26 on goderdzi.ski (the 2026/27 tariff follows in December), the ticket office by the gondola takes cash and card, and the season ended on 29 March 2026.

At the resort, January days stay around -1 C and nights drop to about -11 C, with snow on the ground on most days from December to March. Pack for that, not for the coast: thermal layers, a down jacket, waterproof boots and a hat for the walks between sessions.

Where can a group stay at Goderdzi?

Three hotels at the lifts take groups, and none of them is exclusive: you share the building with skiers. Beds at the lifts for New Year usually sell out by mid-November, and February weekends book three to four weeks ahead.

Hotel Ambassadori Goderdzi is the one with the most for a retreat: an indoor pool, the Garden Spa, hot tubs, a sauna and a gym, plus two conference rooms, one on the second floor with a panoramic view and one private room on the ground floor, with projectors, coffee breaks and buffets. Group requests go to info@ambassadori.com.

Ire Palace Goderdzi is open all year, about 100 m from the lift, with 100+ rooms of 30-55 m2 for 1 to 5 guests on seven floors, a conference hall for up to 40, breakfast included and ski rental in the building.

Goderdzi Twins Hotel is the smaller option, with an indoor pool and a sauna, rated 4.9 on Google.

Apartments and cottages are the budget route for a self-catered group. Goderdzi.ski lists studios for 2-3 guests 150-250 m from the gondola from 290 GEL a night, and forest cottages for 6-7 with a kitchen and fireplace, about 1.5 km from the lift, from 400 GEL. New Year prices are higher. The resort has only small shops, so bring groceries from Batumi.

How do you get to Goderdzi in winter?

In winter every road to Goderdzi goes through Batumi and Khulo. The Goderdzi pass on the Akhaltsikhe side is closed, so a group flying into Tbilisi takes the train or drives 5-6 hours to Batumi first, then 2.5-3 hours up, and up to 4 hours in winter.

• Private transfer: the 2026/27 transfer table charges per car with winter tyres from Batumi: a 4x4 SUV for up to 3 guests is 350 GEL one way and 700 GEL return on different days; a 4x4 minivan for up to 7 is 420 GEL one way and 840 GEL return.
• Marshrutka and a local 4x4: a marshrutka leaves Batumi bus station for Khulo every 30 minutes from 08:00 to 20:00, about 2.5 hours and about 10 GEL. No scheduled service climbs the last 28 km to the resort, so a local 4x4 from Khulo costs about 70-100 GEL. This works for a few people, not for a group with luggage.
• Your own car: winter tyres on all four wheels are compulsory from 1 December to 1 March on the Batumi-Akhaltsikhe road under Government Resolution No. 526, and police can require chains in heavy snow. During snowfall only four-wheel-drive cars are let through near Goderdzi, Autohub notes.

Take cash and fill up in Khulo, about 28 km and 40 minutes before the resort: it is the last town on the way up, with fuel, shops and banks, and there is no ATM or exchange office at the resort. Cards work at Ambassadori, Ire Palace and the lift ticket office. Before you leave, check the Roads Department restrictions or call its hotline on +995 32 2 31 30 76.

Year-round alternatives in Adjara: Keda and the coast

Eco House Merisi in Keda is the Adjara venue that stays open all year and takes a full buyout: glass-walled cottages above the valley, a restaurant hall for up to 50 and two terraces, 49 km from Batumi airport. It is the closest thing to having a mountain place to yourselves in January.

On the coast, Roots Resort in Chakvi has 22 rooms and a 72 m2 chalet for 4, 29 km from Batumi airport, and Lumos holds a four-day body-therapy retreat there on 20-23 November, for 420 GEL. A coast retreat trades snow for rain, but nobody gets stuck on a pass.

Gomarduli Dao Space, a winter community stay in Adjara still offered on Bord.ge as 14-day stays from 900 GEL, is permanently closed, so do not plan around it.

Bakuriani is the right choice when half the group wants to ski and the other half wants a spa. The town sits at about 1,700 m, 30 km above Borjomi, with 29 km of slopes and 20 lifts between 1,641 and 2,702 m, and Didveli and Kokhta open on 20 December 2026, snow permitting.

A day pass cost 55 GEL in 2025/26 and night skiing 40 GEL (Bakuriani.ski). In winter come in via Borjomi, as the southern road through Akhalkalaki is closed. A direct van from Didube in Tbilisi costs 20 GEL, and the drive takes 2.5-3.5 hours. The Kukushka narrow-gauge train from Borjomi has not run since 2020; its relaunch is planned for December 2026 with no confirmed date, so do not build a programme around it.

