What to See in Borjomi: From Mineral Springs to Mountain Views

💰 Click here to see Georgia Budget Breakdown

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

Exchange Rate: $1 USD = ₾2.70

Daily Budget (per person)

Shoestring: ₾80.00 – ₾160.00 ($29.63 – $59.26)

Mid-range: ₾160.00 – ₾380.00 ($59.26 – $140.74)

Comfortable: ₾600.00 – ₾1,000.00 ($222.22 – $370.37)

Accommodation (per night)

Hostel/guesthouse: ₾20.00 – ₾40.00 ($7.41 – $14.81)

Mid-range hotel: ₾110.00 – ₾220.00 ($40.74 – $81.48)

Food (per meal)

Budget meal: ₾20.00 ($7.41)

Mid-range meal: ₾45.00 ($16.67)

Upscale meal: ₾90.00 ($33.33)

Transport

Single metro/bus trip: ₾1.00 ($0.37)

Monthly transport pass: ₾40.00 ($14.81)

Borjomi in 2026: What the Famous Water Town Is Really About

Most people arrive in Borjomi having heard two things: the mineral water and the national park. Both are real, both are worth your time — but in 2026, the town has quietly grown into something more layered than its reputation suggests. The challenge facing travelers right now is that accommodation prices have climbed noticeably since 2024 (partly due to increased domestic tourism from Tbilisi), yet the town still lacks a clear map of how to fill more than a day. This guide fixes that. Whether you have 24 hours or a long weekend, here is exactly what to see, where to go, and how to spend your time in Borjomi without wasting a minute of it.

The Mineral Springs and Central Park: Start Here

Borjomi’s central park sits along the Borjomula River gorge and it is the obvious first stop — not because every guidebook says so, but because it genuinely organizes the whole town around it. The park entrance is free. What you find inside is a long, leafy promenade lined with Soviet-era sanatorium buildings, rose gardens, and kiosks selling tchotchkes. None of that is the point. The point is the springs.

There are two accessible mineral springs in the park. The first is near the main entrance — a stone fountain where water flows continuously at around 38°C. The warm sulphurous smell hits you before you see it. Locals cup their hands directly under the spout; most visitors do the same. The taste is intensely mineral, slightly salty, with a faint fizz that coats the back of your throat. If you have never tried Borjomi water straight from the source rather than from a plastic bottle, the difference is significant — warmer, stronger, more alive.

The second spring is further into the park, about a 15-minute walk along the river path. This one flows cooler and is less crowded. The walk itself is pleasant — the Borjomula runs alongside the path, narrow and fast, and the air smells of pine and damp stone. Give the park a full two hours if the weather is good.

Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park: Georgia’s Wilderness on Your Doorstep

This is one of the largest protected areas in the Caucasus, covering over 85,000 hectares of mountain forest, alpine meadows, and river valleys. The park’s main visitor centre in Borjomi is located about 1.5 kilometres from the town centre and was upgraded in 2025 with better trail maps, an English-language display on local wildlife, and a small gear rental section. Entry fees in 2026 are 10 GEL for foreign visitors per day.

Trails range from a gentle two-hour loop through beech forest to multi-day hikes requiring permits and a tent. For a day visitor, the most satisfying option is the route to Likani Waterfall — roughly 8 kilometres return, with steady uphill sections through old-growth forest. The trail is well-marked since the 2025 signage update. You emerge at a clearing with views back down over the Mtkvari River valley that make the climb worth every step.

Serious hikers should consider the Borjomi–Bakuriani trail, a full-day route that connects the spa town to the ski resort over the mountain ridge. It takes 7–9 hours one way and requires a taxi back or a night in Bakuriani. The trail passes through spruce forest, open highland pasture, and — in summer — fields of wildflowers that run to the treeline.

Bears, wolves, and lynx live in the park. Sightings near the lower trails are rare, but rangers recommend making noise on forest sections. Pick up the official trail map at the visitor centre; the 2026 version includes elevation profiles and water source locations.

The Old Town and the Romanov Summer Palace Area

Most visitors spend all their time in the central park and never cross to the quieter east bank of the Mtkvari River. That is a mistake. The old residential quarter on the hillside above the river has a completely different atmosphere — wooden balconied houses painted in faded blues and yellows, narrow lanes that don’t appear on most tourist maps, and a village-pace that contrasts sharply with the park’s busier promenade.

The Romanov Summer Palace — officially the Likani Palace — sits in the Likani suburb, about 2 kilometres south of the town centre. The Romanovs used it as a summer retreat from the 1890s until the Revolution. The grounds are partially accessible and the exterior is well-preserved: a pale yellow neoclassical building surrounded by old chestnut trees and a formal garden that still holds its original layout. In 2026 the interior remains closed to public access, but the walk through the estate grounds and down to the Mtkvari riverbank is worth the short trip.

