Winter driving guide · 2026–27 season

Winter Car Rental in Georgia Gudauri, Kazbegi, Bakuriani and the mountain roads

Ski season runs from late December to late March, and into April at Gudauri. The big resorts are 2 to 3.5 hours from Tbilisi, Kutaisi or Batumi, and one mountain pass decides most winter trips. Here’s that road, the car to rent for it, the tyre rules, and what to check on the morning you drive.

  • 11 min read
  • Season: late Dec to Apr
  • Prices checked 24 Sep 2026
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Mleta–Kobi: winter tyres required, 1 Dec–1 MarTbilisi430 m · 0 kmMtskheta460 m · 22 kmAnanuri850 m · 65 kmPasanauri1,050 m · 88 kmGudauri2,196 m · 120 kmJvari Pass2,379 m · 128 kmStepantsminda1,740 m · 155 km
  • Tbilisi430 m · 0 km
  • Gudauri2,196 m · 120 km
  • Jvari Pass2,379 m · 128 km
  • Stepantsminda1,740 m · 155 km

Mleta–Kobi: winter tyres required, 1 Dec–1 Mar

The Georgian Military Highway from Tbilisi to Stepantsminda (Kazbegi), with road distances from central Tbilisi. On the amber stretch from Mleta to Kobi, winter tyres are required by law from 1 December to 1 March, and it’s where chain-only orders and closures happen in heavy snow.

The short answer

Gudauri and Bakuriani are easy winter drives in an all-wheel-drive car on winter tyres, and so is Kazbegi on the days the Jvari Pass is open. Rent AWD from $39/day, make sure the car has winter tyres (from 1 December to 1 March the law requires them on the roads to every ski resort), add chains, check the road status the morning you leave, and keep a spare day before any flight home.

You don’t need a credit card: a small booking fee is paid online and the rest at pickup, often in cash. 173 of our 313 AWD cars have no deposit at all.

Winter routes at a glance

Road distances and normal winter driving times. “AWD from” is the cheapest all-in daily price for an all-wheel-drive car from that pickup city, for a week in January.

RouteDistanceDrive time*Recommended carAWD from
Tbilisi → Gudauri~120 km2–2.5 hAWD crossover or SUV$39/day
Tbilisi → Kazbegi (Stepantsminda)~155 km3–3.5 hAWD SUV or 4x4$39/day
Tbilisi → Bakuriani~180 km2.5–3 hAWD crossover$39/day
Kutaisi → Bakuriani~150 km2.5–3 hAWD crossover$39/day
Kutaisi → Mestia (Svaneti)~245 km5–6 hAWD SUV or 4x4$39/day
Batumi → Goderdzi~110 km3–3.5 h4x4 or high-clearance SUV$53/day

*In normal conditions. Snowfall or restrictions on a pass can add an hour or more, or close a road for a while. Prices: search results for a 7-day rental in January 2027, booking fee and delivery included, checked on 24 September 2026. Prices are in US dollars; the site can also show euros.

Gudauri: the easiest ski resort from Tbilisi

  • 2,196 m
  • ~120 km from Tbilisi
  • 2–2.5 h

Gudauri sits right on the Georgian Military Highway, past Mtskheta, Ananuri and Pasanauri. It’s Georgia’s biggest ski area and the one most people mean by “skiing in Georgia”: runs from about 2,000 m to over 3,200 m, freeride, and paragliding when the weather allows. Last season the lifts ran from 27 December to 19 April.

The highway is kept open and ploughed, but between Pasanauri and Gudauri it climbs more than 1,100 m, most of it in the hairpins above Mleta, and those ice up after fresh snow. Trucks heading for the Russian border share the road. In an AWD car on winter tyres this is a routine drive; in a small front-wheel-drive car after a snowfall, it isn’t.

Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) and the Jvari Pass

  • 1,740 m
  • ~155 km from Tbilisi
  • 3–3.5 h

Stepantsminda is about 35 km past Gudauri. In winter you come for Gergeti Trinity Church under Mount Kazbek, the Dariali Gorge and the quiet valleys around the village of Sno.

