Sabaduri Forest: A Complete Travel Guide for 2024
13 min readUnder an hour by car from Tbilisi, Sabaduri Forest is an easy pick for a nature-themed day trip from the capital.
You won’t find any hiking trails here – Tbilisi National Park, which includes the territory of the forest, is a better choice for trekking.
What you will find in Sabaduri is bucketloads of beautiful scenery and plenty of photo opportunities.
In winter, Sabaduri is a fairytale landscape of spindly trees covered in powder and icicles. If you want to see snow near Tbilisi, this is the place. In autumn, Sabaduri is known for its resplendent fall colours.
On a day trip to Sabaduri Forest you can also encounter wildlife – including brown bears – and view some incredible Soviet-era mosaics and monuments.
Read on for travel tips, transportation advice, a round-up of other things to do in the area, plus everything else you need to know to plan a visit to the gorgeous Forest Sabaduri near Tbilisi.
My recent winter trip to Sabaduri was hosted by my partners at Friendly.ge. A huge thanks to the team for inviting Ross and I free of charge so that we could perform research for this guide. I have been working closely with Friendly.ge for more than three years, and there is no other company I trust more. As always, all opinions and recommendations are 100% my own.
Please note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase by clicking a link (at no extra cost to you). Learn more.
Interested in taking the same tour I did? The Winter Family Adventure Sabaduri and Gudauri itinerary is organised by Friendly.ge from January to March. Use my referral link to make a reservation, and remember to use the promocode WANDERLUSH for a 10% discount.
What & where is Sabaduri Forest?
Sabaduri Forest is a protected area in Georgia’s Mtskheta-Mtianeti region. It is located approximately 45 kilometres or an hour by road north-east of central Tbilisi.
‘Sabaduri’ is the name given to a specific pocket of forest that wraps around the Tbilisi-Tianeti Highway, connecting the capital with the town of Tianeti. It falls within the boundaries of Tbilisi National Park, the oldest national park in Georgia having been established in 1973.
On Google Maps, Sabaduri Forest is marked here. The forest extends much further, along both sides of the road roughly between the villages of Mamkoda and Ghulelebi, with the most photogenic section lying between Tskhvarichamia and the Tree Tops Resort.
The road that bisects the forest climbs up the Saguramo Range in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus mountains, giving the area an elevation of 1,300 metres above sea level at its highest point.
Species of trees found in Sabaduri include oak, beech and hornbeam, all of which are deciduous.
As a result of the flora and the elevation, Sabaduri changes dramatically with the different seasons. In summer, it is a verdant landscape of greenery. In autumn, it is a paradise for leaf-peepers, and in winter, the bare branches laden with fresh snow are extremely photogenic. See below for my suggestions on the best time to visit.
Tbilisi National Park is home to red deer, foxes, lynx, and even Eurasian brown bears. Your best chance of seeing the latter is by visiting the Zoological Centre near Sabaduri (more below).
Best time to visit Sabaduri
Sabaduri is one of the best places to see snow near Tbilisi. Winter is thus the most coveted time of year to visit.
Snow is all but guaranteed in the months of January, February and early March. The trick is to visit Sabaduri on a clear bluebird day immediately following a few days of snowfall.
When we visited in early February, it was actively snowing and very foggy as a result, with low visibility. It was beautiful in a haunting, mystical way – but we missed out on those classic crystal-clear vistas of the leafless trees covered with fresh crystals. A good excuse to come back again next year!
Sabaduri is beautiful in any season. A few years ago I drove through the forest in summer, when the trees were in their full green regalia. It was absolutely gorgeous.
Autumn is also a very popular time to visit as the deciduous trees take on splendid fall colours. Remember that Sabaduri is higher than Tbilisi, so autumn arrives a tad earlier. I would suggest aiming for October for the most vivid display.
I will be returning to add more photos and tips to this guide after I revisit Sabaduri this autumn.
No matter the season, it’s best to avoid Sabaduri on weekends and national holidays, as the road gets very busy with people visiting from Tbilisi.
