Borjomi is a name most people in the region know from a bottle. The town it comes from is a nineteenth century spa resort in a wooded river valley in central Georgia, with a long central park running up the gorge, a spring at the top where the water comes out of a tap warm, and one of the largest national parks in Europe on the slopes above. Half an hour up the hill is Bakuriani, a ski town in the pines, and the old narrow gauge railway that still connects them is the best way to travel between the two.
Borjomi
The central park, running up the gorge, with a river, paths and a cable car.
The mineral spring, at the top of the park, with taps you can drink from.
Turquoise ironwork pavilions and pergolas, which are the visual signature of the place.
A sulfur pool, further up the valley, reachable on foot through the woods.
Nineteenth century villas and a former royal summer residence nearby.
A working town rather than a resort, with ordinary restaurants and prices.
Bakuriani
A ski resort, lower and more wooded than Gudauri, and the better place to learn.
Pine forest, which makes it pleasant in summer as well as in winter.
A real town at the base, with restaurants and shops open year round.
Summer activities, including walking, cycling and horse riding.
Half an hour from Borjomi by road, considerably longer by train.
Cheap, in the way the whole country is cheap.
The national park
One of the largest protected areas in Europe, covering beech and spruce forest on the slopes above the town.
Marked trails, from two hour walks to multi day routes.
Huts on the longer paths, which need booking through the administration.
A visitor centre that registers walkers and advises on conditions; use it.
Wildlife including deer, bears and lynx, which you will almost certainly not see.
Best from late spring to autumn, with snow on the higher routes well into spring.
Practical notes
A cup for the mineral spring, or buy one at the park gate.
The park entrance has a small fee and the cable car is separate.
Cash for the smaller places in both towns.
The train timetable changes; confirm it locally on the day.
Altitude at Bakuriani makes evenings cold even in summer.
Register at the national park office before any long walk.
Where this fits in a Georgia trip
A day on the way west, or two nights as a base, or a week if you are skiing.
The strongest practical argument for stopping at all is the map. The road between Tbilisi and western Georgia is long, and Borjomi sits roughly halfway along it in a gorge that is genuinely cooler than the lowlands in summer. A night here turns one punishing transfer into two comfortable half days, and the park is at its best early in the morning, before the day visitors arrive from the capital.
For choosing the season, which decides everything about these two towns, our guide to the best time to visit Georgia covers the year.
For why this is one of the easiest places in the country to bring children, our guide to Georgia with kids covers the rest.
And for what the region looks like when the snow arrives, our guide to Georgia in winter covers the season.
The short version
Spend a day in Borjomi central park, drink the warm mineral water at the spring once, and take the cable car up. Give a second day to the national park, registering at the visitor centre first. Take the narrow gauge railway up to Bakuriani in the morning and come back down by road in half an hour. Sleep in Borjomi in summer and in Bakuriani in the ski season, because a half hour transfer each way costs a ski day.
