Quick answer
Come for the skiing (Gudauri from 27 December to 19 April, day pass 70 GEL, about $27) and for Tbilisi with no crowds: sulfur baths, wine bars, winter food and rooms far cheaper than in summer. Tbilisi itself is grey and damp rather than snowy, around 7-8°C by day. Tusheti, Ushguli and the high trails are closed, and the Gudauri to Kobi stretch of the Military Highway shuts for hours or days whenever avalanche risk is high. The best weeks are mid-January to early March; New Year's week is expensive everywhere that has a lift.
- Tbilisi January high
- 7°C
- Gudauri season 2025-26
- 27 Dec to 19 Apr
- Day pass, Gudauri
- 70 GEL
- Sunset, 21 Dec
- 17:32
Summer Georgia sells itself. Winter needs explaining. The mountains are under snow, most hiking trails are out, and Tbilisi swaps its terraces for fireplace bars, fogged-up bath domes and khashi at seven in the morning. We have sat through enough Georgian winters to say it plainly: it is not pretty every day, but it is cheap, uncrowded and, at the ski resorts, better than it has any right to be at these prices.
This guide covers what is open, what is closed, what the weather really does, how the four ski resorts compare, and how to move around when the mountain roads are iced. Every price and date was checked in September 2026 against the resort operator, the Roads Department and the partners we book through.
Why visit in winter
Three reasons, in order of how much they matter to most people.
Skiing. Gudauri has roughly 80 km of marked runs above the treeline, modern Doppelmayr lifts and a top station at 3,279 m, and a day pass costs 70 GEL. Bakuriani is the gentler family resort. Mestia's two areas, Hatsvali and Tetnuldi, are far away and empty. Goderdzi, above Adjara, is small and gets buried in snow. All four are run by one state company, so the passes, hours and season dates below come from the same source.
Price and space. Outside New Year's week and the February school holidays, rooms in Tbilisi and the wine regions cost noticeably less than in summer, museums are empty and you will not queue for a bath room. Flights into Tbilisi are cheaper in January and February than in any other months; our flights guide has the routes.
The city itself. Winter is when Tbilisi stops performing. Restaurants fill with locals, the supra season runs from New Year to Epiphany, and the old town in January fog, with Narikala above the bath district, is a different city from the one in the summer photos.
Weather by region
Georgia packs several climates into a small country, so the winter you get depends entirely on where you stand. The Tbilisi figures are the 1991-2020 climate normals (mean daily high and low, and the average number of days with snow); the rest are what to expect rather than measured averages.
| Place | Dec to Feb, high / low | Snow | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi | 7-8°C / -1 to 1°C | 4-8 snowy days a month, rarely settles | Grey, damp, a cold wind down the river gorge. Sunny days are lovely and short. |
| Kutaisi | A few degrees milder | Rare | Wetter than Tbilisi. Rain more than snow. |
| Batumi | Mild, mostly above 5°C | Almost never | Subtropical coast: rainy, windy, half-empty. Not a winter destination. |
| Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) | Roughly 8-10°C colder than Tbilisi | Heavy from November | Deep snow in the village; Gergeti church often needs a 4x4 or a walk. |
| Gudauri | Well below zero at the top lifts | Reliable from late December | Above the treeline on the Military Highway. Wind and sun in equal measure. |
| Mestia (Svaneti) | Roughly 8-10°C colder than Tbilisi | Heavy, November to April | Road open but slow; flights weather-dependent. Ushguli often cut off. |
| Bakuriani | Cold, forest shelter | Reliable from mid-December | Lower and calmer than Gudauri. Often the first resort to open. |
| Kakheti | Close to Tbilisi | Occasional | Misty vineyards, wood-fired cellars, wineries open on request. |
What is open and what is closed
Georgia does not shut in winter, but it changes gear. Some of the places on every "top ten" list are unreachable from late October until May or June.