Between Gudauri and Kobi the road crosses the Jvari (Cross) Pass at 2,379 m, and this is the stretch snow shuts. The usual restriction is a ban on trailers; on worse days cars are let through only with snow chains, and when avalanche danger is high the road closes to everyone, most often for a few hours to a day or two. A tunnel road between Kvesheti and Kobi will one day bypass the pass, but it isn’t due to open until 2028.

You can also collect a car in Stepantsminda itself: 81 cars can be delivered there, 69 of them AWD.

Bakuriani: best for families and beginners

  • 1,700 m
  • ~180 km from Tbilisi
  • 2.5–3 h

Bakuriani sits above the Borjomi valley in pine forest, with gentle slopes and ski schools, which makes it the family choice. The last 30 km up from Borjomi is a two-lane mountain road that climbs about 900 m: much easier than the Jvari Pass and normally kept open, but often snowy.

Luggage decides the car here. Skis, boots and children’s gear fill a sedan fast, while a Toyota RAV4 or Subaru Forester takes a family and its bags far more comfortably. Child seats are available on 367 cars, and 147 list a roof rack if you bring your own skis.

Goderdzi: deep snow on the Adjara side

  • ~2,000 m
  • ~110 km from Batumi
  • 3–3.5 h

Goderdzi is a high resort in the Adjara mountains, known for deep snow and a season that runs into April. From Batumi the road follows the Adjaristskali valley through Keda and Khulo, then climbs steeply to the resort. On snowy days the Roads Department can limit the last 50 km or so to high-clearance and off-road vehicles, so take a 4x4 or an SUV with good ground clearance.

Collect the car in Batumi or at Batumi Airport. AWD cars there start at $53/day for a January week: many are driven in from other cities, and the delivery fee is part of the price.

Svaneti, Borjomi and other winter trips

  • Mestia 1,500 m
  • ~245 km from Kutaisi
  • 5–6 h

Svaneti has two ski areas near Mestia, Tetnuldi and Hatsvali. It’s a long drive from Kutaisi through Zugdidi and up the Enguri gorge, on the only road into Mestia, and in bad weather avalanches and rockfalls close it from time to time, sometimes overnight. Take an AWD SUV or a 4x4, start early and plan to arrive in daylight.

Borjomi is the easy winter outing: at around 800 m the roads are usually clear, and it pairs well with a stay in Bakuriani. The road in from Khashuri is on the winter tyre list too.

Which car do you actually need?

313 of the 445 cars in our search have all-wheel drive, so for most winter trips the question is size and ground clearance, not whether you can find AWD.

  • City and main highways

    Any car. An economy car or sedan is fine in normal conditions.

    from $32/day

  • Gudauri and Bakuriani

    AWD crossover or SUV: Subaru Crosstrek, Jeep Renegade, Subaru Forester

    from $39/day

  • Kazbegi, Svaneti, Goderdzi

    AWD SUV with good clearance, or a real 4x4 like the Jeep Wrangler or Toyota 4Runner

    4x4 from $72/day

  • Groups with ski gear

    Seven-seater such as the Mitsubishi Outlander, or a minivan on main roads

    from $47/day

The most common AWD models in the fleet are the Subaru Forester, Jeep Renegade, Jeep Cherokee, Subaru Crosstrek, Mitsubishi Outlander and Toyota RAV4. All-wheel drive helps you pull away and climb. It doesn’t help you stop: tyres do that.

Winter tyres and snow chains: the law, and what’s on the car

From 1 December to 1 March, Georgian law requires winter tyres on the roads to every ski resort. Not every rental car has them, so confirm yours before you book.

The rule in short

When
1 December to 1 March. The government can shift the dates if the weather calls for it.
Where
The roads to every ski resort: Mleta–Kobi (Gudauri and the Jvari Pass), Khashuri–Borjomi–Bakuriani, Keda–Goderdzi and the Enguri gorge road to Mestia. Also parts of the Tbilisi–Kutaisi highway around Surami and the Rikoti Pass, the Tbilisi bypass and the high roads of southern Georgia.
Which tyres
The snowflake symbol on the sidewall, at least 3 mm of tread, and less than 10 years old. An M+S marking alone isn’t enough.
Chains
In bad weather police can require chains on the driving wheels.
Fine
100 GEL, and the police can turn the car back or have it towed to an impound lot.

