Explore Borjomi’s Best Markets: A Shopper’s Delight for Local Goods

💰 Click here to see Georgia Budget Breakdown

💰 Prices updated: October, 2026. Budget figures are estimates — always verify before travel.

Exchange Rate: $1 USD = ₾2.60

Daily Budget (per person)

Shoestring: ₾70.00 – ₾130.00 ($26.92 – $50.00)

Mid-range: ₾180.00 – ₾350.00 ($69.23 – $134.62)

Comfortable: ₾500.00 – ₾1,000.00 ($192.31 – $384.62)

Accommodation (per night)

Hostel/guesthouse: ₾30.00 – ₾60.00 ($11.54 – $23.08)

Mid-range hotel: ₾110.00 – ₾200.00 ($42.31 – $76.92)

Food (per meal)

Budget meal: ₾15.00 ($5.77)

Mid-range meal: ₾35.00 ($13.46)

Upscale meal: ₾100.00 ($38.46)

Transport

Single metro/bus trip: ₾1.00 ($0.38)

Monthly transport pass: ₾40.00 ($15.38)

Borjomi’s Market Scene in 2026

Most visitors arrive in Borjomi for the mineral water and the national park, and then stumble into the shopping almost by accident. That’s a shame, because the town punches well above its weight when it comes to local goods — if you know where to look. The problem in 2026 is that online advice still points people toward the park souvenir strip, which is the least interesting place to spend your money. This guide cuts past that and covers every worthwhile market and shopping spot in Borjomi, from the everyday bazroba where locals buy their vegetables to the weekend bazaar that draws producers from across the Samtskhe-Javakheti region.

The Weekend Bazaar on Rustaveli Street

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, the stretch of Rustaveli Street closest to the town centre transforms into Borjomi’s liveliest open-air market. Stalls appear from around 8:00 in the morning and most traders start packing up by early afternoon — arrive after 12:00 and you’ll find half the vendors already gone.

This is where farmers from the surrounding villages bring what they’ve grown, foraged, or made that week. In summer the stalls overflow with tomatoes so ripe they split at the touch, bundles of tarragon still damp from the morning, and wild mushrooms collected from the forest slopes above Likani. In cooler months, the focus shifts to dried goods — strings of dried peppers, jars of tkemali (sour plum sauce) in shades from deep burgundy to pale gold, and walnuts sold by the kilogram from burlap sacks.

Beyond produce, a handful of vendors sell handmade wool items: thick knitted socks, felted slippers, and rough-spun shawls in natural undyed colours. These aren’t tourist props — they’re what the locals wear in mountain winters. The quality is honest and the prices reflect the work involved.

Borjomi Central Market (Bazroba)

The covered market near the bus station — locally called the bazroba — is the place where Borjomi actually feeds itself. It runs every day, though Monday is the quietest. Unlike the weekend bazaar, this market isn’t geared toward visitors at all, which is precisely why it’s interesting.

Inside the main covered section you’ll find butchers, dairy sellers, and a row of women who sit behind towers of homemade cheese — sharp, brined, and often still warm. The sulguni here costs between 12 and 18 GEL per kilogram depending on the vendor and the season, and it tastes nothing like the vacuum-packed version sold in Tbilisi supermarkets. The texture is springy and layered, with a clean saltiness that pairs perfectly with the dark bread sold two stalls over.

Around the outer edges of the bazroba, vendors sell household goods, cheap clothing, and basic tools. These stalls are of limited interest to travellers, but the inner food section is worth 20 minutes of anyone’s time. It’s also a genuinely comfortable experience — the covered roof means it stays pleasant even in rain or midsummer heat, and the atmosphere is calm rather than chaotic.

The bazroba sits roughly 500 metres from the main park entrance. It’s walkable from anywhere in the central town.

What to Buy: Borjomi’s Best Local Products

Borjomi has a short list of genuinely distinctive things you can’t easily find in Tbilisi at the same quality or price.

• Borjomi mineral water gift sets: The glass bottle versions of Borjomi water — not the plastic ones — make a compact and meaningful souvenir. Small gift boxes of four to six glass bottles are sold at the souvenir strip and at the park kiosk near the natural spring for around 15–25 GEL depending on the set.
• Churchkhela: The grape-and-walnut strings sold in Borjomi are made locally and taste noticeably fresher than the sun-hardened versions that travel through Tbilisi’s tourist shops. Look for those with a slightly tacky exterior — that means they haven’t dried out.
• Forest honey: Borjomi sits inside a biosphere reserve and the honey produced in the surrounding area carries that character — floral and slightly resinous, with a darker colour than lowland Georgian honey. Expect to pay 20–35 GEL for a 500g jar at the weekend bazaar.
• Handmade wool goods: The knitted socks and felted slippers from weekend bazaar vendors are practical, warm, and fairly priced. A pair of hand-knitted socks runs 8–15 GEL.
• Tkemali and other preserves: Homemade jars of sour plum sauce, walnut paste (nigvziani mtvali), and pickled vegetables are sold at both markets. These travel well in checked luggage.

The Park-Side Souvenir Strip

The row of souvenir stalls lining the path toward the entrance of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is the most visible shopping in town. It’s also the most predictable. Expect ceramic magnets, printed T-shirts, small mineral water bottles dressed up in gift packaging, and mass-produced churchkhela that arrived from elsewhere in the country.

That said, the strip isn’t entirely skippable. A few stalls run by local women sell genuine handwork — crocheted items, embroidered linen, and small pieces of silver jewellery with Georgian script detailing. You have to look carefully to separate these from the filler, but they’re there. The stalls run by older women sitting behind small folding tables tend to be the ones worth pausing at.