Kokhta Bakuriani is the corporate pick: ski-in ski-out, 92 rooms, meeting and event rooms and a gym open at every hour.

Down in Borjomi, Crowne Plaza Borjomi is the spa hotel to book now: 4.6 from more than 2,700 Google reviews, and its recent guests praise the spa and the staff.

Hotel Borjomi Likani is still the name most lists give for Borjomi: five stars in a park of over 40 hectares, a hammam, three saunas, a pool and a 166 m2 hall. Its recent Google reviews are mixed, with repeated complaints about the food and the staff, so read the latest ones before you sign.

Gudauri is the biggest ski area in Georgia and the one with the most retreat-style programmes, but its road is the least reliable. Its lifts climb from 1,993 to 3,276 m, and the season ran to 19 April in 2026, the longest in the country.

The Roads Department closed the Gudauri-Kobi stretch of the road to Kazbegi to all traffic 13 times between 9 January and 23 April 2026, for hours or days each time. A day pass cost about 70 GEL in 2025/26. A marshrutka from Didube in Tbilisi costs 20-30 GEL a person and a GoTrip transfer about 250 GEL a car; on storm days police let through only 4x4s or cars with chains (GO Car Rental).

What runs here in winter: Cloud & Breath holds a Tsa Lung breathwork retreat on 19-23 December 2026 in a heated forest cabin of Gudauri Woods, for 4 people, EUR 875 per person or EUR 437.50 for a first retreat (snowshoes in winter, a 7-minute walk from parking). Mindful Ski & Yoga ran an 8-day week of daily yoga, breathing and skiing on 19-26 January 2026, and Zenride Academy runs a 7-day week of skiing, martial arts and mental training on 13-20 March 2027. They show the format that works: practice before the lifts open, skiing in the middle of the day, recovery in the evening.

Gudauri Lodge suits a group that skis: ski-in ski-out at 2,000 m, 121 rooms and suites and an open-air hot tub at 38 C.

Marco Polo Hotel Gudauri, at 2,003 m since 1989, has 123 rooms, conference halls and a spa, 135 km from Tbilisi airport.

Kazbegi is beautiful and cold in January: about -1 C by day and -10 C at night in Stepantsminda at 1,740 m, with snow on the ground most days. Northgate Hotel Kazbegi is a small family-run hotel, 4.8 on Google, that recent guests praise for its hosts and breakfast.

Rooms Kazbegi is the hotel everyone names for Kazbegi and stays open in winter. Its recent Google reviews fall well below its 4.5 overall, with several October 2026 complaints about value for money, bathrooms and noise from parties next door.

If the group does not ski, winter is easier in the lowlands. Tbilisi has January days of 6-8 C and nights around -2 C, and Kakheti's lake resorts stay open with spas and indoor pools.

Lopota Lake Resort & Spa is a four-season resort with 310 rooms in 16 buildings, an indoor pool and a forest spa, 105 km from Tbilisi airport.

Kvareli Lake Resort has 100 rooms by the lake, a spa and conference halls, 140 km from Tbilisi airport.

Kiketi Farm is the near-Tbilisi option, 45 km from the airport, for a short countryside retreat without a winter mountain drive.

In Imereti, the spa towns are an hour or less from Kutaisi airport. Tskaltubo, 7 km from Kutaisi, has treatment centres that work all year; Tskaltubo Hotel Prometheus is 23 km from Kutaisi airport.

Sairme, at 950 m in Baghdati municipality, has an outdoor pool fed by a 41 C thermal spring and a January average around -1 C. Sairme North, an Ensana spa hotel with thermal water and mud treatments, starts at 265 GEL per person per night.

Very few, and most are small. These are the dated ones for the coming winter:

• Georgian Sangha Zen sesshin, 17-20 December 2026 in Tsikhisdziri on the Adjara coast: 3 nights, 300 GEL with bed and meals, gadgets set aside (details in our digital detox guide).
• Cloud & Breath Tsa Lung retreat, 19-23 December 2026 near Gudauri: 4 people, EUR 875, or EUR 437.50 for a first retreat (organiser).
• Zenride Academy ski week, 13-20 March 2027 in Gudauri: 7 days of skiing, martial arts and mental training (organiser).
• Glamping Tago Digital Detox week, 5-11 April 2027, the first week of our season: 6 nights with everything included, EUR 420 in the dorm, EUR 565 in a shared Lotus tent or EUR 835 in a private one when booked by 31 January 2027 (the 30% early price; a dorm bed costs EUR 540 after that) (programme).

