When is the best time to visit Georgia?
The best time to visit Georgia is May to June or September to October: warm but not hot in Tbilisi, and green in spring or golden in autumn. For the high mountains go from late June to September, for the Kakheti wine harvest from early September to mid October, and for skiing from late December to April.
The best time for what you want to do
It depends on what you came for: Georgia’s best month for a city break is not its best month for a mountain trek. The table gives the months for each, and the sections below say why.
| What you want | Best months | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi and the cities | April to June, September to October | Average highs in Tbilisi of 19 to 29°C, against 31 to 32°C in July and August |
| Hiking and the high mountains | Late June to late September | Serious treks wait for the snow to clear in the second half of June |
| Wine and the harvest | Usually early September to mid October (earlier in a hot year) | Rtveli, the grape harvest, in Kakheti |
| The Black Sea | June to August | The sea is warmest in July and August; Batumi’s heaviest rain falls from September to November |
| Skiing | Late December to April | The ski season at Gudauri |
For hiking and the high mountains
The high mountains open in summer. Serious multi-day treks usually have to wait until late June, when the snow clears from the passes, so the second half of June to late September is the season for hiking in Georgia in the high Caucasus. Good conditions usually last through most of September, and a fine first half of October is possible but not reliable.
For wine and the harvest
The grape harvest in Kakheti usually starts in early September, earlier after a hot summer, and runs to about mid October, and western Georgia picks later. When families pick, press and feast in those weeks, that is Rtveli, the Georgian grape harvest, and it has no fixed date: it starts when the grapes are ripe.
For Tbilisi and the cities
Tbilisi is at its best in spring and autumn. Average highs run from 19°C in April to 24°C in May, and from 26°C in September to 20°C in October, while July and August average 31 to 32°C.
For the Black Sea
The Black Sea coast is a summer destination: the water is cooler in June and warmest in July and August, at about 26°C in August. Batumi is the wettest city in Georgia, with about 2,500 mm of rain a year at the airport, and its heaviest months are September to November.
For skiing
The ski season at Gudauri, on the road to Kazbegi, usually runs from December to April, and the opening date depends on snow.
Georgia’s weather by month
Georgia has very different climates in one small country: Tbilisi has hot summers and cold, dry winters, Batumi on the Black Sea is wet all year, and the mountains stay cool even in July. The table gives the averages for Tbilisi and the rainfall in Batumi.
| Month | Tbilisi average high | Tbilisi average low | Batumi rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7°C | minus 1°C | 235 mm |
| February | 8°C | 0°C | 183 mm |
| March | 13°C | 4°C | 157 mm |
| April | 19°C | 8°C | 90 mm |
| May | 24°C | 13°C | 93 mm |
| June | 29°C | 17°C | 141 mm |
| July | 32°C | 20°C | 165 mm |
| August | 32°C | 20°C | 221 mm |
| September | 26°C | 16°C | 330 mm |
| October | 20°C | 11°C | 322 mm |
| November | 13°C | 5°C | 306 mm |
| December | 8°C | 1°C | 278 mm |
Tbilisi figures are the 1991 to 2020 averages; Batumi rainfall is the 1981 to 2010 average at Batumi airport. In the mountains it is far cooler: Stepantsminda, the town below Mount Kazbek at 1,740 metres, averages a high of around 20°C in July.
Spring: March, April and May
Spring is the green season in Georgia, warm in the lowlands while the high mountains are still under snow.
Georgia in March
March is cool: Tbilisi averages a high of 13°C and a low of 4°C. The high mountain roads are still closed.
Georgia in April
April brings average highs of 19°C in Tbilisi. Orthodox Easter moves each year and fell on 12 April in 2026.
Georgia in May
May is warm, with Tbilisi averaging 24°C, but it is also the month with the most wet days in the city, about 10. Orthodox Easter falls on 2 May in 2027, and 26 May is Independence Day. There is still snow in the high mountains in May: the road to Tusheti does not open until about mid June.
Summer: June, July and August
Summer is the season for the mountains and the sea, and the hottest time in Tbilisi.
Georgia in June
June is warm in Tbilisi, averaging 29°C. The road over the Abano Pass to Tusheti usually opens around mid June, and serious treks from the second half of the month.
