Visiting Georgia in winter

Who a winter trip suits

December to February is low season in Georgia, except at the ski resorts. The cities are quiet and hotels cost less than in summer. The exception is the New Year holidays, up to the Orthodox Christmas on 7 January, when the resorts fill up and hotel prices peak.

Winter suits skiers, with a season from late December to March or April. It also suits city and wine trips, as Tbilisi has its sulphur baths and the wine cellars of Kakheti are open all year. Many people come for New Year itself. It is the wrong season for high mountain hikes, Tusheti and the beach.

The days are short. In mid-January the sun rises in Tbilisi around 8:25 and sets around 17:55. That gives about nine and a half hours of daylight, and less in deep mountain valleys. Plan long drives so that you are back before dark.

Tour

Kazbegi and the Georgian Military Road

1 day≈ 11 hfrom $300from €270from ₾785

Winter weather by region

These are averages for December to February. On any given day it can be several degrees warmer or colder.

• Tbilisi. About 7 to 8 °C by day and around 0 °C at night, dipping just below zero in January. Winter is the driest season, with rain or snow on about four days a month. Snow is rare in the city, comes most often in February and usually melts within a day or two.
• Kakheti. Much like Tbilisi. Telavi averages 6 to 8 °C by day and -2 to 0 °C at night. The Gombori Pass road to Telavi can have snow and ice, and then drivers take the highway through Sagarejo instead.
• Batumi and the coast. The mildest part of the country, about 9 to 11 °C by day and a few degrees above zero at night. It rains on about half the days. Snow falls in most winters but rarely stays long.
• The mountains. Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) and Bakuriani lie at about 1,700 m. In January they average around 0 °C or a little below by day and about -11 °C at night. Gudauri, at about 2,200 m, is colder, around -3 to -6 °C by day and -12 to -14 °C at night. Mestia has a similar snowy winter, and the snow lies until spring.

Ski resorts and Kazbegi in the snow

Georgia has four main ski resorts. Gudauri is the largest, 2 hours from Tbilisi on the Georgian Military Road. Bakuriani, above Borjomi and 3 hours from Tbilisi, has gentler slopes and is popular with families. Tetnuldi and Hatsvali are near Mestia in Svaneti, about 7 hours from Tbilisi by road. Goderdzi is in Adjara, about 110 km from Batumi.

The 2026/27 season opens on 20 December 2026 at Gudauri, Bakuriani, Goderdzi and Mestia at once (announced 9 October 2026). The closing date and the 2026/27 prices are not announced yet. In 2025/26 Kokhta in Bakuriani opened on 20 December and the other resorts on 27 December. A day pass cost 70 GEL in Gudauri and 55 GEL in Bakuriani. See Ski resorts in Georgia and Gudauri in winter.

Kazbegi is the other reason to drive up the Military Road. Stepantsminda sits under Mount Kazbek, some 35 km beyond Gudauri on the far side of the Jvari Pass. Gergeti Trinity Church is open all year, but in snow you go up by 4x4 or on foot. Dariali monastery and Gveleti waterfall are on paved roads and can be visited in winter too. See Kazbegi in winter.

Tbilisi, Mtskheta and Kakheti

In Tbilisi a cold evening is the best time for the sulphur baths of Abanotubani, where the water comes out of the ground at about 38 to 40 °C. Museums and wine bars fill the day, and in December the city puts up its New Year lights. More in Tbilisi in winter.

Mtskheta, the old capital, is 20 km from Tbilisi. Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral are open all year and take half a day. See Mtskheta or our half-day tour.

Kakheti's wineries and Sighnaghi work all year, and in big cellars such as the Khareba wine tunnel in Kvareli it is 12 to 14 °C in any season. Visitors are few in winter, so book small family cellars ahead. Sighnaghi is 110 km from Tbilisi, about 1 hour 45 minutes. More in the Kakheti wine route. On our Kakheti wine day the driver waits at every winery, so nobody has to stay sober for the drive back.

Borjomi, Kutaisi, Batumi and Vardzia

These places stay open in winter, with a few things to check first.

• Borjomi, 2 hours 30 minutes from Tbilisi. The mineral water park is open all year. The open-air sulphur pools at its far end, 2 to 3 km on foot, stayed open in past winters, but their hours change, so ask in town before you walk up. Bakuriani is 30 km further up the mountain. See Borjomi and Bakuriani and Bakuriani in winter.
• Around Kutaisi, 3 hours 15 minutes from Tbilisi. Prometheus and Sataplia caves are open every day, from 10:00 to 17:00 in winter, and inside Prometheus it is about 14 °C whatever the weather. Martvili Canyon is open too, but its boats stop in rain, snow or high water. See Kutaisi and Martvili and Okatse.
• Batumi, 5 hours 30 minutes from Tbilisi. In winter the city is quiet and hotels are cheap. It is mild but wet, so save the boulevard and the Botanical Garden for the dry hours. See Batumi.
• Vardzia. The cave monastery is open all winter, from 10:00 to 17:00. After a rockfall on 27 May 2026 part of the route is closed for repairs, and in mid-October 2026 no reopening date had been given. It is about 110 km from Borjomi, 2 to 2.5 hours. See Vardzia.

