2 min summary Best time to visit Map & highlights Churches & monasteries Food & wine Georgia & Armenia Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan Families Tips & advice Responsible tourism

Best time to visit Georgia

The best time to visit Georgia is either side of the summer heat and winter freeze – in May, June and September. The lowlands around Tbilisi are particularly hot and humid in midsummer, while the mountains are cooler and drier. Our temperature chart for Georgia and our month by month guide to the country will help you plan your trip.

Home\Europe\Georgia

Best time to visit Georgia

Easter in Georgia brings cultural and religious celebrations within the valleys, while snow remains commonplace on higher ground.

The best time to visit Georgia is May, June or September, especially in the lowlands around Tbilisi, as you’ll avoid the summer heat and humidity as well as the freezing winter. Autumn harvest time is also a good time to visit, especially around the vineyards of Kakheti. You’ll need to pack quick-drying and waterproof gear no matter when you come as weather can change in an instant. For a relatively small country, Georgia’s climate is quite diverse, with the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea both playing a part in the differing conditions. In general, it’s drier yet colder in the east, and wetter but warmer in the west.

Call us for the best time to go to Georgia

A month by month guide on when to go to Georgia

January in Georgia

Christmas markets

Coldest month

Low season for trekking

Brr! It’s cold in Georgia in January, but it’s very atmospheric in Tblisi, thanks to the Orthodox Christian celebrations; Christmas is on 7 January and Christmas markets in cities last until the middle of the month. Average highs are single-digit °C in the lowlands and colder on the high ground; Georgians head to the mountains to ski. You might prefer to wait until it’s a bit warmer to visit.

February in Georgia

Warming up at the end of the month

Still cold at night

Low season for trekking

It’s still freezing in Tblisi (average lows of -2°C) and there might be strong winds, but the city has sulphur baths fed by thermal springs where you can warm up. This is peak skiing season, and local people head to the Caucasus Mountains for winter sports. Aside from this, Georgia in February is in its low season for tourists: it’s cold and snow rules out any trekking.

March in Georgia

Wintry conditions prevail

Lots of snow on high ground

Temperatures start to rise

Parts of Georgia have a long winter and March is still very cold, with temperatures across the country rarely above 10°C, and often far lower. There’s still lots of snow on high ground, and Tblisi is chilly and windy. Georgia in March is still low season with no trekking. Yet spring is coming, and as the month progresses, temperatures rise.

April in Georgia

Great walking season

Rhododendrons

Birdlife

In Georgia in April, gardeners are busy but the sights aren’t. This is the very beginning of the spring season, and a quiet month for visitors. Temperatures are in the high teens °C in Tblisi, but it’s still cold in the mountains, and snow melt can cause avalanches. But snow melt and spring rain also swell the rivers, making rafting popular, and spring flowers emerge.

May in Georgia

Lovely time to go

Caucasus trekking

Multi country tours

Georgia experiences a wet spring, especially in the west, and May is its wettest month with lots of rainy days. But at last! The snow is finally melting in the Caucasus. Don’t let the rain deter you; Georgia in May is experiencing the start of the tourist season; it’s one of the best times to visit and trek. It’s also the time to visit Georgia alongside neighbouring Armenia and Azerbaijan.

May is a great month for our Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan highlights tour

June in Georgia

Perfect mountain hiking conditions

Hot at sea level

Some rain

Perhaps the best month to visit, despite the fact it’s another rainy month for the country – the snow has finally melted in Georgia in June. The mountains offer pleasantly cool hiking temperatures, whilst in the lowlands it’s now around 30°C, and people head to the Black Sea as the water temperature reaches the twenties. Wildflowers cover the High Caucasus.

My favourite months are June, when the wildflowers are in full bloom, and September, when the autumn colours are starting to form.

– Jonny Bealby, founder of our partner Wild Frontiers

July in Georgia

Hot and dry

Great trekking month

Temperature in the 30°Cs

July is one of the hottest months, and finally Georgia is a lot drier. It’s getting uncomfortably hot in the lowlands, but Batumi and other Black Sea resorts are busy – and lots of fun – as Tbilisi’s residents move the party to the seaside. To escape crowds in Georgia in July, head mountainwards for the best hiking conditions of the year.

July is a great time for our hiking in the Caucasus holiday

August in Georgia

Great for trekking

Peak holiday month

Very hot at low elevations

Another peak holiday month. Accommodation will be busy in Georgia in August; Tblisi will be heaving. It’s very, very hot in the lower parts of the country away from the coast – up to 40°C. It’s still a great month for trekking at higher elevations; some high passes can only be crossed in high summer, and there’s a folk festival in Tusheti region.

