Borjomi Sulphur Baths

Borjomi sulphur baths entrance fee

There is no official price list, so treat these as unofficial figures: the pools cost roughly 5–10 GEL, and you also pay about 5 GEL to enter Borjomi Central Park, which you walk through to get there. One guide says the park is free, so expect some variation. Sun loungers cost extra and are optional.

Bring cash. Visa and Mastercard work in most cafés and shops in Borjomi, but don’t count on a card terminal at the park ticket desk or the kiosk by the pools — carry small lari notes, and get them in town before you enter the park.

Many people take a taxi or the paid park vehicle back down. Agree the fare before you get in.

Are the Borjomi sulphur baths worth it?

Yes, if you are already spending a day in Borjomi. The walk up the river through Borjomi Central Park is lovely, and a soak in warm water among the firs is a fine reward. It is not a spa: no massages, no private rooms, just three simple stone-lined pools, cabins and a kiosk.

It is not worth a day trip from Tbilisi on its own. If you want hot water and private bath rooms, the sulphur bathhouses of Abanotubani in Tbilisi are the real thing; Borjomi is about the setting.

Expect warm rather than hot water — it feels best on a cold day. Plan an hour or so in the pools, plus the walk.

What the baths are

Three open-air pools sit on a forest clearing beside the Borjomula river at the very end of the park. A warm sulphur spring feeds them, and the water flows through rather than being recirculated. Fir-covered slopes rise on both sides of the gorge.

The bathing spot dates from the 19th century, when Borjomi became a resort for the Romanov court and Russian aristocracy — which is why signs call it the Tsar’s Sulphur Baths. For years it was a plain concrete pool; today there are stone-finished pools, canopies, benches and changing cabins.

What’s there: the three pools and facilities

• Large rectangular pool — the deepest, for swimming, and the coolest of the three.
• Semicircular pool — the warmest, with a ledge to sit and soak on.
• Small square pool — shallow, for children.
• Changing cabins, showers and toilets — basic, no lockers.
• Benches, wooden gazebos, picnic tables and sun loungers for an extra fee.
• A small kiosk with drinks and snacks — not a place for lunch.
• In summer, the cold river right next to the pools for a bracing dip.

Are the pools open in winter? Best time to go

Most sources say the pools are open all year, and winter may be the best time: warm water, snow on the firs and far fewer people. One guide says they open in the warm season only, so in winter ask at the park ticket desk before walking 3 km.

Summer afternoons and weekends get busy. Go early in the morning or later in the day — but not too late: staff may leave in the evening and the forest track has no lighting. In winter and after rain the path is slippery.

The Georgian National Tourism Administration gives 32–38 °C for the water; other guides say 26–30 °C. Either way it is pleasantly warm, not bathhouse-hot. If you have a heart or blood-pressure condition, check with a doctor before a long soak.

Sulphur baths, Central Park or the Kukushka train?

The baths and the park are one outing — the park is on the way. Save the Kukushka train for a separate half day.

Nearby — add to your day

36

Borjomi Central Park

Borjomi, Georgia

2 h · ≈ 5 GEL (unofficial) · 42 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Borjomi Central Park

How to do it right

• Taste the Borjomi mineral water at the spring near the entrance first — you pass it on the way.
• Move from the coolest pool to the warmest so you don’t get cold, especially in winter.
• Sulphur water smells and can tarnish silver — leave jewellery in your bag.
• In summer, cool off in the Borjomula river right next to the pools.
• With small children, 3 km each way is a lot — plan a taxi for at least one direction.
• Don’t pair the baths and the Kukushka train on one day — each takes half a day.

Questions