Paragliding in Gudauri: tandem flights, prices, season

Tandem paragliding in Gudauri costs from 349 to 649 lari (about $134 to $250) in summer, and the flight is short: 7 to 10 minutes on the cheapest ticket, up to 50 minutes on the long one. What the price lists don’t make obvious is that three things decide your day more than the ticket you pick: the launch site, your weight and the weather call the pilot makes that morning. Everything below is checked against operator pages and the Georgian tourism portal on 10 October 2026.

Three launch sites, three different flights

Gudauri doesn’t have one take-off. The national tourism administration lists three, and which one you fly from depends on the wind.

Two practical readings of that table. The portal lists Kudebi for winter or summer, and in winter the cable car takes you up; it also describes Kudebi as adapted for people with disabilities. Cloudbase, one of the Gudauri operators, says the same on its own site: it takes guests who use wheelchairs. Panorama has the longest flight time of the three on the portal’s figures, but the portal rates it best in summer and early autumn, and Bidara best in summer.

The launch is not something you choose when you book. SkyAtlantida says the route is confirmed on site, by weather, wind and visibility, so a launch name is a likely outcome, not a promise.

Summer or winter: the sky keeps two schedules

SkyAtlantida, one of the two operators we checked, splits its year at fixed dates: summer runs 16 April to 4 December, winter 5 December to 15 April. The operator says winter flights are shorter because sun reflects off the snow and thermals barely work, so you trade air time for scenery. Its winter flights run 5 to 25 minutes against 7 to 50 in summer.

That has a price consequence people miss. The entry ticket costs the same 349 lari in both seasons, but it buys 7 to 10 minutes in summer and 5 to 7 in winter. If you’re coming for the long flight or for thermals, summer is the better-value choice. Snow under your feet is a winter-only thing, and the price is a shorter hop.

Winter has one extra cost. The operator says the lift to the winter launch is 40 lari per person, usually two lifts at 20 each, paid on the spot and not included in the flight price. The pilot’s own ride is free. The cable car usually stops around 17:00, so the operator suggests meeting well before the last departure; take that as a guide, not a guarantee.

What it costs: two operators, both in lari

Prices below are the operators’ own, checked on 10 October 2026. SkyAtlantida’s numbers are “from” prices per person for the summer catalogue (16 April to 4 December); its winter catalogue starts on 5 December.

The winter catalogue is 349, 399, 499 and 599 lari for 5 to 7, 7 to 10, 6 to 10 and 15 to 25 minutes. Cloudbase publishes a shorter list for Gudauri: 350 lari for a standard flight, 500 for a long-duration flight and 500 for acro. In dollars the whole range is roughly $134 to $250, £100 to £190 or €120 to €223.

Three details change the final total:

• Video. SkyAtlantida includes a Full HD GoPro. A 4K or 360-degree camera is +50 lari, and drone footage is +149.
• Deposit. The operator takes 95 lari (or 35 euros) per person to hold the slot. It’s deducted from the flight price, so it isn’t an extra, but it’s non-refundable if you cancel, arrive late or don’t show up.
• Warm kit. The helmet is always included. If you arrive in a light jacket, a warm flight suit is 95 lari and gloves 20, in summer as well as winter.

Weight: where the tourism portal and the operators disagree

This is the part worth reading twice. The tourism portal lists the same limits at all three launches: 30 kg minimum and 220 kg maximum. The operators are stricter at the top end. SkyAtlantida’s maximum is 125 kg and its minimum 25 kg, and above 80 kg you pay a surcharge: +100 lari from 80 to 100 kg, +150 from 100 to 110 kg and +250 from 110 to 125 kg. You’re weighed at the meeting point, in the clothes you’ll fly in. Cloudbase lists a 95 to 130 kg band at 400 lari instead of 350.

So the figure that counts is the one on your operator’s booking page, not the portal’s. If you’re near 100 kg, ask for the weight rules in writing before paying a deposit, because a 220 kg ceiling on the portal doesn’t mean every operator will take you.

Other conditions the operators spell out:

• Age. SkyAtlantida takes children from 5, flying in their own tandem with written parental consent. Aerobatics is from 16 and 40 kg. The operator sets no upper age limit and mentions passengers over 75, but asks anyone 65+ to consult a doctor first.
• Health. Pregnancy is a flat no under the operator’s safety rules. After surgery, the operator asks for a doctor’s clearance and at least six months of recovery. Heart conditions, recent spinal injuries, epilepsy and severe hypertension are listed as contraindications.
• Fitness. Basic: a run of 5 to 10 steps at take-off, no training needed.

Insurance: what you’re already covered by, and what you aren’t

SkyAtlantida says each passenger is covered automatically by an Aldagi policy that combines third-party liability and passenger personal accident cover. It still recommends you hold your own travel insurance that covers paragliding in Georgia.

That second sentence is the one to act on. Some travel policies exclude paragliding unless you add an extension. In the case of SafetyWing’s nomad plan, our travel insurance guide explains that paragliding only appears under the separate adventure sports add-on, and that add-on’s exact terms need checking at checkout. For a policy matched to the Georgian entry rules, start with mandatory insurance for Georgia.

Weather, rescheduling and what a no-show costs

The pilot cancels if wind, visibility or cloud rule out a safe flight. At SkyAtlantida the weather call comes the evening before by 20:00, with a second call on the morning of the flight if conditions change, and only the team decides. You then get a free reschedule or a deposit refund minus any services already provided, such as a transfer or briefing that happened before the cancellation.

The reverse case is where people lose money. The operator states that if you skip the flight because the forecast looked bad but the team hadn’t cancelled, that’s a no-show and the deposit is forfeited. A re-booking after a no-show is 50 euros or 150 lari. So don’t cancel yourself on a grey morning: wait for the pilot’s message.

Booking runs through WhatsApp or Telegram, not through the café where you meet. SkyAtlantida says the staff at Café Bar PILOT in New Gudauri don’t take bookings, and asks you to arrive 30 minutes early for paperwork and weigh-in.

Getting to Gudauri and the day around the flight

Gudauri is about 120 km from Tbilisi along the Military Highway, so a flight is a day trip if you leave early. The route, the minibus from Didube and the winter tyre rules are covered in getting from Tbilisi to Gudauri. For the resort itself, passes and the ski season, see Gudauri ski resort, and for a comparison of resorts, skiing in Georgia.

The Friendship Monument viewpoint, which is also the Panorama launch, sits right on the Military Highway, so it’s an easy stop on the drive up even if you don’t fly.

Five checks before you pay a deposit

1. Does the operator’s page show the weight limit, and does your weight fall in a surcharge band?
2. Which season’s catalogue is the price from, and how many minutes does it actually buy?
3. Is video included, and what format?
4. Does the deposit come off the total, and is it refundable if the pilot cancels?
5. Does your own travel insurance list paragliding, or only under a paid add-on?