How to get to Sabaduri Forest from Tbilisi
While public transport to the villages around the forest is available, due to the nature of the area, I highly recommend taking your own vehicle.
As I explain below, it is not safe to walk on the highway in Sabaduri – it is better to arrive by car and find a safe place to park, then walk around.
Having your own transport will also make it possible to see other attractions in the area, including the Bear Sanctuary and the many Soviet mosaics dotted along the highway.
Sabaduri Forest day trip
Friendly.ge is one of the few companies I personally travel with in Georgia. They have excellent guides, safe drivers, high-quality cars, and creative itineraries that are a little off-beat.
Friendly.ge runs two Sabaduri itineraries during winter (roughly January through March). The first combines Sabaduri Forest and Gudauri, and is specifically designed for families. This is the day trip we did.
Since we were headed to Gudauri, we modified it to be a one-way tour and asked our guide, Khatuna, to leave us at our hotel in the ski resort at the end of the day.
This turned out to be a terrific way to travel from Tbilisi to Gudauri in safety and comfort while getting some stellar sightseeing in along the way.
This is a private tour that can be customised to fit your interests. Since I am obsessed with mosaics, our guide Khatuna made sure to include plenty of them on our itinerary. The trip also visits Ananuri Fortress, Zhinvali Reservoir and the Russian-Georgian Friendship Monument, three of the most impressive spots on the Military Highway.
Use my referral link to make a reservation, and remember to use the promocode WANDERLUSH to save 10%.
Private transfer to Sabaduri
If you are happy to visit Sabaduri without a guide, a private transfer is the most convenient option. You can do this as a round-trip day trip with pick-up and drop-off in Tbilisi, or you can create a one-way A to B itinerary starting in Tbilisi and ending in Kazbegi, for example.
GoTrip is my preferred service for booking a private car in Georgia. If you’re not familiar with the platform, it is essentially a long-distance Uber that allows you to book a private driver for the day and craft a driving itinerary with as many stops as you like. Pricing is transparent and finalised at the time of booking. Learn more here in my GoTrip review.
Here is an example round-trip itinerary for Sabaduri. The price starts from a very reasonable 70 GEL per car.
Driving to Sabaduri
The road to Sabaduri Forest is fully sealed with a few minor potholes and patches of gravel. In winter, you will need winter tires (now mandatory for all mountain roads in Georgia). The road is cleaned after heavy snow. A 4WD is preferable for winter travel.
After visiting Sabaduri, you can easily connect to the Georgian Military Highway via Saguramo to continue to Stepantsminda. If you plan to do this, you will definitely need a robust car. The Military Highway is a challenging road, especially in winter. If you’re not a confident driver, consider using GoTrip instead.
As always, I recommend using Local Rent for cost-effective car hire in Tbilisi.
How to explore Sabaduri & what to expect from your visit
Before visiting Sabaduri Forest, I was unclear on how to actually get the most out of my time. Luckily I had an expert guide, Khatuna, to show me the best spots to stop for photos.
Yes, our visit was relatively short and revolved mostly around taking photos. In the depths of winter, you are more or less limited to this.
The forest is quite a small area, with a road running right through it. It is not a particularly busy highway, but for safety reasons, I strongly recommend you don’t walk on the road.
There are no marked hiking trails within Sabaduri itself. However, there are trails nearby in the other section of the National Park, closer to Tbilisi. These include three mountain biking routes and a hiking trail to Mamkoda Monastery.
This small clearing that is free from trees, marked on Google Maps as a hiking area (see the exact location here), is the best place to park your car and get out on foot (pictured in the two images above).
Best photo spots in Sabaduri
When you first enter the forest you will notice it is quite built-up with clusters of cottages. These venues are very popular with Georgian families and groups of friends who hire out the summer houses for parties or gatherings.
Gradually the road inches higher and higher, taking you up into the thickest part of the forest.
The best places to stop for photos are at the hiking area marked above, where the photo of me was taken. If there is fresh powder, this is a good spot to play in the snow as well.
