Mountain Tours in Georgia from Batumi
How our excursions work
Questions before choosing
Which mountains are in Georgia?
The Caucasus: the Greater Caucasus with Shkhara, Kazbek and Ushba in the north along the Russian border, and the Lesser Caucasus in the south. The mountains of Adjara and Guria near Batumi belong to its Meskheti range and rise to 2,700-2,900 m.
What is the highest mountain in Georgia?
Shkhara, about 5,200 m, in Svaneti on the Russian border, with the village of Ushguli at its foot. Kazbek (5,054 m) is the third highest and is best seen from Stepantsminda.
Which mountains are near Batumi and where can I go for a day?
The closest are the valleys of Mountain Adjara, 20-35 km away, with waterfalls and bridges. Above 2,000 m, Gomismta (88 km) and Green Lake by the Goderdzi pass (about 110 km) are both doable in a day, 2.5-3 hours each way.
How much is a mountain tour from Batumi?
Gomismta in a group costs 135 GEL per person, 125 GEL for children under 12. A private trip to Green Lake starts from 770 GEL and to Vardzia from 900 GEL for a party of 1-2; entry tickets are extra.
Is a trip fine for children and older travellers?
Gomismta, yes: the car drives right up to the viewpoint and there is no walking uphill. Vardzia is a long day on the road, from 6:00 until night, with steps and tunnels in the rock - usually too much for small children.
When is the best time to go to the mountains?
Summer and early autumn: Green Lake is reachable from June to the end of September, Gomismta trips run roughly from June to mid-November, and hiking in Kazbegi and Svaneti is June to October. In winter the mountains mean skiing at Goderdzi, Gudauri and Bakuriani. Bring a warm layer in any season.
When and where from are you going?
Pick the city and dates: group departures by day and private trips on any day. The same thing we pick in chats, here - at once
The mountains of Georgia are the Caucasus: five-thousanders like Shkhara and Kazbek in the north, and two to three hours from Batumi the ranges of Guria and Adjara rising above 2,000 m. These are our trips up high: above the clouds at Gomismta, to the alpine Green Lake and over the pass to the Vardzia cave town.
Which mountains are in Georgia
Georgia's mountains are part of the Caucasus. The Greater Caucasus runs along the north of the country by the Russian border: the highest peaks are here - Shkhara (about 5,200 m, Georgia's highest point), Kazbek (5,054 m) and twin-peaked Ushba (4,700 m), with Svaneti, Kazbegi and Gudauri at their feet. The Lesser Caucasus lies in the south: the Meskheti range belongs to it, and the mountains of Adjara, Guria and Meskheti are lower, up to 2,700-2,900 m.
For a trip from the coast this means the south-western ranges are the closest, two to three hours away, while the five-thousanders of the Greater Caucasus are a trip from Tbilisi or Kutaisi, usually with a night there.
Mountains near Batumi
Batumi sits at the foot of green hills. The closest are the Adjaristskali and Machakhela valleys 20-35 km away, with waterfalls, stone bridges and Gvara fortress - see Mountain Adjara for those half-day trips.
The real highlands start above 2,000 m. 88 km from Batumi, in Guria, is Gomismta at 2,100 m, where the clouds often lie below the viewpoint in the evening. About 110 km up the Adjaristskali valley are the Goderdzi pass (about 2,025 m) and Green Lake at 2,060 m - around three hours each way.
Where to go in the mountains from Batumi
| Place | What it is | Altitude | From Batumi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gomismta | a summer village on the ridge between Guria and Adjara; clouds below the viewpoint and the sunset over them | about 2,100 m, peaks up to 2,755 m | 88 km, 2.5-3 hours |
| Green Lake | an alpine lake 7 km from the Goderdzi pass, next to the alpine botanical garden; in winter the pass is a ski resort | 2,060 m | about 110 km, about 3 hours |
| Vardzia | a 12th century cave town: about 600 rooms on 13 levels cut into the rock above the Kura, Queen Tamar's monastery; on the way, Rabati fortress in Akhaltsikhe | the road crosses a pass above 2,000 m | about 230 km, 5.5-6 hours |
Kazbegi and Svaneti are far from the coast: Kazbegi is 157 km from Tbilisi, and Mestia in Svaneti is 5 h 45 min from Batumi, so they make sense as a trip with an overnight stay.
Which mountain tour to choose
The routes differ in the length of the day: Gomismta is an evening above the clouds, Green Lake a full day on the pass, Vardzia our longest trip, from dawn to night. Group prices are per adult and per child under 12, private prices per party.
| Tour | What is on the route | Duration | Group, GEL: adult / child | Private, GEL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gomismta - above the clouds | a shashlik picnic above the clouds and sunset from the viewpoint; the car drives right up, no walking uphill | 10 h | 135 / 125 | from 820 for 1-2 people |
| Green Lake & Goderdzi | the Goderdzi pass, the alpine botanical garden, Green Lake at 2,060 m, Khulo village and Skhalta church | 14 h | private only | from 770 for 1-2 people |
| Vardzia, Rabati & Green Lake | over Goderdzi into Samtskhe-Javakheti: Rabati fortress in Akhaltsikhe and the Vardzia cave town, in summer Green Lake too | 17.5 h | private only | from 900 for 1-2 people |
The Gomismta group runs on a schedule - dates and free seats are on the card above; a group has no more than 14 people and the driver speaks Russian. Green Lake and Vardzia are private only for now, on any day, from your hotel. Entry tickets are not included: 15 GEL at Vardzia, 20 GEL at Rabati. In winter the same mountains mean skiing - see our ski resort trips.
Weather in the mountains and when to go
It is colder up there than by the sea and the weather changes fast. At the Mta-Sabueti weather station (1,248 m) July averages 16.5 °C and January −2.8 °C, and Gomismta and Green Lake are higher still. Green Lake is reachable from June to the end of September, when snow closes the road from the pass; Gomismta trips run roughly from June to mid-November. Rain in Batumi does not mean clouds up top - bad weather often stays below the ridge - but nobody can promise a clear sunset. Bring a warm layer and a windbreaker even in August, closed shoes for Vardzia's steps and tunnels, water and some cash in lari.