Borjomi

Borjomi (ბორჯომი bohr-joh-mee) is a town in central Georgia as well as the name of a natural reserve and of the famous volcanic salty spring water. The source of this spring water lies in the Borjomi gorge.

Understand
Borjomi is a famous resort town, popular for its distinctive mineral water. The water from the well here is several times stronger than the Borjomi water you can buy in the shops. Borjomi has many hotels and was very popular in soviet times, of which you will still find many buildings in the city. Above the centre of the city there lies a plateau with a ferris wheel and further hotels, providing a great view over the region and mountains. Furthermore, the nearby Borjomi Kharagauli National Park is the largest in Georgia and a popular hiking destination.



By bus
From specific destinations:
 * Bakuriani – 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 15:00, and 17:00. 3 lari. (most buses will go further to Tbilisi)
 * Batumi – 10:00. 17 lari. 4.5 hr.
 * Kutaisi – Every hour. 2 hr. 6-8 lari.

Furthermore, the following is a time table for leaving Borjomi (verified Oct 2019). For the vice-verse trip similar times can be expected. The red minibus leaves from a small bus stop on the main road, it does not wait inside the bus station. (5 lari, Apr 2023)
 * Tbilisi: hourly from 07:00-14:00 and at 14:30, 15:30, 16:00, 16:45, 17:15, 18:00 (8 lari)
 * Batumi at 09:00 (17 lari)
 * Akhaltsikhe at 09:00 and 14:45 (the second departure is still unverified)
 * Chobiskevi at 08:20, 11:00, 14:00, 17:00 (1 lari)
 * Dviri at 10:15, 11:45, 13:15, 14:30, 16:30 (1 lari)
 * Gori at 10:45 (5 lari)
 * Khashuri every hour between 09:30 and 18:30 (2 lari)
 * Mzetamze at 16:00 (1 lari)
 * Poti at 06:45 (15 lari)
 * Rustavi at 16:00 (9 lari)
 * Sachkhere (for Chiatura) at 11:00 (7 lari)
 * Tadzrisi at 12:00, 16:00 (1.50 lari) and 15:00, 18:00 (2 lari)
 * Tsagveri at 11:15, 14:30, and 17:00 (1 lari)
 * Tsemi at 11:00, 14:30, 17:00 (1 lari)
 * Tsikhisjvari at 14:00 and 17:00 (3.50 lari)
 * Zugdidi at 16:30 (15 lari)

Unverified:
 * Andeziti at 16:00 (3.50 lari)
 * Bakuriani at 09:00, 10:30, 12:15, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00 (3 lari)
 * Chitakhevi hourly from 08:30 to 18:30 (0.8 lari)
 * Kvabiskhevi at 12:00 and 14:00 (1 lari)
 * Timotesubani at 10:30, 13:30, 17:00 (1.5 lari)

By train
Trains leave from two different train stations:
 * From, the main station in the centre of town, trains leave to Tbilisi at 07:05 and 16:45 (2 lari). From Tbilisi, trains to Borjomi leave at 06:40 and 16:15. The journey takes between 4 and 5 hours.
 * From, the 2nd station 2.5 km east of the centre, the slow train to Bakuriani leaves at 07:15 and 10:55. The train back leaves Bakuriani at 10:00 and 14:15. The train takes 3 hours, so if you make a day trip it's quicker to take the bus back to Borjomi. The train has been refurbished and all seats are now 2 lari which you pay during the train ride. To reach this station, take a taxi (3 lari) or the city bus (0.20 lari), or any bus (not marshrutka) that goes east to any of the next villages. It is possible to walk: cross the river at Borjomi Parki station, turn right, and then walk about 1.8 km (to Tori Street). Cross the river again, and the station is to your left. There are no facilities at the station, but there is a small supermarket very close.

Get around
The centre of Borjomi is small enough to walk.

Otherwise, there is a city bus going along the main road through Borjomi for 0.20 lari to accomplish longer distances, e.g. to the Borjomi Freight railway station (see below).

City bus no. 1 goes from Borjomi‘s central square all the way to Likani and back. It doesn’t leave from where the other city busses leave from but from a bus stop on the other side of the road about 100 m north.

City bus no. 3 goes from Borjomi’s city bus station at the small outdoor market all the way north into Kvibisi and finds it final stop there in its small center.

City bus no. 4 goes from Borjomi’s city bus station at the small outdoor market towards the south into Atskuri (at least that’s what I could read from its LED destination panel, needs confirmation).

See

 * The Borjomi Museum of Local Lore is located at Tsminda Nino 5. Admission 3 lari, tour in English or Hebrew 15 lari. Opening hours 10:00-19:00 Jun-Sep, to 17:00 Oct-May.

