The short answer: November is a good month for Tbilisi, the wine country and the classic day trips from the capital, and a poor one for the high mountains. Days in Tbilisi are cool and mostly dry, with average highs of about 13 °C [1]. The October crowds have gone and hotel prices drop. In Kakheti the wine from the autumn harvest is ready for its first tasting. Up north, snow arrives in Kazbegi, and the remote mountain regions close for the winter. Here is what to expect, region by region.
Low season: what it means for you
- Fewer people at Jvari, Svetitskhoveli, Sighnaghi and Gergeti, and shorter waits for the Narikala cable car.
- Lower prices. The harvest premium in Kakheti is over, Batumi is out of season, and November is one of the cheaper months of the year for hotels [5].
- Shorter days. It is dark by early evening, so long day trips start early and the last stop is planned for daylight.
- Some things shut. Seasonal mountain guesthouses and cafés close, and summer activities such as valley hikes and rafting are finished for the year.
Weather by region
- Tbilisi and the east: average highs of about 13 °C and lows of about 5 °C, with around 34 mm of rain spread over five or so days [1]. Early November still feels like autumn, with the last leaves turning in the city; by the end of the month it is closer to winter.
- Kakheti: the Alazani Valley follows Tbilisi's pattern. The vines are bare after the harvest and the autumn colour on the Gombori pass is mostly over, but the cellars are busy.
- Kazbegi (Stepantsminda, 1,740 m): average highs of about 4 °C and lows of about −4 °C [2]. Expect frost every night and snow on some days. Gergeti Trinity Church (2,170 m) and Mt Kazbek (5,054 m) can look superb on a clear, cold day.
- Batumi and the coast: mild, with highs of about 12 °C, but November is one of Batumi's three wettest months, with about 305 mm of rain on average [3]. It is not beach weather.
- Svaneti: Mestia is still reachable by the main road, but the higher routes are under snow [5].
What closes
- Tusheti: the Abano Pass road is closed until next summer; the region is cut off.
- Khevsureti (Shatili and Mutso): the Datvisjvari pass is closed for the winter.
- The Zagari Pass between Ushguli and Lentekhi is shut, so you leave Svaneti the way you came.
- Truso and Juta: the valley walks near Kazbegi are summer products and are finished for the year.
For how the season changes over the following months, see Georgia in winter.
First snow in Kazbegi: the Jvari Pass caveat
The road to Kazbegi stays open in principle all year, but November is when the first proper snow usually reaches the Jvari Pass (2,379 m), and closures are possible from November onwards [4]. After heavy snow the pass can close for a few hours, and occasionally for one to three days. Winter tyres are compulsory on this road in winter. The sealed road up to Gergeti needs a 4x4 once there is snow on it, and on some days it is impassable.
None of this rules Kazbegi out. It means you should put it on a flexible day early in your trip, never the day before a flight, and have a Plan B. Our private Kazbegi and Gergeti day trip checks the road the evening before and suggests another trip if the pass is closed. Read how winter closures work for where the official announcements are made.
What stays open all year
Tbilisi
The Old Town, the cable car to Narikala, the museums, the wine bars and the markets all carry on as normal, and cool weather is ideal for the steep cobbles. It is also the start of sulphur-bath season: a private bath room with a hot pool is the way to end a cold day. Our private Tbilisi city walk covers the Old Town on foot in about five hours.
Mtskheta, Uplistsikhe and Gori
Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral are 30–40 minutes from Tbilisi. Uplistsikhe, the town cut into the rock above the Mtkvari, is much more pleasant in November than in the shadeless heat of summer, though opening hours at Uplistsikhe and the Stalin Museum shorten in the cold months. The private Mtskheta, Gori and Uplistsikhe day trip plans the day around them, with about 3.5 hours of driving in total.
Kakheti
Sighnaghi, Bodbe convent, the Tsinandali estate and the family cellars all receive visitors in November. The David Gareja Lavra is open too, while the Udabno monastery on the ridge above stays closed or unpredictable.
New wine season in Kakheti
This is the part of November that wine lovers come for. The grapes picked in September and October have fermented in qvevri, the buried clay jars behind a winemaking method on UNESCO's Intangible Heritage list since 2013 [6]. By November the new wine is roughly four to six weeks into its life: young, often still cloudy, and quite different from the finished bottles you taste in spring [5]. Family winemakers are happy to pour a glass straight from the qvevri alongside older vintages.
There is no single festival for it; the fun is in the cellars and at the table. Machari, the sweet, half-fermented juice of harvest time, is usually gone by now. Our private Kakheti wine day trip includes two tastings, one of them in a family qvevri cellar near Telavi. If the Gombori pass is icy, drivers take the lower Sagarejo road.
Giorgoba: St George's Day, 23 November
St George is Georgia's patron saint, and 23 November, Giorgoba, is a public holiday and a non-working day [7]. Churches hold services, and it is a day off for most people. For visitors it mostly means that government offices and some businesses close and churches are busier than usual, so check the opening hours of anything you plan for that day.
Where to go in November
- Tbilisi for walking, food, wine bars and the baths.
- Kakheti for the new wine and a long supper in a family cellar.
- Mtskheta and Uplistsikhe for history without the summer heat.
- Kazbegi on a clear day, with a spare day in hand.
- Not Tusheti, Khevsureti or Ushguli hikes; come back between June and September for those.
What to pack
- A warm jacket, hat and gloves for Kazbegi, and layers for Tbilisi, where afternoons can still be mild.
- A waterproof layer, especially if you are heading west.
- Shoes with grip for wet cobbles and monastery steps.
- A scarf for women and long trousers or skirts for churches.
- Proof of travel health insurance: since 1 January 2026 it is mandatory for visitors, with at least 30,000 GEL of cover.
Tours for November
All our tours are private, with your own car and English-speaking driver-guide. In November we suggest the Kakheti wine day trip for the new wine, the Mtskheta, Gori and Uplistsikhe day trip and the Tbilisi city walk, with Kazbegi on a day when the pass is open. See each tour page for the current price, or plan your own November trip and we send you a route and a price. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Tbilisi" (climate normals 1991–2020): en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Stepantsminda" (climate table): en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Batumi" (climate table): en.wikipedia.org
- Wander-Lush, "How to travel from Tbilisi to Kazbegi" (updated September 2026): wander-lush.org
- Georgia Spirit, "Georgia in November: the quiet season begins": georgia-spirit.com
- UNESCO, "Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method" (2013): ich.unesco.org
- Wikipedia, "Public holidays in Georgia": en.wikipedia.org
Last checked: September 2026. Mountain roads open and close with the weather; the official announcement on the day always takes precedence.
