Gomis Mta (Gomismta) is a mountain village in Guria at around 2,100 metres, known for the fact that the clouds here regularly end up below the viewer. The ridges around it form a bowl that traps and collects the cloud cover, and at sunset the local viewpoint looks out over a white sea with the sun sinking into it. At the same time Gomismta is not an equipped resort but a seasonal village with no shops and almost no mobile signal, so you need to come prepared. Here is when the season runs, how hard the road is and what to bring.
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What Gomismta Is Known For
Gomismta is a few hundred wooden cottages on a mountain ridge above Ozurgeti. For centuries Gurians have moved up here for the summer: heat and humidity below, cool air, spring water and pastures above. The village is inhabited for about three months a year - the rest of the time it is either too cold or the mountain is buried under several metres of snow, deep enough to cover the houses above their roofs. That is why the buildings are simple and sturdy, with nothing extra: every autumn the settlement is "mothballed" until the next summer.
Tourists come here for one specific spectacle. The bowl of ridges around the mountain gathers clouds so reliably that clouds below eye level are not luck here but almost the norm: in the daytime a white sea lies beneath the viewpoint, in the evening the sun goes down into it, in the morning it rises back out. There are no historical monuments on Gomismta, and this is a case where none are needed: people fly to Tenerife and travel to Bali for views like these, while here they are two to three hours from Batumi.
When to Go: Season and Clouds
The season runs roughly from June to mid-November; after that snow closes the road until early summer. Within the season the mountain has its shades: in June the slopes are yellow with blooming azalea and the greenery is at its freshest, July and August are the peak when the village is inhabited and the cafes work, and September-October is the photographers' favourite for its transparent air and the most stable seas of clouds. Mid-November is a lottery: the views can be the best of the year, but the cold is already wintry.
No month guarantees a sea of clouds, this is weather. The evening raises your chances: by sunset the cloud cover most often settles into the bowl below the viewpoint. And keep in mind the rule that surprises every first-timer: rain in Batumi does not mean bad weather on Gomismta - the bad weather often stays below the summit, and it is clear at the top at that very moment.
Things to Do on the Mountain
The main activity is the viewpoint and everything visible from it: sunset, sunrise, clouds and stars, of which there are many times more at altitude without city light pollution. The classic plan is to arrive by evening, catch the sunset, stay overnight and meet the sunrise: the mountain's two main shows in one visit.
The second layer is the village itself: lanes of wooden summer houses, herds on the slopes, springs the locals take their water from. In August, if you are lucky with the dates, you can catch Gomismtoba - the festival of the mountain with horse races and feasts. The locals also offer activities: quad bike rides and horse riding. Just keep in mind these services are not always available - this is not a rental with opening hours, it is a neighbour with a horse.
For the well-prepared there is a continuation of the route: Chinchao lake, 11 km from the village at about 2,500 metres. The road there is for 4x4 vehicles only, a regular car will not make it. If high-mountain lakes appeal to you more than clouds, also have a look at Green Lake in Adjara - another spot at two thousand metres that we run trips to from Batumi.
Facilities: What There Is and What There Is Not
Set your expectations to minimalism. In season a few small cafes work on the mountain and there is a paid toilet for 2 GEL - and that is the whole list. There are no shops, pharmacies or petrol stations; the nearest civilisation is Ozurgeti, 33 km of serpentine away. Bring food and water in reserve: there may be no way to buy groceries on the spot, especially outside July-August.
Mobile signal deserves its own paragraph. At the top it barely works, and may not work at all depending on your carrier and device. Do not count on calls, internet or ordering a taxi up there: download offline maps in advance, warn your family and arrange your way back before you set off.
Where to Stay
There are two options. The first is guesthouses: some of the cottages on the mountain take guests, and staying overnight turns the trip from a race for the sunset into a calm day above the clouds with the sunrise thrown in. The options open in season are easy to check on Booking.com: there are few of them, and for summer weekends they get booked up in advance.
The second option is a tent: people come to Gomismta with their own camp too, and there is enough room on the ridge. A night in a tent at 2,100 metres is a pleasure for the prepared: even in summer the nights are properly cold, you need a warm sleeping bag and a windproof tent.
Where It Is and How to Get There
Gomismta is in the Ozurgeti municipality of Guria, viewpoint coordinates 41.827123, 42.158182. From Ozurgeti it is about 33 km of mountain serpentine, from Batumi about 88 km and 2.5-3 hours, from Kutaisi about 100 km via Ozurgeti, from Tbilisi about 350 km - from the distant cities it makes sense to plan an overnight stay. There is no public transport to the top: a marshrutka only gets you to Ozurgeti, beyond that you need a car in any case.
