The Kukushka train: 37 km in two and a half hours, on purpose

By Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD · 15/09/2026

Updated 17 October 2026

The Kukushka — “little cuckoo” — is the slowest scheduled train in Georgia, and the only one anyone rides for pleasure. It leaves Borjomi‘s small station twice a day and takes two and a half hours to cover the 37 kilometres to Bakuriani, climbing 900 metres through pine forest with the doors open and the smell of the woods coming in. It is a relic, and it is one of the loveliest things you can do in the south of the country.

Why it exists

The Romanovs built it. When Borjomi became the viceroy’s summer resort in the 1860s, the plateau above it at Bakuriani — cool, forested, snowy in winter — became the place for hunting and, later, skiing. A road was rough and slow; a railway, narrow-gauge to cope with the gradient and the curves, was cut through the forest and opened in 1902. The engineering firm of Gustave Eiffel is credited with the iron bridge over the Tsemistskali river at Tsaghveri, a graceful lattice span that is still in use. Steam engines pulled it until the 1960s; the current diesel-electric units are Czech, from the 1960s, and look it.

The ride

Out of Borjomi the line follows the river through the town’s back gardens, then turns up the side valley and begins to climb. Villages — Tsaghveri, with the Eiffel bridge and a mineral spring of its own; Tsemi, a spa in its own right; Sakochavi — pass at walking pace. The forest closes in: pine, then beech, then pine again, and in autumn the beech turns copper against the green. Local people get on and off with bags and children; in winter, skiers with their gear. The last stretch crosses the open plateau with the mountains of the Trialeti range ahead, and the train stops in Bakuriani beside the old wooden station.

The carriages are simple — wooden benches, big windows that open — and the train is often full in summer weekends; buy tickets at the station an hour ahead. Sit on the right going up for the river views.

Bakuriani

At the top: Georgia’s first ski resort, founded in the 1930s, now the family resort — gentle slopes at Didveli and Kokhta, pine air, horses, a botanical garden, and hotels from Soviet sanatorium to alpine chalet. In summer it is cool when Tbilisi is baking, and the walks into the forest start from the edge of town. The drive back down to Borjomi by car takes forty minutes, which after the train feels like cheating.

See it with GTour

The Kukushka is the morning of day two on the Borjomi, Bakuriani & Rabati tour in the seasons it runs; the driver meets you at the top with the car.

This story in Georgian — ქართულად: shenidasveneba.ge

Quick answers

What is the Kukushka train? The Kukushka, meaning 'little cuckoo,' is the slowest scheduled train in Georgia and the only one people ride purely for pleasure. It runs twice a day from Borjomi to Bakuriani, covering 37 kilometres in two and a half hours while climbing 900 metres through pine forest.

Why was the Kukushka railway built? The line was built by the Romanovs after Borjomi became the Russian viceroy's summer resort in the 1860s, when the nearby plateau at Bakuriani became popular for hunting and skiing. Since a road was too slow, a narrow-gauge railway was cut through the forest to handle the steep gradient and curves, opening in 1902.

Who built the famous bridge on the route? The iron lattice bridge over the Tsemistskali river at Tsaghveri is credited to the engineering firm of Gustave Eiffel. It is still in use today and remains one of the scenic highlights of the Kukushka journey.

What kind of trains run on the line today? Steam engines originally pulled the Kukushka until the 1960s. Today it runs on Czech-made diesel-electric units from the 1960s, which still show their age, paired with simple wooden-bench carriages that have large opening windows.

What villages and scenery does the train pass through? The route passes through Borjomi's back gardens along the river, then climbs through villages like Tsaghveri (home to the Eiffel bridge and a mineral spring), Tsemi (a spa town), and Sakochavi. The forest shifts from pine to beech and back to pine, with the final stretch crossing an open plateau toward the Trialeti mountain range before reaching Bakuriani.

What is Bakuriani like once you arrive? Bakuriani, founded in the 1930s, is Georgia's first and now most family-friendly ski resort, with gentle slopes at Didveli and Kokhta, a botanical garden, horses, and hotels ranging from Soviet-era sanatoriums to alpine chalets. In summer it offers a cool escape from the heat of Tbilisi, with forest walks starting right at the edge of town.

How can travelers experience the Kukushka with a tour? GTour includes the Kukushka ride on the morning of day two of its Borjomi, Bakuriani and Rabati tour, during the seasons it operates. A driver meets travelers at the top in Bakuriani with the car, so there's no need to arrange the return trip separately.