Also make a stop at Cafe Nebula. There is a gentle curve in the road right before the cafe, which makes for a lovely photo opportunity.
If you are driving, only pull over if there is enough space on the shoulder of the road to stop safely. Note that the road is quite narrow with lots of twists and turns.
Restaurants & other facilities
There is very limited infrastructure on the territory of Sabaduri Forest. This is a good thing – the area has not (yet) been developed for tourists, and thus still retains some of its wild beauty. But it also poses some minor inconveniences that you will need to plan around.
There is no information centre, no ranger’s hut or similar that is open to the public, and no bathrooms. The only toilet is at Cafe Nebula in Tskhvarichamia. This is also the only food facility in the forest. It serves cold drinks, coffee, alcohol, and small bites such as croissants and sandwiches.
The cafe has indoor seating plus outdoor tables and a rooftop. In winter, they set up small geodesic domes that are heated. Nebula is officially open from 11am until late every day. Unfortunately, we found it was closed when we tried to visit.
I did not see any springs in the forest so for those who are hiking, you will need to carry drinking water with you. There is a small market in Tskhvarichamia, but it is often closed outside of summer (it was not trading at the time of our visit).
There are a couple of picnic areas with tables and seats, plus designated spots where you can set up a BBQ. Remember this is a National Park so you need to follow the rules around lighting fires – and most importantly, take all your trash out with you.
Accommodations near Sabaduri Forest
If you want to spend longer than a day in the area, there are scores of summer cottages, A-frame cabins and small guesthouses around Tskhvarichamia. The top-rated, Tree Tops Sabaduri, is further north. It is a self-contained cottage with a sauna, outdoor kids area, and onsite restaurant for guests.
I have heard good things about Buriani Guest House west of Tskhvarichamia. There are plenty of accommodations on Sioni Lake, 45 minutes’ drive from Sabaduri, and in Tianeti, an hours’ drive from the forest. In Tianeti, I recommend Guest House Ethno House Inn.
The National Parks website lists two camping areas inside Tbilisi National Park. I am not sure of the exact locations – there are a few camping spots marked on Google Maps, but there aren’t enough reviews to verify the facilities available.
I did not see any marked camping areas in the immediate vicinity of Sabaduri. My guess is that the camping spots are located around Mamkoda in the southern part of the Park.
More things to do near Sabaduri Forest
Sabaduri Forest is magical, but there is not much to do in the actual forest aside from take photos, walk a little bit amongst the trees, and in winter, frolic in the snow.
Half an hour is ample time for Sabaduri proper. There are several points of interest nearby that I also recommend visiting.
Zoological Centre (Bear Sanctuary)
The Zoological Centre – AKA Bear Sanctuary – is a non-profit animal shelter in Tskhvarichamia. It is located just before the entrance to Sabaduri, right off the highway.
Founded in 2010 by a good samaritan, the shelter is home to more than 100 animals including 20 brown bears, most of whom were rescued from restaurants or petrol stations around Georgia where they were kept in cages for entertainment. There are young bears that were raised here after their mothers were killed by poachers, and even a few cubs that were born at the centre.
The menagerie also includes four grey wolves, recused street dogs, horses, and even a few cows. This makes for quite a cacophony of sounds and smells!
The centre is definitely not perfect, but the operators do the best they can with the limited resources they have, providing the animals with a safe, clean space to live. All the residents appeared to be healthy and in good spirits, which is nice to see.
The centre is open to the public every day from 11am until sunset. Bookings are not necessary, but I do recommend visiting in the middle part of the day to ensure staff are around and the gate is unlocked.
Visitors are welcome to walk through the grounds and observe the bears and other animals. You are also welcome to feed the bears fruit and vegetables – apparently there is no limit to how much fruit and veg they can consume in a single day! The wolves prefer white bread, FYI.
Bring your own produce with you – apples and carrots both go down a treat – plus a knife to divide them into smaller chunks to lop over the fence. There are also small packets of veggies sold at the centre for 5 GEL a piece (cash only).
