The region around Bakuriani is covered by coniferous forests (mainly made up of spruce). The resort lies 30 km from Borjomi and is located within the so-called Bakuriani Depression/caldera. The resort is connected with Borjomi by an electrified narrow-gauge railway. The present-day area of the town was built up by lava flows from the nearby Mukhera volcano.
The ski area of the resort is split into two separate parts: Didveli and Kokhta/Kokhta-Mitarbi. Mount Kokhta provides a maximum skiable altitude of 2,269 metres (7,444 ft), whereas the highest lift in Didveli reaches 2,702 metres (8,865 ft).
The first ski base was opened in 1932. From Bakuriani to Kokhtagori Mountain (1.3 km) and Tskhratskaro Pass (3.5 km) there are ski lifts, ski tramps. There is artificial snowfall on Didveli skiing routes.

The climate of Bakuriani is transitional from humid maritime to relatively humid continental. (Köppen: Dfb) The winters are cold and experience significant snowfall while the summers are long and warm. Average annual temperature of the town is 4.3 °C. The average temperature in January is −7.3 °C while the average August temperature is 15 °C. The annual precipitation is 734 mm. The depth of snow from December to March is 64 cm. Bakuriani is also home to the Botanical Garden of the Georgian Academy of Sciences.