Back in town, the Borjomi History Museum on the main street covers the town’s development as a tsarist spa resort through to the Soviet era. It is small — you can move through it in 45 minutes — but the photographs of 19th-century sanatorium life and the original Borjomi water bottling equipment give real context to what you are walking through.

The Cable Car and the View from Above

A cable car runs from the central park up to a ridge above town, covering about 2.5 kilometres of altitude gain. The ride takes roughly 15 minutes and the cabins were replaced in 2024 — the new ones are glass-sided, which makes the ascent feel more dramatic. The fare in 2026 is 5 GEL each way.

At the top there is a viewing platform, a small café, and walking paths that continue along the ridge. On a clear day you can see the Mtkvari valley spreading out below, the town’s green roof of the central park, and — when the weather cooperates — the distant ridge line of the Trialeti range to the north. The best light is in the late afternoon, roughly two hours before sunset, when the valley fills with a warm orange haze and the pine forest on the opposite slope turns deep green.

The ridge paths beyond the cable car station have been extended since 2024 and now connect to a secondary viewpoint about 40 minutes’ walk east along the ridge. Most day visitors don’t bother, which means you will almost certainly have it to yourself.

Where to Eat and Drink in Borjomi

Borjomi’s restaurant scene is concentrated in two places: the stretch of cafés and guesthouses along Merab Kostava Street near the park entrance, and the central bazaar area near the main bus terminal, which is where locals actually shop and eat. The bazaar is the more interesting of the two. Stalls sell churchkhela, local honey, dried fruit, and — in season — wild mushrooms foraged from the national park. There are a couple of simple canteen-style kitchens here serving hot food at lunch; a full plate of lobiani and salad costs under 12 GEL.

For a sit-down meal, the small restaurants on Kostava Street are reliable for standard Georgian fare — khinkali, grilled meat, fresh salads. Prices here run 30–60 GEL for two people including wine. One area the town does particularly well is freshwater trout, caught from the rivers of the national park and served grilled or pan-fried with tkemali. Order it wherever you see it offered fresh.

For coffee and a break mid-morning, the covered café terrace near the cable car base station is genuinely pleasant — the sound of the Borjomula River running below, the smell of pine from the park, and a decent espresso for 4 GEL. In summer the outdoor tables fill by 10am; arrive earlier or expect to wait.

Day Trips from Borjomi: Three Routes Worth Taking

Akhaltsikhe and Rabati Castle

Akhaltsikhe is 45 kilometres southwest of Borjomi — about 50 minutes by marshrutka or taxi. Rabati Castle is a large restored fortress complex that combines a mosque, Orthodox church, synagogue, and citadel within one set of walls. The restoration work (completed back in the early 2010s) remains controversial among Georgian historians for its heavy-handed approach, but as a visual spectacle and half-day outing it is hard to beat. Marshrutkas run from Borjomi bus terminal in the morning; check the 2026 schedule locally as timings shift seasonally.

Vardzia Cave Monastery

This is the big one. Vardzia is 80 kilometres south of Borjomi — roughly 90 minutes by car — and is one of the most impressive medieval sites in the entire Caucasus. The 12th-century cave city is cut directly into a volcanic cliff face above the Mtkvari River: hundreds of rooms, churches, wine cellars, and staircases carved into rock over multiple centuries. A guided visit takes 2–3 hours. Getting there without a car requires a marshrutka to Akhaltsikhe and a connection, which can be complicated. Hiring a taxi from Borjomi for the day (return, including waiting time) typically runs 80–120 GEL depending on negotiation.

Bakuriani Ski Resort

Bakuriani sits at 1,700 metres altitude, about 30 kilometres northeast of Borjomi. In winter it is Georgia’s most family-friendly ski resort. In summer and autumn it transforms into a highland walking base with cool temperatures and open meadows. The narrow-gauge Kukushka train runs between Borjomi and Bakuriani — the journey takes about 2.5 hours through forested mountain scenery and is one of the most scenic short rail rides in Georgia. In 2026 the service runs twice daily; check the Georgian Railway schedule before you go.

Getting to Borjomi and Getting Around Town

From Tbilisi, the most comfortable option in 2026 is the direct train from Tbilisi Central Station. The journey takes approximately 3 hours and costs around 10–15 GEL in second class. Services run twice daily. The train deposits you at Borjomi-Sakurort station, which is a short walk or 5-minute taxi ride from the central park.

Marshrutkas from Tbilisi’s Didube terminal are faster (around 2.5 hours) and cost 10 GEL, but depart when full rather than on a fixed schedule. From Kutaisi, change at Khashuri. There is no direct bus from Tbilisi airport to Borjomi; you will need to get to Tbilisi city first.

Within Borjomi, almost everything is walkable. The central park, the cable car, the main restaurant strip, and the old town can all be reached on foot from the main guesthouses. The Likani Palace and the national park visitor centre are each about 20 minutes’ walk from centre — or a short taxi ride for 5–8 GEL. There are no tuk-tuks or app-based taxis in Borjomi in 2026; agree a price with local taxi drivers before you get in.