| Place | Winter status |
|---|---|
| Tbilisi | Fully open. Everything runs. Terraces close, wine bars and baths get busier. |
| Gudauri, Bakuriani, Goderdzi | Peak season. Lifts from 20-27 December to late March or April; see the ski section. |
| Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) | Open, road permitting. The Gudauri to Kobi section closes for hours or days when avalanche risk is high. |
| Mestia (Svaneti) | Open by road. Slow drive via Zugdidi. Flights from Natakhtari and Kutaisi run less often and cancel in bad weather. |
| Ushguli | Often cut off. The road from Mestia closes after heavy snow. Locals winter there; visitors usually cannot get in. |
| Tusheti | Closed. The Abano Pass (2,826 m) shuts with the first snow in October and reopens in late May or June. |
| High trails | Closed. Juta to Roshka, Mestia to Ushguli, the Lagodekhi alpine routes: snow and avalanche terrain until June. |
| Kutaisi and the caves | Open. Prometheus Cave, Sataplia, Gelati and the canyons all run through winter. |
| Kakheti | Open. Wineries pour year-round; smaller ones by appointment. Sighnaghi is quiet and misty. |
| Vardzia and Rabati | Open. Fewer visitors, atmospheric under snow. The road from Akhaltsikhe is kept clear. |
| David Gareja | Open, exposed. The road is fine. No services, hard wind, and the Udabno ridge can be icy. |
| Batumi | Open, quiet. Hotels and restaurants open, boulevard empty. Rain most days. |
Skiing and snowboarding
Skiing is the main reason to come in winter, and it is still underrated. The four resorts are all operated by Mountain Trails Agency (MTA), the state company, which publishes one price list and one set of opening dates each December. The 2025-26 prices below were unchanged from the previous season; the 2026-27 list normally appears in mid-December, so treat these as the prices to expect until then.
| Resort | Runs | Top lift | Day pass 2025-26 | Season 2025-26 | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gudauri | About 80 km, all above the treeline | 3,279 m | 70 GEL | 27 Dec to 19 Apr | Every level, freeride, the widest terrain |
| Bakuriani (Didveli, Kokhta, Mitarbi) | About 33 km across three areas | 2,702 m | 55 GEL | 20 Dec to 29 Mar | Families, beginners, a real town to stay in |
| Mestia: Hatsvali and Tetnuldi | About 37 km combined | 3,168 m | 50 GEL | 27 Dec to 29 Mar (Hatsvali), 9 Apr (Tetnuldi) | Scenery, empty pistes, a long trip in |
| Goderdzi (Adjara) | About 8 km, a few lifts | n/a | 30 GEL | 27 Dec to 29 Mar | Deep snow, nobody around, adventure |
A few practical points from the operator's own rules. Lifts run 10:00 to 17:00 daily (Tetnuldi to 16:00, Goderdzi to 16:00 on weekdays). You need a physical Multicard (5 GEL, refundable) loaded with your pass; a QR code on your phone will not open the turnstile. Passes are sold at the ticket offices and online through tkt.ge, biletebi.ge and the SKIPASS app from about 23 December; children under 6 ski free and 6 to 12 pay half. In the 2025-26 season Bakuriani's Didveli area also ran night skiing on Friday and Saturday evenings. A season pass valid at all four resorts was 650 GEL.
Tbilisi in winter
Winter Tbilisi is a smaller, warmer, more indoor city. The cafe terraces move inside, the tourist crowds thin to nothing, and the old town, without its summer audience, feels like somewhere people actually live.
What we would do with three cold days in the capital:
Sulfur baths
The best time of year for Abanotubani: hot sulfur water, cold air outside, steam in the lanes. Private rooms start around 80 GEL an hour; the public pools are a few GEL. Go before 10:00 on weekends. Our baths guide compares the houses.
Wine bars
Tbilisi's natural-wine bars were built for this weather: amber wine, a wood stove, a plate of cheese and no rush. Sololaki and Vera have the densest cluster. Our wine bar guide has the ones we keep going back to.