Do

 * Further Walks around the city – There are nice, excellently sign-posted walks from the centre worth doing. One goes to the natural pools and returns via the plateau. The second part is free from the crowd and the vendors present in the park (~3 hr). The other circular path climbs up to the ruins of a tower and further up to the top of Cross Mountain across from the city park. It is quite a climb, but in pleasant forest and with a great view (~2 hr).
 * Further Walks around the city – There are nice, excellently sign-posted walks from the centre worth doing. One goes to the natural pools and returns via the plateau. The second part is free from the crowd and the vendors present in the park (~3 hr). The other circular path climbs up to the ruins of a tower and further up to the top of Cross Mountain across from the city park. It is quite a climb, but in pleasant forest and with a great view (~2 hr).
 * Further Walks around the city – There are nice, excellently sign-posted walks from the centre worth doing. One goes to the natural pools and returns via the plateau. The second part is free from the crowd and the vendors present in the park (~3 hr). The other circular path climbs up to the ruins of a tower and further up to the top of Cross Mountain across from the city park. It is quite a climb, but in pleasant forest and with a great view (~2 hr).
 * Further Walks around the city – There are nice, excellently sign-posted walks from the centre worth doing. One goes to the natural pools and returns via the plateau. The second part is free from the crowd and the vendors present in the park (~3 hr). The other circular path climbs up to the ruins of a tower and further up to the top of Cross Mountain across from the city park. It is quite a climb, but in pleasant forest and with a great view (~2 hr).
 * Further Walks around the city – There are nice, excellently sign-posted walks from the centre worth doing. One goes to the natural pools and returns via the plateau. The second part is free from the crowd and the vendors present in the park (~3 hr). The other circular path climbs up to the ruins of a tower and further up to the top of Cross Mountain across from the city park. It is quite a climb, but in pleasant forest and with a great view (~2 hr).

Borjomi Kharagauli National Park


This park is Georgia's largest, covering about 8% of the country's territory. Its diversity of physical, geographical and especially climatic conditions set the stage for a wide variety of flora and fauna. Apart from the largely untouched nature of Borjomi-Kharagauli, there are numerous cultural monuments. In particular, there are two easily accessible churches, built in 9th century. There are 8 tourist trails in the national park. They vary in length, duration and complexity. Open from April until October.

Plan your trip by going to the administration of the office, which is a bit to the west of Borjomi (23 Meskheti st.), and get a free access permission and a map of the area with all the routes and shelters as well. There are well-marked hikes of 1, 2 or 3 days, through forests and meadows.

If you want to take a hike in the national park, get enough supplies, water, and some basic sleeping gear with you, as the cabins are very basic. You can rent sleeping bags for 5 lari a day, but no mattresses, and the shelter beds are wooden planks. You pay a small fee for staying in the shelter (10 lari) or camping (5 lari). The permit to the park is free, but make sure to have it on you since rangers might ask for it.

It is also possible to take a 1-day hike from Borjomi to Qvabiskhevi (or the other way around) and then hitchhike, take a local bus or taxi back to Borjomi. Or do multiple day hikes. That way you can even get to go to the higher parts (up to 2,600 m).

Buy
Near the entry to the city park, locals sell home-made jam from pine tree cones. It is claimed that the jam is useful when curing upper respiratory tract infections and is good for improving immunity.

Sleep
The tourist information can also arrange a guest house for you, and will organize for the host to pick you up at the tourist office. Otherwise, just walk along Pirosmani Street, north-west of the main road in the centre, and you will find plenty of options between 15 and 25 lari.


 * Borjomi Hostel - The dorm has no electricity. If you don't mind spending the night in a pitch black room with no heating or electricity, the rate is 15 lari a night.
 * Hotel Meidani - Very nice clean rooms with good heating, a nice on-suite with a hot shower, comfortable twin/double beds, tv, and wifi. Excellent location in the middle of Borjomi. 40 lari a night (Mar 2016).
 * Marina's Guesthouse: Cozy guesthouse near the center of town and a popular way station for expats, backpackers and tourists. Marina's son and daughter both speak fluent English.
 * Hotel Borjomi. Elegant, wooden Tsarist-era house located in central Borjomi, next to the Museum of Local Lore. Bed and breakfast available. Prices start from 70 lari. English and Russian spoken.
 * Hotel Borjomi. Elegant, wooden Tsarist-era house located in central Borjomi, next to the Museum of Local Lore. Bed and breakfast available. Prices start from 70 lari. English and Russian spoken.

Go next

 * Vardzia – The most famous cave monastery in Georgia besides David Gareja Monastery Complex, near the border with Turkey and Armenia.
 * The tourist information offers a 70 lari day trip, including a stop at the Green Monastery, the Akhaltsikhe fortress with a very nice museum (6 lari), and Khertvisi Fortress (5 lari). Ask for the natural sulphur spring and bath (45°C) to be included in the tour!


 * Akhaltsikhe – Popular for its beautiful and newly renovated fortress, but not one of the main attractions in Georgia.
 * Bakuriani – A famous ski resort, easily reach from Borjomi by an inexpensive sightseeing train (1-2 lari, 38 km), which leaves from Borjomi Freight railway station (#2) and takes 2 hours. The train leaves Borjomi every day at 07:15 and 10:55, and 10:00 and 14:15 from Bakuriani.
 * There are several direct bus connections to other places in Georgia, like Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and even Batumi. The timetable in the image gives an overview. The prices can be different while the departure times are quite stable even for years (according to the Marshrutka drivers).