Best Time to Visit Georgia

Tbilisi: spring and autumn win

Tbilisi is the only city in our data, so let's start there. April and September to October are the best months. Days are warm enough to walk the old town, Sololaki and the sulphur bath district of Abanotubani without melting. Evenings are mild enough for a long dinner of khachapuri (cheese bread) and a jug of local wine.

July is the hottest month, at 34°C. Afternoons are heavy and the city empties out a bit. If you come then, do your sightseeing in the evening. Take the cable car up to Narikala Fortress near sunset, when the stone has cooled.

May is the wettest month, at 64 mm. That's not a washout, though. Showers tend to pass, and the hills around the city are very green.

Beyond the capital

Georgia is small but varied. The Caucasus mountains in the north, around Kazbegi and Svaneti, follow a different clock. Hiking is best in summer, when Tbilisi is baking and the high trails are clear. Winter is for skiing at Gudauri. The Black Sea coast, around Batumi, is a summer beach spot and gets humid and rainy at other times. We only have figures for Tbilisi, so check the mountains and coast separately.

Seasons, holidays and crowds

Summer is the busiest season, especially on the coast and in the mountains. Autumn is the other peak, because the grape harvest, called rtveli, draws wine lovers to Kakheti, the main wine region, in September and October. Spring is quieter, and winter is the low season in the capital apart from the ski resorts.

Some dates matter for planning. Orthodox Christmas falls on 7 January, and Orthodox Easter moves each year and shuts many shops for a day or two. Independence Day on 26 May brings parades and closed offices. Tbilisoba, a city festival of food and music, is usually held in October.

If you want the easiest trip, aim for late September. The heat has gone, the harvest is on, and Tbilisi feels relaxed.