The short answer: spring is a good time for Tbilisi, Kakheti and the semi-desert south-east, and a mixed one for the mountains. March is changeable, April brings blossom and green hills, and May is warm in the lowlands with Easter, wildflowers and the first mountain walks. Kazbegi is reachable all spring, but it is still wintry until May, and the high passes into Tusheti, Khevsureti and over the Zagari Pass in Svaneti stay closed until late May or June.
March: changeable, and blossom at the end
Tbilisi averages highs of about 13 °C and lows of 4 °C in March, with around 29 mm of rain [1]. Locals call it "moody March": gusty winds, the odd burst of snow, and summer-like days mixed with wintry ones [3]. In the third and fourth weeks of March almond, plum and peach blossom appears around Tbilisi's Old Town, followed by wisteria from late March to mid-April [6].
- Kazbegi is still in winter. Stepantsminda averages highs of about 3 °C and lows of −7 °C in March [2]. The Jvari Pass (2,379 m) can close for hours, or 1–3 days, after snow, and the road up to Gergeti Trinity Church (2,170 m) needs a 4x4 in snow. Beautiful if the road is open; keep it on a flexible day.
- Skiing carries on at Gudauri into April; the 2025/26 season ran until 19 April.
- David Gareja starts its season. March and April are the months for wildflowers on the semi-desert hills [4][5].
April: green hills and fruit blossom
Tbilisi warms to highs of about 19 °C and lows of 8 °C, with about 64 mm of rain [1]. In April the vines leaf out in Kakheti, and the Alazani Valley is green with snow on the Caucasus behind it [6]; poppies, irises and wild orchids flower there in April and May [4]. Around Borjomi, wild orchids flower in April [4].
- Kakheti is quiet before the summer, and cellars receive visitors all year.
- Vashlovani, the badlands national park in the far south-east, has its main season in April–May, with green steppe and flowers before the summer heat [5]. See our Vashlovani guide.
- Kazbegi is still cold: Stepantsminda averages highs of about 9 °C and lows below freezing [2]. The Jvari Pass can still close after late snow.
- 9 April is the Day of National Unity, a public holiday [7].
May: warm lowlands, Easter and the first mountain walks
May is the warmest spring month in Tbilisi, with highs of about 24 °C and lows of 13 °C, but also the wettest, with around 83 mm of rain [1]. Up at Stepantsminda, highs reach about 14 °C, and May is one of the wettest months there too [2]. Pack a waterproof.
- Kazbegi opens up. May is the start of the main season for Gergeti, and the Gveleti waterfall walk opens. The Truso valley walk usually becomes possible in May, weather permitting.
- Birding: mid-May to June is the window for the Caucasus endemics around Kazbegi, such as Caucasian black grouse, Caucasian snowcock and Güldenstädt's redstart [8].
- Rafting on the White Aragvi is at its biggest and coldest in May–June, for confident adult swimmers.
- Poppies: fields of poppies flower in Kakheti and near Marneuli, south of Tbilisi, in May [4].
- Public holidays: 9 May, 12 May and 26 May (Independence Day), plus the Easter holidays [7].
Easter: the date changes every year
Georgia follows the Orthodox calendar, so Easter usually falls on a different Sunday from Western Easter, somewhere between April and early May. In 2027 Orthodox Easter is on 2 May, and Good Friday (30 April) to Easter Monday (3 May) are public holidays [7].
In the weeks before, Lent means many Georgians avoid meat and dairy, so meat-free dishes are easy to find. Bakeries sell paska, a sweet Easter bread with raisins, and families dye eggs red and display them with wheatgrass; on Easter Sunday people tap eggs together to see whose shell is strongest [9]. The main service runs from about 23:00 on Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday [9]. Many Tbilisi families leave for their home villages from Good Friday to Easter Monday to visit relatives and family graves [9], so roads out of the city are busy and some small businesses close. Churches are full over Easter; dress for them (shoulders and knees covered, headscarves for women).
What is still closed in spring
- Tusheti. The Abano Pass road usually opens in June; in 2026 it opened on 20 June, after late snow.
- Khevsureti (Shatili, Mutso). The Datvisjvari pass usually opens between mid-May and mid-June.
- Juta and the high meadows. Juta is a July–September walk; before that the upper meadows are under snow. Mountain wildflowers around Kazbegi come from late June [4].
- Zagari Pass (Ushguli–Lentekhi). Open from about late May; until then you leave Svaneti via Mestia and Zugdidi.
- Martvili Canyon boats are suspended in spring and after rain.
Muddy trails, high rivers and the odd road disruption are normal in spring [3]. Keep a spare day if the mountains matter to you.
David Gareja: go before the heat
Spring is the right time for the Lavra monastery at David Gareja, on the Azerbaijani border. In March and April the striped hills are green and flowering; by July temperatures can pass 40 °C, and vipers are active in the semi-desert from May. The Lavra is open; the Udabno monastery and ridge walk above it are closed or unpredictable because of the border. Our David Gareja guide has the details.
Where to go, month by month
- March: Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kakheti's cellars, David Gareja; Kazbegi and Gudauri for snow, with a flexible day.
- April: Kakheti's green valley, David Gareja, Vashlovani, Uplistsikhe and Borjomi before the heat.
- May: everything above, plus Kazbegi at the start of its season, the Truso valley, birding and rafting.
What to pack
- Layers: a T-shirt for Tbilisi in May and a warm jacket for Kazbegi, which can be close to freezing at dawn even in May.
- A waterproof jacket and shoes with grip for wet cobbles and muddy paths.
- A headscarf and long skirt or trousers for churches, especially over Easter.
- Proof of travel health insurance: since 1 January 2026 it is mandatory for visitors, with at least 30,000 GEL of cover.
Tours for spring
Our Classic Georgia 8-day private tour covers Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kazbegi, Uplistsikhe, Borjomi, Vardzia and Kakheti, and works well from April; part of Vardzia has been closed since the 27 May 2026 rockfall, and we plan around it. The private David Gareja and Sighnaghi day trip pairs the Lavra with Sighnaghi, a tasting and Bodbe, ideal in March–May. For birders, the Kazbegi birding tour for Caucasus endemics runs from mid-May to June with a specialist bird guide. All are private, with your own car and English-speaking driver-guide; see each tour page for the current price. Or plan your own spring route. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Tbilisi climate normals 1991–2020, Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org
- Stepantsminda climate table, Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org
- Wander-Lush, month-by-month guide to visiting Georgia: wander-lush.org
- Wander-Lush, "Places to See Wildflowers in Georgia": wander-lush.org
- Wander-Lush, "Day trips from Tbilisi" (David Gareja season): wander-lush.org
- The Georgian Guide, "Georgia in Spring": thegeorgianguide.com
- Office Holidays, Georgia public holidays 2027: officeholidays.com
- Batumi Birding (SABUKO), Caucasus birding tours: batumibirding.com
- Wander-Lush, "Things to Do in Tbilisi in Spring" (Easter traditions): wander-lush.org
Last checked: September 2026. Mountain passes open with the snow each year, so opening dates vary; we check them before every trip.
