The lower station is located at 9 April 9 Street, near the entrance to Borjomi Central Park, among the sights, monuments and statues of the city. The cable car was built in 1965 and connects the city park to the mountaintop: about 400 metres long, with an elevation gain of 110-120 metres. Its distinctive feature is a single large cabin shaped and coloured to resemble a bottle of Borjomi mineral water.
For more on the cable car's history, see the article on Borjomi's cable car.
The ride costs 15 GEL one way, independently and repeatedly criticised as expensive by local standards, especially compared to the more affordable Tbilisi cable car. At the top, near the upper station, there's a cafe and a few attractions, though several independent observations agree there isn't much genuine variety of entertainment, and some visitors find the trip not worth the price. That said, the main appeal, by general consensus, lies in the panorama: the best views of Borjomi and its surroundings come from inside the cabin itself during the ride, since there are no viewing platforms at the summit and the view is obscured by dense vegetation.
An important honest warning. One review describes an incident of inappropriate behaviour by a staff member toward female visitors, noting similar complaints have occurred before. We'd recommend management pay particular attention to this complaint.
An alternative way down is on foot: the path from the upper station to the mineral springs is about three kilometres, allowing for a longer walk in the fresh air. Entry stops 20 minutes before official closing time.