September in Georgia

Trekking

Food and wine festivities

Multi country tours

Georgia in September is good all-round, especially if you want to visit Armenia and Azerbaijan too. Snow starts to fall as early as September in the mountains, but there are pleasant lowland temperatures. There’s not much rain, autumnal colours are starting to spread, and there’s excellent birdwatching on the Black Sea and food and wine in the wine regions.

September is a great time for our Georgia cultural holiday

October in Georgia

Last month for most small group tours

Autumn colours and harvest

Temperatures drop

All of a sudden, it’s autumn and the trees through highland areas like Svaneti are all aflame. Grape picking, which started last month in the Kakheti wine region, runs on. There are harvest festivals all over Georgia in October; harvest starts a bit later in the west of the country than the east. Batumi is rainy and cold – it gets a lot of rain over the year, but especially from now onwards.

November in Georgia

Start of low season

Can be wet and gloomy

Fewer small group tours available

The low season begins in Georgia in November. The weather resembles that of March – a bit cold and gloomy. The trees are bare, lodges in the mountains close, and winter is setting in. Christmas markets in Tbilisi are still a month away and it can be wet. Further east, it might be slightly drier. Average lows in the country are around 3°C; highs are around 12°C.

December in Georgia

Dry but cold

Beautiful snowy mountains

Off season for trekking

Christmas markets start in Georgia in December and Christmas light displays are up, running into January. Remember, Eastern Orthodox Christmas falls next month, not now. December is the second coldest month, and it’s especially freezing inland. Some people will be skiing, but the snow is not at its best until the new year.

Georgia Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

-3

FEB

-2

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

-1

Contact Us

Call us for a chat about our holidays. We are happy to discuss your holiday and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.

01273 823 700 01273 823 700

Call us until 6pm

Calling from outside the UK

rosy@responsibletravel.com

Best time to visit Georgia for festivals & events

Shoba – Christmas (7 January)

Vastly improving the gloomy start to the year, Georgian Christmas falls on 7 January. Services take place in the churches and cathedrals, there’s lots of good food and wine, and Christmas markets tempt people out into the streets.

Aghdgoma – Easter (April or May)

Eastern Orthodox Easter can happen up to five weeks after that celebrated in Western Europe. Churches across the country hold special services and last supper ceremonies on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The service at Mtskheta’s Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is particularly worth seeing.

Kvirikoba (July)

This religious holiday is one of the most important in Georgia’s Svaneti region, remembering two Christian martyrs who were persecuted during Roman rule. Boulder tossing and bell tolling, to determine the community’s strongest people, take place. For everyone else, there’s a feast and music held at the atmospheric 11th-century church of St Kvirike near the village of Lalkhori.

Batumi season (summer)

Whether it’s for you or no, Batumi, the Black Sea resort, becomes lively over the summer as parties and club nights find their summer home on its shores, and Tblisi residents follow them to escape the summer heat in the capital. Expect parties, concerts and casino-going by night, and beach-lounging and long lunches in the day.

Tushetoba (August)

This glorious mountain festival is held in early August in the Tusheti region. There’s plenty of folk music and dancing, as well as traditional sports such as archery and horse racing – plus you may even be able to take part in some sheep shearing.

Mariamoba – Assumption (28 August)

This important Orthodox Christian festival is also a public holiday in Georgia, and a day to spend time with family. After two weeks of fasting, devout Christians feast at home, toast the Virgin Mary, and then the good health of their families. If your name is Mary, this is your name day – look out for special treatment and a few freebies!

Giorgoba (23 November)

St George’s Day is marked twice in Georgia – once in spring, as it is celebrated elsewhere in the world, and once on 23 November, which is particular to Georgia, and marks when the saint was tortured on the wheel by the Romans. The saint, who was born in Cappadocia, is the patron of the country, and the cult of St George is widespread. St George’s Day is a public holiday and feast day.

Our travellers also ask…

When is the best month to visit Georgia?

We think the best month to visit is September, but May and June and are great too. The weather is lovely, the trails are clear for hiking, and it’s not too hot in Tblisi. September in particular is warm and dry.

What is the off season in Georgia?

November to March is off season in Georgia, which means that there are fewer small group tours and some activities, like trekking, are limited by closed mountain lodges and trails blocked by snow. Off season can still be good for cultural tours, especially around Christmas, when there’s snow in the mountains.

When is the Georgia winter season?

December, January and February are considered the winter months, but Georgia’s winter can linger. It can already feel wintry by November; gloomy, cold conditions can last into March. There’s snow on the highest parts of the mountains all the way into June.

More relevant guides

Written by Eloise Barker

Best time to visit Georgia

Best time to visit Georgia