# Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park — opening hours, tickets, how to get there and what to see

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- Canonical: https://gtour.ge/sights/borjomi-kharagauli-national-park/
- Author: Mariam Lomidze
- Published: 2026-10-27
- Updated: 2026-10-27
- Language: en
- Russian edition: https://gtour.ge/ru/sights/borjomi-kharagauli-national-park/

Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is a 76,000-hectare protected area in the Lesser Caucasus, reached from the spa town of Borjomi in Samtskhe-Javakheti. Established in 1995, it is one of the largest national parks in the Caucasus and protects dense beech and spruce-fir forest once kept as a royal and ducal hunting reserve. It matters as the main hiking and trekking hub of central Georgia, with marked multi-day routes linking Borjomi to Kharagauli and Imereti.

### What you see

The park covers steep, forested ridges of the Lesser Caucasus, ranging from about 950 to 2,642 metres, with beech, oak, spruce and Caucasian fir forest giving way to subalpine meadow at altitude. Wildlife includes brown bear, lynx, wolf and a range of birds of prey, though sightings on a day visit are unlikely; the forest itself, old growth in places, is the main draw. Marked trails lead to viewpoints over the Mtkvari (Kura) valley, to old hunting lodges from the Romanov era, and to small herders’ settlements still used in summer. Several trails connect to short loops near the visitor centres, while the full Borjomi-Kharagauli traverse runs for several days through remote country with basic overnight shelters.

### History

The forests above [Borjomi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/borjomi/) were used as a private hunting ground by the Russian imperial Romanov family and by Georgian nobles from the second half of the nineteenth century, when Borjomi itself developed as a spa resort. The national park was established in 1995 with support from international conservation funding, bringing the former hunting estate and surrounding state forest under protected status; it is managed by the Agency of Protected Areas under Georgia’s environment ministry ([apa.gov.ge](https://apa.gov.ge)). The park has since been developed as a hiking destination, with a network of day and multi-day trails, visitor centres and marked campsites built up through the 2000s and 2010s, and it is promoted internationally as part of Georgia’s protected area system ([georgia.travel](https://georgia.travel)).

*Image: Hikers trek through a flower-filled alpine meadow amid fir and spruce forest in the park. Photo: Tiniko Dzadzamia / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0*

### Opening hours and tickets

| Item | Pattern |
| --- | --- |
| Park access | Open year-round, daylight hours; trails can close after heavy snow or storm damage |
| Visitor centres (Borjomi, Likani, [Kharagauli](https://gtour.ge/georgia/kharagauli/), Atskuri, Marelisi) | Typically 10:00–18:00, shorter in winter; checked at booking |
| Day entrance fee | Small fixed fee, a few lari per person; free for children under a set age; checked at booking |
| Overnight trekking permit / camping | Modest additional fee per night at marked campsites; checked at booking |

Fees and hours are set by the Agency of Protected Areas and can change between seasons; confirm current figures at a visitor centre or on the agency’s website before planning a multi-day route.

### How to get there

From [Tbilisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/), Borjomi is about two hours by road (roughly 150 kilometres) via the Rikoti direction or the [Gori](https://gtour.ge/georgia/gori/)–[Khashuri](https://gtour.ge/georgia/khashuri/) route; the park’s main entrances and visitor centres are a further 5–15 minutes from the town centre. Marshrutkas and trains run from Tbilisi to Borjomi, after which a local taxi is needed to reach the trailheads. From [Kutaisi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/kutaisi/), the drive is also about two hours. With us, the park is included as a stop on the Borjomi, [Bakuriani](https://gtour.ge/georgia/bakuriani/) & [Rabati](https://gtour.ge/georgia/akhaltsikhe/) — 2 Days tour and the Vardzia, Rabati & Borjomi — 2 Days tour; a private car with driver can also be arranged for a single day from Tbilisi (see Services).

*Image: Layered forested ridges stretch toward the horizon in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park. Photo: Polscience (talk) / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain*

### How long and the best time

A short loop near the Likani or Borjomi visitor centre takes two to four hours; a full day covers one of the longer waymarked circuits with good viewpoints. The complete Borjomi-Kharagauli traverse takes three to five days with overnight stops at marked shelters or campsites. Late May to early October is the main hiking season, with July and August warmest and busiest; snow can close high sections from November to April.

### Tips

- Wear sturdy walking shoes and bring layers; weather in the forest changes quickly, and afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer.

- Register at a visitor centre before setting out on longer routes; staff can advise on trail and shelter conditions.

- Carry water and a map or offline GPS track; mobile signal is unreliable once away from the main valley.

- Photography is unrestricted on public trails; drone use in the park requires prior permission.

- Combine a park walk with a visit to Borjomi Central Park and its mineral spring, a short drive or walk from most trailheads.

### Nearby

- Borjomi Central Park and mineral spring

- Likani Palace area

- Bakuriani ski resort

- Rabati Castle, Akhaltsikhe

- Vardzia cave monastery

See it with G Tour

Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is on these private tours: [The South in 3 Days — Borjomi, Vardzia, Rabati and Abastumani](https://gtour.ge/tour/south-georgia-samtskhe-3-days/) · [Western Georgia in 5 Days — Kutaisi, Canyons, Svaneti and Batumi](https://gtour.ge/tour/western-georgia-5-days/) · [Katskhi Pillar and Chiatura — the Monk's Rock and the Cable-Car Town](https://gtour.ge/tour/chiatura-katskhi-pillar-from-kutaisi/). A travel expert adapts any of them to your dates.

[See the tour](https://gtour.ge/tour/south-georgia-samtskhe-3-days/)   [Plan my trip](/plan-your-trip/)

### Questions

**Is a guide required to hike in the park?**
No, marked day trails can be walked independently, but a guide or registration at a visitor centre is advisable for the multi-day Borjomi-Kharagauli traverse.

**Can the park be visited as a day trip from Tbilisi?**
Yes, it is about two hours each way by car, and a short loop trail near Borjomi fits into a single day alongside the town's mineral park.

**What is the entrance fee?**
A small fixed fee per person applies at the main visitor centres, with camping or overnight fees for multi-day routes; exact figures should be checked at booking.

**When do the high trails close?**
Snow typically closes higher sections from around November to April, though the lower valley trails near Borjomi stay open year-round.

### Sources

- [Agency of Protected Areas](https://apa.gov.ge)

- [Georgia Travel — national parks](https://georgia.travel)

- [Georgian National Tourism Administration](https://gnta.ge)

- [Lonely Planet — Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park](https://www.lonelyplanet.com/georgia/borjomi-kharagauli-national-park)

- [Georgia Today — Borjomi region](https://georgiatoday.ge)

Town page: [Borjomi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/borjomi/) · All sights: [sights of Georgia](/sights/) · Questions: info@castle.ge

Snow-capped peaks and mist-filled valleys in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, Georgia's largest protected area. · Photo: Paata vardanashvili / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0