What closes or gets harder in winter

Some places are out of reach until spring, and some roads close for hours or days after heavy snow.

• Tusheti. The only road, over the Abano Pass, usually closes in the second half of October and opens again in late May or June.
• Juta and Truso near Kazbegi. Snow lies from about November to May, and the roads are closed.
• The Jvari Pass. When the avalanche risk is high, the road between Gudauri and Kobi is closed for a few hours, or for several days after heavy snow. Lorries and trailers are stopped first. Gudauri itself can usually still be reached from Tbilisi.
• Svaneti. The road from Zugdidi to Mestia is cleared in winter but can close after heavy snow, and the road on to Ushguli closes at times for avalanche risk. Small planes fly to Mestia from Natakhtari near Tbilisi only in good visibility, so flights are often cancelled. Keep a spare day. See Mestia and Ushguli.

A 7-day winter itinerary

The loop starts and ends at Tbilisi Airport, with drive times given without stops. Kazbegi comes early, so you can swap it with Kakheti if the pass is closed. More on each stop in our 7-day route around Georgia.

• Day 1. Land at Tbilisi Airport, 20 km and about 25 minutes from the city. An evening in the old town and a sulphur bath. Night in Tbilisi.
• Day 2. Tbilisi on foot, then Mtskheta, 20 km away, in the afternoon. Night in Tbilisi.
• Day 3. The Georgian Military Road to Gudauri, 120 km and about 2 hours, with a stop at Ananuri above the Zhinvali reservoir. An afternoon on the slopes or in the snow. Night in Gudauri.
• Day 4. Over the Jvari Pass to Stepantsminda, about 35 km, if the road is open. Gergeti in the morning, then back to Tbilisi, about 3 hours. Night in Tbilisi.
• Day 5. Kakheti. Sighnaghi is 110 km away, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Bodbe, lunch at a winery and back to Tbilisi before dark. Night in Tbilisi.
• Day 6. Borjomi, 160 km and about 2 hours 30 minutes. The park and the sulphur pools, then up to Bakuriani, 30 km and 40 to 50 minutes. Night in Borjomi or Bakuriani.
• Day 7. Back to Tbilisi Airport, about 2 hours 45 minutes from Borjomi or 3 hours 15 minutes from Bakuriani.
• A ski week. Keep days 1 and 2 for Tbilisi and ski on days 3 to 6 in Gudauri (2 hours 15 minutes from Tbilisi Airport) or Bakuriani (3 hours 15 minutes), with one day off for Kazbegi or Borjomi. From Kutaisi Airport, Gudauri is about 300 km away. See Kutaisi to Gudauri.

Insurance, winter tyres and what to pack

Since 1 January 2026 foreign tourists need health and accident insurance for their whole stay, with cover of at least 30,000 GEL. The policy, from a Georgian or a foreign insurer, must be in Georgian or English and can be checked at the border.

From 1 December to 1 March winter tyres are compulsory on the mountain roads on the government's list, including Mleta to Kobi on the Georgian Military Road. They need the snowflake mark and at least 3 mm of tread, and the fine is 100 GEL. In snowfall the police may also require chains and turn back cars without proper tyres.

Driving yourself is possible if the rental car has winter tyres and chains, but check the Roads Department before each mountain drive. With a transfer the driver does that for you. Our cars run on winter tyres and carry chains, and for snow we recommend the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. If the authorities close the road on the day, we wait and drive later, move the ride to another day or cancel without charge.

For the cities a warm jacket and layers are enough. For the mountains bring a winter coat, a hat, gloves, boots with a good grip, sunglasses and sun cream, plus a swimsuit for the baths and a scarf for churches. In guesthouses, ask how the room is heated. If you are coming for New Year, read New Year in Georgia.

Booking a transfer or a tour

We meet flights at Tbilisi Airport at any hour. The driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name sign and follows your flight, and 60 minutes of waiting are free. See the Tbilisi Airport transfer.

For the mountains there are winter transfers to Gudauri and to Kazbegi, also straight from the airport to Gudauri. Skis and snowboards go in the boot, so tick “Skis / snowboard” when you book. The price is fixed per car, child seats are free, and you pay the driver after the ride.

For day trips there are our Kazbegi and Georgian Military Road tour, 11 hours from your Tbilisi hotel, and the Kakheti wine day, 10 hours. For New Year week, book early. Book on the site or in our Telegram bot. It takes about two minutes.