The short answer: January is a good month for skiing, for Tbilisi and its sulphur baths, and for Kakheti's wine cellars, and a poor one for mountain hiking. It is the coldest month of the year: Tbilisi averages highs of about 7 °C and lows around 0 °C, with little rain [1]. The ski resorts are in full swing, Georgian Christmas falls on 7 January, and outside the holidays there are few visitors. The high mountain regions are closed, and the road to Kazbegi can shut after snow.
The weather
Tbilisi in January is cold and often grey, with around 3 hours of sunshine a day on average, but it is dry: rain or snow falls on only a few days in the month [1]. The odd snowfall in the city usually melts within a day or two. Days are short, with roughly nine and a half hours of daylight, so long day trips need an early start [2]. In the mountains, winter is properly deep: snow at Gudauri, Bakuriani and Stepantsminda, and temperatures well below freezing at night.
Holidays in January
- 1–2 January: New Year public holidays, after the big family celebration on 31 December [3].
- 7 January: Orthodox Christmas, a public holiday. On Christmas Day the Alilo processions walk through Tbilisi and other towns, singing carols and collecting gifts for people in need [3][4].
- 14 January: Old New Year, celebrated at home but not a public holiday [3].
- 19 January: Epiphany, a public holiday [3].
Expect some shops, banks and smaller restaurants to close on the public holidays, and museums to have reduced hours around New Year. Hotels and many restaurants in central Tbilisi stay open. For the traditions themselves, read Christmas and New Year in Georgia.
Ski season
January is the heart of the season. In 2025/26 Gudauri opened on 27 December and Bakuriani on 20 December [5][6], and the resorts are at their busiest from Christmas to mid-January, so book rooms and ski hire early.
- Gudauri: about 2–2.5 hours from Tbilisi on the Military Highway, with lifts up to 3,279 m and open slopes above the tree line. Off-piste has no avalanche control; see our guide to freeriding in Gudauri.
- Bakuriani: 2.5–3 hours from Tbilisi, above Borjomi, gentler and forested, and a good choice for families.
- Goderdzi: a small resort in the mountains of Adjara, reached from Batumi; its snow is usually deepest from late January to early March.
- Hatsvali and Tetnuldi: the ski areas above Mestia in Svaneti, a long journey from Tbilisi, so they need a longer trip.
Gudauri suits confident skiers who want altitude; Bakuriani suits families and beginners who want a road that rarely closes.
What works well in January
Tbilisi
The Old Town, the cable car to Narikala, the museums and the wine bars are all open, though most museums close on Mondays. A private room at the sulphur baths of Abanotubani is the natural end to a cold day; book it ahead.
Kakheti
The vines are bare, but family cellars and estates are open, the new wine from the autumn harvest is resting in its qvevri (UNESCO Intangible Heritage since 2013), and a long supper by the stove suits the season. Sighnaghi is about 2 hours from Tbilisi; when the Gombori pass is icy, drivers take the lower Sagarejo road.
Low-level day trips
Mtskheta, 30–40 minutes from Tbilisi, and Uplistsikhe and Gori, 1.25–1.5 hours west, are unaffected by snow on the high passes. At David Gareja the Lavra monastery is open, while the Udabno monastery above it is closed or unpredictable. Vardzia is open, but part of the path has been closed since the rockfall of 27 May 2026, and the drive is long for a short winter day.
Kazbegi in January
Gergeti Trinity Church (2,170 m) in snow with Mt Kazbek (5,054 m) behind it is a fine sight, and there are very few people. But the road from Gudauri to Stepantsminda crosses the Jvari Pass (2,379 m), which can close for hours, or for 1–3 days, after heavy snow. Keep Kazbegi on a flexible day and never the day before your flight. The road up to Gergeti needs a 4x4 in snow. How winter closures work.
What's closed
- Tusheti and Khevsureti: the high passes are shut and the regions are cut off.
- Upper Racha: the highland roads above Oni close in winter.
- Svaneti: the road from Zugdidi to Mestia is kept open for the ski areas, but the Mestia–Ushguli road can close in heavy snow and the Zagari pass to Lentekhi is shut.
- Mountain hikes: Truso, Juta and the other valley walks around Kazbegi are summer trips.
Practical tips
- Pack a warm coat, hat and gloves for Tbilisi evenings, and proper winter clothes for the mountains.
- Winter tyres are compulsory on the Military Highway; our vehicles carry chains as well.
- Book flights and rooms early for the New Year and Christmas period.
- Travel insurance with at least 30,000 GEL of cover has been mandatory since 1 January 2026; if you plan to ski, check that it covers winter sports.
Who January suits
Skiers, food and wine travellers, and anyone happy with a city-and-cellars trip will find January rewarding and quiet. It doesn't suit a first trip built around mountain walking, Tusheti or Ushguli; for those, come between June and September.
January trips with us
All our trips are private: your own car and English-speaking driver-guide. The Georgia in Winter, 6-day private tour runs in January and February and combines Tbilisi, a night in Kakheti's wine country and two nights at Gudauri, with Kazbegi if the pass is open. Skiers can take the Gudauri Ski Week, 7 days, and families the Bakuriani Family Ski Break and Borjomi, 4 days. See each tour page for the current price, or build your own January trip. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Climates to Travel, "Tbilisi climate": climatestotravel.com
- Wanderlog, "Tbilisi weather in January": wanderlog.com
- Wikipedia, "Public holidays in Georgia": en.wikipedia.org
- Georgia Today, "Alilo: the living tradition of Christmas in Georgia": georgiatoday.ge
- Friendly.ge, "Gudauri ski resort guide 2025/26": friendly.ge
- Friendly.ge, "Bakuriani ski resort guide": friendly.ge
Last checked: September 2026. Ski season dates for 2026/27 are announced in December, and winter road closures are announced on the day.
