The short answer: Georgia in March means early spring, and it is one of the quietest months to visit. Tbilisi averages highs of about 13 °C and lows of about 4 °C[1], the weather swings between mild sunny days and cold, windy ones, and fruit blossom appears in the last two weeks. It's a good month for Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kakheti's wine cellars and the David Gareja monastery. The mountains are still in winter: Kazbegi is snowy, the Jvari Pass can close after snowfall, and Gudauri is still skiing.
The weather in March
- Tbilisi: highs around 13 °C, lows around 4 °C and about 29 mm of rain across the month[1]. Expect gusty winds, the odd late snow shower and warm days in between.
- Stepantsminda (Kazbegi): highs around 3 °C and lows around −7 °C[2]. Snow covers the valleys.
- Kakheti: similar to Tbilisi, with snow on the Caucasus behind the Alazani valley.
Pack layers: a light jacket for sunny afternoons in the city, a warm coat and waterproof for cold days, and proper winter clothing for the mountains.
Blossom in late March
Around the third and fourth weeks of March, almond, plum and peach blossom appear in Tbilisi and the lowlands, followed by wisteria over Old Town balconies from late March to mid-April[3]. Dates move with the weather, so don't plan a trip around a single day, but the second half of the month is the time to see it.
Where to go in Georgia in March
Tbilisi and Mtskheta
The city is at its quietest. The cobbled lanes of the Old Town, the sulphur baths, the museums and the wine bars all work well in cool weather, and Mtskheta's Jvari and Svetitskhoveli are half an hour away. On a cold day, the baths are the place to be.
Allow at least two full days for the city, and remember that Monday is the usual closing day for museums. At the baths, most visitors choose a private room with a hot pool, rented by the hour, at roughly 100–300 GEL in the well-known bathhouses and less in simpler ones[6]. Reserve a day or two ahead, especially for weekend evenings. Our guide to Tbilisi's sulphur baths explains how it works.
Mtskheta is about 25 km from Tbilisi, with Jvari on its own hilltop about 10 km from the old town by road. The churches are free, and Svetitskhoveli is busy during Sunday services. See our guide to Mtskheta, Jvari and Svetitskhoveli.
Uplistsikhe and Gori
The rock-cut town of Uplistsikhe and the Stalin Museum in Gori are 1.25–1.5 hours west of Tbilisi, and snow on the high passes doesn't affect the road. Each costs about 15 GEL. Uplistsikhe's smooth rock is slippery when wet, so wear shoes with grip. With Mtskheta added, the private Mtskheta, Gori and Uplistsikhe day trip takes 9–9.5 hours.
Kakheti's wine cellars
The vines are still bare, but the cellars receive visitors all year, and tastings and long lunches don't depend on the weather. Sighnaghi is quiet and the views over the valley to the snowy mountains can be clear. Great Lent usually begins in March (seven weeks before Orthodox Easter), so you'll see fasting dishes marked on menus, which suits vegetarians.
Sighnaghi is about 2 hours from Tbilisi via Sagarejo. Telavi is about 2 hours over the Gombori Pass, but in snow drivers take the lower road through Sagarejo and Gurjaani, about 2.5–3 hours. At Tsinandali the garden may be bare, but the house and cellar can still be visited; entry is about 10 GEL, and tastings cost extra.
David Gareja
March is the start of the good season at David Gareja, in the semi-desert on the Azerbaijani border. By summer it is very hot and vipers are active, but in March and April the striped hills turn green and the first flowers appear[4]. The Lavra monastery is open. The Udabno monastery and the ridge walk above it are closed or unpredictable because of the border, so treat them as a bonus if open on the day. See our David Gareja guide.
The Lavra is about 100 km and 2 hours from Tbilisi, and the last stretch of road is rough. Entry is free, but the site has no ATM or shop. Cover shoulders and knees; women also cover their hair.
Birtvisi canyon
With most mountain trails under snow, Birtvisi is a hike that works. It lies 1.25–1.5 hours south-west of Tbilisi, and its season starts in March. The loop is about 8 km and takes 4–5 hours, with scrambles over boulders. The trail is poorly marked and slippery after rain, so our private Birtvisi hike has a local hiking guide, and we move the date if it is wet.
Kazbegi and Gudauri
Kazbegi in March is beautiful in the snow, with Mount Kazbek (5,054 m) above the town, but plan it carefully. The Jvari Pass (2,379 m) can close for hours or 1–3 days after heavy snow, and the road up to Gergeti Trinity Church (2,170 m) may need a 4x4 or be impassable. Keep Kazbegi on a flexible day, never the day before a flight. For the road, read the Kazbegi road in winter. Gudauri's ski season usually runs into April, so March is a good month for spring skiing with softer snow. Off-piste, remember there is no avalanche control.
Driving to Kazbegi in March
Stepantsminda is 152 km from Tbilisi, 3–3.5 hours each way, and a day trip takes 10–12 hours. The section that closes runs between Gudauri and Kobi, over the Jvari Pass. Closures are announced on the day, so nobody can tell you weeks ahead whether your date will be affected.
- Check the road the evening before and again in the morning. The Roads Department announces closures on georoad.ge[7].
- Winter tyres are compulsory on this road in winter[8], and cars from our car rental come with them from December to March.
- If the pass is shut, Ananuri (about 70 km, 1–1.25 hours) and Pasanauri stay reachable, and usually Gudauri too[8], which makes a shorter mountain day. Kakheti and Mtskheta–Gori–Uplistsikhe aren't affected at all.
