The short answer: the best time to visit Georgia for snow is February. Gudauri and Bakuriani are in the heart of their season, with reliable snow, and the month is also good for city breaks and wine, though a poor one for mountain hiking. Tbilisi is cold but mostly dry, with average highs of about 8 °C and lows around freezing, and there are few visitors. Kakheti's family cellars and estates carry on receiving guests. The high mountain regions stay closed, and the road to Kazbegi can shut after snowfall, so build in flexibility. For other months, see when to visit Georgia through the year.
The weather
- Tbilisi: average highs of about 8 °C and lows of about 0 °C, and one of the driest months of the year, with around 18 mm of precipitation on four or five days[1]. Expect grey days, some crisp sunny ones and the odd light snowfall.
- The mountains: full winter. Snow lies deep at the ski resorts, and nights are well below freezing.
- The Black Sea coast: mild compared with inland, but wet; Batumi gets a lot of rain in February[2]. It is not beach weather.
Days are getting longer, but it is still dark by early evening, so long day trips need an early start.
The best time to visit Georgia for snow and skiing
February is the most reliable month for snow at both of Georgia's main resorts, and quieter than the Christmas and New Year rush.
- Gudauri: about 120 km and 2–2.5 hours from Tbilisi on the Military Highway, with lifts to 3,279 m. It suits confident skiers and freeriders, but off-piste has no avalanche control, so go only with a qualified guide and full avalanche kit.
- Bakuriani: about 180 km and 2.5–3 hours from Tbilisi, above Borjomi, in pine forest. Gentler, cheaper, and the easier choice for families and beginners.
- Goderdzi in Adjara is known for deep snow from late January to early March, and the ski areas above Mestia in Svaneti need a longer trip.
February against January and March
In 2025/26 Gudauri's season ran from 27 December to 19 April and Bakuriani's from 20 December to 29 March[4][5], so February falls well inside both. Dates for 2026/27 are announced in December. Snow cover at Gudauri is usually most reliable from January to March. January is also the heart of the season, but the resorts are at their busiest from Christmas to mid-January[5]. By March, lower altitude means softer snow at Bakuriani and a season close to its end[5], while Gudauri's height keeps its snow into April.
Freeriders have a further reason to wait for February. At Gudauri the snowpack is usually deep enough from the second half of January, which is also when heli-skiing usually starts, running into late spring if there is enough snow[8]. Our guide to freeride and heli-skiing in Gudauri covers guides, kit and insurance.
Snow further from Tbilisi
Goderdzi is a small resort reached from Batumi rather than Tbilisi[7]. Above Mestia, the lifts at Tetnuldi reach 3,168 m, but Mestia is 8–10 hours from Tbilisi by road[7], and flights there are often cancelled for poor visibility, so allow spare days.
For a side-by-side comparison, read Gudauri or Bakuriani.
Lift passes and where to sleep
In 2025/26 an adult day pass cost about 70 GEL at Gudauri[10] and 55 GEL at Bakuriani. Bakuriani charged children aged 6–12 about half, and those under 6 skied free. Prices for the new season come out in December. Didveli in Bakuriani also has night skiing on lit slopes, usually at weekends and until about 21:30[5], for 40 GEL in 2025/26; we check the schedule for your dates.
Beds at Gudauri range from big resort hotels and ski-in hotels to apartment hotels in New Gudauri and family guesthouses on the highway. Bakuriani's range runs from ski hotels with pools and spas through mid-range family hotels and apartments to simple guesthouses. New Year and the January holidays fill up first at both.
Snow days, on skis or not
All of Gudauri's slopes are above the tree line, so there is no cover from the weather. Strong wind or low visibility can halt the top lifts, and in flat light the runs are hard to read; count on a day or two of limited skiing in a week there. Bakuriani's trees offer some protection when it blows or snows.
Non-skiers will find more to do at Bakuriani: sledging, skating, snowshoe walks and the forest itself[7], with Borjomi's mineral-water park 30 minutes down the road. At Gudauri the usual choices are snowshoeing and, in calm weather, a tandem paragliding flight.
The roads after snowfall
A closed Jvari Pass doesn't cut off Gudauri, which lies on its Tbilisi side. The risk is the Mleta–Gudauri stretch below the resort: heavy snow or an avalanche warning can shut it for hours, so allow at least 6 hours from leaving Gudauri to your flight.
The road to Bakuriani rarely closes, though winter tyres or chains are needed on the mountain road up from Borjomi after snow. Plan to arrive by road: the Kukushka narrow-gauge train from Borjomi hasn't run since 2020.