Museums and the opera
The National Museum on Rustaveli (Colchian gold, the Soviet occupation floor) is empty on winter weekdays. The opera and ballet season runs all winter and tickets cost a fraction of European prices; book on tkt.ge a few days ahead.
Winter food
Georgian cooking is a cold-weather cuisine. Khashi at dawn, kharcho, lobio in a clay pot with mchadi, and from New Year the walnut dishes, satsivi and gozinaki. The table further down lists what is seasonal and where to find it.
Holidays and festivals
Georgia runs on the Julian church calendar, so Christmas is on 7 January and the holiday season stretches from New Year's Eve to Epiphany on 19 January. Offices empty, family tables stay laid for days, and Tbilisi is quieter than at any other time. The dates below are fixed; only Lamproba moves. Our festivals guide has the full year.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 25 December | Western Christmas. A normal working day. Some expat bars do something; nobody else does. |
| 31 December | New Year's Eve. The biggest night of the year. Enormous, unregulated fireworks in every city, and the family supra of the year: satsivi, gozinaki, churchkhela. The tree is a New Year tree. |
| 1-2 January | New Year and Bedoba. Public holidays. Almost everything closed on the 1st. The first visitor over the threshold on the 1st (the mekvle) sets the household's luck; the 2nd is the day of fate. |
| 7 January | Orthodox Christmas. Public holiday. Midnight liturgy, then the Alilo procession leaves First Republic Square at 14:00 and walks Rustaveli Avenue to Sameba Cathedral. Worth planning a day around. |
| 14 January | Old New Year. Julian New Year's Eve. Not an official holiday, but another family dinner and smaller fireworks. The city keeps its lights up until now. |
| 19 January | Natlisgheba (Epiphany). Public holiday. Water is blessed in every church; at Paravani Lake in Javakheti a cross-shaped hole is cut in the ice for a plunge. |
| Mid-February | Lamproba (Svaneti). Torches carried to family graves in the snow around Mestia, then a bonfire by the church. 14 February in 2026; the exact night varies by village. |
| 3 March | Mother's Day. Public holiday. Florists sell out and restaurants fill with families; 8 March, Women's Day, is the same again. |
Winter itineraries
Not all of Georgia works in winter, so a winter itinerary has to look different from a summer one. Three that we would run, with the closed places left out:
5 days: city and skiing
- Day 1 Tbilisi: old town, sulfur baths, a wine bar.
- Day 2 Tbilisi: National Museum, Dezerter Bazaar, a long dinner.
- Day 3 Driver or van to Gudauri (2 to 2.5 hours). Afternoon on the slopes.
- Day 4 Full day skiing. Freeride with a guide if you are good.
- Day 5 Back to Tbilisi via Ananuri and Mtskheta. Farewell supra.
7 days: winter explorer
- Days 1-2 Tbilisi: baths, museums, food, wine bars.
- Day 3 Mtskheta and Jvari, then Ananuri on the way north.
- Days 4-5 Gudauri skiing, or Stepantsminda for Gergeti in the snow, road permitting.
- Day 6 Kakheti: a winery near Telavi, overnight in Sighnaghi.
- Day 7 A second winery, back to Tbilisi for a last dinner.
10 days: the full winter
- Days 1-3 Tbilisi properly: old town, Fabrika, Vera, the markets.
- Days 4-5 Gudauri or Bakuriani skiing, sleeping at the resort.
- Day 6 Stepantsminda and Gergeti Trinity if the pass is open.
- Days 7-8 Kutaisi: Prometheus Cave, Gelati, the Green Bazaar; on to Borjomi.
- Days 9-10 Borjomi and Vardzia, then a Kakheti wine day and back to Tbilisi.
What winter costs
Winter is bargain season everywhere except the ski resorts in their peak weeks. For a full trip budget use our budget calculator, which carries the current fares and room prices; the table below is only the winter-specific extras, at the National Bank rate of 5 September 2026 (1 USD = 2.61 GEL).