- If you stay the night in Stepantsminda, a closure can keep you there an extra day, so check the forecast before you go up.
Skiing in March
- Gudauri: about 120 km and 2–2.5 hours from Tbilisi, with lifts up to 3,279 m. The 2025/26 season ran until 19 April[9], so this is the resort for late March. An adult lift pass was about 70 GEL a day in 2025/26. Longer days and settling snow can make March excellent for freeride; go off-piste only with a qualified mountain guide and avalanche kit.
- Bakuriani: at about 1,700 m, it has softer snow in March and a shorter season, which ended on 29 March in 2026[10]. An adult lift pass was about 55 GEL a day.
Check that your insurance covers skiing. To choose a resort, read Gudauri or Bakuriani; for off-piste, see our guide to freeride and heli-skiing in Gudauri.
What's still closed
- High mountain regions: Tusheti, Khevsureti (Shatili) and the Zagari Pass in Svaneti stay closed until late May or June.
- Hikes: the Juta and Truso valleys and most mountain trails are under snow.
- Vardzia: reachable, but part of the site has been closed since the 27 May 2026 rockfall, and March is early in its season. It is 4–5 hours each way from Tbilisi. See what's open at Vardzia.
- Canyon boats in western Georgia can be suspended after rain and spring floods.
Holidays in March
Two public holidays fall in March: Mother's Day on 3 March and International Women's Day on 8 March[5]. Banks and government offices close, but restaurants and sights are generally open. On 8 March flowers are everywhere, and restaurants fill up in the evening. In 2027, 3 March is a Wednesday and 8 March a Monday, when many museums are closed anyway. Our list of Georgian public holidays has the full year.
Lent and fasting food
In 2027 Orthodox Easter falls on 2 May[5], so Great Lent, about seven weeks long, starts around the middle of March. Look for the word samarkhvo on menus: it means fasting food, with no meat, poultry, eggs or dairy[11]. Two dishes to try are pkhali, chopped vegetables pounded with walnuts, and lobio, a bean stew served with cornbread. A pat of butter may go into lobio at the end, so ask for it without[11]. Our guide to vegetarian and vegan food in Georgia has more.
A week in March
Snow decides the order, so put the mountains early and keep the lowlands for later. Our 7-day Georgia itinerary gives the full routes; in March it works like this:
- Kazbegi on day 2 or 3, so a closure can be absorbed by swapping days.
- Tbilisi, Mtskheta and Kakheti, with a night in Sighnaghi, then Uplistsikhe, Gori and Borjomi, none of which depend on mountain passes.
- The west instead of the mountains: Kutaisi and the Prometheus cave, which is the same temperature all year.
Where to sleep
In Tbilisi, Sololaki, the Old Town and Vera are the most convenient areas for walking. Sighnaghi has family guesthouses in old houses and small hotels; ask for a room with a terrace over the Alazani Valley. Stepantsminda has family guesthouses, in town and in Gergeti village, and mid-range hotels with views of Kazbek. Gudauri has ski-in and apartment hotels in New Gudauri.
Is March a good time to visit?
Choose March if you want quiet sights, lower demand for hotels, city life and wine rather than hiking, or spring skiing. Skip it if the high mountains, hiking or reliable warm weather are the point of your trip; April and May are better for that, and June to September for the mountains. For the months either side, see Georgia in February and Georgia in spring.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm jacket and a waterproof.
- Shoes with grip for wet cobbles and muddy paths.
- Winter boots, hat and gloves if you're going to Kazbegi or Gudauri.
- A scarf and a long skirt or trousers for churches.
- Proof of travel insurance: since 1 January 2026 it is mandatory for visitors, with at least 30,000 GEL of cover.
Tours for March
All our trips are private, with your own car and English-speaking driver-guide.
- David Gareja and Sighnaghi day trip: the Lavra monastery, then Sighnaghi with a wine tasting and Bodbe convent. March is in its main season.
- Kakheti wine day trip: Sighnaghi, Tsinandali and a family qvevri cellar, all year.
- Georgia Highlights in 5 days: Tbilisi, Kakheti and a night in Stepantsminda, all year. If the Jvari Pass is closed, we change the order or replace Kazbegi with Mtskheta and Château Mukhrani.
- Heart of Georgia, 5 days: Mtskheta, Uplistsikhe, Gori, Kutaisi and Kakheti, with no high-mountain roads.
- Classic Georgia 8-day private tour: its standard season starts in April, but we run it in March on request, with a flexible Kazbegi day.
See each tour page for the current price, or build your own March route. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Tbilisi" (climate normals 1991–2020): en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Stepantsminda" (climate table): en.wikipedia.org
- The Georgian Guide, "Georgia in spring": thegeorgianguide.com
- Wander-Lush, "Places to see wildflowers in Georgia": wander-lush.org
- Office Holidays, "Public holidays in Georgia, 2027": officeholidays.com
- Wander-Lush, "Tbilisi sulfur baths" guide and Gulo's Thermal Spa review (updated 18 February 2026): wander-lush.org
- Roads Department of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Georgia, road conditions: georoad.ge
- Wander-Lush, "How to Travel From Tbilisi to Kazbegi in 2026" (updated 11 May 2026): wander-lush.org
- Friendly.ge, "Gudauri ski resort guide 2025/26": friendly.ge
- Friendly.ge, "Bakuriani ski resort guide": friendly.ge
- Wander-Lush, "Vegetarian Georgian Food: 19 Traditional Dishes": wander-lush.org
Last checked: September 2026. Mountain roads and the Jvari Pass depend on snow; we check conditions the evening before any mountain day.