For January and February, plan to bring your own teacher and programme. The longer list of year-round organisers is in our yoga retreat guide.

Build the day around daylight and the lifts. A schedule that works at Goderdzi, Bakuriani or Gudauri:

For a group that does not ski, swap the middle block for a snowshoe walk or a day in the spa. Keep the programme indoors-first: when fog closes the upper lift or the road, the day still works.

Because the mountains are open, green and quiet, and you can have a whole venue. At Tago, April days reach about 15 C with nights of 2-4 C, May days about 19 C, and October days about 18 C with nights of 5-8 C. In January the same slope sees days around 4 C, nights around -7 C and snow on the ground most days.

What that means for a retreat:

• The whole place is yours. In April, May, September and October a group takes all of Glamping Tago, which no ski hotel offers in January.
• Practice indoors or out. From 30 April to late May 2026 groups of 5 to 13 held yoga, breathwork and women's retreats here, in the dome or on the deck, rain or shine. It rains on about 12-13 days a month in April and October, so the covered spaces matter: the platform's sides roll down in wind, and the yoga dome has a wood stove.
• Easier dates. Summer dates (June to September) book 6-12 months ahead; April and October are easier to get at shorter notice.
• Lower prices. The April buyout is 1,962 GEL a night against 4,488 GEL in July and August.

Early April can still bring snow, so bring warm layers and a hat for the evenings. The free evening sauna and the indoor dome help. For month-by-month weather, see our retreat weather guide, and for the region comparison, Adjara vs Kakheti vs Kazbegi.

1. Decide skiing or not. Skiers need a lift town (Goderdzi, Bakuriani, Gudauri). Non-skiers do better in a spa or lake resort, or in April at a mountain venue.
2. Pick the airport first. Batumi for Goderdzi, Keda and the coast; Kutaisi for Tskaltubo, Sairme and Bakuriani; Tbilisi for Gudauri, Kazbegi and Kakheti.
3. Book beds early. For New Year at Goderdzi book before mid-November; for a February weekend, at least 3-4 weeks ahead.
4. Ask for a room for sessions. Get the hall or conference room in writing, with times, and ask how the rooms are heated.
5. Read the deposit terms. At Glamping Tago a 30% prepayment confirms the dates; it is non-refundable, and cancelling more than 60 days before arrival costs only that 30%. Ski hotels set their own rules, so ask before you pay.
6. Book transfers with winter tyres or a 4x4. The goderdzi.ski transfer prices are for cars on winter tyres; with any other driver, ask.
7. Do not plan the first week of the season. Opening dates depend on snow and can slip by a week: Goderdzi's 20 December 2025 plan moved to 27 December.
8. Leave a spare day after a Gudauri or Kazbegi retreat for road closures.

Glamping Tago for this

A spring or autumn retreat at Glamping Tago

We are Jonas and Lisa, a Belgian couple who fell in love with these mountains and opened Glamping Tago in 2021. We close for the winter, when snow lies on the ridge above Village Tago most days, and from 1 April to the end of October the whole camp belongs to one retreat group at a time.

You get 12 Lotus Belle tents and a 9-bed dome dorm, an indoor yoga dome and a covered platform for practice in any weather, a free evening sauna, Starlink wifi and meals in Yurtalicious, our vegetarian yurt restaurant. Tell us your dates and group size, and we send a plan with transfers from Batumi.

Group size

12 to 33 guests, the whole camp for one group, everyone sleeps on site

Season

1 April to the end of October; closed November to March. A 30% non-refundable prepayment confirms dates

Whole camp, per night

1,962 GEL in April, 2,520 GEL in May, 2,316 GEL in October (2026 group rates; food and transfers extra)

Practice spaces

38 m2 indoor yoga dome, 138 m2 platform with a sailcloth tent

Included

Evening sauna, campfire, tea and coffee, yoga spaces, sound equipment

From Batumi

91 km, 2.5 to 3 hours; 4x4 transfer 265 GEL per car for up to 4

Altitude

About 1,200 m above Village Tago, Khulo

First 2027 event

Digital Detox week, 5-11 April 2027, from EUR 420 when booked by 31 January

Plan your retreatContact us