Winter-specific costs
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gudauri day pass, adult | 70 GEL ($27) | 2025-26 season, unchanged from the year before. Children 6 to 12 pay 35 GEL, under-6s free. Plus a 5 GEL refundable Multicard. |
| Bakuriani day pass, adult | 55 GEL ($21) | Valid across Didveli, Kokhta and Mitarbi. 7 days 296 GEL. |
| Mestia day pass, adult | 50 GEL ($19) | Hatsvali and Tetnuldi on one pass. |
| Goderdzi day pass, adult | 30 GEL ($11) | The cheapest lift ticket in the country. |
| Season pass, all four resorts | 650 GEL ($249) | Adult; 325 GEL for children. MTA ran 30 percent online discounts on it in December and January in 2025-26. |
| Ski or board hire | about 40-80 GEL a day | Our estimate from the rental shops at the Gudauri base; quality and price vary a lot, so look at the edges before you pay. |
| Marshrutka Tbilisi to Gudauri | 15 GEL | On the Stepantsminda van from Didube; 20 GEL all the way to Stepantsminda. Fewer departures in winter and none when the pass is shut. |
| Driver Tbilisi to Gudauri | from 196 GEL ($75) | Fixed price per car on GoTrip, read 5 September 2026. See the transport section. |
| Flight Natakhtari to Mestia | 90 GEL ($34) | Vanilla Sky one way, adult; 50 GEL from Kutaisi. Reduced winter frequency and frequent weather cancellations. |
Prices checked 5 September 2026. Ranges reflect season and operator.
What to pack
The mistake is packing for one climate. Tbilisi wants a city coat and shoes that cope with slush; the mountains want proper insulation and sun protection. Our packing guide covers the full list; these are the winter essentials.
| Item | Why | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproof shoes with grip | Tbilisi pavements get slushy and the old town's stone lanes are slick when wet or iced. | Essential |
| Layers, not one heavy coat | Georgian homes and restaurants are heated hard. You will overheat indoors in a parka. | Essential |
| Windproof outer layer | The gorge funnels wind through the centre; 3°C can feel like -5°C. | Essential |
| Hat, gloves, buff | For evening walks in the city and everything in the mountains. | Essential |
| Sunscreen and sunglasses | Snow at 3,000 m reflects everything. Sunburn in January is normal at Gudauri. | Mountains |
| Power bank | Cold drains phone batteries fast, and your lift pass balance and Bolt both live on the phone. | Recommended |
Getting around in winter
Marshrutkas still run on the main routes, but mountain services thin out and stop altogether when a pass is closed. Trains and the Tbilisi metro are unaffected. Our marshrutka guide has the fares; here is how the options change in winter.
Renting a car
The most flexible option, and winter rates are the lowest of the year. Winter tyres are a legal requirement on the mountain sections; most agencies fit them in season but confirm in writing when you book. All-wheel drive for Svaneti and Stepantsminda, and chains in the boot for the Jvari Pass.
Marshrutkas
Year-round to Kutaisi, Batumi, Borjomi, Kakheti and Stepantsminda (20 GEL from Didube, 15 GEL to Gudauri). Mestia vans from Zugdidi run less often and may not go at all in bad weather. Check on the day; nobody publishes a winter timetable.
Fixed-price drivers
What we use for mountain trips in winter. GoTrip shows the price per car up front, the driver knows the road and the conditions, and you can stop where you like. Between three or four people it costs little more than the van. Prices below.
Domestic flights
Vanilla Sky flies small aircraft from Natakhtari (north of Tbilisi) and Kutaisi to Mestia, 90 and 50 GEL one way. Winter frequency is reduced and weather cancels flights regularly, so never put a flight on the day before an international connection.
Practical tips
Daylight
Sunset in Tbilisi is about 17:30 through December, 17:55 by mid-January and 18:45 by the end of February. Sunrise is after 08:00 until February. Plan mountain days for the middle of the day.
Booking rooms
Tbilisi can be booked last minute all winter except New Year's week. Gudauri and Bakuriani need booking months ahead for late December, early January and the February school holidays. We use Booking.com and Airbnb.