By Your Own or a Rented Car
The route: the highway to Ozurgeti (from Batumi via Kobuleti and Natanebi; on the way you can stop at Ureki beach with its magnetic sands), then the Gomismta sign and the serpentine up. The surface changes in places on the climb, the road is narrow and steep. Three rules are mandatory. First: brake with the engine, not just the pedal - on a long descent the brake pads overheat and start to slip. Second: take a more powerful car; Georgia's most common car, the Toyota Prius, is not suitable for a safe climb - a weak engine will have to stop and cool at every bend. Third: even in a suitable car make at least one five-minute stop on the climb to let the engine cool - there are pull-offs on the serpentine for exactly that, and they double as the best viewpoints of the road. If you are renting, pick a crossover or SUV on Localrent - local rental companies are relaxed about trips to Gomismta.
By Car with a Driver
If you have no mountain driving experience, the serpentine is not the place to start building it. The sensible alternative is to book a car with a driver on GoTrip.ge: a "city - Gomismta - city" route with waiting time on the mountain and a fixed price per car, departing from Batumi, Kutaisi, Tbilisi or any other city. The driver waits for you at the top, so the problem of calling a taxi back with no signal never comes up.
With a Tour from Batumi
The easiest way is the evening "Walking Above the Clouds" tour from Batumi: an experienced mountain driver, departure timed for the best sunset light, three hours at the top and a barbecue picnic cooked right on the mountain. All the serpentine stops and mountain driving rules are already built into the route.
Tips for the Trip
- Dress in layers, and this is not a formality: the weather at altitude changes sharply with the clouds and the wind. In the evening you need warm things up to a jacket and a hat, while in the daytime you can get sunburnt in three hours in the open - bring sunscreen and a head covering so the sun does not beat down on your head.
- Food and water come with you, on the assumption that "you will not be able to buy anything there". A picnic is easier with a folding table, chairs or a blanket; bring a grill if you like - there is plenty of room on the ridge.
- Cash in small notes: the toilet is 2 GEL, the cafes and the locals' services take cash only, there are no card terminals on the mountain.
- Download offline maps and your route in advance: there may be no signal at all at the top.
- Planning a sunrise - stay overnight in a guesthouse or a tent: descending the serpentine in the dark just to come back in the morning is a bad idea.
- If you are driving yourself, leave so that you climb in daylight, and allow extra time for the stops to let the car cool down.
Our Gomismta trips are driven only by experienced mountain drivers: engine braking, a calm pace and pauses for the car are as fixed a part of the route as the sunset itself. Other routes over peaks and passes are collected in the section of mountain trips from Batumi.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Gomismta and how far is it from Batumi?
In Guria, above the town of Ozurgeti, at about 2,100 metres. From Batumi it is about 88 km and 2.5-3 hours, the last 33 km a mountain serpentine. Viewpoint coordinates: 41.827123, 42.158182.
When is the season on Gomismta?
Roughly from June to mid-November. In winter the road is closed by snow that buries the houses above their roofs. Azalea blooms in June, July-August is the liveliest period of the village, and September-October brings the most stable seas of clouds.
Can you get there in a regular car?
In a sedan with a strong engine and an experienced driver - yes, but weak cars like the Toyota Prius are not suitable for the climb. Engine braking and at least one five-minute stop on the way up to cool the engine are mandatory. Without mountain driving experience it is better to take a car with a driver or an organised trip.
Are there shops and cafes on Gomismta?
No shops. In season a few small cafes work and there is a paid toilet for 2 GEL, but do not rely on them fully: bring your own food and water.
Is there mobile signal at the top?
Almost none, and depending on your carrier and phone there may be none at all. Download offline maps, arrange your return transport in advance and warn your family that you will be out of reach.
Where can you stay overnight on Gomismta?
In the guesthouses that open in season in the village itself, or in your own tent on the ridge. Staying overnight lets you catch both the sunset and the sunrise above the clouds; nights at 2,100 metres are cold even in summer, warm clothes are a must.
Gomismta is a village that lives above the clouds three months a year, and a viewpoint that makes you forgive both the serpentine and the lack of shops. If you would rather see the sunset over the cloud sea without the risks and the logistics, book the evening trip from Batumi - the mountain does the rest.