Winter tyres

46 cars

list winter tyres as an extra, from 9 partners, usually $3–12 a day. For any other car, message us and we’ll check with the rental company that it has winter tyres for your dates, before you pay.

Snow chains

197 cars

offer snow chains as an extra, paid once per rental and usually $10–25. When police order chains on a pass, they decide whether you drive on or turn back, even in an AWD car.

AWD cars for a ski week

Live from the search: all-wheel-drive cars from Tbilisi, priced per day for a 7-day rental in January (from tomorrow once the season has started). Booking fee included.

Winter driving tips for Georgian mountain roads

  • Leave early. The sun sets between 5:30 and 6 pm in December and January, sooner in deep valleys, and mountain roads are no place to learn the bends in the dark.
  • Check the road the morning you go. The Roads Department posts restrictions and closures on its road restrictions page.
  • Carry chains if snow is forecast, even in an AWD car.
  • Expect trucks on the Georgian Military Highway, and overtake only on clear, straight stretches.
  • Shaded corners stay icy long after the sun has cleared the rest of the road.
  • Fill up before the pass. Pasanauri has several fuel stations and Gudauri has one; after that there’s nothing until the edge of Stepantsminda.
  • If a road is closed, wait. Don’t look for a detour: side roads are worse, and off-road driving isn’t covered by insurance.

Insurance on mountain trips

Almost every car includes third-party liability (TPL) and a collision damage waiver, and full coverage can be added on most of the fleet. In winter a few limits matter more than usual:

  • Cover applies on official roads only. Off-road driving isn’t covered.
  • Tyres, the underbody and the suspension may be excluded, even with full coverage.
  • Damage reported later, rather than at the scene, may not be covered.

Why book your winter car with Rent Cars Georgia

  • No credit card needed. A small booking fee online and the rest at pickup; 173 AWD cars have no deposit at all.
  • 313 AWD cars from 51 local rental companies in one search.
  • Pickup in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi and at their airports, and even in Stepantsminda, where 69 AWD cars can be delivered.
  • Chains on 197 cars and winter tyres listed on 46, and we confirm the rest before you pay.
  • Rated 4.9 on Google, with support on WhatsApp before and during the trip.
  • Free cancellation up to 5 days before pickup, useful when the forecast changes.

Frequently asked questions

No, but take all-wheel drive, and make sure the car has winter tyres: from 1 December to 1 March they’re required by law between Mleta and Kobi, which covers Gudauri and the Jvari Pass. On heavy-snow days cars may be let over the pass only with chains. 313 of our 445 cars are AWD, from $39/day.
Usually, yes. The Jvari Pass between Gudauri and Kobi closes when avalanche danger is high, most often for a few hours to a day or two. Check the Roads Department’s restrictions page the morning you travel and keep a spare day before your flight. The tunnel road that will bypass the pass isn’t due to open until 2028.
On designated roads, from 1 December to 1 March. They include the roads to every ski resort (Gudauri and the Jvari Pass, Bakuriani, Goderdzi and Mestia) and parts of the Tbilisi–Kutaisi highway. Tyres need the snowflake symbol and at least 3 mm of tread; M+S alone isn’t enough. The fine is 100 GEL.
Not automatically. 46 cars list winter tyres as an extra, usually $3–12 a day. For any other car, ask us before you book and we’ll check with the rental company what’s fitted for your dates.
Yes. 197 cars offer snow chains as an extra, paid once per rental and usually $10–25. Add them when you book.
For a week in January, AWD cars start at $39/day from Tbilisi and $39/day from Kutaisi, all-in. 4x4s like the Jeep Wrangler start at $72/day and seven-seaters at $47/day.
About 120 km, usually 2–2.5 hours. Snow, trucks or a restriction on the pass can add an hour or more.
Yes. You prepay a small booking fee online through PayPal, which takes debit cards, and pay the rest at pickup, often in cash. 173 of our AWD cars need no deposit.
Licences from Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, the USA and Canada are accepted without one. Other licences need an IDP or a certified translation: see documents you need to rent a car in Georgia.
Yes, at Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi airports. Any delivery fee is already included in the price you see.

Find your winter car

Pick your dates and pickup city. The search shows every AWD car with its all-in price, what’s due at pickup and whether chains are available.

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