The park-side strip is also the easiest place to buy the glass-bottle Borjomi water sets mentioned above, and it operates daily from late spring through autumn. In winter, most stalls close completely — the town sees far fewer tourists from November to March.

Seasonal Shopping: What Changes Month to Month

Borjomi’s market offerings shift significantly across the year, and timing your visit affects what you’ll find.

Summer (June–August) is the peak of fresh produce — stone fruits, tomatoes, wild herbs, and early-season honey. The weekend bazaar is at its fullest, the park-side strip is fully operational, and the town itself is busy with Georgian domestic tourists escaping Tbilisi’s heat. Prices at the souvenir strip rise slightly in July and August.

Autumn (September–October) brings the Rtveli (grape harvest) season, and the markets reflect it. Vendors arrive with fresh walnuts, pressed grape juice (chacha ingredients in early stages), and the year’s new churchkhela — made with fresh grape must rather than stored syrup. This is genuinely the best time to buy churchkhela anywhere in Georgia. Dried mushrooms also appear in quantity in October.

Winter (November–February) is quiet. The bazroba stays open for locals, but the weekend bazaar shrinks considerably and the souvenir strip mostly closes. If you’re visiting in winter — which can be beautiful, with snow on the surrounding peaks — stock up on preserved goods and dried items. Wool goods are actually easier to find in winter when the vendors who make them have had time to produce larger stocks.

Spring (March–May) sees the markets wake back up gradually. Early wild greens — ramps, nettles, young tarragon — appear in the bazroba from late March. The souvenir strip reopens fully by mid-May ahead of the domestic tourist season.

2026 Budget Reality: What Things Cost in Borjomi

Borjomi is one of Georgia’s more affordable resort towns. Market shopping here won’t strain any budget.

• Budget tier (under 30 GEL): A full produce shop from the weekend bazaar — tomatoes, herbs, cheese, bread, churchkhela — comfortably comes in under 25 GEL. Individual souvenir items like magnets and small churchkhela strings run 2–5 GEL each.
• Mid-range (30–80 GEL): A jar of forest honey, a set of handmade wool socks, and a glass-bottle Borjomi gift set. This is the comfortable spending range for a visitor picking up a few quality local items.
• Comfortable (80–200 GEL): Handmade silver jewellery from the better park-side stalls, a larger selection of preserves and dried goods to take home, or a kilo of quality sulguni cheese alongside a selection of honey varieties. A full “edible souvenir” haul — tkemali, honey, churchkhela, dried mushrooms, walnuts — for taking home as gifts lands around 100–140 GEL.

No significant price inflation hit Borjomi’s local markets between 2024 and 2026 — the town’s distance from Tbilisi keeps it somewhat insulated from the capital’s rising retail costs.

Practical Tips for Shopping in Borjomi

Cash is essential. As of 2026, neither the weekend bazaar nor the central bazroba accepts cards. There is an ATM on the main street near the park entrance, and one near the bus station. Withdraw before you shop.

On haggling: At the weekend bazaar, gentle negotiation is acceptable, particularly if you’re buying in quantity. At the park-side souvenir strip, prices are somewhat fixed but flexibility exists late in the afternoon when vendors don’t want to carry stock home. At the bazroba, prices are what they are — these are locals selling to locals, and haggling would be out of place.

Getting to Borjomi: Marshrutkas run from Tbilisi’s Didube station to Borjomi several times daily. The journey takes roughly two and a half hours and costs around 10–12 GEL one way. As of 2026, Georgian Railway also operates a direct morning train from Tbilisi to Borjomi-Bakuriani on a twice-daily schedule. Both options drop you within walking distance of the central market and the park-side strip.

Best shopping windows: Saturday morning between 9:00 and 11:00 at the weekend bazaar catches the market at its peak. The bazroba is best visited Tuesday through Saturday before noon. The souvenir strip is consistent throughout the day in season.

What to carry: Bring a reusable bag. Market vendors do not provide bags, or offer only thin plastic ones that can’t handle a kilo of cheese and a jar of honey at the same time. A small cloth bag or a daypack works perfectly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Borjomi have a proper market, or just tourist souvenir stalls?

Borjomi has both. The central bazroba is a genuine everyday market where locals shop for produce, dairy, and meat. The weekend bazaar on Rustaveli Street draws village producers. The park-side souvenir strip caters more to tourists but has a few worthwhile vendors mixed in. All three are worth visiting for different reasons.

What are the best souvenirs to buy in Borjomi specifically?

Forest honey, locally made churchkhela (especially in autumn during Rtveli), handmade wool socks, homemade sulguni cheese, and glass-bottle Borjomi water gift sets are the most distinctive local purchases. Preserves like tkemali and pickled vegetables also travel well and are priced affordably at both markets.

Can I pay by card at Borjomi’s markets?

No. As of 2026, all market stalls and the souvenir strip operate on a cash-only basis. Carry GEL in small notes — 1, 5, and 10 GEL denominations are most useful. There are ATMs near the park entrance and the bus station, but it’s easier to withdraw in Tbilisi before you travel.

When is the best time of year to visit Borjomi for shopping?

Autumn — specifically September and October — offers the widest variety and best quality. Fresh churchkhela made with new grape must, autumn mushrooms, fresh walnuts, and the year’s new honey all arrive in this window. Summer is good for fresh produce. Winter is the quietest period, with the souvenir strip largely closed.

How do I get to Borjomi from Tbilisi for a day trip?

Marshrutkas leave from Tbilisi’s Didube station throughout the day and take around two and a half hours, costing 10–12 GEL. Georgian Railway now runs twice-daily direct trains from Tbilisi to Borjomi-Bakuriani as of 2026. Both options bring you close to the central market and park entrance on arrival.

Explore more
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15 Unmissable Things to Do in Borjomi, Georgia
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📷 Featured image by freestocks on Unsplash.