Find more information and contact details on the Facebook Page.
Soviet-era mosaics
In Soviet times there was a Young Pioneers’ Camp called Tsiskari (meaning sunrise or dawn) located off the Tianeti Highway. It has long since closed, of course – it and the surrounding buildings are all abandoned – but you can still see some really fantastic Soviet-style mosaics and Brutalist architecture on the roadside.
In order of appearance when approaching Sabaduri from Tbilisi:
Entrance to Tianeti Municipality (41°49’50.0″N 44°51’21.8″E): A sculptural ensemble featuring a mosaic globe decorated with pre-Christian-inspired motifs, a bas-relief panel, and a rusted PSA sign reminding visitors to take care of the environment.
Decorative wall (41°52’01.4″N 44°54’59.3″E): Perhaps the highest concentration of Soviet mosaics I have seen in Georgia! The concrete road buffer stretches almost 50 metres, and is decorated with dozens of interconnected ceramic pannos.
Clearly designed with the Young Pioneers in mind – you can just imagine the kids peering enthusiastically out of the car window on their way to camp – the wall illustrates different fairytales and legends along with typical Georgian iconography (the Rtveli grape harvest; folk music).
One section depicts characters from the different Soviet Republics, all dressed in traditional garb along with their flags. Some are falling apart, but most of the mosaics are in remarkably good condition.
Culture House (41°52’28.6″N 44°54’39.0″E): One of several period buildings in the area, this Culture House has an interesting Bruatlist design and features a mosaic emblem on one side. We only stopped for a brief look due to the thick fog.
Bus stop (41°52’30.9″N 44°54’34.5″E): This bus stop emblazoned with the name ‘Tsiskari’ in Georgian and Russian once marked the entrance to the Pioneer Camp. Its four mosaic panels show kids in their YP getup, red neck ties and all.
Ghulelebi & Tianeti
Beyond Sabaduri, these two mountain villages both have a reputation for their delicious khinkali (Georgian dumplings were born in mountain kitchens after all).
One of my favourite restaurants in Tbilisi, Khash-Khash, takes its khinkali dumpling recipe from Ghulelebi. This unnamed restaurant is particularly well-known.
Tianeti is another popular place for leaf peeping in autumn. If you’re travelling in October or November, I highly recommend continuing on to this village for more beautiful foliage.
Kvetera Fortress’s Church, located outside Tianeti on the way into Kakheti’s wine region, is very much worth the detour.
The Georgian Military Highway & Kazbegi
After Sabaduri, it’s possible to cut through via Saguramo and join up with the Georgian Military Highway. This is exactly what we did on our Sabaduri day tour.
Zhinvali Reservoir, Ananuri Fortress, Pasanauri village and the ski resort of Gudauri are all within easy reach. From there, you can continue up to Kazbegi and the majestic Gergeti Trinity Church.
As part of the Friendly.ge day trip I signed up for, we also visited Zhinvali Reservoir, Ananuri Fortress, Pasanauri Village and the Russian-Georgian Friendship Monument in Gudauri. Click here to view details of the tour.
Travel Georgia Like a Pro
Planning a trip to Georgia? Here are 5 essential resources that I recommend you check out.
- For private transfers in Georgia: GoTrip.ge. Find a professional, English-speaking driver. Prices are locked in when you book & you can stop wherever you want.
- For hiring a car in Georgia: Local Rent. Save money when you rent directly from a local agent. Pick-up & drop-off are available from any address in Georgia.
- For finding accommodations: Booking.com. This website has the biggest selection of properties in Georgia, including guesthouses in rural areas.
- For Tbilisi tours & day trips: Friendly.ge. Friendly.ge has knowledgeable guides, safe drivers & creative itineraries. I especially like their off-road tour to David Gareja.
- For tailored advice: Book a call with me! My Georgia Travel Consultation service is perfect if you need feedback on your itinerary or personalised travel tips.
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