Beyond Gudauri, Tbilisi operators report 3–5 closures a month on the pass in heavy winters, each lasting 6–48 hours[9]. When it is shut, Ananuri, Pasanauri and Gudauri still make a shorter mountain day. Read how winter closures work and where to check them.
Tbilisi: a quiet city break
February is one of the quietest months in the capital, which suits museums, food and the sulphur baths. The Old Town, the cable car to Narikala, the Georgian National Museum and the wine bars are all open. A private room with a hot sulphur pool at Abanotubani is the natural end to a cold day; book it a day or two ahead.
There are no fixed public holidays in February[3], so shops and sights keep normal hours. Orthodox Lent begins before Easter, which in 2027 falls in May, so February is outside it; restaurants serve their full menus.
Kakheti: wine by the stove
The wine country works well in February. The wine from the autumn harvest is resting in its qvevri, the clay jars whose winemaking method has been on UNESCO's Intangible Heritage list since 2013, and many family cellars are happy to open a jar for visitors. Vineyards are bare and the Alazani Valley is quiet, but the Caucasus behind it is white with snow. Sighnaghi is about 2 hours from Tbilisi; when the Gombori Pass is icy, drivers take the lower Sagarejo road.
Day trips that work in February
- Mtskheta: Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, 30–40 minutes from Tbilisi.
- Uplistsikhe and Gori: the rock-cut town and the Stalin Museum, 1.25–1.5 hours west.
- David Gareja: the Lavra monastery is open; the Udabno monastery above it is closed or unpredictable.
- Kazbegi: Gergeti Trinity Church (2,170 m) under snow with Mt Kazbek (5,054 m) behind is a fine sight. But the Jvari Pass (2,379 m) can close for hours or 1–3 days after snow, and the road up to Gergeti needs a 4x4. Keep Kazbegi on a flexible day, never the day before your flight.
What's closed
- Tusheti and Khevsureti are cut off until early summer.
- In Svaneti, the road to Mestia stays open with winter tyres, but the Mestia–Ushguli road can close in heavy snow.
- Vardzia and the south are possible, but it is a long drive on short days. Part of the path at Vardzia has been closed since the rockfall of 27 May 2026.
- Truso, Juta and the other valley walks are summer trips.
Practical tips
- Pack proper winter layers for the mountains and a warm coat for Tbilisi evenings.
- Weather changes fast at altitude, so carry goggles and a warm layer even on sunny days, and sunscreen for the strong sun at Gudauri.
- Winter tyres are compulsory on the Military Highway in winter; our vehicles carry chains too.
- Leave a spare day between any mountain trip and your flight home.
- Check that your insurance covers skiing. Since 1 January 2026, travel insurance with at least 30,000 GEL of cover is mandatory for visitors to Georgia.
Who February suits
February suits skiers, food and wine lovers and city travellers who don't mind the cold, and anyone who likes having sights to themselves. It doesn't suit a first trip built around mountain hiking, Svaneti or Tusheti; for that, come between June and September.
For the whole season, read Georgia in winter.
February tours with us
Skiers can take the Gudauri Ski Week, 7 days with private transfers and hotel, with an optional Kazbegi day if the pass is open. It includes airport transfers, six nights near the lifts with breakfast and dinner, and booking of lift passes, rental and lessons. Families usually prefer the Bakuriani Family Ski Break and Borjomi, 4 days, private. For a taste of everything, the Georgia in Winter 6-day private tour combines Tbilisi, a night in Kakheti's wine country and two nights at Gudauri. If heavy snow closes the Gudauri road, we switch its snow days to Borjomi and Bakuriani. All are private, with your own car and English-speaking driver-guide; see the tour page for the current price. Or build your own February trip. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Tbilisi" (climate normals 1991–2020): en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Batumi" (climate table): en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Public holidays in Georgia": en.wikipedia.org
- Friendly.ge, "Gudauri ski resort guide": friendly.ge
- Friendly.ge, "Bakuriani ski resort guide": friendly.ge
- UNESCO, "Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method" (2013): ich.unesco.org
- Wander-Lush, "Skiing in Georgia: ski resorts compared" (updated July 2026): wander-lush.org
- Georgian National Tourism Administration, "Heli-skiing in Gudauri": georgia.travel
- Sakhva Travel, "Kazbegi in winter" (April 2026): sakhva-travel.com
- Gudauri.info, ski pass prices winter 2026: gudauri.info
Last checked: September 2026. Ski season dates and winter road closures are announced each year and on the day.