Heating
Tbilisi flats run on gas heating and are warm, sometimes too warm. Village guesthouses may heat one room with a wood stove. Ask before booking a rural stay in January, and read the reviews for the word cold.
Phone and data
Coverage is good everywhere you can drive to, including the ski resorts. Buy a local SIM at the airport or use an eSIM; our SIM guide has current prices.
Cash and cards
Cards work in Tbilisi and at the lift ticket offices. Carry cash for marshrutkas, village guesthouses and khashi places. TBC and Bank of Georgia ATMs are everywhere; our money guide covers the fees.
Best month
Late January and February for snow and empty resorts, early March for spring skiing and longer days. December is festive but dark by 17:30. November is grey, cheap and transitional; the lifts are not yet running.
Winter food not to miss
Georgian food was designed for this. The heavy, walnut-thick dishes that feel like too much in August are exactly right at 2°C, and a few are genuinely seasonal.
| Dish | What it is | When and where |
|---|---|---|
| Khashi | Garlic tripe broth eaten at dawn. The hangover cure. | Winter mornings at dedicated khashi houses, 06:00 to about 11:00. |
| Kharcho | Beef, rice and walnut soup, sour and spiced. | Year-round in every restaurant; best in winter. |
| Lobio | Slow-cooked spiced beans in a clay pot with mchadi cornbread. | Year-round; the winter version comes with pickles. |
| Satsivi | Cold turkey or chicken in a thick walnut sauce. | The New Year dish. On family tables from 31 December to 7 January. |
| Gozinaki | Walnuts set in honey, cut into diamonds. | Late December to mid-January, sold at every market. |
| Chakapuli | Lamb or veal stewed with tarragon and green plums. | Late February into spring, when the tarragon comes in. |
Day trips from Tbilisi that work in winter
| Place | Drive | Why in winter |
|---|---|---|
| Mtskheta | 30 min | The cathedral without coach groups. Jvari in fog is atmospheric. |
| Ananuri | 1.5 h | Lakeside fortress on the way north; good with snow on the towers. |
| Gudauri | 2-2.5 h | A day on the slopes and back to a Tbilisi dinner is entirely doable. |
| Sighnaghi | 1.5-2 h | Wine town with the Alazani valley in mist below the walls. |
| Borjomi | 2.5 h | Mineral springs and a snowy park; combine with Bakuriani. |
| David Gareja | 2 h | Empty desert monastery. Bring every layer you own. |
| Uplistsikhe and Gori | 1.5 h | Cave city plus the Stalin Museum: a good grey-day combination. |
Common mistakes
Planning a summer itinerary
Half of every "top ten Georgia" list is shut: Tusheti, Ushguli, the high trails. Check the open-and-closed table above before you commit to anything above 2,000 m.
Underestimating the cold
Tbilisi at 3°C feels colder than most European cities at 3°C because of the wind, and the mountains run 10 to 20 degrees colder than the capital. Layer up.
Booking Gudauri for New Year
The last week of December is the most expensive and crowded week of the year on the slopes. Ski mid-January instead: better snow, empty lifts, far cheaper rooms.
Relying on the Mestia flight
Winter flights to Mestia cancel whenever the weather turns. Have a plan B: the drive from Tbilisi via Zugdidi is 8 to 10 hours, or fly to Kutaisi and drive from there.
Skipping Tbilisi
Some people rush from the airport to the lifts. Tbilisi in winter deserves two or three days; the baths, food and wine bars are at their best when it is cold outside.
Not trying khashi
Yes, it is tripe soup at seven in the morning. It is also the most Georgian winter breakfast there is. Even if you hate it, you will have a story.
Winter questions
Is Georgia worth visiting in winter?
How cold does Tbilisi get in winter?
Can I drive to Kazbegi in winter?
When is the ski season in Georgia?
How much is a ski pass in Georgia?
Which is better for skiing, Gudauri or Bakuriani?
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