Gudauri and Bakuriani both open on 19 December this season

Both resorts are listed as opening on the same day, 19 December 2026. Gudauri runs four weeks longer, to 18 April, against Bakuriani's 29 March close. The listing also gives a general season for each, late December to late April at Gudauri and mid-December to mid-April at Bakuriani, which is the directory's way of saying published dates move with snow. Anyone booking the opening week should treat 19 December as the earliest plausible date rather than a guarantee, and check the resort's own channels close to departure.

Bakuriani has 20 lifts to Gudauri's 17, but fewer kilometres of slope, 29 against 34.8, and a vertical range less than half as tall. The explanation is terrain: Bakuriani's lifts serve shorter runs spread across a gentler area, which is exactly what suits beginners, families and lessons. Gudauri's 1,283 m of vertical from 1,993 m to 3,276 m is where long descents and reliable late-season snow come from. The lift count is the one statistic that misleads here, and it is the one most often quoted.

At 70 GEL and 55 GEL for an adult main-season day, both are inexpensive by Alpine standards, and the directory converts them to roughly 24 and 19 euro. What the pass does not cover is the part that actually decides the cost of a Georgian ski week: the drive. Gudauri is reached by the road north of Tbilisi, which closes in heavy weather, and Bakuriani is approached from the Borjomi side. Accommodation, transfers and equipment hire will each outweigh the lift ticket, so comparing resorts on pass price alone tells you very little.

The same directory scores Gudauri 3.3 stars and Bakuriani 3.2, both described as good rather than outstanding. That is a fair signal for anyone planning a trip around skiing alone: these are competent mountains at a low price, not a substitute for a large Alpine resort. For operators and hosts, the useful read is that Georgia's winter proposition is value and access from Tbilisi, and the material difference between the two resorts is who the guest is, not which one is better.