Best Time to Visit Borjomi

May to June is the sweet spot. Temperatures sit between 18–24°C, the national park trails are dry and clear, and the town hasn’t yet filled with the summer domestic tourism crowd that peaks in July and August. The Borjomula River runs high and fast with snowmelt, which makes the park walk particularly atmospheric.

July and August bring heat (up to 30°C in the valley), full hotels, and higher guesthouse prices. The central park fills with Georgian families escaping Tbilisi’s heat, and finding a quiet table at a restaurant requires patience. That said, the national park hiking is excellent in this window and the long evenings are pleasant.

September and October offer arguably the most beautiful conditions. The beech forest in Borjomi-Kharagauli turns amber and gold through October, temperatures drop to comfortable walking levels (14–20°C), and the crowds thin out. Accommodation prices fall from their summer peak.

Winter (December–March) is primarily about Bakuriani day trips for skiing. Borjomi itself is quiet and cold (often near 0°C), some restaurants close, but guesthouse prices drop significantly and the snow-covered park has a stillness that summer visitors never see.

Where to Stay in Borjomi

Budget travelers are best served by the guesthouses clustered on and around Kostava Street near the park entrance. These are family-run, typically offering a room with breakfast for 60–100 GEL per night. Facilities vary but the locations are hard to beat.

Mid-range visitors should look at the hotels in the Likani end of town, close to the river and the palace grounds. Several renovated boutique hotels in this area offer proper ensuite rooms, gardens, and parking for 150–250 GEL per night in 2026.

Comfortable/luxury options are limited in Borjomi proper. The most established upscale property remains the Crowne Plaza Borjomi, which has a spa, indoor pool, and well-maintained grounds. Rates in 2026 run from 350–600 GEL per night depending on season. For a luxury spa experience with more character, some travelers base themselves at boutique spa guesthouses in Likani and commute the short distance into town.

Practical Tips and 2026 Budget Breakdown

Safety: Borjomi is very safe. Petty theft is rare. The national park trails carry the usual wilderness caution — tell someone your route, carry water, and don’t underestimate afternoon weather changes in the mountains.

Language: Russian is widely understood in Borjomi, more so than in Tbilisi. English is spoken at the national park visitor centre and most mid-range hotels. At the bazaar and local canteens, Georgian is helpful. A translation app covers most gaps.

SIM cards: Get a Magti or Silknet SIM in Tbilisi before you arrive — coverage in the town itself is fine, but it drops quickly on national park trails above the lower valley.

Water: The tap water in Borjomi town is fine to drink. The park springs are also safe. You genuinely do not need to buy bottled water here.

Tipping: 10% in restaurants is standard and appreciated. Not expected in canteen-style places at the bazaar.

Daily Budget in GEL (2026)

• Budget: 80–120 GEL/day — guesthouse room (shared or basic private), bazaar lunches, national park entry, cable car. Walking everywhere.
• Mid-range: 200–320 GEL/day — boutique guesthouse, restaurant dinners, day trip by taxi (e.g. to Vardzia shared), national park guided walk.
• Comfortable: 450–700 GEL/day — Crowne Plaza or equivalent, private driver for day trips, spa treatments, wine at dinner.

Single-day visitor costs to budget: National park entry 10 GEL, cable car return 10 GEL, lunch at bazaar 12 GEL, sit-down dinner 35 GEL, coffee 4 GEL. A solid day in Borjomi without accommodation runs under 80 GEL if you are watching the budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is one day enough for Borjomi?

One day covers the mineral springs, central park, cable car, and a walk in the lower national park trails. It is enough for a taste, but two days lets you add the Romanov palace area, a proper national park hike, and a day trip to Vardzia or Akhaltsikhe without rushing anything.

How do you get from Tbilisi to Borjomi?

By train from Tbilisi Central Station — roughly 3 hours, 10–15 GEL. Alternatively, a marshrutka from Didube terminal takes about 2.5 hours and costs around 10 GEL. There is no direct service from Tbilisi airport; get to the city first and then transfer.

Is Borjomi mineral water really better at the source?

Yes, noticeably so. The warm spring in the central park flows at around 38°C with a stronger mineral taste and natural carbonation that disappears quickly once bottled. The spring water is free to drink directly in the park.

What is the best hike in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park for a day visitor?

The trail to Likani Waterfall is the best single-day option — about 8 kilometres return through old-growth beech forest, well-marked since the 2025 trail upgrade, and manageable for anyone in reasonable fitness. Pick up the current map at the visitor centre before setting out.

When does Borjomi get crowded?

July and August are the busiest months, driven by Georgians escaping Tbilisi’s heat. Guesthouse prices peak and the central park fills on weekends. Shoulder months — May, June, September, and October — offer much better conditions for both hiking and accommodation availability at lower rates.

---

📷 Featured image by Irakli Kvaratskhelia on Unsplash.