Sabaduri Forest: How to Get There, What to See and When to Go

Sabaduri asks nothing of you in advance. You turn off the Tbilisi–Tianeti highway, cut the engine, step out: damp earth, conifer needles, a silence with nothing in it but birds. Beech, oak and yew go up as far as you can see. After that you just walk.

The forest sits in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, between 600 and 1,700 metres above sea level. It is about 45 kilometres from central Tbilisi, which works out to roughly an hour behind the wheel. By Georgian standards that is nothing, and yet most visitors to the capital never get there. They go to Mtskheta or Kazbegi instead.

A pity.

What this forest is

Sabaduri belongs to Tbilisi National Park, the oldest in the country, established in 1973. The park covers 243 square kilometres on the main Caucasus ridge, and Sabaduri is its prettiest and most visited section.

The Tbilisi–Tianeti highway skirts the forest on its way to the town of Tianeti. That detail helps with the geography: the forest is not tucked away somewhere, it starts right at the roadside, and the first views arrive through the car window.

The forest itself takes up around 5,125 hectares. Beech and oak make up most of it, with rarer species mixed in: Colchic boxwood, yew, wych elm, Pontic oak. Foxes, wolves and deer live here.

The name comes from a legend. They say a happy village once stood deep in the forest, and its people lived so well that the place was called Sabaduri, after a Georgian word for contentment and plenty. The village emptied out over time, and the name stayed with the forest.

Four seasons, four different forests

Sabaduri is never the same twice. It is beautiful all year, but every season speaks in its own register.

Spring

The forest wakes up. Once the snow melts the trails are wet and soft, and the air smells of rotting leaves and new growth. A good time for a first visit.

Summer

Peak green, and the busiest season for picnics. It is noticeably cooler under the trees than in baking Tbilisi, so in July and August whole families drive up with grills and thermoses.

Autumn

The second most popular season. Sabaduri is higher than Tbilisi, so autumn arrives a little earlier here, and people come for the colour in October. Beech and oak turn yellow, orange and red. The peak falls around 15 October, give or take a week.

Winter

The most striking time of year. In January and February the trees stand in snow and hoarfrost, golden light breaks through the canopy, and there are almost no tourists. When the weather and the road allow it, I know nowhere better around Tbilisi in winter.

What to do in Sabaduri Forest

Tourist infrastructure opened officially in 2017: picnic spots, tent and campfire sites, information boards along the main trails.

Walking trails. Some routes run flat through the woods, others climb, with elevation gain and views of the ridge. The terrain is uneven, up and then down again, so shoes with decent soles are not optional. The easiest way into the forest is from the village of Ghulelebi.

Camping overnight. The site is set up for tents: you can arrive in the evening, make camp and sleep a few dozen kilometres from the noise of the city.

Mushrooms. In the warm months the forest is full of them. It is a genuinely local pastime, and it forces you to slow down and look at the forest close up.

A Georgian picnic. A grill, skewers of meat, wine, a few hours under the trees. This is what most locals come for.

The bear sanctuary in Tskhvarichamia

Here is another reason to set aside a whole day for Sabaduri: the animal sanctuary in the village of Tskhvarichamia, right by the highway just before the forest begins.

The shelter has been running since 2010. More than a hundred rescued animals live here: brown bears, wolves, and also cows and dogs. They are treated and, where possible, returned to the wild. Open daily from 11:00 to 19:00, entry is free and donations are welcome.

It feels nothing like a zoo, more like a rehabilitation centre. Many of the animals arrived injured or were taken from poachers.

What else to see along the way

From Sabaduri you can join the Georgian Military Highway via Saguramo and carry on to Stepantsminda. Sioni Reservoir (Lake Sioni) is about thirty minutes away. Ujarma Fortress and the Chronicles of Georgia monument lie in the same direction.

Getting there

Marshrutkas run from Didube bus station to the villages near the forest, but they only take you as far as the nearest settlement. After that you are left by the highway with no real way to explore, and walking along the road itself is unsafe. Taxis work too, but you will have to negotiate waiting time or a return trip, and it comes out more expensive.

The simplest option is to rent a car in Tbilisi. Feel like staying longer over the picnic, stopping at the sanctuary, pushing on to Saguramo or Lake Sioni? All of that gets decided on the spot. You can book a car with free delivery at mydrive.club.

The drive is straightforward: the Tbilisi–Tianeti highway, around 45 km, roughly an hour from the centre. Navigation apps handle it without surprises. It is easier to enter the forest from the Mtskheta side, where the asphalt runs all the way.

In winter, check that your rental car has winter tyres, because the road through the forest can be slippery after snowfall. Keep traffic in mind as well. On busy winter weekends a queue of cars builds up at the forest entrance, so it is better to set off early in the morning.

Practical information

One last thing

Sabaduri needs no excuse. People come simply because they are tired of asphalt, city noise and screens. An hour from Tbilisi and you are in a real forest on the slope of the Caucasus. Sometimes that is enough.