Georgia in July
July is hot in Tbilisi, with an average high of 32°C, and warm in the mountains, where Stepantsminda averages a high of about 20°C.
Georgia in August
August is as hot as July in Tbilisi, and still inside the trekking season in the mountains. On the coast, Batumi’s rain starts to rise, to 221 mm on average. 28 August is Saint Mary’s Day, a public holiday.
Autumn: September, October and November
Autumn is harvest season in Georgia, with Tbilisi still warm and families picking grapes in the wine villages.
Georgia in September
September is warm, with Tbilisi averaging 26°C, and the Kakheti harvest usually begins early in the month. Good trekking weather usually holds for most of September. On the coast it is one of Batumi’s wettest months, with 330 mm on average.
Georgia in October
October is mild: Tbilisi averages a high of 20°C and a low of 11°C, so it is not cold. The harvest runs to about mid October, Tbilisi holds its city festival, Tbilisoba, in October, and Mtskheta celebrates Svetitskhovloba on 14 October. The road to Tusheti closes from about mid October.
Georgia in November
November turns cool, with Tbilisi averaging 13°C, and in western Georgia the last grapes are picked. 23 November is Saint George’s Day, a public holiday.
Winter: December to February
Winter in Tbilisi is cold and mostly dry, with average highs of 7 to 8°C, and snow falls on 15 to 25 days a year. The ski season at Gudauri runs from December to April. Georgian Christmas is on 7 January and Epiphany on 19 January, both public holidays. The high roads to Tusheti are closed all winter.
When do the mountain roads open?
The highest road, to Tusheti, opens in June and closes in October, while the road to Kazbegi stays open in winter except when snow closes it. The road over the Abano Pass to Tusheti, at 2,826 metres, is closed from about mid October to mid June, depending on snow, and needs a 4x4 even when open. The road to Kazbegi crosses the Jvari Pass, at 2,379 metres, on the Georgian Military Road; it is used in winter too, when it is also the road to the ski slopes at Gudauri, but snow can make high roads difficult or impossible.
Festivals and holidays, by date
Georgia’s calendar mixes fixed church and national holidays with dates that move, such as Easter and the harvest.
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 7 January | Orthodox Christmas | Across Georgia |
| 19 January | Orthodox Epiphany | Across Georgia |
| 12 April 2026, 2 May 2027 | Orthodox Easter | Across Georgia |
| 26 May | Independence Day | Across Georgia |
| 28 August | Saint Mary’s Day | Across Georgia |
| Usually early September to mid October (earlier in a hot year) | Rtveli, the grape harvest | Kakheti |
| October, date set each year | Tbilisoba, the city festival | Tbilisi |
| 14 October | Svetitskhovloba, the day of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral | Mtskheta |
| 23 November | Saint George’s Day | Across Georgia |
Trips we pick, by season
Each season suits a different kind of trip: a wine and food trip in spring or autumn, a mountain trip in summer, and a harvest trip in September and October. The shortlists below hold our picks for each.
A summer mountains trip
Guided hiking and trekking tours in Svaneti and Kazbegi compared on price, stages, group and how hard the walking is.
A spring or autumn wine and food trip
Three multi-day wine and food tours of Georgia compared on price, nights, cellars, meals and when each one runs.
A family holiday in the summer break
A private family holiday in Georgia with the hotels booked, and what to plan for with children.
Questions people ask about when to visit Georgia
Once you have the month, the rest (visas, insurance, getting around) is what you need to plan a trip to Georgia, and it is all in one place.
Is Tbilisi cold in October?
No. Tbilisi averages a high of 20°C and a low of 11°C in October.
Is there snow in Georgia in May?
Yes, in the high mountains. The road to Tusheti stays closed until about mid June, and serious treks wait for late June, but Tbilisi averages 24°C in May.
When does the Tusheti road open?
The road over the Abano Pass to Tusheti usually opens around mid June and closes around mid October, depending on snow.
Is Georgia too cold in December?
No, not in the lowlands: Tbilisi averages a high of 8°C and a low of 1°C in December. The mountains are under snow, and the ski season at Gudauri starts in December.
When is the grape harvest in Georgia?
The grape harvest in Kakheti usually starts in early September, earlier after a hot summer, and runs to about mid October, and parts of western Georgia pick later, into November.