Things to do in Gudauri in summer

What is there to do in Gudauri in summer?

Six things: hiking on trails that run straight out of New Gudauri, horseback riding into the alpine pasture above the resort, tandem paragliding, white-water rafting on the Aragvi and the Tergi, ATV and buggy routes on the winter ski tracks, and mountain biking. Hiking and riding are available from the door for the whole summer; paragliding, rafting, quads and lift-served biking depend on somebody else's season, which is worth knowing before you build a week around one of them.

Hiking

The one that needs nothing but boots. Trails run straight out of New Gudauri, from gentle meadow walks to full ridge lines, and none of them depends on a lift turning. The wildflowers come in properly by July.

Horseback riding

Guided rides leave from the resort and climb into the alpine pasture above it, from about an hour to a full day, at a pace that suits complete beginners and children. The mountain horses know the ground better than the riders do.

Paragliding

Gudauri is one of the best-known tandem paragliding sites in the Caucasus. No experience is needed: you are strapped to a pilot, you run a few steps, and the Greater Caucasus opens up underneath you. Morning slots have the calmest air.

White-water rafting

The Aragvi and the Tergi run fast with snowmelt through early summer, which is why rafting is at its best early rather than late. Half-day trips suit families, wetsuits are provided, and the water is snowmelt cold.

ATV and buggy routes

The tracks that carry skiers in winter become quad routes in summer, climbing to viewpoints that would otherwise be a long walk. Go with a guide: the good routes are not on any map.

Mountain biking

Long descents on open terrain. Whether the gondola does the climbing for you depends on the summer lift dates below, so if that is the point of the trip, check them first.

When do the summer lifts run in Gudauri?

Later in the summer than most people assume, and the dates are not Altimera's to set. The summer lift season in Gudauri is run by the resort operator, LLC M.T.A (Mountain Trails Agency), and it moves from year to year: the summer lifts opened on 18 July in 2026, and in 2025 they closed on 20 September. Maintenance takes them down roughly from mid-April to mid-June, and again from mid-September.

The practical consequence: a June trip planned around a gondola ride will not work, and a September trip can run out of lift on the way through. Nothing about the walking changes, because the trails start at the edge of the resort and the meadows do not close. If your plans depend on riding up, check the operator's own dates at mta.ski before you book flights, and treat any date on any other site, including this one, as last year's.

What are the hiking trails in Gudauri like?

They start at the edge of New Gudauri, which is what makes Gudauri unusually easy for a first alpine walking trip: an easy first day needs no car, no lift and no guide. Gentle meadow walks sit below the resort, the classic half-day is the climb toward Kudebi peak for a panorama of the Greater Caucasus, and strong walkers can push toward the Cross Pass viewpoints along the old Georgian Military Highway.

Two longer walks are worth a drive rather than a morning. The Truso Valley, about half an hour up the road, is a wide glacial valley of mineral springs, travertine terraces and abandoned stone towers, and it is still relatively quiet. Juta, around an hour away past the stone towers of Sno, is one of the highest inhabited villages in the Caucasus and the gateway to the Chaukhi massif.

Above the treeline there is no shade and no shelter, so layers matter more than distance does: strong sun at noon, and a cold wind by five. Real shoes rather than trainers, sun cream that accounts for the altitude, and more water than the distance suggests.

How do you book activities in Gudauri?

Directly with the operator, in every case. Altimera Collection's Gudauri Directory lists the riding stables, paragliding pilots, rafting companies, quad operators and guides with their own phone number, WhatsApp and website, so the price, the terms and the booking are agreed between you and that business. Those directory businesses are independent of Altimera Collection, and Altimera is not an agent for any of them.

Every operator is in the Gudauri Directory with its own contact details, so you can reach them without going through us.

Two further things worth being plain about. Altimera Collection does not operate or arrange transport, in summer or in winter, so a licensed driver, a taxi or a hire car is booked by you, directly with the operator. And operator seasons vary: ask what is genuinely running on your dates rather than assuming that everything listed anywhere runs all summer. What Altimera does run is the apartment you stay in.